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The Inherent Evil In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding

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The Inherent Evil Within Human Nature in Lord of the Flies Through the Lord of the Flies, William Golding conveys the inherent violent evil within human nature through the use of Simon’s encounter with the sow's head on a stick which Jack and his tribe had killed also known as the Lord of the Flies and the hunting games in which the boys had played while on the island. Goldings effectively explores the inherent violent evil that resides within humanity by strongly portraying the significant encounter between Simon and the morbid evil symbol, the sow’s head on a stick, also known as the Lord of the Flies.When Simon had fallen ill as he went to explore the island, he was faced with an object that seemed to be a sow’s head on a stick that had …show more content…

When the boys had begun playing the game at the feast which Jack and his tribe had thrown, Golding had described the situation as, “Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They were glad to touch the brown backs of the fence that hemmed in the terror and made it governable. ‘“Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!”’ The movement became regular while the chant lost its first superficial excitement and began to beat like a steady pulse” (Golding 152).The quote illustrates and reveals the theme of the inherent violent evil within human nature by demonstrating how the hunting games played by the boys on the island had gone out of hand. The phrase “eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society” signifies the boy's willingness to engage in the disturbed social order established through the hunting game, highlighting their inherent desire to violence. Furthermore, the repeated chant of “Kill the beast!”“Cut his throat!” “Spill his blood!” reflects the escalation of their bloodlust, as the chant loses its initial superficial excitement and transforms into a steady pulse, symbolizing the normalization of violence and their increasing acceptance of their savage instincts. To further investigate this idea, an article by D David Wilson, author of “A

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Cut her throat. Spill her blood.’” These 4 sentences simply show how the “thrill of the hunt” can transform a perfectly decent boy into a bloodthirsty savage. Another instance similar to this is when Jack and his hunters leave the law and order of Ralph for the chaos and anarchy of the

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“ At last the immediacy of the kill subsided. The boys drew back, and Jack stood up… giggled and flicked them while the boys laughed at his reeking palms (120).” The boys do not mourn and think about what they have just done to the sow, they “laugh and giggle” and Jacks flicks the meat on his hands at the other boys. Games in this novel slowly builds the theme of savagery because every kill the boys make it makes them become more of a savage. The boys start off playing at the lagoon, to hunting pigs, then using one of their own to act like a pig, and finally they end up hunting one of their own like a pig.

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At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore” (Golding 153). In describing several verbs, the fast-paced intensity of the scene can be better comprehended. The fact that the boys attacked Simon without giving thought to the fact that it may not be the beast further depicts the savage nature of humanity. Golding brings to light that savagery is not always voluntary, but can also be impulsive, contributing further evidence supporting his theory of savagery in human

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It has been said several times throughout history that human nature is constitutionally a negative force. This is further shown in William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies when numerous young boys aged twelve and under are stranded on an island after a plane crash during World War 2. These children abandon all civilization and grow more savage as the literature progresses. The main boys: Ralph, Simon, Piggy, and Jack change exponentially throughout the novel, gradually losing themselves and any culture they had. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, depicts human nature’s inherent evil and man’s inability to escape it.

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In the unsettling novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding develops the idea that evil is an inherent trait of mankind. Golding presents this central idea through the character of Jack Merridew, who embodies the descent into evil and savagery demonstrating the innate darkness that resides within individuals. Golding explores this idea by depicting how power dynamics, jealousy, and unrestrained ambition can corrupt even the most ostensibly good people. Through his descent into evil, his lust for power, and his embrace of primal instincts, Jack's character illustrates the capacity for malevolence that lies dormant within each individual. This exploration of evil not only serves as a cautionary tale but also prompts us to reflect on our own

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While exploring an unknown island and striving to survive, a group of adolescent boys reveal their primitive, barbarous identities in William Golding’s work, Lord of the Flies. Similarly, Paul Laurence Dunbar, an African American poet, describes the hidden nature of individuals in order to protect themselves and conceal their pain. Golding’s novel and Dunbar’s poem, “We Wear the Mask,” both express masks as ways for individuals to escape reality and as a source of strength; however, the characters in Dunbar’s poem are restricted by the pressures of society while the boys in Lord of the Flies unleash true feelings through their innate savageness. In Lord of the Flies, the newfound freedom on the deserted island and liberation from authority allows the adolescents to completely change their attitudes and live a new life altogether.

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Throughout the novel, the idea of civilization with good and the instinct of savagery with evil is expressed in The Lord of The Flies on an island which will serve as a microcosm for the real world. Jack takes over and attempts to hunt down Ralph. He hopes to smoke him out by setting fire to the islandThe vast majority of Lord of the Flies takes place without adults. When the boys are stranded on the island, they are left to their own devices and it is not until the novel's end that an adult appears to rescue them. Despite the absence of actual adults, the boys are constantly referring to adults (see quotes, below) and they believe that they are attempting to construct an adult world.

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However the beast truly is only within them, Golding uses the beast to symbolise and show the reader the evil within everyone including a pack of young boys, the concept the boys have of the beast begins to break down the order on the island.

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In one instance, the boys are playing a violent “game” after the feast. On page 152 it says, “Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They were glad to touch the brown backs of the fence that hemmed in the terror and made it governable. ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat!

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Through William Golding’s use of symbolism in the novel Lord Of The Flies and Alan Strudler’s opinion in the article “Are Humans Good or Evil?”, one can see humans are naturally inclined towards bad behaviors. When the hunters go to “[kill] a pig,” they allow the “fire [to] go out,” which reveals the fire’s “irrelevance” to them (Golding 69). The “fire” represents civilization, where humans cooperate and have the motive to do righteous actions. However, when people are isolated from society, the true natures and behaviors of mankind become more apparent. The fire being put out after Jack’s hunters’ departure symbolizes the loss of civilization among the boys, who are forced to adapt and survive in nature.

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In a world where people are taught right from wrong and correct morals it would only make sense to think everyone is born innately good. However, if all discipline was taken out and nobody was taught the right thing, would humans be innately evil? In the Lord of the Flies by William Golding a group of boys get stranded on an island and have to survive. After finding out that there are no adults on the island, they vote Ralph as the leader of the group. Ralph and another boy Jack do not see eye to eye and after some time, Jack separates into another group and they all turn into savages after losing a sense of civilization and morals.

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The collective fear of the unknown leads to the untimely and accidental death of Simon. The distress present in the boys causes their impulsive action, of Simon’s horrific murder. Fear of “the beast” an imaginary creature causes the boys to act irrational, and provokes survival instincts as a result of life threatening terror. The fear of the boys in this moment is epitomized when they chant, “Kill the beast!, Cut his throat, Spill his blood!” (168).

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Throughout the novel of Lord of the Flies, William Golding provides a profound insight into human nature. Golding builds on a message that all human beings have natural evil inside them. To emphasize, the innate evil is revealed when there’s lack of civilization. The boys are constantly faced with numerous fears and eventually break up into two different groups. Although the boys believe the beast lives in the jungle, Golding makes it clear that it lurks in their hearts.

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