All societies have some degree of deviance. Deviance is defined as any behavior, belief, or condition that violates cultural norms. There are many ways that deviance can be categorized. This paper first discusses conformity, then moves on to some of the different classifications of deviance and how they pertain to William Golding's book, Lord of the Flies.
             Within the first couple of hours, the children try to establish some rules and guidelines for everyone to follow. Everyone respects the conch as a symbol of authority. It is established that anyone who speaks with the conch in his hands must be listened to. One kid decides to create a list of everyone's names and establish some order. The boys build a signal fire to alert ships of their presence on the island. At first, the children rely on law and order to ensure their miniature society's well-being. This sense of law does not hold for long, however, because no one enforces this new set of rules. The first form of deviance introduced in the book is conditional. This occurs when a person has a characteristic that has been present since birth or has acquired sometime during life. Golding presents one of the children as "...shorter...and very fat." All of the other kids call him Piggy. We are never even told his given name because his obese condition immediately sets him apart from the others. As the story progresses, the reader discovers even more of Piggy's conditions that set him apart from the cultural norm. He is afflicted with asthma, poor vision, and an aversion to manual labor.
             The second form of deviance is when a person or group of people express a radical or unusual belief system. The choirboys seem like 'normal' children at first, however they dress differently than all the other children. The choir members each wore uniforms that were solid black. After a couple of days, they trade in their distinctive clothing for face paint. Golding tells the reader that with t...