...The Abominable Man William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies was published in 1952, seven years after the disastrous WWII. During the war, the veil of civilization was exposed very center revealing the true underlying evil of mankind, resulting in the death of millions including one victim; Anne Frank. Although she was hiding in a annex for two years because of the result of the brutality of people’s discrimination, she wrote; “It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” It is hard to think that such a young and innocent girl would perish soon after writing this in the concentration camps constructed by the Nazis. The Nazis’ brutal ‘purification’ of the world, leaving millions dead in the brutal concentration camps and the horrific gas chambers, exemplify Golding’s ideas of mankind; brutal, destructive and evil which are inherent in human nature. The use of Jack, the pig hunts, the Lord of the Flies, Simon and the island that Golding believes in the idea that evil in an inborn characteristic of the archaic human race. Golding's use of characterization of Jack portrays the capacity of evil and violence which men are capable of due to their inborn human nature of evil. This is indicated when Jack, feeling especially bloodthirsty after a pig hunt starts to chant: " Kill the pig, cut his throat! Kill the...
Words: 964 - Pages: 4
...How does William Golding support his hypothesis of what could possibly happen on an island when humans and boys in particular are marooned there? You may consider setting, characterization, themes and/or symbolism you must incorporate quotes from the text to support your analysis. William Golding wrote Lord of the Flies shortly after the end of WWII. The novel's plot, in which a group of English boys end up stranded on a deserted island struggle to develop their own society, is a social and political thought-experiment using fiction. The story focuses on their attempts at civilization, devolution into savagery and violence puts the relationship between human nature and society under literary observation. Golding uses several allusions to human evolution, such as when the boys discover fire, craft tools, and form political and social systems in a process that recalled theories of the development of early man. Golding's hypothesis about humanity is pessimistic, that is, there are anarchic and brutal instincts in human nature. He displays this throughout his conveying of the setting, characterization, themes, and symbolism. The novel takes place on an un-known inhabited island in the Pacific Ocean, Immediately in the novel Golding reveals the instinct of the restricted human savagery in the boys in regard to the setting. “Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and open space of the scar” Page 10. Golding shows the...
Words: 1057 - Pages: 5
...The lord of the flies is a classic tale full of symbolism and mystery, everything is used to represent something else, and that changes reader’s perspective on the novel. Three significant symbols in the book change how most people view the novel. The pig’s head which is set upon a spear, the lord of the flies, plays a big and small part in the novel. Then the character Simon, a loner, represents an iconic figure. Then the Character piggy is to be associated with people themselves. All the symbols play key roles in the true meaning of the novel, but the one most remember is the pig’s head. The lord of the flies, the pig’s head, is the one that seems to play a big role in the novel. The character can be seen as the hidden antagonist or as a minor character. The character is meant to be Lucifer or the devil himself, which explains why he is the “mascot” of jack and his band of savage children, he is the ultimate evil. He changes throughout the novel by being a trophy, a prize pig that the hunters captured. Then a manipulative character, he convinces one boy to try to stop the savages and then the boy gets killed himself. Finally, back to the shadows, he goes as he never talks again. There are always two sides of the same coin though, a good and an evil always exists....
Words: 650 - Pages: 3
...Are humans by nature inherently evil 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. Golding drives the point that the instinctual evil within man is inescapable. At one point in the book, when the Lord of the Flies is representing all evil, this theory is stated as, "The Lord of the Flies was expanding like a balloon". Along with this idea is the religious symbolism that is used for ineffectively confronting the evil. At a point in the book, Golding has Simon, symbolic of Jesus Christ, confront the Lord of the Flies. This is a pig's head on a stick that is imagined to talk and represent the evil in all humans. Simon tries to act and spread the knowledge of this evil to others but is killed. This is a direct reference to the death of Christ, alluding to the Holy Bible. At many points throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding writes for the characters to become gradually more and more evil. This attribute even reaches the symbols of goodness and order, such as Ralph. Once, when Ralph and...
