Answer:
The central theme of the novel is the conflict between civilization and savagery, which also expresses the psychological confrontation between good and evil, as the social battle of law against anarchy. The good is represented in the instinct of civilization while the instinct of savagery represents evil.
Explanation:
The boys have to choose whether they follow rules and moral commands to guarantee a peaceful coexistence or they succumb to an instinctive search for power and gratification through violence. This is not only a personal dilemma but also shows how all the characters are influenced by an instinct of civilization as well as one of savagery to different degrees.
While Ralph represents civilization, Jack represents savagery.
Piggy and Roger are in opposite extremes as well, since the first doesn´t show any tendency to savagery, while the latter seems incapable of following the rules of civilization. Given that most boys succumb to savagery by the end, we can infer that Golding believes that the instinct of savagery is a primal element of the human mind while the instinct of civilization is forces on the individual by society.
