ipl-logo

How Does Golding Present The Evil In Lord Of The Flies

1302 Words6 Pages

In the unsettling novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding develops the idea that evil is an inherent trait of mankind. Golding presents this central idea through the character of Jack Merridew, who embodies the descent into evil and savagery demonstrating the innate darkness that resides within individuals. Golding explores this idea by depicting how power dynamics, jealousy, and unrestrained ambition can corrupt even the most ostensibly good people. Through his descent into evil, his lust for power, and his embrace of primal instincts, Jack's character illustrates the capacity for malevolence that lies dormant within each individual. This exploration of evil not only serves as a cautionary tale but also prompts us to reflect on our own …show more content…

Fear is the main tool that helps Jack maintain his control. From this fear the boys indulge in acts of violence and engage in tribal rituals, discarding societal norms and embracing their darkest impulses. By the tenth chapter, Jack and his tribe become ungovernable, they end up killing Simon (thinking he was the beast) while on his way to inform Jack and his tribe about his finding of the ‘beast’. Simon was innocent, he should not have been killed. Unacknowledging that he has just helped kill Simon, Jack says, “No! How could we–kill–it?” (177). Jack refuses to recognize that he participated in the savage murder of Simon, not the beast. He wants the boys to fear the beast in order for him to keep control, so he wastes time by asking them if they have any ideas on how to kill the beast. Jack (and now his hunters) represents the evil trait present in mankind. By now it is obvious that Jack’s desire for power leads him to become evil. He wants to be the only one in charge and to have the greatest amount of power, so when he sees Ralph he says, “You go away Ralph. You keep to your end. This is my end and my tribe. You leave me alone” (195). Jack wants to be left alone, and he fears that if Ralph comes back he will lose all the power he has gained so far. He had lost all of his childhood innocence and discovered that evil is an inherent trait of mankind. Jack could have prevented all this from happening by simply taking a step back and letting someone other than himself be in

Show More
Related
962 Words | 4 Pages

William Golding's book Lord of the Flies, shows how evil humans are at heart. The book is about a group of British boys who crash on an island and slowly turn savage. Jack and Ralph are split into two groups and after all the conflict ends up with people dead. William Golding in his book Lord of the flies tells us that people are more evil than good. This is shown in the killing of Simon, the killing of Piggy, and the killing of the sow.

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

Frequently, Jack attempts to turn the boys against Ralph, only caring for his own desires. For example, “He’s not a hunter. He’d never have got us meat. He isn’t a prefect and we don’t know anything about him. He just gives orders and expects people to obey him for nothing.

Read More
773 Words | 4 Pages

Their young mindset tempts them to see the worst. They act upon their poor thoughts. The boys argue where the beast comes from and when Simon suggests it comes from the water, the boys laugh and make fun of him. They then continue to argue and eventually Jack splits with his hunter followers to go find out for themselves. Jack felt the need that if he proved whether the beast was out there, that maybe he would be able to gain some of the respect he thinks he deserves.

Read More
603 Words | 3 Pages

He uses scare tactics and the inevitable fear of the beast to manipulate the boys into giving him more power. In chapter 9, Jack’s tribe is talking about the night before. Reaching the topic of Simon, Jack tells the group that the Beast was disguised as Simon. He also tells them that the beast is still alive. He puts the Beast on a God-like pedestal, making the beast the main focus of this discussion.