Words: 728 - Pages: 3
...Lord of the Flies Double Entry Journal 5-8 Conch: "Exposure to the sun had bleached the yellow and pink to near-white, and transparency." (78). The conch symbolizes law and democracy, and gives power to whoever has possession of it. However, throughout Lord of the Flies, the conch gradually loses its power and hold over the boys. The boys disregard the rules set during the first meeting by speaking without the conch and interrupting those who have the conch. As the conch loses power, democracy and law on the island fade. The boys no longer listen to rules, such as taking care of business on the rocks because the tide washes it away, and feel there is no true leader (this is indicated by the boys not giving Ralph the respect he deserves and not listening to his commands). The boy’s disregard for law is a flaw. It is natural for humans to rebel against the law because it is authority; however, law is needed because it keeps the savage nature...
Words: 1198 - Pages: 5
...into savages. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the theme of human nature to show how easily society can collapse, and how self-destructive human nature is. Throughout the story Golding conveys a theme of how twisted and sick human nature can lead us to be. Many different parts of human nature can all lead to the collapse of society. Some of the aspects of human nature Golding plugged into the book are; destruction, demoralization, hysteria and panic. These emotions all attribute to the collapse of society. Golding includes character, conflict, and as well as symbolism to portray that men are inherently evil. Golding makes very good use of characters in Lord of the Flies, he shows both good and evil through each of the characters. One of the characters that represents goodness is Simon. He is very good and pure, and has the most positive outlook. Simon is very different from the other boys, he seems to always be helping the Littluns and many other vulnerable boys such as Piggy. "Simon sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it." (Golding, pg.74) This quote interprets an example of a time when Simon helped Piggy by giving him food, it shows Simon's wholeheartedness. Another example would be when Simon helps the Littluns pick fruit from high to reach places. All in all Golding tries to portray Simon as a Christ like figure. On the other hand, Golding tries to show the evil within man through...
Words: 992 - Pages: 4
...lack of light imagery in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, because of the frequent use of dark imagery to give an impending sense of despair, both light and dark imagery are still crucial to this novel. Light and dark imagery is an archetype that is used to give readers a better understanding of a story in some writer’s works. In the case of light vs. darkness, light usually suggests hope, renewal, or intellectual illumination; darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, or despair. Light can also be associated with the color white, which can represent the following: “innocence”, “goodness”, and “morality,” (Archetypes). Darkness can be associated with the color black, allowing darkness to represent the following: “the unknown”, “death”, “the unconscious”, or “evil” (Archetypes). All of these things can also be linked to morality- the id, ego, and superego. The id can be classified as “the primitive and instinctive component of personality”; ego can be classified as the part of the personality that “develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world”, and superego can be classified as the part of the personality that incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from one's parents and others.” (McLeod). In Lord of the Flies, Many of the evil deeds in the story are committed at night, representing darkness. A perfect example of an evil deed that is committed at night would be the murder of Simon by all of the other boys...
Words: 1050 - Pages: 5
...In his book “Lord of the Flies” William Golding expresses his opinion on human nature through the story of a group of schoolboys who get on a deserted island after an airplane crash. Through the thoughts and actions of different characters, their behavior in different circumstances William Golding shows us that the mankind is naturally evil, everyone is born with the evil inside and the society and the surroundings in which people live don’t play any role in making them bad and fulfilling evil intentions. At the same time the ability to control the bad side of his personality depends on the person himself and the moral norms that he can oppose to the evil. From the very beginning of the novel we observe the inequality which exists among the boys, the appearing of the leaders and those whose opinion is not taken into account. The big boys feel their power and start to use it against the younger ones. They pick on the small boys for no reason, run through their sandcastles destroying them. Sometimes they show real examples of cruelty without any reason (Roger throwing stones at Henry). Almost all the boys pick on Piggy, an overweight boy who wears spectacles and has asthma, never listen to his wise advice judging only by his appearances. At the same situation appears another boy called Simon who announces the main reason of everybody’s fears but is also mocked at and not paid the proper attention. Thus we can see that the boys of about 12-14 years already show the features and...
