The essence of childhood often creates a preconceived notion of inherent innocence, however, the concepts prevalent in William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies and Stephen Crane’s poem “I Stood upon a High Place” present an unorthodox depiction of instinctive human behavior. Characters within these writings discover the true characteristics of human nature as their view of morality morphs to adapt to their surroundings. The two pieces of literature function to epitomize the heinous nature instilled within man, which depends upon the interactions between members of a society and environmental influences.
In Lord of the Flies, Golding portrays the innate depravity possessed by mankind through a group of stranded children left to the task of
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The narrator within the poem perceives himself as superior to the subjects that he observes, and recognizes that they behave as savages due to the absence of rules and boundaries. They fail to acknowledge the error in their destructive behavior and continue to act with free will, which portrays human nature as wicked and unruly. One of them glanced at the narrator and insinuated that they were equals, which implies that the narrator also indulges in sinful behavior with the rest of them. Despite the narrator’s feeling of superiority, their actions reflect the same manner as those they view as beneath them. There exists a domino effect that causes the behavior of others to influence the nature of those surrounding them. The poem reflects the principles prevalent in Lord of the Flies regarding the relationship between human nature and the incentives causing such behavior. Ralph and the narrator of the poem function to illustrate the negative influence associated with being placed outside of civilized society. The corrupt characteristics exhibited in both pieces of literature are enhanced by the reality of the barbaric circumstances imposed on the characters as they struggle to maintain order in times of