The Deterioration of Civilization has been speculated upon by the human race for centuries. As a result of these prophecies of chaos, William Golding wrote the novel Lord of the Flies in 1954. The story concerns a group of schoolchildren stranded on an island after a plane crashes. Without adult guidance, children must survive and build their own civilization until help arrives. Unfortunately, the schoolchildren are soon affected by the corruption of their attempt to create an orderly and harmless civilization. In the novel, various atrocious events occur as society begins to decline; from bullying, to attempted murder, to outright murder. In my opinion, the deterioration of the civilization of the boys on the island is attributed to the existence of a resulting distrust, the need to survive and tribal alliances. Numerous kids trust each other at the beginning of their days on the island; however, this trust quickly turns into mistrust among children. The focal presence of mistrust is between Jack and Ralph and, later, Ralph and Piggy. “I won't play anymore. Not with you." (Golding, 127) Jack stated this when he was about to leave the group, expressing his distrust. He didn't want to “play any longer,” “Not with [Ralph].” This part of the novel is extremely important to recognize as it reveals Jack's recognition of independence and self-confidence, along with his desire to separate himself from the group. “I'm afraid of [Jack], and that's why I know him you hate him but you can't stop thinking about him, 93) Piggy verbalizes his fear of J.. .... middle of paper...... cooperation. Civilization begins to deteriorate as mistrust spreads, especially between Ralph and Jack, the need to survive develops and tribal alliances finally occur concerns that one may have regarding the fall of a society structured from the point of view of children, the point of view of innocence. Lord of the Flies is a very descriptive and monumental book that has been studied and appreciated for decades, as it is an extremely compelling story concerning the breakdown of civilization, and will remain as one of the most treasured novels for myriad years to come. .Works CitedGolding, William. Lord of the Flies. The group of penguins, 1954. Print.[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trust[2] http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/wired-for-survival1.htm[3] http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/civilization