Inherent Good and Evil in Lord of the Flies - 1585 Words

Inherent Good and Evil in Lord of the Flies The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is tale of a group of young boys who become stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. Intertwined in this classic novel are many themes, most that relate to the inherent evil that exists in all human beings and the malicious nature of mankind. In The Lord of the Flies, Golding shows the boys gradual transformation from being civilized, well-mannered people to savage, ritualistic beasts. From the time that the boys land on the island, both a power struggle and the first signs of the boys inherent evil, Piggys mockery, occur. After blowing the conch and summoning all the boys to come for an assembly, an election is held. I ought to be†¦show more content†¦Many times throughout the book, Piggy is the voice of reason and helps to guide Ralph along that same road if he loses his way. After scolding Samneric for being pessimistic about their fate, Ralph momentarily forgets the reasons why the signal fire is so important. He tried to remember. Smoke, he said, we want smoke. Course we have. Cos the smokes a signal and we cant be rescued if we dont have smoke. I knew that! Shouted Ralph (Golding 172). Ralph begins to lose his initial cheerfulness and enthusiasm and replaces it with disinterest and pessimism. Piggy and Ralph separate themselves from Jack and his tribe and continue to maintain their government. However, when Jack and his tribe kill a pig and invite Ra lph and Piggy to join their feast, the two accept and cannot resist the temptation of the meat. Later on in the celebration, Jack and his tribe perform a ritualistic dance, in which Piggy and Ralph later join. Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society (Golding 152). They realize that the dance fueled the boys to murder Simon, and later deny their participance in it. We left early, said Piggy quickly, because we were tired (Golding 158). Ralph and Piggy recognize the evil in the dance, and know that if the others found out about their participance in it, then the boys would claim that Piggy and Ralph would beShow MoreRelatedWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies1456 Words   |  6 PagesHobbes, however, held the belief that mankind is naturally evil and that society needs an absolute central authority to contain this evilness and grant its people with the common protection. Hobbes believes that in a s tate of nature, when there are no rules and everyone is granted equal power, the inherent evil impulses of Man are exposed. One example of a state of nature is in the society described in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. A group of British boys are thrown on a secluded island withRead MoreLord Of The Flies And Night Comparison Essay822 Words   |  4 PagesThe corruption of mankind is caused by the innate characteristics of sin, chaotic evil, and compulsive urge for wrongdoing. In the novels, Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Night by Elie Wiesel portrays the potential of evil in every person. In Lord of the Flies, a group of schoolboys become stranded on an island and seeks ways to hope for them to survive until they are found and rescued. The lack of resources causes conflicts into who should survive and receive the benefit of these itemsRead MoreMichelle Duan Mrs. MJ English 10 H, per. 3 13 February 2014 A Symbol’s Worth a Thousand1500 Words   |  6 Pagessymbols found in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. 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Reading this book I cameRead MoreThe Lord Of The Flies1468 Words   |  6 PagesThe Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of English schoolboys marooned on a tropical island after their plane is shot down during a war. Though the novel is fictional, its exploration of the idea of human evil is at least partly based on Golding’s experience with the real-life violence and brutality of World War II. Free from the rules and structures of civilization and society, the boys on the island in Lord of the Flies descend into savagery. Golding’s experience in World War II had aRead MoreBiblical Allusions: Golding ´s Lord of the Flies884 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstand what it is that they want to convey through their literary work. In William Golding’s Lor d of the Flies, Golding utilizes symbolism of places and characters to allude to the Bible. Out of the many references, four significant biblical allusions – title of the novel, Simon, beast, and the island itself – emphasize Golding’s theme inherent sin and evil in mankind. The title, Lord of the Flies, refers to the pig’s head that was placed on a spear and worshiped by the young boys on the islandRead MoreLord of the Flies by William Golding932 Words   |  4 Pages For this essay, I will be discussing two particular themes from a novel called Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Lord of the Flies was written in 1954 after World War II. Ruler of the Flies is a purposeful anecdote about something that many readers can’t really describe. Individuals cant choose precisely what. Its either about the inalienable underhanded of man, or mental battle, or religion, or personal inclination, or the creators emotions on war; however William Golding was in the NavyRead More Lord of the Flies and Human Nature Essay708 Words   |  3 PagesLord of the Flies and Human Nature Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding shows his views of the inherent evil of humans. He shows how humans can be in such a savage state, practically mimicking the way of life of their prehistoric ancestors. He exemplifies this with acts of carnage carried on by the young stranded children. It all started with a slight urge to hunt down a pig and then continued on to murdering another human being. Golding shows his views best at the end of the book with the boysRead MoreWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies1444 Words   |  6 PagesInterviewer Let’s talk about William Golding and his most famous book, Lord of the Flies, in which a group of British schoolboys - aged from around 6-12 - become stranded on an island, and quickly begin their descent into chaos. Today, I am joined by literarian and William Golding expert, Lara Caglar. Expert Hi, Vanessa, it’s a pleasure to be here Interviewer Together, we will be discussing the question on everyone’s minds, what happened to Golding that led him to have such an incredibly negativeRead MoreLord of the Flies and World War Ii1737 Words   |  7 PagesSteiner Many things such as social and political environments can impact literature. British involvement in WWII directly influenced Goldings novel, Lord of the Flies. As all authors use their life and times as reference points in their works, Golding drew heavily on sociological, cultural, and military events. Lord of the Flies is an allegorical parallel to the world, as Golding perceived it. The island, the boys, and many other objects and events described in his work represent Goldings view