Humans are inherently evil in nature and without law will unknowingly let this vile aspect of their own person be revealed. The depravity of actions in humans is expressed in William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, by a group of English boys that are stranded on an island, and disconnected from society. The fear from violation of laws that holds people to their morals and rationality in their society vanishes, and a growth of savagery is present in all the boys. Savagery, an element innate to humanity, can only be repressed by the laws of society; the lack of regulation removes all inhibition, and therefore, exposes the beast representing evil from within. Law embodies order caused by fear, and the qualities of ruthlessness and evil in humans cannot be harnessed without it, as exemplified by the boys who fall into a state of savagery from the lack of proper legislation. As their savagery grows, so does the intensity of the beast within them, representative of disorder and evil. The constraints of civilization in society forces law and order among all people, keeping negative aspects of human nature such as violence and the desire for power to a minimum. Ralph tries to make laws during their first meeting and tells everyone excitedly that they will “have rules, then when anyone breaks ‘em — Whee oh! Wacco!”(Golding 33). This is the boys' first attempt to create structure on the island through the formation of rules, as this gives the boys fear of the consequences of breaking them. Golding use of exclamation points and very aggressive language conveys the seriousness of the need to create structure on the island. He uses short dialogues to portray the severity of the punishments that will arise if rules are broken, while includi... ... middle of paper ... ...within them in order assimilate with others. The savagery that is shown through the boys exposes the evil nature of the beast, which clouds their judgement and impacts the choices they make. Characteristics of evil, which are representative of the beast, can only be controlled through the fear of the laws of which society mandates. The absence of the enforcement of laws permits and therefore encourages the presence of barbarism, which the boys refer to as the beast. This beast, shown in the boys, is a form of savagery that they display throughout the entire novel, and through the exposure of their savagery, their true evil nature is revealed. These savage dark impulses of human nature present in everyone is commonly found in modern society. Only through the existence of regulations can this beast be controlled by the fear of the people living in society themselves.
Throughout the novel, due to the circumstances and setting, survival is prioritized, all the boys slowly begin return to native ways. To begin, because there is no government, or official hierarchy, the boys lose sight of wrong and right, and resemble a pack of ravaged animals. Conflicts as to what the rules should be and how the island should be run emerges, which results in the boys beginning to tear one another apart. Golding illustrates the idea that “...all men are born savage, driven by instincts,” which is apparent in the novel due to how the boys act after being stranded on the island (Mojaddedi 1). Any type of humanity the boys’ had before becoming on the island such as: morals, order, or sanity, is lost instantly, and the boys explore old, traditional ways of living. Without society or order, it is indicated that humans will result back to their primal ways for
The author, William Golding uses the main characters of Ralph, Jack, and Simon in The Lord of the Flies to portray how their desire for leadership, combined with lack of compromise leads to the fall of their society. This desire for leadership and compromise led to the fall of their society just like multiple countries during times of wars.
The human mind is made of up two instincts that constantly have conflict: the instinct to live by society’s rules and the instinct to live by your own rules. Our civilized will has been to live morally by law and order, and our savage will has been to act out for our own selfish needs. We each choose to live by one or the other depending on how we feel is the correct way to live. In this allegorical novel, William Golding represents the transformation from civilization to savagery in the conflict between two of the main characters: Ralph who represents law and order and Jack who represents savagery and violence. Lord of the Flies has remained a very controversial novel to this day with its startling, brutal, and truthful picture of the human nature.
“There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it” ― J.K. Rowling. In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, a group of schoolboys end up stranded on an uninhabited island which leads to a struggle for power and survival. The author argues that man is naturally evil; however, the characters Ralph, Simon, and Roger suggest that they were molded into their state of being.
When the boys crash on the island, they set up rules and tasks for everyone. Jack is elected the leader of the hunters, while Ralph is leader of everyone else. Throughout the book there is a constant struggle for power between the boys. Jack is obsessed with power, and does whatever it takes to get it.(Thapliyal, Rohitash and Kuntar, Shakuntala) Jack's desire for power leads to the murder of animals, and later the murder of Simon. The hunters, and even Ralph get excited about the killing of the pig. They would dance around the pig's head in a ritualistic way. They all participated in this until the murder of Simon, which gives Ralph a snap back to reality. Ralph tries to get everything back to normal, but it is too late. Jack and the hunters are too far gone and too evil to be brought back to normal civilization. Another theme in this book is that without consequence or authority, there will be violence. Jack and the hunters destroyed the island by setting it on fire, and murdered innocent animals and boys. There were no consequences or punishments for these actions, so it made it seem like it was okay to do. They were to indulged in violence and destruction that they don’t realize what they are doing.
