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Nature Vs Nurture Lord Of The Flies Analysis

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“The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.”- Thomas Hobbes. This quote represents how humans, in their natural state, fight for their own benefit. It addresses the philosophical debate of nature versus nurture, and in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, his views of this debate are expressed. The characters are stripped from civilization, forced to act for themselves, and place their needs above all. People are shaped by society, but when deprived of this structure they are forced to adapt, and as Golding argues, peoples learned behavior is quickly overcome when placed in a difficult environment In the book many of the characters started to detach from civilization, and descend into savagery. One specific character, Jack, was affected the most. At the beginning of the book he was presented as intelligent and a strong leader, and was respected by his choir members. However, as the book progressed he turned into a vicious control freak and he bullied most of the boys into focusing on hunting instead of being rescued. At the start he was hesitant to kill a pig, on page 28 it says, “Jack drew his knife with a flourish. He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream …show more content…

For example, the beast was a thought that was embedded in the boy's minds for the duration of the book. At first, it started with the “littluns”, but as the book progressed the older boys started to become paranoid as well. The boys even leave a sacrifice of the pig for the beast, “This head is for the beast, it's a gift.” (Golding. page 151). The older boys, who at the start were shown as mature and somewhat sophisticated, were scared of something such as a children's nightmare. When put in a harsh environment people's minds are affected severely, and new beliefs take

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590 Words | 3 Pages

Them being all alone on a deserted island was like war. The crash left them stranded and alone. They had to hunt, and use there resources on the island to survive. The character Jack is a good example of a dictatorship. He was very obvious in his actions, and the most of the boys didn’t agree with what he did throughout this book.

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708 Words | 3 Pages

I also think that the beast will try to hurt them because they keep on seeing the beast and also keep on having nightmares about it. Why is the fear of the beast too dangerous to the boys' society? The fear of the beast is dangerous to the boy’s society because the fear is causing disagreement and confusion between the boys. This disagreement can cause a drift in the society because of the different beliefs and their society can crumble.

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538 Words | 3 Pages

In the book, The Lord of the Flies, the boys debate on whether the beast is real or not. The irony throughout the book is based on how the boys are so terrified of there being a fictitious monster on the island that they do not realize that they are the monsters themselves. As the boys begin to act more savagely, their belief of the existence of the beast becomes stronger. Throughout the book, it is clear that the boys are, in fact, the real beast, as evidenced by the spreading hatred, the sexual assaults, and violence. To begin with, the boys’ hatred towards one another grows stronger as the novel progresses, which portrays them as the real beast on the island.

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976 Words | 4 Pages

Obviously, the boys' fear of the ‘beast’ and their ironic need to destroy it shows that the tight grip which society's rules once had on them has been loosened in the duration of the time they have spent on the

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1223 Words | 5 Pages

The boys need fend for themselves and they all had to figure out how to survive. Eventually all of the boys soon turned into savages and went against one another by hurting the others. There are two main characters who took charge right away due to no supervision: Jack and Ralph. Jack was mainly in charge of hunting, and Ralph was in charge of shelters. Each of the boys are in competition for chief, which leads to lack of authority.

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825 Words | 4 Pages

The novel suggests that even the most civilized individuals can become violent and dangerous when placed in a situation where they must fight for survival. Additionally, the fact that the boys are children suggests that the novel is also about the loss of innocence and the corrupting influence of power. While the choices that characters make regarding self-preservation versus moral code are certainly an important aspect of the novel, it is not the only theme that the novel explores. This is evident in the way that the boys' behavior becomes more violent and primitive as they become more desperate to survive. For example, the boys become obsessed with hunting and killing animals and eventually turn on each other violently and chaotically.

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613 Words | 3 Pages

Could it possibly just be the fears that the individual boys have? Or is it the darkness in each of their hearts? Therefore, in Lord of The Flies, is the beast just fear? Do the boys just imagine their worst fears because they are scared? Think about it, little boys stranded on an island with no one there to comfort them, for their nightmares are coming to life.

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452 Words | 2 Pages

The book follows a group of boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and left to fend for themselves. As time passes, the boys become more savage and violent, eventually turning on each other in a battle for power. This theme is further explored through the character of Jack, who becomes increasingly authoritarian and manipulative, ultimately leading to the death of several of his peers. The novel suggests that without the constraints of society, humans are prone to violence and destruction.

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755 Words | 4 Pages

Jack did not succeed in hunting down the pig but said that he will kill it next time. Jack did not kill the pig because he was afraid of the blood from the pig. He was embarrassed that he could not do it and he wanted to show people that he is a hunter and he is strong enough to do it. In the novel it says, "Kill the pig! Cut her throat!

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579 Words | 3 Pages

Society corrupts In the novel, “Lord of the flies” by William Golding, Golding demonstrates that civilized humans can go corrupt when they’re exposed to uncivilized activity. The novel talks about British boys who were all civilized and got in a plane crash that landed them on an island where they had to do to survive, but without adults or rules to keep them in check, they became savage. This proves that your surroundings can change the way you behave. Golding demonstrates in his book that man is born innocent and is corrupted by society.

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2200 Words | 9 Pages

EVIL AS AN INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY IN LORD OF THE FLIES BY WILLIAM GOLDING INTRODUCTION There is a constant tension or conflict between good and evil in the world. At times evil appears to be so dominant and powerful that we may even think evil to be supreme. But, sooner or later the momentary supremacy of the evil gives way to the ultimate triumph of good. We often blame the society or the political system for the evils that are being perpetrated in the world.

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1619 Words | 7 Pages

He goes to share his hunting story to Ralph and a boy named Piggy. On page 69, the narrator shares, “I cut the pig’s throat,’ said Jack, proudly, and yet twitched as he said it.” This quotation shows us that civilization is lost when the urge to kill takes over because it shows the stage where Jack is proudly killing animals, but still feeling a little bit uncomfortable with it. In this example, Jack proudly shares that he has killed, but still twitches after saying he did. Jack is still hanging onto the little bit of civilization that is left on their island.

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1057 Words | 5 Pages

The theme of human nature in The Lord of the Flies permeates the book through the characters, their archetypes, and the plot itself. In the first few chapters of Lord of the Flies, discrimination between characters is an example of the natural narcissism of human nature.. The most important of the characters include Ralph,

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1054 Words | 5 Pages

Before chapter 2, Jack was afraid to kill the pig. But, after the littleluns said that there was a beastie, he initiated the plan to hunt and kill the beast. This quote portrays how the beastie somehow started the savage instinct in Jack because even though he knows that the beast does not exist, he is still determined to kill it. Additionally, they went more wild when some boys have claimed they saw the beast. “This head is for the beast.

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752 Words | 4 Pages

The author discussed how the boys were not guided at all throughout the time of the story. They lacked an adult figure, without one, they believed there were no rules around. No way to get caught or be in trouble. He also claimed that everyone has their own inner aggressions, the cause for the boys’ case was the impact of what the whole island had in store for them. Another thing Golding discussed was the way the act of killing changes you.

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