Earlier this year I became the government. Every day for the next few days, I woke up before the sun rose and filled my hotel room with light. In professional attire, I walked the halls of the California State Capitol and into the Assembly Houses. I have experienced firsthand how the administration of our society works. There came a day, a cloudy day with rain falling momentarily, when a protest gathered in the streets. One man spoke out asking the government to take off its mask. I couldn't understand. What did this man want? Deep down in my gut, I knew that a life of terror, a life of darkness, and a life of despair could only be the result of no government. This ideal is explained by the classic novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which explores the universal theme of the importance of civilization, regarding its role in ensuring that man does not return to his primitive and savage nature. The island begins with the basis of a plan to maintain order, but as time passes they find themselves facing conflicts that ultimately put an end to their civilized ways. Initially, Ralph, the supposed leader, conducted a democratic process on the island; however, later in the story, Jack, one of the boys, realizes that there are no more consequences for their wrongdoings because there was no control. This links to the ideal that moral behavior is imposed on individuals by civilization and when they are left alone, they revert to their basic instinct of ferocity. Furthermore, there is a differentiation in beliefs that cause chaos due to the fact that some preferred an uncultivated lifestyle to an orderly structure. Opposing ideas are commonly known in... middle of paper... and that civilization is vital to human life. In a sense, our government wears a mask, that of civilization. A mask that hides our true instincts, which can be easily removed and maintained in the hope of a greater good. According to Golding's view of humanity, we are truly barbaric by nature; however, the mask has become an essential aspect of our lives, allowing us to achieve our common goals. Now, we just have to ask ourselves: will the time come when this mask will be removed or perhaps fall off? Works Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. Print.Pflanz, Mike. “US recognizes Somalia government after two decades of anarchy.” The ChristianScience Monitor. CSMonitor, January 18, 2013. Web. January 23 2014. .