Final answer:
The main theme of the story is the struggle between civilization and savagery, examining internal and external conflicts faced by the characters. It underscores the importance of rules and order in society while exploring the primal human instincts towards chaos.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main theme explored in the story, where boys struggle with conflicting human instincts to obey rules and maintain order while feeling urged to give in to savagery, violence, and chaos, is the struggle between civilization and savagery. This theme falls under the broader context of the power of human instincts and their influence on society and individuals. In literature, the theme represents the underlying ideas that drive the narrative forward, and in this story, it is provocatively illustrated through the characters' increasingly savage actions and the erosion of societal norms and rules.
The main conflict in the story is both internal and external. The boys face an internal conflict as they grapple with their own inherent instincts towards chaos and order. The external conflict arises from the need to survive in a harsh environment without adult governance, which tests their ability to uphold the civilization's morals and structures they once knew.
Moreover, the descent into savagery and the loss of innocence highlight important questions about human nature and the fine line between civilization and barbarism, encapsulating lessons about the societal need for rules and order and the dangers of giving in to darker impulses. This duality between maintaining social order and descending into chaos is pivotal in understanding the story's message about the human condition.