Lord of the Flies #2

I think that Ralph and Piggy feel like they need to be a part of "this demented but partly secure society" for a few reasons including security, safety, and group mentality.

On an island where these boys really don't know how to hunt, they don't know how to get food--at least meat. Jack represents strength--they killed the pig. They celebrate it partly because food represents security. It's one of the most basic needs, and when our basic needs are taken care of we feel secure. But security isn't all there is--these boys seem to be dangerous and powerful too. Killing the wild animal gives them power and people feel safe around power. “I gave you food,” said Jack, and my hunters will protect you from the beast. Who will join my tribe?”

Finally, it leads to a group mentality. Ralph and Piggy are hanging back at first. They try to convince the boys not to go over to Jack's side, but they do and Ralph and Piggy get sucked in too. They join because of group mentality. In To Kill a Mockingbird--there is a mob scene where the voice of reason (Scout) changes the mob mentality and diffuses the emotions. There is no such voice in this book, with enough power to change the frenzied rejoicing and when Piggy and Ralph see the exuberance, the mad joy, the dancing and it looks inviting. Peer pressure or mob mentality whatever you call it, we as humans succumb to it. We succumb to wanting to belong. And that mob mentality is a powerful force when you want to belong. That happens in real life too. That is why we have programs such as "Just Say No" because we as people want to belong to something, even something as harmful as drugs. The Lottery follows this same belonging in their current society. If there were enough people who would stand up against it then someone would have said that this stupid tradition of killing someone by lottery is dumb, and we should think about stopping it. But noone was willing to do more than grumble and the Lottery is even more strongly connected to needing to belong because the tradition has been happening for so long.