Band of Boys From a Civilized Culture to a Tribe of Savages
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In the beginning of William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies, the boys are introduced as British boys coming from a civilized society. They are described wearing certain attire that someone would find on one coming from a wealthy, cultured and well-educated environment. However, once the boys start shifting power to Jack, they become blood-lusting, barbaric savages. In this situation, Golding projects the concept that humans are innately evil through the evil band of boys who, in fact, come from a "civilized" culture; the boys' societal influence on the island is overshadowed by the barbarism and savagery within themselves as well as the leadership of Jack.
Early into the story, Jack and the rest of the choir boys show that they come from a civilized society, through their idealized garments and revelation of coming from England. Ralph sees a line of boys that step on to the beach after blowing the conch several times:
a party of boys in two parallel lines wore a square black cap with a silver badge on it. Their bodieswere hidden by black cloaks which bore a long silver cross on the breast and each neck was finished off with a hambone frill The boy who controlled them was dressed in the same way though his cap badge was golden The tall boy shouted at them. 'Choir! Stand still! (19-20)
The boys are described wearing the same type of cloak that can be distinguished as a uniform of some sort...