The Depravity of Man In Lord of the Flies, William Golding explores the nature of man, posing the question on whether man is intrinsically corrupt or, rather, does society corrupt the inborn goodness of man. Throughout the novel, Golding masterfully crafts a picture to answer this very question. By the end of his work, Golding’s beliefs are clear. He believes that man is corrupt and its selfish and savage behaviors are curbed by the law and order of society. This relation translates to the idea of freedom and the fact that there is no freedom without society. The character Simon could quite possibly be the only one aware of humanity’s nature. While discussing whether or not there is in fact a beast, Simon chimes in with, “Maybe. . .maybe there is a beast. . .What I mean is . . . maybe it’s only us,” (Golding 98). This is completely lost on the boys, as they are unable to comprehend the metaphorical meaning of the beast within themselves. Simon was unable to articulately “express mankind’s essential illness” …show more content…
He shows how he believes that humanity is intrinsically depraved and that society is necessary to create order and curb the malicious natures of mankind. He illustrates the battle between society and human nature using different characters, showing how society was taken from the island and the effects of that anarchy. Golding is trying to convey that the concept of “freedom” is an illusion as freedom from societal expectations means reverting back to the corrupt nature of man which is not freedom at all. The boys were looking for freedom from the oppressive hand of society and adults and found themselves in an even worse situation, becoming slaves to their own amoral essence. He is disclosing that there is no freedom without order and there is no order with rules made by society; a society that will keep people accountable for