There are many examples of literature in everyday life that help people understand the world around them. Literature preserves people's ideals and leaves the reader with many messages. Authors can use literary motifs to give the reader a deeper understanding of people's lives. In a piece of literature, Lord of the Flies, a neglected but important motif is clothing. William Golding uses clothing to show how human nature can return to disorder in the absence of law and order. He is introduced to clothing at the beginning of the novel. Ralph feels overwhelmed by the heat of the island so he takes off his clothes: “He became aware of the weight of the clothes, violently took off his shoes and tore off each stocking with its elastic garter in a single movement” (10). Arriving on the island, the boys realize that there are no adults to correct their behavior. For boys, no adults means no enforcers. Ralph taking off his clothes so quickly in the novel represents that the lack of clothes is directly related to the lack of order. Removing clothes, regardless of high temperature, is not common. It is more than likely that if adults were on the island, Ralph would not have taken off his clothes. By removing his clothes, it shows his disregard for order. Later, Ralph blows the conch to call an assembly, and the boys arrive in uniform, “…or more or less dressed, in school uniform, gray, blue, tan, in jackets or jerseys. There were insignia, even mottos, colored stripes on stockings and sweaters” (18). Golding doesn't just state that boys wear uniforms. Instead, he describes the uniform in depth, signifying its importance. In society, uniforms signify order and structure. By the boys arriving in the middle of paper......the island. Obviously, being properly dressed is associated with law and order. After trouble breaks out on the island and Ralph is about to be killed, a naval officer arrives on the island. Ralph is initially unaware of the existence of the naval officer: “He stood up staggering, tense with other terrors, and looked up at an enormous peaked cap. It was a bonnet with a white top, and above the green shadow of the top was a crown, an anchor, and golden foliage. He saw white drill, epaulettes, a revolver, a row of gold buttons on the front of a uniform” (200). Once this uniformed (properly dressed) man arrives on the island, order is once again restored. The conflict and fighting cease immediately. Once the naval officer asks who is in charge, Ralph asserts his authority over the boys without question. Works Cited Golding William, Lord of the Flies. Old books, 2003