What makes up a person and their personality? Throughout human history, this has remained a question that philosophers, scientists, and curious people everywhere have tried to answer. The impact of one’s nature, their inborn, inherent characteristics, and of one’s nurture, the effects of their environment, on creating who someone is are often discussed and explored. William Golding’s classic novel Lord of the Flies tells of a group of British schoolboys getting stranded alone on an island. Their story provides a case study of how the forces of nature and nurture comprise people. However, an analysis of the boys demonstrates that the environmental factors of nurture greatly impact human behavior and cognition than inherent nature. The environmental …show more content…
It says that “Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew of him and was in ruins.” (Golding 62) This demonstrates that Roger and many of the other boys preserved some moral sense from their upbringing in civilized society. However, Roger’s scruples decay the longer he stays on the island to the point where he mercilessly kills Piggy with a boulder: “High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever [to release the boulder].” (Golding 180) The prolonged isolation from society has caused the boys to descend into savagery which resulted in a dulled conscience. This helped the boys overcome their previous social education and embrace a new mentality for their new environment, a mentality more open to murder and violence. This descent is also observed by …show more content…
It began with Jack and his hunting party killing pigs. This evolved into others like Ralph beginning to enjoy the violence as well. This culminates in the group of boys brutally murdering Simon as he is running out the forest: “At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore.” (Golding 153) The boys learned from each other to be more and more aggressive which desensitized them to violence. These violent tendencies gave them the mindset to immediately fight and kill the “beast” without asking questions, which resulted in Simon losing his life. A famous experiment from psychologist Albert Bandura had children watch a video of adults either beating up or being peaceful around a bobo doll. After watching the videos, the children were placed in a room with the bobo doll. Bandura observed that “children who observed the aggressive model had far more aggressive responses than those who were in the non-aggressive or control groups.” (Saul McLeod, par. 1). 19) This experiment proved that aggression and behaviors in general are learned by children through observation and
The quote I drawed from the book is from when Piggy and Ralph were yelling at Jack for the specs back and Roger starts to push the rock over. The quote is "High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever" (Golding 180) This shows how Roger, not on accident, but purposely leaned all his weight on the lever to release the rock that eventually fell and killed Piggy. I believe that this is when Roger was in “full demon mode” which I talked about earlier. The fact that a young boy would drop a rock on purpose to kill someone is absolutely inhumane. Therefore this is final example of how Roger changed his identity in the
What makes a person who they are is a difficult dilemma. Mark Twain's novel, "Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins" is a critical analysis of how nature and nurture can cultivate emotions and free will, which in turn affects the life of individuals. "Twain's faltering sense of direction began about slavery, moral decay, and deceptive realities (Kaplan 314). The debate of `nature versus nurture' has been one of the most intriguing scientific and cultural issues for most of the twentieth century, in determining the behavioral aspects of human beings. The changes in environment, society, education, political influences, family values and morals and other external influences, combined with physical genes determines how mankind will evolve into adulthood. Both nature and nurture, in combination with emotions and free will, control the behavior of human beings and determines who we are.
Roger struggled with anger issues and with expressing his feelings, yet he managed. Roger was well known for his physicality with other kids at school once he returned from the island. Similarly to what we saw on the island, Roger showed no sympathy. An example of this is observed when Golding writes: "round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law." (p.60). This quote represents how Roger feels no remorse for his actions, and does not have much respect for the law. Surprisingly, however, these traits work out in Rogers favor as he saves his cousin's life 20 years after he saved Jack’s on the island. Golding writes: “Ralph stood to face them, his spear ready. By him stood Piggy still holding out the talisman, the fragile, shining beauty of the shell. High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever.” (p.180). Roger let that rock go to save a threatened Jack. Roger did this in a sense of self-defense, not anger. Roger did the same for his cousin who was being attacked one night by gang members on a walk back from dinner. Roger saw his cousin was cornered and acted quickly to save his cousin by whacking the gang members with a pipe, Killing them both. Roger’s cousin was untouched. Although Roger has lethal tendencies from time to time, he uses
His hold on civilization and the terms of nice society are the weakest and the first to decay. Roger’s inner beast stirs slowly at first when he, in only the fourth chapter,“stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry” (Golding 62). Fortunately for the younger boy, Roger was restrained by a lingering consciousness of the rules of civilized life and did not throw to hit. However, it is clear that the idea of hurting, of maiming Henry was fascinating to Roger. If the human soul is not wicked to begin with, then why would children who have no cause to hate each other desire to hurt one another? Later in the book, Roger’s sense of morals decomposes completely, leaving a sadistic savage in its place who tortures SamnEric and murders
The debate of nature vs. nurture continues today in the world of psychology. The effects of an individual’s genetics and the effects of their environment on their personality and actions is an age old debate that is still inconclusive. However, it is evident that both sides of the argument carry some form of the truth. It can be contended that the major characteristics of an individual are formed by their environment, more specifically, their past experiences. An individual’s past moulds and shapes their identity, if they do not make an effort to move on from it.
I believe this because throughout the book, Roger, used rocks to cause harm to others. Before he even got stuck on the island, the author lets us know he got in trouble at home for throwing rocks at other children. He brought that part of him to the island, because in the beginning of the story he was throwing rocks at Henry. In the text it says, “Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry-threw it to miss. The stone… bounced five yards to Henry’s right and fell in the water. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them.” (Golding 62) Then, toward the end of the book, Roger came across a massive boulder. He was at a higher elevation than Piggy, and he pushed the boulder down. The boulder landed on Piggy, instantly killing him, before Piggy fell down 40 feet. I know this because in the text it says, “ … Someone was throwing stones: Roger was dropping them, his one hand still on the lever… High overhead, Roger… leaned all his weight on the lever… The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee...Piggy, saying nothing, , with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air sideways from the rock, turning over as he went… Piggy fell forty feet…” (Golding
Have you ever questioned someone’s behavior and wonder what makes them behave the way they do? “Lord of the Flies,” by William Golding introduces a group of boys stranded on an island with no adult supervision which means no rules or authority. The group of boys face many conflicts and complications due to the situation they are in. Their behavior is to blame due to the environment and the situation they are in, however many believe that their behavior comes from internal “genetics” not external the “environment”. A person’s behavior can be influenced by their inner self which comes from our heredity, but in most cases I believe that behavior is influenced by the situation and the environment that is faced.
