Savagery In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Savagery amongst humans is a constant debate about whether humans are born savage, or if it is learnt over time. Author William Golding believes that society is naturally savage and that without government or parliament, people revert back to their savage nature. Throughout his novel “Lord of the Flies”, Golding supports the doctrine that all humans are inherently evil. The book portrays a group of British schoolboys, ages ranging from six to twelve years old, stranded on an Elysium-like island without adults or instruction. It begins civilized but slowly becomes darker as the boys argue and lose rationalization. Similarly to Golding’s belief is the short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. The short story describes a poor, yet ambitious

As Simon is running, it begins raining and thundering, invoking unease within the other boys. When Simon emerges from the forest, the schoolboys’ terror expands and the children begin chanting: Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! They pounced upon Simon and began massacring the boy as Simon cried out from injury and deathly pain, killing him (Golding 152-153). The boys became blinded by the overwhelming anxiety that fueled such a strong reaction to the abrupt arrival of Simon; ultimately resulting in his hostile death. Later, the hunters begin hunting Ralph who hides in a bush and his movements and body language emphasizes his growing fear of being caught. As he shelters himself in a bush, a hunter notices the boy hiding. He kneels low to confirm and Ralph jumps out with “a scream of fright and anger and desperation [. . .] the screams became continuous and foaming. He shot forward, [. . .] screaming, snarling, and bloody" (Golding 199). Golding's imagery of Ralph's actions is similar to that of a wild animal with rabies. Ralph's adrenaline rush provoked by terror forces him to transform himself into a savage animal for means of