How Does Golding Present The Evil In Lord Of The Flies

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Published in 1954, William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies exemplifies man's capacity for evil which is revealed in his inherent human nature. The underlying evil within man is the most prominent theme of the novel, and perhaps its most controversial one. To portray this theme, Lord of the Flies details the lives of a group of young school age boys who have been stranded on a deserted island. As these youngsters struggle to survive they are faced with the challenge of sustaining life by nourishing and sheltering themselves, as well as trying to figure out how to be rescued. Along the way they endeavor to maintain a civilized order as well as their own humanity, however it becomes apparent that most of the boys are capable of evil perhaps …show more content…

It can be argued that Golding's use of characterization solidifies his contention that all men have the capacity for evil due to their innate human nature. Golding depicts the two main alpha male characters of Jack and Ralph as the primary examples of this theme. As the story unfolds, Golding reveals Jack to be selfish, violent and corrupt as he was driven "to violence. The bolting look came into his blue eyes. He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy's stomach" (Golding 71). Additionally, the description of Jack towards the conclusion of the book reveals how deceitful, antagonistic and monstrous Jack has become. Ralph accuses Jack of being "a beast …show more content…

The following quote depicts the pig head of the Lord of the Flies who torments and tantalizes Simon with the truth. The Lord of the Flies rhetorically questions Simon: "You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?" (Golding 143). This quote certifies that the beast is indeed within Simon as well as all of the boys. In truth, when the Lord of the Flies is talking to Simon, it is really Simon hallucinating as he hears the voices of the boys as a whole in his own mind. In this case Simon has become overcome with the beast inside himself: "Simon found he was looking into a vast mouth. There was blackness within, a blackness that spread" (Golding 144). However, Simon never exhibits evil tendencies, instead he denies it by merely blacking out as a result of his internal turmoil: "Simon was inside the mouth. He fell down and lost consciousness" (Golding 144). The pig's head on a stick symbolizes the metaphorical Lord of the Flies, which is ultimately the demon found to be within each of the boy's hearts and minds. This can be interpreted as the inner voice of evil. Furthermore, it can be argued that because Simon is perhaps the most outwardly calm and even tempered of all of the boys, he was able to hear his conscience and his inner capacity for evil together as one. This is one of the most

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