Respect for Animals

Is it okay to slaughter an animal? For contemporary western societies, animal slaughtering caused by hunting is not a ritualized practice. However, there are still religions today where hunting is one of the most significant rituals of their beliefs. They slaughter animals to provide dinner for their families. Many religions still adopt and maintain these rituals to practice, commemorate, or celebrate many of their beliefs. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, slaughtering an animal is a ritual that germinated for the purpose of the stranded boys’ survival. Though both forms of extermination of an animal, which one that is sacrificial and another that is a form of survival, share similarities in terms of purpose, a ritualized slaughter of an animal are more civilized because it is a practice respected by the society that performs it.

Throughout the novel, chaos ensues when a group of young boys crash into a deserted island with no adult supervision. The boys later select a leader and split into groups that are in charge of different parts of the island for their survival. One of the groups is called the “hunter boys” and is responsible for hunting prey for the boys to feast on to stay alive until they are rescued. In this moment,the group of hunter boys has finally secured a pig to kill. Upon capturing a pig, many of the boys chant and sing, “kill the pig. Cut his throat. Spill her.” And right after that they did just as so. Many of the boys reacted to this slaughter in many different ways. Jack, in particular, says, “I cut the pig's throat,” and with pride, he twitches as he says it. Alongside Jack,” The boys chattered and danced. The twins continued to grin” (69). Golding challenges his readers to questions what differentiates a savage and a civilized slaughter of an animal practiced by a society. What might be considered as savagery in this scene is Jack’s desire to kill the pig to prove his ego and bravery. However, the society, which includes the other boys, respects his bravery and his act . Jack’s savagery is perceived as his ability to serve as a productive member of the group. Jack breaks rules of their civilization making this slaughter of the animal a “normal” act.. Their hunger and starvation overpowers their decision-making , their last concern is the mortality of the pig. The boys all respect Jack and one another for killing the pig because they know it is their only way of ending their hunger.   

In connection to Jack's civilized slaughter and his understanding and guidance of his group's rules, Judaism’s animal slaughtering practices are also civilized. In Judaism, “shitah” is the most humane way to kill an animal. Just as the religion maintains strict rules for killing animals, the boys in Lord of the Flies also maintain rigid practices. There are seven laws that have been provided to Noah’s son. A verse from the Torah states, “Thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee.”The verse states, “I Have commanded thee” also means, “I have commanded you”. This giving a rightful order and permission for the people to be able to kill animals. Then a verse later on in the Torah that is also part of the seven laws,” one does not eat from an animal while it is still alive .” In this law it's giving the ultimate purpose of actually being able to eat the meat because one can eat from an animal however if the animal isn't killed/ dead then it is not civilized to eat the animal. As shown in both societies from Lord of the Flies and the religion, Judaism, there are rules presented for the slaughter of an animal. Though slaughtering an animal is permitted, it becomes savage and is not civilized when the society fails to respect the procedures, in this case, laws, that come with the practice.  In these two societies, both parties respected the slaughter’s rules making it civilized.

Later on, towards the end of the book, the boys are taking action of killing another pig for food. Diverging from the previous slaughter, the boys portray savage characteristics during this ritual practice they have germinated for their group. This killing is not as easy as the previous killings. Golding describes the gruesome scene, writing, “the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror”  Later on, after the slaughter, what really directed Jack “giggle[s] and fleck[s] them while the boys laugh at his reeking palms. Then Jack grabs Maurice and rubs [s]d the stuff over his cheeks” (192). Jack’s behavior of laughing and rubbing the animal blood all over his group member’s face clearly shows the disrespect that is being directed towards this slaughter ritual. In this scene not only is one individual laughing and making jokes towards the dead pig but it states, “ while the boys [are] laughing” meaning that they took part of this disrespectful act as well.

On the other hand, Jews are not allowed to make disrespectful acts towards the animal slaughtering ritual. This ritual slaughter that can usually take place in the most joyful holidays or celebrations, it is still always done with respect and maturity from the society. The general principle of compassion for animals according to the Torah it is represented in the term “tzaar baalei chaim.” This is basically meaning having pity for the pain of living creatures. In the practice of the slaughter of the animal, the people that are involved need to take it seriously and still in a way feel tenderness for the animal. The society of Judaism differs from the scene in Lord of the Flies because this slaughter is still portrayed as civilized while the other is portrayed as a savage slaughter. The actions that are taken up by the Jewish people and the society in the duration and after the slaughter proves the respect that they have for the ritual of the slaughter of the animal. Differently,  when Jack and the other hunters giggle and play with the blood, Golding challenges us to question their humanity. Judaism, instead, takes their rituals seriously and show respect for the dead animals they handle. This proving that the society and the individual that did the killing actually respect the ritual of the animal slaughter.

In the novel, Lord of the Flies, and the religion of Judaism there’s a clear portrayal of respect and disrespectful ritualized animal slaughter. In the real world, the killing of animals frequently occurs in slaughterhouses and hunting which gives a different perspective towards animal slaughter, other than a ritualized animal slaughter that was performed at the beginning of the novel and in the Judaism religion. There are many religions other than Judaism today that practice this ritualized animal slaughter. The reason why is because it's a practice respected by the society that performs it. The modern societies should frown upon the traditional killing of animals as an opposed to frowning upon ritualized slaughter.

Works Cited

Golding, William, Lord of the Flies, New York : Penguin, 2006

Crabtree, Vexen. “Animal Sacrifice and Blood Rituals in Traditional World Religions and in Satanism.” Www.humanreligions.info, www.humanreligions.info/animal_slaughter.html#Islam Links to an external site.

“Qorbanot:  Sacrifices and Offerings.” Qorbanot:  Sacrifices and Offerings / Torah 101 / Mechon Mamre, www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/qorbanot.htm.

“Sacrifice, In The Old Testament, 2 - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.” Bible Study Tools, www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/sacrifice-in-the-old-testament-2.html.