Read More
870 Words | 4 Pages

Jack says that he is unwilling to be a part of Ralph’s group any longer. This goes to show that he has left the civilized part of him behind in favor of his savage side. If Jack had stayed with the civilized boys, then the two groups would still be as one and the conflict between the Jack and Ralph would not have reached the high peaking point of which it

Read More
880 Words | 4 Pages

Jack’s manipulation even is used to justify the death of Simon later. Simon is brutally murdered but Jack claims that the beast is just taking a different form rather than acknowledging the group’s wrong. The book suggests that Jack knows of the murder of Simon“This head is for the beast. It's a gift. ”(146)

Read More
761 Words | 4 Pages

In the Lord of the Flies evil is presented in all of Golding’s characters, both civilized and savage. His presentation of these characters demonstrates the concealed evil in all of humanity, and the actions that the kids take when allowed to present this aspect of humanity. Golding is able to present his opinion that despite the good in people evil will always lurk beneath the surface through the book. The main way Goldings conveys his ideas are through the savage thoughts and actions of the characters. Golding first portrays pure evil through the character Roger.

Read More
1035 Words | 5 Pages

Do him in!”... The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face. It was crying out against the abominable noise something about a body on the hill”(152). Simon is referred to as the beast during this, even though he was trying to help the others and inform them of what they believe the beast is. In actuality, the real beast here is Jack

Read More
718 Words | 3 Pages

William Golding illustrates in Lord of the Flies that humanity needs to have the boundaries of society and civilization to prevent the evil inside us from surfacing. Despite laws and order, humans still have the capacity to exemplify evil. Golding 's experiences as a school teacher, and in the war helped him shape Lord of the Flies. In this novel, Ralph has the ongoing struggle of attempting to enforce rules and build a civilized community. He ultimately fails miserably and everyone, including himself, becomes taken over by their inner savage.

Read More
711 Words | 3 Pages

He desires control over the people. Jack leaves while exclaiming ‘“I'm not going to play any longer. Not with you”’ (Golding 127). He is no longer choosing to partake in Ralph's tribe, and work with him or the others.

Read More
458 Words | 2 Pages

Unlike Ralph, who tries to lead by example and persuasion, Jack relies on intimidation and physical force. He establishes his authority through the use of fear, using the boys' fear of the beast to manipulate and control them. Jack encourages violence and bloodlust among his followers, turning them into savage hunters who delight in killing animals and later, humans. Jack's leadership style creates a culture of violence and aggression that ultimately leads to the deaths of several

Read More
1480 Words | 6 Pages

In Lord of the Flies, Jack, like Hitler, becomes a dictator and starts to take control over the boys” (Okuhata, 13). In conclusion, William Golding's estimate is quite accurate as it draws the connection between the power struggles among the leaders and the evil side of each. When Golding states that man's capacity for greed, cruelty, and selfishness is hidden behind a kind of political pants, he ensures that his readers understand that titles and authority are obtained through underhanded games that scare people (Golding, UCLA, 86-87). After all, a system that does not take into account the interest of the people will never work, because it merely exists to satisfy the leader or

Read More
1187 Words | 5 Pages

Imagine crashing on an uninhabited island as a young boy with multiple other young boys. In the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, this is the case for a large group of young men who have to learn to fend for themselves and be organized. They have to be civilized and decide on leadership in order to have a successful, running society. However, through time, the boys begin to give in to the inner evil inside of all of them. Through the setting and conflict between characters, this story proves the idea that although men are inherently good, there is a natural side of man that when listened to and given priority, can corrupt one and cause them to become a natural, evil man.

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

Firstly, Jack awakens aggression in the other boys. For example, when Jack hunts and “[feels] that hunting [is] good after all” (Golding 125) He becomes influenced by Jack's violence showing how a non-violent character such as Jack, can have aggression awakened. Secondly, Jack’s violence leads Simons death. At a meeting with his tribe, Jack notices Simon and thinks he is the beast.

Read More
1127 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the novel of Lord of the Flies, William Golding provides a profound insight into human nature. Golding builds on a message that all human beings have natural evil inside them. To emphasize, the innate evil is revealed when there’s lack of civilization. The boys are constantly faced with numerous fears and eventually break up into two different groups. Although the boys believe the beast lives in the jungle, Golding makes it clear that it lurks in their hearts.

Read More

More about How Does Golding Present The Evil In Lord Of The Flies

Related Topics

Open Document