The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding used a group of British boys beached on a desertedisland to illustrate the malicious nature in mankind. Lord of the Flies dealt with the changes the boysunderwent as they gradually adapted to the secluded freedom from their society.
William Golding’s basicphilosophy that society was inherently evil could be espied in such instances as the death of Simon, thebeast within the boys, and the way Ralph was fervently hunted. Through the story Simon acted as the Christ Figure. The death of Simon symbolized the loss of religiousreasoning. As the boys killed Simon they had let out their savage urges and acted in a cannibalisticmanor. Even after the death of Simon Jack and his tribe did not feel any penitence to what they haddone, killing to them had become second nature.The circle became a horseshoe. A thing was crawlingout of the forest. It came darkly, uncertainly.
The shrill screaming that rose before the beast was like apain. The beast stumbled into the horseshoe.”Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” (Golding141).In this quote a figure had crawled out of the forest and the ring had opened to let it inside. Mistaken as the beast by the Jack’s tribe, Simon was beaten to death. After the group disbanded forshelter from the storm. The storm subsided and the tides moved in and out, Simon’s body was washed tosea. Here because of the storm, the darkness and fear the boys became hysterical. They acted savagelynot knowing what they were doing. The boys did not take a second look to what their actions were.
They had let their malicious urges control them. He cam-disguised. He may come again even though we gavehim the head of our kill to eat. So watch; and be careful (Golding 148). Here Jack is warning his tribeabout the beast. Not caring or taking any notice to what had taken place with Simon. Jack or his tribedoes not feel any remorse for the murder they had committed, whether they realized that or not. To Jackand his tribe what they had done was a pretentious accomplishment. A death could go by their eyesblindly.
One example in the book referring to William Goldong’s view to society was the beast. The beast whichlied within the boys, represented the evil which dwelled inside humanity. William Golding believed thatsavagery was always in mankind, but need the proper situation tocome out and cause a transformationof even the most innocent of us. For the boys the fear of the unknown on the island caused the terror ofthe beast. That fear was allowed to grow because they could not fully accept the notion of a beast, norcould they let go of it. Their attempts to resolve their fears were too feeble to convince themselves. Soonthe boys had whipped themselves into hysteria.
He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, ahatitus, the pig continued to scream and the creepers to jerk, and the blade continued to flash at the endof a bony arm. The pause was only enough for them to understand what an enormity the downwardstroke would be. Then the piglet tore loose of the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth. They were left looking at each other and the place of terror. (Golding 27) In this quote Jack was hesitantto kill the pig, and what other boy would not have been? This showed how when the boys had just landedon the island they could not let go of the rules society had taught them. “Look! We’ve killed a pig-westole up on them -we got in a circle” (Golding 63). Once the island’s surroundings had taken it’s toll onthe boys Jack and the others before long had bloodlust. They had killed a pig and were proud of that.
Jack and the other boys shortly carved the challenging hunt. The freedom of the island had allowed themto further develop the darker side of their personalities which had always been within them. Once the boys were accustomed to the hunt of pigs, they began craving a more challenging hunt.
“Viciously, with full intention, he hurdled his spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and flesh overRalph’s ribs, then sheared off and fell in the water”(Golding 167). This signifies the transformation fromcivilized British boys to savages. The lose of civilization let them kill with no grief. Their emotions andfeelings of remorse had been lost, but the island had other effects on the boys as well. The hunting ofRalph also symbolized the lose or religion. “Roger sharpened a stick at both ends”(Golding 175). The mysterious words of Samneric could be heard.
For the new formed savage tribe Ralph was a thrill to hunt. He had brains, wits, and cunning much morechallenging than a pig. At the beginning of this new merciless tribe, Jack and the other boys had killed asow. They had cut it’s head of and stuck it on a stick. A stick sharpened at both ends. To the boys thiswas a scarifies to the beast. If the boys did not feel and believe they had to please the beast they wouldnot have any reason to kill Ralph, for he was not a threat to them. The islands surrounding had causedthem not only to lose reasoning but religious beliefs as well. Now the boys hunted for Ralph. He was nextscarifies to their new found god figure. Lord of the Flies was an exciting adventure into the nether region of the mind. Simon’s demise, the beastwithin the boys, and the way Ralph was fervently hunted were all examples of William Golding’sphilosophy, that society was inherently evil. A well thought novel that depicted the evils of human nature.
Lord of the Flies showed that the evil residing within everyone could be unleashed. It proved the darkside of human nature could be as vicious and as terrifying as the unknown it itself, and even the mostinnocent of us are vulnerable to it.
