Golding's Lord Of The Flies-Good Vs. Evil

987 Words4 Pages
Lord of the Flies: Good Versus Evil Through Lord of the Flies, William Golding tries to portray the theme of good vs. evil through the eyes of young children. To achieve this, Golding gives each character different behaviors that are exclusive to that individual, generalized as civil or savage. Placing the boys on an island with no structured society draws out either the good (civil) or evil (savage) side of them. Most of the boys in the opening of the novel are civil and get along with others, but as the book progresses, Golding highlights the evil side in all of them. There is an ever-present cloud of gloom over the advancement of this novel, and that cloud is called evil. Evil is the root of almost all of the situations on the island, whether good or bad. Even Simon, one of the main characters, mentions that the ‘beast’ may only be themselves (Golding 120), eluding to the idea that nothing is actually wrong on the island besides themselves and their own inner obscurity. Van Vuuren, the author of a critical book about Lord of the Flies, says the beast on the island is “Simply a projection of their fear which can turn a creeper into a ‘snake-thing’, a demonstration of the human…show more content…
In the beginning of the book, Ralph is elected leader over the runner-up, Jack, with the littluns saying that they want Ralph to lead instead of their previous leader Jack (Golding 15). This makes Jack very angry, and he gathers up a gang of the kids who are still loyal to him and they have a cult-like group the rest of the book, separating the boys into Jack’s posse and Ralph’s posse. As one can guess, Jack only gets angrier that he was not elected leader because in multiple situations, Ralph’s decision goes over Jacks merely because he is leader, developing Jacks evilness that will play out in later
Show More
Related

  • Hidden Savages Essay

    698 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ekstrom, 6 Hidden Savages Lord of Flies, by William Golding, is a novel that examines the controversial aspects of human nature and the implications for society. It is an important and relevant piece of literature for American youth because not only is it simply a book about outward the conflict between individuals, it is, rather, a novel about one's inner being. It shows the innate savagery existing in all men, the loss of innocence, law vs. anarchy and good vs. evil. Golding reveals a truth about

    Read More

  • How Does Golding Use Chaos In Lord Of The Flies

    3067 Words  | 13 Pages

    and goodness or live a life with chaos, anarchy, and overall evil. William Golding relates to these two impulses as living in a well-organized civilization and living a life of anarchy. Golding was an English novelist who after college decided to work as a teacher at Bishop’s Wordsworth School where he taught English and philosophy. While teaching Golding’s experience working with school boys later inspired him to write “Lord of the Flies”. He then abandoned the teaching career to join the Royal Navy

    Read More

More about Golding's Lord Of The Flies-Good Vs. Evil

Open Document