Childhood Abuse In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once said, “The line between good and evil runs- through every human heart” ,just like how some people do bad things with good intentions. Naturally people are born good but can be turned into doing evil through environmental factors in their day to day life. In his Lord of the Flies, Golding describes human nature as evil; however, due to the actions of those who want to support others, human nature is good. Golding depicts that, when free from the constraints of society, people draw away from the common sense and move towards savagery; however, some still keep hold of that fundamental mindset. Rodger, one of Goldin’s many characters, was throwing rocks in the direction of a kid but, “Rodger’s arm was conditioned by

John Wayne Gacy or Pogo the Clown is one of these many people. John grew up with, “physical and mental abuse from his father” (Rodriguez 2). Childhood abuse is a significant factor when it comes to the making of both serial killers and normal offenders. Psychologically, childhood abuse can last until early adulthood and further. According to a study, “61 percent of the general population has had at least one adverse childhood experience…closer to 97 percent for people in prison” (Nembhard and Lima 1). An adverse childhood experience is a traumatic event occurring to people under the age of 17. This percentage is significant because it resembles the affect that negative nurturing can have on people, especially at a young age. Another study showed, “50% of serial killers suggest that they have experienced psychological abuse, 36% have experienced physical abuse, and 26% have experienced sexual abuse” (Psychiatr Psychol Law 10). Both of these studies show that negative nurturing, or childhood trauma, could cause people to have negative affects on the world. Further proving that humans are born good but can be nurtured into