Human Nature in William Golding´s Lord of the Flies

In Lord of the Flies, a 20th century novel written by William Golding, countless issues are portrayed; however the essential nature of humankind is, perhaps, the most recurring. From the moment we meet the boys after they land on the island, it is obvious that this fundamental issue will play out through the entire length of the novel, and, as it progresses, the deeper Golding will delve into mankind’s true nature. Shown through the loss of innocence, social skills, and order, the nature of humankind is showcased in this novel.

The novel begins when a plane, containing seemingly innocent schoolboys, crashes onto an island. The plane was vacating the boys from their country, where a war is currently happening. The fact that there is a war taking place already shows the barbaric nature of people, and this seems to rub off on the boys, too. When the boys first come into the novel, it is clear that their personalities and morals differ. There is Simon, who we see as a wholly good-natured boy; Piggy, who we see as a source of wisdom; and Ralph, who we see as the every-man, someone that, generally, symbolizes humanity as a whole, all of whom, basically, represent the amiable side of humanity. Then there is Jack, who we immediately see as corrupt; and Roger, who we see as amoral and wicked. These two represent the essentially evil side of humanity. As the novel progresses, we see that the characters’ morals will change, and their societal conditioning will diminish, eventually showing their true nature. When the boys first meet, their societal condition makes them try to create their own civilization and democracy, and they decide to vote one of themselves as chief. The boys choose Ralph, because he has the conch, but also because of hi...

... middle of paper ...

... evil and savage side by killing Simon. With Simon and Piggy gone, Ralph struggles more than ever with choosing between his morals and savage instincts, and he gives up all hope of being rescued and, presumably, in the other boys. When true nature of the boys is completely revealed, they are finally rescued. Golding suggests that when there is no order and we have complete free will, there will be chaos and that, generally, our true nature will be one of evil and savagery.

Through the loss of innocence, lack of order, and regression of societal conditioning, William Golding shows us what he thinks the true nature of mankind is in the 20th century novel, Lord of the Flies. The essential nature of humanity is an issue that recurs throughout the entire novel. Golding is suggesting that, when we have no civilization or rules, our true instincts will not be good-natured.