The Balance Between Good and Evil
The Balance Between Good and Evil
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is an author’s painting of the evil that resides in all of the human race. The tropical island setting presents an environment free from civil order introducing a battle ground for the war of good and evil. Showing different side of human nature one can ponder the question “What would I do?” Golding explains the good, bad and balance of human nature, revealing that in times of despair man can easily regress to a primitive state, leaving the strong willed to promote civil order, but often be extremely out numbered.
Ralph and Piggy’s sense of responsibility and maturity initially brings to the island a voice for everyone, calling for a brotherhood among the boys in order to survive and eventually be rescued. Early on the novel reads “There was a stillness about Ralph's as he sat that marked him out: there was his size and attractive appearance; and most securely, yet most powerful there was the conch.” (Golding Pg. 22). This quote describes the presence Ralph promoted on the island early on in their adventure. He encouraged equal say amongst the boys through the conch. In order to speak, one had to have possession of the symbolic shell. The shell representing the Parliamentary government in which they had left at home. Furthermore, Piggy, gaining an influential voice through Ralph, shouts his concern to the immature reckless boys “The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach... Then when you get here you build a bonfire that isn’t no use. Now you been and set the whole island on fire.” (Golding pg. 47). Like Ralph, Piggy’s responsibility and ability to plan for the future contradicts the actions of the boys, which in turn is the main reason for the separation between Jack and Ralph. Ralph and Piggy strive for a civilized way of life, yet find Jack leading an indirect revolt against any attempt to maintain order. Ralph and Piggy represent the good, civilized world in which they
have come from; unfortunately the freedom of the island breathes life into Jack’s evil
side, causing chaos to lurk throughout the boys.
Jack Merridew represents the evil and dark ambitions that can take over a person when given the lack authority in a setting such as the tropical paradise. In given such freedom, Jack slowly loses his fear of punishment; seen here, his innocence still remains but
Every chapter, these three boys, have demonstrated they have great behaviour on the island in comparison to the rest of the group. But it was tiring to constantly have an acceptable attitude because the other boys would not be so pleasant towards them. First, Ralph represented democracy, from the time he crash landed upon the sand, strategies on how to be rescued flowed in his head. He was introduced to the conch and from that point he assigned daily tasks and rules that would be completed so the island would not go insane such as creating shelter, where to dispose waste and if the conch was in your hands, you were able to speak. Next, Piggy represented scientific facts.
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.
Part of Golding’s intent was to demonstrate that the evil is not recognised in specific populations or situations. On the island the beast is manifest in the deadly tribal dances, war paint and manhunt: in the outside world the same lust for power and control plays out as a nuclear war. Throughout ‘The Lord of the Flies’ Golding has managed to show that evil is present in everyone.
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.
Evil is an inescapable consequence of human nature, and in the correct setting, this intrinsic evil of humanity will emerge. In Lord of the Flies, the island acts as a microcosm presenting the real world, yet it is left uncharted to creating a bare environment away from the destructive nature of humanity. The novel explores the notion in which man destroys every beautiful environment they settle in, and that when in a bare setting, free of social construct, the evil and primal urges would surface. When the boys first arrive on the island, Golding paints it to be beautiful and not yet spoiled by man, highlighted in the use of personification in ‘the palm-fronds would whisper, so that spots of blurred sunlight slid over their bodies’ which creates
Ralph’s loss of order results in the inability for him to be trusted by the littluns, eventually leading to his fall from authority as a leader. Jack’s aggressive presence creates a common fear among the boys, and fear is the primary reason for his gain of control over both them and the island. Using his selfishness and impulsiveness in order to take advantage of the boys’ innocence, Jack develops leadership qualities which emphasize Ralph’s insecurities regarding his ability to obtain power. This emphasis brings Ralph to disappointment in himself and in the island’s corruption. Unknowing of how to react to their loss of sophistication, Ralph is left with only “his fading knowledge of the world” (Golding 162). His failure to obtain the role as a leader leaves him unable to fix the savage mistakes in the boys whom are now ignorant to the idea of a properly civilized society. The ideas of power and earning superiority over Jack distract Ralph, demonstrating his distinct values as an individual. Although the principles by which he lives are conducted under circumstances revolved around escaping the island, his individualistic approach to survival opportunities being evident through the isolation of Piggy. It is only when his death is upon Ralph that Piggy’s existence is recognized, confirming his value of self-involvement over companionship. The older boys see immaturity in the littluns because of their age and, consequently, lack of independence. Their weakness causes them to follow Jack even though they are fearful of his intimidating appearance and his potential as a powerful, evil force. Therefore, because of the littluns’ vulnerability, Jack is able to develop power in evil, resulting in
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.
