Pages from Cold Point and Savagery

In Pages from Cold Point, Norton moves to an isolated island because he thinks civilization is doomed. He believes that humankind will fall by our own hand and his tone in narration seems to indicate that he thinks he is above it all. But as the story moves forward, it becomes clear that he and his son are really no better than the rest of civilization. In fact, Racky is worse than the majority of people, causing a stir and forcing the hand of the local people. The island people are described as polite and nice, but Racky's actions result in the possibility of a hostile reaction from these seemingly peaceful and friendly people. Norton is just as bad for being a coward of a father, failing to discipline his son. It turns out that there's a little bit of savagery in all of us, no matter how highly we think of ourselves. It's just a part of human nature.