Words: 768 - Pages: 4
...Lord Of The Flies And Othello Comparison Essay, Research Paper Lord of the Flies and Othello Comparison The age-old theme of good versus evil is presented in both William Golding s Lord of the Flies (LOTF), and William Shakespeare s Othello. The characters are used to show the battle between the two. Simon and Desdemona who represent purity and embody an innate goodness are challenged by many characters that do not possess the same holy qualities- who have actually subsided to the evil that is, in every way, their opposite. Jack and Iago represent the evil in the novels. Unfortunately in both pieces we see the loss of life for the pure characters through the clutches of evil. The evil does not necessarily win, as both characters maintain their standings as upright and completely pure individuals, even in their brutal murders. Simon and Desdemona clearly represent all that is good in the world. The characters are portrayed by the authors to be very understanding and compassionate individuals. Desdemona expresses in her language and actions, an innocent, unselfish love and concern for others. This is evident when Desdemona makes pleas on behalf Cassio for Othello s forgiveness, and in her inability to comprehend a woman s desire to cheat. Cassio has asked Desdemona to make a plea to Othello for his return to office. Desdemona, being the compassionate woman that she is asks Othello the first chance she gets, Good my lord, If I have any grace or power to move you,...
Words: 1139 - Pages: 5
...In a world of great evil, can good possibly survive? Simon, a young male character from Willam Golding's The Lord Of The Flies has to learn that in a world of corruption, good comes with consequence. In the novel, Simon is portrayed as a part of the “good” side of the island, while the other boys' societal standards drift from their minds, Simon is the only boy depicted as holding a civilized factor. Simon is the boy that shines through and doesn’t give into the immorality of the island, While others who still kept the mindset of a civilized community fall to darkness, A prime example being Ralph. In my essay i will be going over key points that show Simon feelings towards the island and the so called “Beast”, I will be going deep into Simon's thoughts to uncover his true feelings, and how it directly ties into Good vs Evil. Golding has clearly pointed out in the book that Simon is the “good” character. Not in any individual quote, but how all the quotes tie together to form that outlook. Simon is more mysterious of the boys, he does not participate in there murderous acts, or how they give into evil, This will in turn lead to his demise. Simon has no general fear towards what the other boys call the “Beast”, He alternatively...
Words: 631 - Pages: 3
...Lord of the Flies Comprehensive Test True/False- Mark “A” for True and “B” for False. 1. When Ralph is elected chief, Jack is so frustrated that he refuses to hunt. 2. Ralph starts the signal fire by rubbing two sticks together. 3. The signal fire goes out because Jack and the hunters neglect it. 4. A wild boar eats the littlun who has a mulberry-colored birthmark on his face. 5. Piggy’s parents will come find them. 6. The conch provides a symbol for authority that the boys recognize as civilized. 7. The main source of food on the island is food scavenged from the wreckage of the airplane. 8. The boys murder Simon because they think that he is “batty.” 9. Piggy is not afraid of Jack because he knows that SamnEric will protect him. 10. Ralph and Jack initially had a mutual respect for each other that diminished by the end of the book. Match the following descriptions with the choices given (A-E) a. Ralph b. Piggy c. Jack d. Simon e. Roger 11. dies when a rock falls on him 12. the elected leader of the group 13. the most evil character; kills Piggy 14. puts his own lust for hunting ahead of everyone else’s needs 15. sees people for what they really are 16. represents the power-hungry dictator in society 17. represents the mystic philosophers in society 18. represents the good-hearted rule-following leaders in society 19. represents the evil sadist figures in society 20. represents the scholars...
