“A Study of ‘Game Metaphor’ in Golding’s Lord of the Flies” by D David Wilson is a critical analytical essay on William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies. Throughout Wilson’s essay, he attempts to convey the metaphor of game in the novel and how the games played show that humanity has evil tendency within its nature. He also explains how these games have deeper meanings, bringing out the evil tendency, stored away in mankind, in the boys. Finally, he connects the game metaphor to how the boys become savages and lead the boys into savagery. All in all, Wilson’s thesis and main point in the essay is that Golding’s use of games in the novel develops the central theme of the novel that humanity has evil tendency within its nature. In my humble …show more content…
opinion, his essay was excellent and his creative view of the boys’ evil being connected to a “game” was a fascinating point to look at which I had not thought of or realized before reading this essay. In the first paragraph, of Wilson’s essay, he describes the beginning of this “game” and sets a basis for his idea relating the evil in humanity to the metaphor, game. He states that the boys consider most events as games, like the hunt, kill, and chant but in reality these all were key parts in the disintegration of their society on the island where order and reason was somewhat present. These “games” they played eventually led to killings of each other, brutal beatings, and savages in a manhunt. One of the main games in the novel, was the hunt game which was introduced when Robert acted as a pig for the hunt and was beaten due to the boys’ urge to inflict pain. This was one of the first steps leading to the boys’ savagery and was a true representation of this overmastering urge in the boys to inflict pain. This example, was a very powerful one truly showing the boys’ evil for the first time in the novel and foreshadowed that there was more to come, which will gradually transform the boys from innocent humans to savages. In the second paragraph, Wilson begins to express his idea of how these games, that the boys participated in, had two different motives and meanings fueling them leading them to savagery. The first motive or meaning was purely entertainment and relaxation as most games fulfill this trait, but this soon becomes the leading way to this evil state the boys will reach by the end of the novel. Wilson states in his essay a very important connection between this game and the boys’ innocence leading to their savagery and evil later in the novel. He states that the games gave way to hunting, but the hunting is still only talked about in terms of a game. This shows the boys’ innocence in the beginning due to how they can’t come to terms that they just murdered a living creature they lessen the horror of it by just taking it as a game. Wilson then states two important examples that show the world of children’s games and the development from innocence to savagery. The first one describes when Jack can’t kill the pig, “the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh, because of the unbearable blood” (Golding 34). The second one is describing when Roger throws stones at Henry, but throw to miss because, “round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law” (Golding 67). These two quotes show the innocence of the children, but shows the beginning of what was to come of the boys’ savagery. It purely represents the nature of children’s games and that the difference comes when there is no parental or adult units to bring these game to an end which allows and opens the gateway for the boys to reach this state of evil. In the third paragraph, Wilson adds on to the motives of these games leading to the final product of the boys’ savagery.
Wilson states that the second motive or meaning for these games was an outlet of aggression. He gives a good example of this when he describes how Ralph is baffled and doesn't understand why the other boys are so obsessed with hunting, bullying, and feasting than building huts, the signal fire, and trying to be rescued. But he fully grasps the reasoning of the other boys when he goes on the boar hunt and is unable to avoid the excitement of the hunt and gets caught up in the other boy’s bloodlust. This represents Golding’s point that every individual has a drive toward savagery no matter how civilized an individual is. Later on in the paragraph, Ralph justifies his actions by explaining it was just a game which shows his insecurity trying to fit in with the other boys and enjoy this fun and aggression in their game of survival. In the boys’ chant, Jack reveals the game metaphor, that Wilson is pointing out, when the boys suggest that they need someone to dress up as a pig. Jack unconsciously acknowledges that this game will have a fatal end from someone in the group which foreshadows the point of no return from the savagery the boys will have taken on by the end of the book when murdering simon and
piggy. In the final paragraph, Wilson describes the climax of this game metaphor. Wilson uses the example of when the boys re-enact the hunt/game with Robert who they beat and is nearly killed due to the boys losing sight of the limits of the game in their desire to hurt and kill. The boys justified this beating, again, with the metaphor that this is just a game. A fascinating example I hadn’t thought of was when Wilson described Rogers dramatic change throughout the novel. In the beginning Roger threw stones at Henry but to miss due to his conditioned arm, but due these games he becomes a true savage and becomes the torturer of the island. The climax of this metaphor is finally reached when Simon is murder in their game, then when Piggy was killed, and to end it all off was the man-hunt of Ralph where they burned down the whole island just in an effort to capture Ralph in their desire to kill. All in all, Golding’s use of the game metaphor in Lord of the Flies served two purposes: entertainment and aggression/savagery. This game metaphor truly brought out the gradual development of the boys into savagery on the island describing their bloodlust, desire to hunt, and kill. This essay truly fascinated me and showed me a different view of the novel. Finally in my opinion, Wilson’s essay was excellent and his creative view of the boys’ evil and savagery being connected to a “game” was a fascinating point to look at which I had not thought of or realized before reading this essay.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies portrays the lives of young British boys whose plane crashed on a deserted island and their struggle for survival. The task of survival was challenging for such young boys, while maintaining the civilized orders and humanity they were so accustomed too. These extremely difficult circumstances and the need for survival turned these innocent boys into the most primitive and savaged mankind could imagine. William Golding illustrates man’s capacity for evil, which is revealed in man’s inherent nature. Golding uses characterization, symbolism and style of writing to show man’s inhumanity and evil towards one another.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel about human nature and the functions of society. One of the main characters in this novel is Ralph, who is chosen to be the leader of a group of boys. He assigns tasks to the boys and tries to keep them accountable for it. However, the boys begin to slack because they can no longer see the point of these tasks and rules. As a result of the constant slacking the boys soon turned into savages. Ralph’s struggle to maintain order amongst the boys shows how without rules it is human nature to descend into savagery due to the avoidance of authority.
