Essays

Want vs. Need

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For this essay, we read Lord of the Flies by William Golding and this includes SPOILERS. The prompt question was: What is the difference between want and need? What occurs when there is an imbalance between the two?

 The words want and need can be used in very similar contexts. A teacher may tell their students that they need to do their homework, though, in reality, this is not a necessity for their life, they only want their students to understand the subject clearer. These words are often used interchangeably, although they have different meanings. The differences are slight but can change the entire comprehension of a statement, a person's actions, or a literary piece. When one wants, they desire for an object or feeling that will make them content. A need simply pertains to a person's life; what is required for that person to live. Since these terms are often used in false or exaggerated arenas, some live with an imbalance of the two. They put their desires above their lives and they, and those around them can suffer greatly from this.

When a person needs something, that object or feeling is vital to their longevity. Two characters within Lord of the Flies understand this greatly. These characters are Ralph, the early elected leader, and Piggy. As the group of boys is stranded on the island, these two are very practical and realistic in their situation. They devise plans to build huts, obtain food and water, and to get rescued. They understand what is needed. At an assembly with all the boys, they talk about the grown-ups and say, "'But they don't know where we are... Nobody knows where we are' ... 'of course we shall be rescued'" (Golding 40-45). The boy's directiveness clearly expresses that they are thinking of and addressing their needs because it pertains to their physical survival. Food is necessary to live. Rescue is necessary for their long-term survival. They need adults and to return to society because it gives them structure, it is what they are already accustomed to, and they are protected; protected from the elements and their own minds. Following this, the group discusses how they will notify the adults. That the adults will not know where to look. Quickly the talk of fire comes about. Ralph says, "'We can help them to find us... we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire" (Golding 45). This shows that they understand their priorities and illustrates that the fire is a need because it will keep them alive. As the fire is a signal for the adults to find the boys it also provides hope. This is also essential to their survival as it gives them something to do rather than wait on the beach to die.

For many, a want, and the fulfillment of this want is dependent on that person's character and their feelings; their desire for an item that will make them feel a specific way (happy, powerful, etc.). In the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, most of the characters have already gained something most children dream about. No parents. However, soon one of the boys, Jack, fashions a new want. He wants to hunt. More specifically, he wants to feel the adrenaline and power from hunting (though he uses the excuse of getting food). Jack drags many of the boys along with him and they succeed. After their first successful kill, the narrator states, " ... when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink" (Golding 92). This clearly expresses that Jack's involvement with his hunting is a want because it primarily focuses on his emotions and mentality rather than life. Jack's desire to hunt is an action to symbolize his overall want for power and power over others. This early want is fulfilled by his first hunt, but it soon grows larger. As the story progresses, Jack continues to hunt and his thirst for power takes hold. Following a disagreement with the voted chief Ralph, Jack leaves to form a new tribe of hunters, a tribe that he can control. With his new group of hunters, they kill a pig and hold a feast. The narrator describes the scene, "A fire burnt on the rock and fat dripped from the roasting pigmeat into the visible flames... a great log had been dragged into the center of the lawn and Jack, painted and garlanded, sat there like an idol" (Golding 208). Jack's tribe and his role as the leader of the group clearly express that he is fulfilling his want because his place as a ruler appeals to his sadistic personality. The power Jack gains from hunting provided a gateway for him to gain power through leadership. In his new leadership (dictator esque) role, Jack gained acceptance and somewhat artificial love from his followers.

Many understand the difference between their needs and wants. However, there are those that live with an imbalance and may suffer from it. Within the novel Lord of the Flies, Piggy understands what is needed of them on the island. Throughout, he constantly reminds the others that the fire is important. He says, "'Ralph- remember what we came here for. The fire" (Golding 249). This clearly shows that he understands what is needed because he is focused on their survival. Piggy is one of the only characters that sees this and continues to remind everyone what is important. Their rescue and their key to being rescued, the fire. Jack is an example of one that has an imbalance between their wants and needs. He allows his desire to overtake all rational thinking. Even after being on the island for a small period of time, he is already thinking of his wants. Early in the book, he says to Ralph, "'Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I'd like to catch a pig first'" (Golding 67). He places rescue lower on his list of priorities because he has yet to feel the power of hunting and killing. This is an excellent portrayal of a character expressing an imbalance between want and need because he places his personal desires over what is best for the group's survival. Later in the book, Jack's selfishness and hunger for power (and his rise to power) mixed with fear, led to the deaths of a boy named Simon and Piggy.

Wants and needs are two fairly similar terms with different meanings. One is for satisfaction in life, the other for life itself. When a person has a great imbalance of the two, unfortunate events may occur. People must develop a successful balance between these two in order to live comfortably. Giving in to our desires and whims may not always be a terrible, foreboding thing; but we must have restraint and resist the temptation to give into them and allow them to overcome our being.