Words: 1447 - Pages: 6
...Good or Evil? The Fight For Dominance The fierce battle between the lightness and darkness of man’s heart has coexisted since the earliest of times. William Golding’s award-winning novel, Lord of the Flies, is one that captures this very judgment. A group of young British schoolboys who were once innocent and pure of heart are quickly devoured by the dark powers of destruction, savagery, and murder. However, even with these destructive powers at hand, the young schoolboys along with their distant memories of being in a civilized society, fight in an epic battle to try and prevent the full outbreak of evil. Golding illustrates the never-ending combat of “good” and “evil”, amidst the young schoolboys and the Beast; Ralph, the democratic leader, contrary to Jack, who favoured dictatorship; and the strength of civilization versus the forces of human nature. First and foremost, the story displays the constant conflicts between the innocence of the British schoolboys and the dark nature of what they come to know as the Beast. An example of this is when the twins Sam and Eric encounter the Beast in Chapter Six: "Beast From Air." In the beginning of the chapter, Sam and Eric, who were on duty to watch the fire, falls asleep as a dead parachutist falls from the war in the adult world and lands on the island. When they awake from their sleep, they noticed a “figure that hung with dangling limbs” (103) and mistake it as the Beast. Sam describes to Ralph that the Beast was ‘“furry”’...
Words: 1542 - Pages: 7
...The Flies that Plague Us All " Lord of the Flies" is the book that could strike a nerve of each and every individual whoever reads it. To me, it seems like to start an enthralling and fascinating journey when diving between the lines of this work. Bearing in mind that it was written during the time of WWII , I’m not surprised that this book discusses the essential evil of man. The story begins with a group of fifteen prep-school boys are stranded on a Utopia-like paradise island in the pacific after their plane crashes. With no adult supervision, they immediately try to set up a social system like any modern-world people would. Initially, they elect a chief and call group meetings to discuss important things to do such as building shelters and maintaining a signal fire. Through this system they select an attractive, intelligent boy named Ralph as leader. They also select a wild, power-urging boy named Jack and a mellow, calm, an most importantly peaceful boy named Simon as his assistant-leaders. However, as the boys indulge in the joy of their freedom and find that nothing there could hold them back or their misbehavior, they begin to fall from the floor of civilization and order to the abyss of chaos. Golding portrays this novel with an exploring eye for details and natural images. No one shall ignore the brilliant descriptions Golding made through out the whole book. “A great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon...
Words: 1013 - Pages: 5
...William Golding, in 1954, wrote the Lord of the Flies. Written after WWII portrays the inherent evil of mankind. Being evil is just easier than being good because there are no rules to follow and people get to do whatever one chooses to do, and a side effect of evil is power. Power then corrupts the brain into thinking people need it, then people just want more and more. All because of evil, respect then comes from fear, power comes from respect. Golding shows how evil and power is what corrupts the brains of the children on the island which makes them do horrible things that cause fear in the children. Evil is easy and because people get to do whatever they want, rules are the only things that contain evil within us and keep us human, Evil...
Words: 1150 - Pages: 5
...****Take note of points 2 and 6**** Title: Good grief: Lord of the Flies as a post-war rewriting of salvation history Author: Marijke van Vuuren 1. Introduction "It is a great pleasure to meet you, Mr Golding," said King Carl XVI Gustaf, presenting William Golding with the Nobel Prize in 1983. "I had to do Lord of the Flies at school" (Monteith, 1986:63). The Swedish king's words may well be echoed by countless people worldwide who have "had to do" Golding's first novel in various English courses. Indeed, this "unpleasant novel about small boys behaving unspeakably on a desert island" (1) may well have been done to death by exhaustive but reductive reading and teaching. Where Lord of the Flies has been read reductively, Original Sin writ large over it, readers have tended to respond to the novel in terms of its doleful view of humanity or its perceived theology. Its initial success reflected post-war pessimism, the loss of what Golding (1988a:163) has called his generation's "liberal and naive belief in the perfectability of man". Although the novel does not groan under a dogmatic burden to the extent that some critics have alleged, it has seemed the prime example of Golding's earlier writing, a tightly structured allegory or fable. … It is not surprising that the Bible's first and last books, on humankind's "origins and end" beyond the horizons of knowledge, turn to symbolic narrative. In Lord of the Flies Golding draws heavily on imagery from Genesis and the Apocalypse...
Words: 3559 - Pages: 15
