What Is The Evil In Lord Of The Flies

The issue on whether man is good or evil has been debated over several generations. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are stranded on an uninhabited island. In the beginning, the boys have fun and are carefree while adventuring on the island. With no adults around to tell them how to behave, the boys declare war on one another and face several conflicts. These conflicts provide Golding with the opportunity to explore the idea that society restrains the evil intentions of human nature. Early on in the novel, the boys manage to follow the rules of society by choosing a leader. With no adult supervision, the boys can do whatever they want. They even seem carefree when Golding states, “He patted the palm trunk softly,

In this first instance, the boys push for their freedom. The boys still have the rules of society in the back of their minds, however, they are about to go over the edge. Roger is contemplating on whether or not he should harm a child when Golding writes,“Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry- threw it to miss… round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law”(62). This quote shows that Roger’s violent actions were minimized because of the thought of how doing so would affect him at home. When Roger realizes this, he decides it’s not worth it to hit the young boy. The boys also become more violent on the hunts. Jack wants to kill the pigs so they can have meat, but is that the only reason he’s doing this? After they hunt, the group feasts on the pig they killed and reenact the scene. The boys become more violent with their words and actions when golding states, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in”(75). This shows how the boys go from being free with rules to being violent with no consequences. This displays the violence hidden within the boys and how they might use violence