How Does Golding Present The Evil In Lord Of The Flies

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Oftentimes when people are faced with a moral decision, the evil almost always outweighs the good as it is usually more practical, or easier. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the characters are faced with a decision of good (civilization) and evil (savagery). In the novel, evil is portrayed through varied forms of events, characters and symbols. Golding depicts a picture within the readers mind as he ventures out to imitate how savagery will take over if there's no civilization intact. One amongst the various symbols that Golding exerts into the novel is the conch. Another symbol used in this novel is the Lord of the Flies. Amongst the Characters, Jack was used to represent evil. Throughout several components of the novel, innocence …show more content…

It had command such importance that the one to carry the conch was the only one with the right to talk. Not solely did it offer the ability to in the group talk, it also alerted everyone that a meeting is taking place as once it was blown everyone knew to meet. The civilization within the island is terminated after the conch was smashed. This is shown when after the conch is smashed and Piggy is killed, and Jack says “See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I mean that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone—” (Golding, 167). At that time, the importance of the conch begins to fade. Once the conch was broken, the savages felt that they were free to do whatever they please. Ralph knew that as he said “But then the fatal unreasoning knowledge came to him again. The breaking of the conch and the deaths of Piggy and Simon hung over the island like a vapor. These painted savages would go further and further.” (Golding, 170). Ralph understood the killing would go on and on. The conch had symbolized order, power, authority and a civilized society; but, close to the peak of the novel, it demonstrates the whole breakdown of civilization and therefore the subjugation of savagery over …show more content…

Jack had a robust need to be a leader within the group and it is portrayed early on in the novel when they first decide they need a chief. Eventually, Jack established himself as a dictatorial leader when he started a new tribe that he was the chief of. After Ralph and Jack got in their argument and Jack walked away with their tribe, and they chanted “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her head in.” (Golding, 69) led by Jack. This is one of the early signs that Jack is blood-thirsty as it shows he enjoys killing. Jack then began to unfold evil by declaring that the conch had no worth when earlier in the novel it symbolized civilization and order. He said “We don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things.What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave the decdiding to the rest of us.” (Golding 94). When you read between the lines on this statement one can presume Jack was saying order doesn’t matter on this side of the island. Jack began to wear face paint. The paint represents a new identity for Jack and many of his followers as it allows them to act upon their evil desires without feeling remorse. When talking about Jack the book says "the mask was a thing of its own, behind

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