Many history classes ago, we had a discussion about The Lord of the Flies, Versus the real life version of the book. They both have nearly identical situations, but the endings are night and day. One ends in violence and death, while the other ends in lasting friendship. 

The Lord of the Flies follows a group of British choir boys, stranded on a deserted island with no supervision. The boys are forced to create their own government. Things only go smoothly for a very short amount of time. Soon the boys become power hungry and vicious. They are willing to kill each other if it means more power and authority. Their upbringing in England meant that they grew up in a very rigid and hierarchical society. As soon as they were given the chance, they abandoned all their manners and structure, in order to be more in control of their lives. They started out well by trying to create a government system, but this only backfired. The positions of power lead to corruption and death

On the other hand, a group of 8 boys from an island called Tonga, who were shipwrecked in a similar situation, managed not only to survive on their island, but to thrive. They had a well functioning system, so they couldn’t get too mad at eachother, a farm, house, instruments and even a badminton court. Their society, instead of instilling laws and manners, instilled friendship and love. This already strong sense of community allowed them all to live happily and to avoid casualties. 

The differences in their upbringings completely changed the way they dealt with the same situation. The boys from Tonga’s upbringing meant that they were not power hungry or violent, this made all the difference. When you grow up in a place that makes you think your entire self worth is tied to your social standing, then naturally there will be struggles for power.