When humans are pushed to survive, they are willing to do anything to do so. In the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, a group of boys are stranded on an island and have to survive, however as the story progresses the boys become more barbaric and savage like. Even though there are good people in this world, there will always be evil. Why does evil exist? Golding’s belief of human nature is that humans are naturally evil and savage. However, law and civility keep humans from turning into this natural state of evil and Golding uses the development of Jack to show how savagery is created.
In modern society, laws, rules and values limit humans from committing crimes and keep civilization in order. However, it is said that all human beings have the innate capacity for evil. When these laws are taken away, humans reveal their innate savagery and flawed nature by committing inhumane acts. In William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies,” this primal instinct of savagery is presented through the development of one of the main characters Jack. As the novel progresses, Golding uses Jack as a symbol to show how the instinct of savagery and the desire for power that exists within all humans is stronger than any moral values that society may instill. This is shown through Jack’s progressive obsession with hunting the pig and the authority that
Mankind is innately evil. The allegorical novel, The Lord of the Flies, allows for little interpretation about human nature. William Golding depicts the idea, “evil is an inborn trait of man” (Golding). Throughout the novel the children who have crash landed on the island begin to uncover their savage nature. Although all of the children somehow succumb to a heinous behaviour, Jack, Ralph, and Roger become most noticeably corrupt. Ultimately, it becomes clear that malicious intent is intrinsic in mankind.
The choice between barbarity and civility can draw the line between redemption and destruction. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the stranded boys undergo a transformation from being innocent, young British boys, to irrational savages as their evil consciences begin to arise. Along the way, the young boys endeavor to maintain a civilized order as well as their own humanity, however as more time progresses, it becomes apparent that evil is an inborn trait of mankind. The establishment of a second tribe is the first step that the boys take towards giving into the temptation of evil and accepting the fact that anything must be done in hopes of surviving. Without the influence of a civilized society and law, the boys regress to a primitive
One boy breaking conformity can cause a whole society to fall apart, and can result in savagery. In the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, a group of young boys end up on an island due to a plane crash. Without adult supervision, they attempt to create a small organized society. However, when individuals such as Jack and Roger decide to break conformity, catastrophe strikes the island and trust is lost between the boys resulting in savage behavior. The transformation of Roger from civilized to savagery, highlights the idea of gradual decline in morals, which ultimately proves Golding’s belief of every human having a capacity for evil.
Human nature is more complex than society can understand. People can be honest, yet deceitful; kind, yet heartless; loyal, yet treacherous. However, one thing that can be agreed on is that when someone is above authority, his or her core self becomes apparent, because it has been proven time and again. In the book The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, this transition is outlined, showing, over time, a decadence from society into their natural state, be it civil or savage. Golding uses symbols such as Jack, Roger, and the choir to show that hunger for power and violence is inherent, and when removed from law it spreads and grows, like wildfire.
This paper will explore the three elements of innate evil within William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, the change from civilization to savagery, the beast, and the battle on the island. Golding represents evil through his character's, their actions, and symbolism. The island becomes the biggest representation of evil because it's where the entire novel takes place. The change from civilization to savagery is another representation of how easily people can change from good to evil under unusual circumstances. Golding also explores the evil within all humans though the beast, because it's their only chance for survival and survival instinct takes over. In doing so, this paper will prove that Lord of the Flies exemplifies the innate evil that exists within all humans.
When anyone thinks of the word “evil” they do not think it is within themselves. In reality, without a structured and well-followed society, people are apt to follow their own corrupt desires and neglect the thought of consequence. In the allegory, Lord of the Flies, William Golding reveals that man’s selfishness and sinful nature will be unmasked when the structure of a society deteriorates.
In his novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows a story of boys who are trapped on an island, and must figure out how to survive. The story represents the fall of mankind, as symbolism is present throughout the entire novel. It is best seen through a historical perspective. Golding uses events from his own lifetime, the Operation Pied Paper, and Hitler’s ruling to compare it to the major events, the beginning of the story, and Jack’s personality.
The evil inside all of the boys is what causes them to show actions of evil. It causes people to think maybe the beast is a representation of the evil inside them. Simon states, “‘maybe it’s [the beast] only us”’ (Golding 89). This backs up the idea that the beast could potentially be the evil. Arnold states in his article, “The beast is an externalization of the inner darkness in the children’s (man’s) nature” (Johnston). This justifies the idea that the beast is the evil inside of them. The beast is just a way of putting their evil into a figure. They use the beast and other objects like the parachutist to let evil take over them. The evil in them is shown through figures that the boys are taken over by fear of. (Johnston)