When viewing the atrocities of today's world on television, the starving children, the wars, the injustices, one cannot help but think that evil is rampant in this day and age. However, people in society must be aware that evil is not an external force embodied in a society but resides within each person. Man has both good qualities and faults. He must come to control these faults in order to be a good person. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding deals with this same evil which exists in all of his characters. With his mastery of such literary tools as structure, syntax, diction and imagery, The author creates a cheerless, sardonic tone to convey his own views of the nature of man and man’s role within society.
him constantly and the other boys make fun of him. Jack and his followers spend
William Golding’s novel ‘The Lord of The Flies’ tells the story of a group of English boys isolated on a desert island, left to attempt to retain civilisation. In the novel, Golding shows one of the boys, Jack, to change significantly. At the beginning of the book, Jack’s character desires power and although he does not immediately get it, he retains the values of civilized behaviour. However, as the story proceeds, his character becomes more savage, leaving behind the values of society. Jack uses fear of the beast to control the other boys and he changes to become the book’s representation of savagery, violence and domination. He is first taken over with an obsession to hunt, which leads to a change in his physical appearance This change of character is significant as he leads the other boys into savagery, representing Golding’s views of there being a bad and unforgiving nature to every human.
Golding has a rather pessimistic view of humanity having selfishness, impulsiveness and violence within, shown in his dark yet allegorical novel Lord of the Flies. Throughout the novel, the boys show great self-concern, act rashly, and pummel beasts, boys and bacon. The delicate facade of society is easily toppled by man's true beastly nature.
Much of history’s most renown literature have real-world connections hidden in them, although they may be taxing uncover. William Golding’s classic, Lord of the Flies, is no exception. In this work of art, Golding uses the three main characters, Piggy, Jack, and Ralph, to symbolize various aspects of human nature through their behaviors, actions, and responses.
In the novel The Lord of the flies, William Golding illustrates the decline from innocence to savagery through a group of young boys. In the early chapters of The Lord of the Flies, the boys strive to maintain order. Throughout the book however, the organized civilization Ralph, Piggy, and Simon work diligently towards rapidly crumbles into pure, unadulterated, savagery. The book emphasized the idea that all humans have the potential for savagery, even the seemingly pure children of the book. The decline of all civilized behavior in these boys represents how easily all order can dissolve into chaos. The book’s antagonist, Jack, is the epitome of the evil present in us all. Conversely, the book’s protagonist, Ralph, and his only true ally, Piggy, both struggle to stifle their inner
... of hope for rescue and the destruction of their ties to former human society; and the Lord of the Flies, used to represent mankind’s “essential illness”: inherent human evil. Ultimately, Golding’s symbols, simple in appearance yet burdened with the weight of human savagery, violence, and inner darkness, do more than frighten. As these symbols are ingrained into our minds, so, too, is responsibility: the responsibility of recognition, understanding, and action. If we do not take heed of the messages behind Golding’s symbols, then our ignorance may be more than unwise—it may be fatal. For if we do not soon take steps to confront our inner evil face-to-face, we may eventually find ourselves trapped in Golding’s harrowing depiction of human society: one bound only by rules far too fragile that, when broken, lead only to chaos, self-destruction, and total savagery.
The issue on whether man is good or evil has been debated over several generations. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are stranded on an uninhabited island. In the beginning, the boys have fun and are carefree while adventuring on the island. With no adults around to tell them how to behave, the boys declare war on one another and face several conflicts. These conflicts provide Golding with the opportunity to explore the idea that society restrains the evil intentions of human nature.
This paper will explore the three elements of innate evil within William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, the change from civilization to savagery, the beast, and the battle on the island. Golding represents evil through his character's, their actions, and symbolism. The island becomes the biggest representation of evil because it's where the entire novel takes place. The change from civilization to savagery is another representation of how easily people can change from good to evil under unusual circumstances. Golding also explores the evil within all humans though the beast, because it's their only chance for survival and survival instinct takes over. In doing so, this paper will prove that Lord of the Flies exemplifies the innate evil that exists within all humans.
Lord of the Flies provides one with a clear understanding of Golding's view of human nature. Whether this view is right or wrong is a point to be debated. This image Golding paints for the reader, that of humans being inherently bad, is a perspective not all people share. Lord of the Flies is but an abstract tool of Golding's to construct the idea of the inherent evil of human nature in the minds of his readers. To construct this idea of the inherent evil, Golding employs the symbolism of Simon, Ralph, the hunt and the island.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies shows man’s inhumanity to man. This novel shows readers good vs. evil through children. It uses their way of coping with being stranded on an island to show us how corrupt humans really are.
People are privileged to live in an advanced stage of development known as civilization. In a civilization, one’s life is bound by rules that are meant to tame its savage natures. A humans possesses better qualities because the laws that we must follow instill order and stability within society. This observation, made by William Golding, dictates itself as one of the most important themes of Lord of the Flies. The novel demonstrates the great need for civilization ion in life because without it, people revert back to animalistic natures.
Lord of the Flies For the study of the First Amendment and censorship, we had to read a banned or challenged book. I read Lord Of The Flies by William Golding. Lord Of The Flies was written in the 1950's during the World War Two era. This book is about a bunch of boys aged 6-12 that get stranded on an uninhabited island with no adults. They elect Ralph as leader and Jack and the choir members from his school as the hunters of the group.