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.
Virtually ever since humans began roaming the Earth, there has existed an ongoing debate about whether humans are inherently good or evil. In this paper, I will first summarize and analyze three arguments from philosophers far before our time. In the first discussion, Mencius conveys that humans are fundamentally good. In the following discussions, Xunzi and Plato contend that humans are inherently evil. I will conclude the paper with the argument that the views expressed by Xunzi provide are the strongest of those examined in this paper.
Ralph is described as looking down at his appearance and thinking back to how civil he looked and was before the plane crash. “He discovered with a little fall of the heart that these were the conditions he took as normal now and that he did not mind.” (110) Ralph has become accustomed to his new way of living which shows how his human nature has adapted to its surroundings and the fact that he doesn’t mind shows the downfall of his hope of getting rescued. As the main group of boys is corrupted and separates into two groups, Ralph blows the conch one last time to bring together the last few boys remaining under his leadership to discuss what they should be focused on to get rescued quickly. Ralph states that “the fire’s the most important thing on the island, because, because-” ‘He paused again and the silence became full of doubt and wonder. Piggy whispered urgently.’ “Rescue.” (145) The dialogue between Ralph and Piggy is an iconic scene in the book because it shows the boys’ decline in their humanity and the loss of importance of being rescued. Ralph’s stuttering symbolizes the importance of being rescued getting put on hold. Piggy, the only boy with a sense of clarity of the situation, has to remind Ralph what the most important idea
The choice between barbarity and civility can draw the line between redemption and destruction. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the stranded boys undergo a transformation from being innocent, young British boys, to irrational savages as their evil consciences begin to arise. Along the way, the young boys endeavor to maintain a civilized order as well as their own humanity, however as more time progresses, it becomes apparent that evil is an inborn trait of mankind. The establishment of a second tribe is the first step that the boys take towards giving into the temptation of evil and accepting the fact that anything must be done in hopes of surviving. Without the influence of a civilized society and law, the boys regress to a primitive
The community of boys is torn and “Samneric were savages like the rest; Piggy was dead, and the conch smashed to powder” (186). With the conch being the one thing that held the boys together, Ralph now has no control and no say in what happens on the island. Ralph can only stand to the side as the boys dig their own graves, he is disgusted and ashamed of what they have become. The seed of evil has flourished in the boys and has taken its toll, by murder and the sacrifice of innocence. That is why “Ralph weeps for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy” (202). With his innocence and belief that mankind lives for the greater good spoiled, he now sees what they are capable of. It is scary to see how feral one can become by simply attempting to survive. So while Ralph tried his best to be a leader and be true to his word he ends up watching the boys stray from the path of order and
Two objects come to symbolize Ralph and Jack and their different leadership styles: the conch and the painted masks. Ralph and Piggy first find the conch in Chapter 1 entitled “The Sound of the Shell” and it soon becomes a defining trait of Ralph’s leadership style. He gives it more purpose than just a sound machine. He says, “ ‘We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us –’ ” (Golding 12). This illustrates Ralph’s organized frame of mind. Even before he is elected chief, he comes up with the idea of summoning the boys in order to decide their next course of action. He realizes the importance of upholding the rules of their British civilization, especially when there is no adult presence on the island to govern them. When the time comes to choose between Ralph and Jack, the majority of the boys support Ralph as their leader. The conch imbues him with power in the other boys’ eyes and makes him more appealing to them (at least at first). They are swayed by the conch’s symbolic power. Using this powerful instrument, Ralph implements law and order on the island. He realizes the boys’ need for a higher governing authority and quickly rushes to provide it for them. This stresses Ralph’s effectiveness as a leader. Similarly, the painted masks soon become a defining trait of Jack’s leadership style, just like the
The conflict between good and evil is universal to the human condition. It is a theme common to both history and literature. In 1866 Joseph Roux wrote, “Evil often triumphs, but never conquers”. In “Mercy Among the Children” by David Richards, the Henderson family suffers many injustices, and is exposed to “evil” in many forms. Roux’s statement can be analyzed through the examination of the characters, including the Henderson’s themselves and those who most deeply affect them.
Good vs. Evil. The theme every book, movie or story deals with at least once. We even deal with it in our real world. The issue becomes even greater when the evil matches the good, like Sherlock and Moriarty or Guy and Bruno. The combination of the protagonist and the antagonist creates a crisis which can only be solved if both parties cease to exist or one part gives in their role. We see this in both “Sherlock” BBC series and in the movie “Strangers on a Train” where both sets of doubles demonstrate the need of the other member for existence.