Dehumanizing relationships are relationships between people where one party considers the other party less than fully human. There are multiple dehumanizing relationships in Lord of the Flies.
First, the fact that the "littluns" are so categorized and are treated largely as a group rather than as individuals is dehumanizing to the youngest boys on the island. At first Piggy wants to make sure each of the youngest children is identified by name, but that project is quickly abandoned, especially since the two highest-ranking boys, Ralph and Jack, don't make it a priority. One could connect this example to a business that employs workers in salaried management positions as well as in hourly staff positions. If a manager in such a company only learned the names of fellow managers and referred to hourly workers by category or title rather than by name (such as "the receptionist" rather than "Katie"), that manager would be dehumanizing the hourly workers.
Second, Piggy is dehumanized by the other boys when he is known only by and unflattering nickname rather than by his real name. The other boys also mock him or dislike him because of his asthma and his accent. Jack takes out his anger at Ralph by plowing into Piggy's stomach and breaking his glasses. When Jack steals Piggy's specs, Jack is dehumanizing Piggy by depriving him not only of his personal property but also of his right to see. Any bullying behavior toward those who are weaker, different, or disabled represents a dehumanizing relationship.
Third, crimes such as kidnapping, torture, and physical abuse are dehumanizing toward the victims. Jack orders the capture of Samneric; he tortures Wilfred and beats him; and Jack's boy's raid Ralph's camp at night and beat up the boys as they steal Piggy's glasses. This is similar to any reign of terror whether on a small or large scale. Gangs that terrorize city neighborhoods dehumanize their rivals and their neighbors. Historically, brutal regimes such as Adolf Hitler's Nazis or Mao Zedong's Communist China also dehumanized their citizens by causing them to live in fear of being removed from their homes, beaten, tortured, or executed. The Castro regime in current-day Cuba is known for dehumanizing people who try to engage in free speech, often arresting them and keeping them in jail for varying lengths of time. This is similar to Jack's keeping Wilfred tied up for hours before releasing him.
Finally, the ultimate dehumanizing relationship is murder. The entire group of boys murders Simon, assuming because of their wild frenzy that he is the "beast." Roger then murders Piggy by rolling the boulder onto him. Jack hunts Ralph as if he were a pig with the intent of killing him simply because he is "other." According to Michelle Maiese in the article below, "Psychologically, it is necessary to categorize one's enemy as sub-human in order to legitimize increased violence or justify the violation of basic human rights." Obviously, murder happens all too often in the United States and around the world. Although murder rates have fallen steadily in the U.S. over the past three decades, some cities have recently seen an uptick in the murder rate, which is certainly disturbing.
The Lord of the Flies illustrates several types of dehumanizing relationships, all of which serve as a warning to readers to advocate for treating each human being on this globe with the kindness and respect every person deserves.
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