In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, throughout the book there were war dances that were performed by the savage tribe which symbolizes the level of violence that occurred during each dance. In the first tribal dance, no one was hurt as the boys pretended that Maurice was the pig and dance around him while they pretended to beat him. As the events continue in the book, the dances start to become more violent and the boys end up eventually taking another boy's life because they became savages. In the beginning of the book, the tribal dances are an act of celebration. When Jack and his hunters killed their first pig they light a fire and dance around it while singing and dancing. The boys are so excited that they first kill a pig, they end up making Maurice imitate a pig and pretending to beat him while chanting "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in." (Golding 75). The first tribal dance symbolizes the beginning of the boy's savage behavior and it is when Jack starts to become uncivilized due to his bloodlust and thirst for power. At first Jack wanted to hunt because he wanted to help the group, but now he has shifted his interest from the group to himself since he wants all the power that Ralph has and to become the chief. .
As the story goes on and events unfold the second tribal dance an act of violence where Robert is ordered to pretend to be the pig for the ritual. The group of savages circle around him and begin jabbing him with their spears. Robert cried out "Ow! Stop it! You're hurting!" as the boys kept fighting to get a chance to hurt the Robert. The second tribal dance symbolizes the actual act of violence where the boys weren't pretending anymore, it is the part where the savage mind is beginning to take over and the boys are forgetting how to be civilized. As the book is coming to a closing the third tribal dance symbolizes the part where the boys take someone's life.
