Lord Of The Flies Human Nature Essay

Human Nature: The Constant Battle Between Good and Evil

Many humans encounter hardship when deciding between right and wrong. Everyone's pasts are different, which results in different mentalities and choices made in life. There is no true good or evil within human nature; nevertheless, humans can still make good and evil decisions. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding portrays human nature as entirely cruel; however, it is not completely good nor bad but is determined by life experiences, choices, and consequences. In Golding's novel Lord of the Flies, a group of boys is shot out of the air and crash on a deserted island. After the crash, the boys create a society to create order and civilization amongst themselves. However,

This can be seen through the regret two boys, Ralph and Piggy, feel after partaking in an evil action. In Chapter 9 of the novel, Piggy and Ralph, along with the boys that turned to savagery, murder the one boy on the island that fully represents benevolence. However, the boys participate in this malicious event due to "…the threat of the sky…" and their need "to take a place in this demented and partly secure society." (Golding 152). Piggy and Ralph are boys that have crashed on an island without authority while flying in the middle of a war. Even though they did something very spiteful, they are still boys and have experienced an event that would be just as traumatic to an adult. The feeling of safety and security is still a feeling the boys need, even when their actions are not acceptable. After realizing their actions, Piggy tries to rationalize them when Ralph says, "That was Simon…That was murder." (Golding 156). The boys did something malicious, but they still held the feeling of regret, which many humans tend to have. Ralph and Piggy represent order and intelligence throughout the novel, but as many humans do, they need safety and

In the novel, a character named Mayella Ewell accuses a man named Tom Robinson of assaulting her. It is never confirmed, but Tom Robinson is prominently innocent of the charges due to exceeding amounts of evidence. However, Tom Robinson is, as a result, found guilty due to obvious racist intentions towards him. Mayella Ewell made an especially villainous and immoral choice when accusing Tom, but this does not make her completely human nature evil. While in court for her case, Mayella explains the circumstances in which she lives and describes that "there was no need for the rest of them to learn—Papa needed them at home" (209). Mayella grew up in conditions that were determined by her unstable father and did not permit receiving an education along with many other necessities all children should have access to. Not having access to proper education has caused Mayella to be incredibly immature and easily influenced, especially by her father. Mayella's father has an awful reputation, which diminished the entire Ewell family due to alcoholism and abuse rumors. Later in the trial, Mayella is asked the question, "Do you love your father, Miss Mayella?" to which she responds that he is tolerable, and Atticus asks, "Except when he's drinking?" (209), and Mayella nods in response. Mayella's primary evidence is the multiple signs of abuse and struggle covering