How Does Golding Present The Evil In Lord Of The Flies

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

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