Lord Of The Flies Good Vs Evil Essay

703 Words3 Pages

Unfortunately, by the time I’ll finish this speech, 3 people around the world will be murdered from acts of evil. So what exactly is good? How does one describe evil? The answers to these questions are highly subjective, and could be debated for years on end without ever reaching a final conclusion. However, it is widely agreed that each person is inherently born with two sides; one of which is good, the other evil. This widespread idea of good and evil has been a conflict in the human mind since the beginning, but no work of literature best illustrates the capacity of evil than lord of the flies by William Golding. This novel is a perfect demonstration of humanity’s capacity for good and evil and what happens when innocent boys are set up on an island to bear the weight of society on their backs. What happens to them when there is no …show more content…

Novels such as this reveal our good and bad instincts by exposing the monster inside all of us, the idea of inherent evil has extensive importance to lord of the flies, notably in the tribe and the murder of Simon and piggy. Through the use of symbols and characters, William Golding demonstrates that humans, when taken away from society, slowly unleash the inherent evil within.
Every human has a primal instinct lying within them. It is not a question of how close to the actual surface it dwells, but rather how well an individual controls and copes with it. In a state of prolonged anguish and panic, what is one truly capable of? Will the temptation of their dark subconscious take over, and bring out the barbarianism which exists in us all? While Golding focuses on savagery he also maintains focus in good, in what seems like an evil environment, Simon represents the essential human goodness. He's also wise, mature, and insightful to the point of being prophetic. Simon’s philosophical reflection in chapter 5 demonstrates wisdom beyond his years through the use of foreshadowing, “Maybe there