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Corruption In Lord Of The Flies

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William Golding incorrectly argues that humans are inherently corrupt as demonstrated by Lord of the Flies. Jack’s evolution at the start of the novel is specifically an example of learning evil as opposed to inheriting it. As Jack “raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to flash at the end of a bony arm.” (Golding 31). The pause and a brief moment of hesitation characterized Jack as a scared little boy that had a strong heart. However, in a later chapter Jack boasted about cutting “the pig’s throat,’ said Jack, proudly” (Golding 69). Jack went through the biggest transformation on the island. As a young boy, his virtues react to the dangerous island that does not have authority. Jack especially is prey to the influence of the island because he is very reactant …show more content…

Although Jack was born good he was born sensitive thus, Jack is considered “eviler” than the others on the island. When first encountering a pig on the island, Jack’s pause causes flustered and regretful feelings. The disappointment he felt from the other boys and himself caused him to spiral into an uncontrollable fixation on killing the pig. This translates into something more as Jack craves violence because he connects violence with validation from the boys. In contrast to Jack, Simon presents a more rational mind. Unlike the other scare boys, Simon believes that “Maybe there is a beast…Maybe it’s only us.” (Golding 80). At this point in the novel, Golding invoked fear in many of the boys on the island through the Beast. However, Simon keeps a rational mind and does not let the environment he is in affect him. Other than presenting good character on the island, Simon thinks in a civilized manner. His righteous integrity is seen in helping the littles and Ralph when they are in need. His civilized outlook is seen when he is wary about the existence of the beast and refrains from violent

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Simon knows that it's not possible what they are afraid of when they are searching for the beast and tries sharing that thought that maybe they are the beast but the rest of the boys weren't having it. “Simon, walking in front of Ralph, felt a flicker of incredulity—a beast with claws that scratched, that sat on a mountain-top, that left no tracks and yet was not fast enough to catch Samneric. However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human, at once heroic and sick. (6.140)”Simon also always backed up his friends and helped them when they were in need. Like when all of the boys on the island were calling Piggy useless Simon stood behind him by saying that they use his glasses ““We used [Piggy's] specs...

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Jack represents the corruption a thirst for power can easily influence on a person, the island turns him into a confident, jealous, violent, and manipulative tyrant. Of course Jack doesn’t necessarily start off as a the monstrous image the book paints him in. In fact, in the

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613 Words | 3 Pages

Jack seems to be doing more and more inhumane things after being on the island for some time. Jack shows more violence especially towards Piggy and

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527 Words | 3 Pages

In the first three chapters Jack seems to change personalities from when he was in school to when he landed on the Island, he changed from responsible to trying to be the alpha male. When Jack was in school he was more responsible by helping other kids, but when he landed on the island all his responsibility got thrown out a window since all he wanted to do was a hunt and not get rescued. Jack is the kind of person that would judge people based on their size and appearance ever since he landed on the Island. The reader should see that Jack is an unkind person. The readers should see that Jack has been making fun, and trying to put Piggy down.

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1035 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the novel, we quickly notice how different Simon is compared to the the rest of the boys found on the island. He becomes quickly dedicated to ralph; being one of the only ones to help him build the shelters and becoming a trusted friend. He’s very calm, humble and hopeful; never acting out of rage or ever seems the slightest bit annoyed. Simon is wise; often saying things that are not quite understood by the boys. Along with his maturity simon makes some prophetic comment one of these being "He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster.

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585 Words | 3 Pages

This shows that the boys are only afraid of themselves, because they are their own worst enemy. He is the first to figure out that the beast is not an actual beast, and how it is only the boys becoming savage, and starting to be afraid of one another. As Simon began to explain this to the doubtful boys, he was the only one who died knowing the

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880 Words | 4 Pages

Corruption’s Rise to Power Combined Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler killed 54 million people. This begs the question, why do people who are clearly corrupted and even murderous followed by many? William Golding in his novel The Lord of the Flies attempts to answer that question through his portrayal of the character, Jack. In the novel, a group of boys get stranded on an island and attempt to create a proper government.

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1284 Words | 6 Pages

Simon is the Christ-like figure of the island who believes in goodness, purity, truth, and innocence. Throughout the novel, Simon is often one of the voices of reason and insight among the group, typically showing his understanding in the true nature of humanity. As the boys are discussing the existence of the beast on the island, Simon is hesitant to reveal his opinion about the beast. Although Ralph and Piggy believe in the beast in a supernatural way, Simon believes in the beast in a spiritual way. Simon explains, “Maybe there is a beast…

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According to William Golding in his article “Why Boys Become Vicious”, it is stated that “If parents are absent, if fathers do not provide strength and mothers do not provide love, then children will plumb the depths of their nature. ”If children are not guided into becoming a good person by an adult parental figure, then they will become selfish and insensible. Jack does everything for personal benefit while Simon, Piggy, and Ralph all think for the good of the group. Despite this they are unable to control the boys because they are not an adequate authority figure. Jack and his hunters fail to keep the fire lit when they are hunting and the island is passed by a ship, causing an argument with Ralph:

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645 Words | 3 Pages

At first, he is seen as quiet and shy, but as the story grows, Simon grows and opens up. We begin to see him displayed as the inherent good and peace. While the boys attempt to explain the beast and what it is, the text mentions: “Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind's essential illness” (Golding 89). As Simon is unable to explain the innate evil, it depicts him as an inherently good and comforting character. Giving more to the pureness of the boy, Simon also hands out the suggestion that the beast could be in their minds or surreal.

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431 Words | 2 Pages

As the novel develops, the boys are left to their own devices and morals to survive on the island. Golding implies that when this happens, people naturally revert to cruelty, savagery and a human evil that he believes is in everyone. When Jack kills the mother pig, he is in great triumph over outwitting a living thing. This shows that he has become a savage through his time on the island, and his inner evil has taken over him. It also shows that Jack has become more violent over time, as if killing pigs is normal to him.

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583 Words | 3 Pages

Lastly, Jack is known as the rebel of the story who disagrees with the leaders, and is pure evil from middle to end. Although Jack is evil, his bad character trait ensures his survival and alliance with the boys. The first example of when Jack’s evilness is shown in the story is when Jack hunts the pig and puts its head on a stick, the line says “ Jack held the head up and jammed the soft throat down on the pointed end of the stick which pierced through into the mouth. He stood back and the head hung there, a little blood dribbling down the stick” ( Golding, 150). This shows Jack’s evilness because instead of fearing the beast he is offering him the head of the pig that he just brutally murdered.

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913 Words | 4 Pages

His direct involvement in Simon’s death and how he planned for Piggy’s and pre-meditated Ralph’s death. His savage rule and his blood-lust brought inhumane deaths, punishments, and behavior among the boys. His deisire for leadership and his fantasies of the perfect tribe nearly desroyed everyone on the island and burnt down half the island in the process, and why Jack is guilty of 1st degree

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1127 Words | 5 Pages

(Golding, 77). Although the boys laugh at Simon’s idea, his belief conforms Golding’s idea that inner evil exists. The boys develop into the beast when they kill Simon. Simon was desperate to explain the unidentified creature on the mountain but the boys weren’t in the mood for listening to him. With his brutal murder by the other boys, chaos takes over civilized order on the island.

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658 Words | 3 Pages

“At once the crowd surged after it … no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 153). Simon was the main symbol of pure innocence on the island and the boys have destroyed that, taking away any morality that they had. Golding's use of symbolism here shows that the final drop into chaos for all the boys on the island is coming and will happen faster now that they have lost all innocence. Through Jack's disregard for the rules,

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