To begin, when Roger first arrives on the island, his actions are mostly innocent and mean no harm to others. Yet as time goes by on the island, his actions begin to have a darker meaning and ends up killing another boy nicknamed Piggy. When Samneric, Piggy and Ralph attempt to retrieve Piggy’s glasses and are surrounded by a group of
Could it be, that our personality lay more in the power of situation and less in the power of biological factors? The boys’ savage and immoral behavior, shown at the end of the novel, “Lord of the Flies” should be condemned on both the environmental situation they lived through and biological factors. This novel is based on the topic of nature versus nurture and although I agree that they both had an impact on the boys ' behavior, a more rational appeal would be that the power of the situation overruled the power of biological factors. The boys were very conservative in the beginning but the longer they stayed stranded the more selfish a majority of them became.Golding developed his first claim by first comparing the common attitudes expressed between the boys, then narrated how they had different perspectives for survivnig on the island, and finally illustrates the importance of guidance in order to maintain a properly functioned society
Jack uses fear to pull people to his side. And Piggy’s fear for his wellbeing but Roger is different. He fears civilization. At the start of the book, it states, “There was a slight, furtive boy whom no one knew, who kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy” (18). Already, Roger has a secret that no one knows about. In chapter four: “Roger gathered a handful of stones and began throwing them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life.” (64,65). This quote gives more detail about Roger’s secret. At this point, Roger is still influenced by society’s rules of his past life. It is not until the last hunt for pigs. Where he shows his true nature, and forgets his fears entirely. Instead indulges in his sadistic love of torture. “Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push until he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved inch by inch and the terrified squeals became a high-pitched scream.” (149). Furthermore, Roger has darker skin than the other boys and at the time the book was taken place, darker-skinned people were considered a lower class and was mistreated because of it. Roger does vicious things because he was mistreated and the anger is finally getting to him, which turns him into civilization’s worst nightmare.
Roger, like Jack, allows his inner beast to take over his mind instead of being sensible. He is against Ralph because of this, and it just hurts his sense of right and wrong. Roger also kills Piggy by dropping the boulder, which shows how ruthless and cruel he has become, since he is so easily able to kill. He used to care about people, but then he kills Piggy like it’s nothing. Roger also encourages Jack’s descent into madness. He stays by Jack’s side, encouraging him, following his orders, calling him chief. He is with Jack at Castle Rock, even being guard, shown when he yells ‘ “Halt! Who goes there?” ‘ (215). He makes Jack think that what he is doing is right, when the opposite is true. Roger destroys his sanity, sensibility, and other good traits while on the island, and encourages it in
There was very little intelligence among the boys as it is, and the two boys who held that glimmer of intelligence were both murdered. The death of intelligence is so important because without it, rules and order can’t be accomplished. Those three things have to balance each other out because if they don’t there is no peace. Peace comes from rules, order, and intelligence, without these all we have is chaos and savagery. Piggy was the only one of the boys, besides Simon, who expressed intelligence and logic. Piggy’s life was ended by sheer savagery, and along with that, so was his intelligence. An act of cruelty just as bad was when Roger, “Struck Piggy a glancing blow from knee to chin” (181). Roger had no real reason to kill Piggy, he did it because he simply felt like it. He knew he couldn’t get in trouble for it because there was no one there who can punish him for his actions. The rock destroyed Piggy from his head, which was full of intelligence, to his body, for which he was made fun of for. Piggy’s head which was full of wisdom and logic was literally crushed open, showing an end to the intelligence
There are a slew of factors on the island which can lead to this level of violence “Chaos is one, fear is another” (Golding). The island was extremely chaotic, and fearful with no supervision from anyone with a fully developed frontal lobe. The only semblance of order was promptly crushed early on, leading to a revolt and nearly every child descending into violence, even ones that did not have as painful a childhood such as the leader elected among them, Ralph. Fear ran rampant on the island as none of the children really understood much about the island. A belief spread on the island that there was an unkillable beast hunting down the boys, plotting their destruction. With someone like Roger who was physically strong and most likely found solace in that, a being he had no power to stop must have been downright terrifying. When people are afraid, especially children with their lack of judgment, they lash out in bursts of violence. This is exactly what happened to Roger, he succumbed to fear like the rest of us would have, and acted as any of us would have at his age in his
Nurture is constituted by the influence of millions of complex environmental factors that form a child's character. Advocators of nature do not believe that character is predetermined by genes, but formed over time. Although often separated, nature and nurture work together in human development. The human conscience is neither innate from birth or entirely shaped through experience, instead, genetics and environmental influences combine to form human behavior, character, and personality traits that constantly change and develop throughout life. The debate on nature versus nurture has existed for thousands of years.
For centuries, people have been intrigued with the question of what is human about human nature. How much of people’s characteristics and attitudes comes from “nature” (heredity, unable to change) or how much is from “nurture” (the social environment, contact with others) and the ability to change. It is for certain that physical and mental abilities are established by heredity, such as ability at sports and mathematics. As well as the color of your eyes, the size of your nose and your mother’s freckles. While such basic orientations to life, like your attitude, are the result of the environment one lives in and thus fore can be changed.