The emnity of man
In the Lord of the Flies, William Golding reveals, through the characters in his novel, the extent of evil in human nature and the complete dominance that malificence has on this young society of innocent school boys. When an airplane full of english school boys crashes on a remote island, the boys are left alone with the absence of adult guidance and must find ways for survival. The setting seems to be a perfect backdrop for innocence and goodness to flourish. However, Golding opens the reader's eyes to the extensity of evil in human nature when allowed to run rampant. On the island there is a rigorous battle between good and evil where evil reigns supreme. Golding introduces a startling concept that mankind is virtually evil even among the most innocent. All rule and government are annihilated by complete anarchy. The reader sees how one child, through fear and manipulation, can destroy a whole society. The protagonist Ralph represents the law-abiding citizen concerned with everyone's needs and securities. When the boys choose Ralph for chief, he tries to set up some kind of order among the island. His chief mission is to be rescued, and in order to do this the signal fire must stay lit. Ralph rec
Signs of evil are also shown through the symbols that William Golding illustrates in the novel. The face paint that the boys coat themselves with is really a shield from innocence. With this disguise, the boys can ignore the rules from the outside world and give way to the internal savage in each of them. With the face paint, the cruelty and inhumanity is unleashed. Golding writes, "He was safe from shame and self-consciousness behind the mask of his paint and could look at each of them in turn."(140) Another symbol Golding uses is fire. In one way fire was symbolized security and a connection to the outside world. The signal fire was the strongest link to civilization on the island. Since Jack was leader of incivility and misrule, he used fire as a destructive tool. First, he used fire to cook meat from the hunt. Afterwards, fire was used to destroy all order left on the island. Golding vividly describes the fire's enormity. "The flames, as though they were a kind of wild life, crept as a jaguar creeps on its belly toward a line of birch-like saplings that fledged an outcrop of the pink rock."(44) The fire was a symbol of the destruction of the innocent. eives most of his sense from Piggy, whose wisdom is most often shrouded because of his unpopularity with the other boys. In some ways, Ralph is the voice of Piggy. Ralph and Piggy represent the adult and humane influence on the island. This strong voice of sense and order creates an inclement struggle against the evil of the boys. It is even more so because in the end, that is exactly what they become. Jack is able to subjuga
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Approximate Word count = 1080
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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