If evil and irrationality are truly parts of human nature, they would be evident in society. For both Golding and Conrad, civilization seemed full of mankind’s evil. Golding commented that Lord of the Flies was his “attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature” (Epstein 204). It is about the failure of civilization to overcome evil (Thapliyal and Kunwar 86). Civilization on the island seems to be in ruins, but the outside world is in much bigger shambles. The story somewhat parallels experiences that could have happened in Golding’s recent past— WWII. The boys are being evacuated from England, the parachutist most likely descends on the island from a war plane, and rescue on the island comes from a war ship. Piggy’s
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In Lord of the Flies, Simon is clearly a biblical figure. He represents Christ through his death; he was unjustly killed and then it rained in a parallel to heaven weeping at Christ’s death (Spitz 25). He is Peter because Golding builds his church, his philosophy, on Simon (Spitz 25). He is Moses because he comes down from the mountain with the truth (Spitz 25). Lord of the Flies can be much better represented through the ancient myth of Osiris however. Osiris was a good god; he was the god of reason and creativity. His brother, Typhon, was a bad god; he was the god of passion and evil. Osiris ruled over the Egyptians, but his brother was jealous and sought to overthrow his rule. Typhon drowned Osiris, but Osiris’s wife, Isis, found the body and hid it in the woods. Typhon mutilated the body while hunting pig. A war ensued until Osiris’s son Horus defeated Typhon. Jack is the obvious Typhon, a pig-hunter, jealous of Ralph’s position as chief, and leader of a war against Ralph (Fitzgerald and Kayser 79-80). Ralph, however, is not the Osiris in Lord of the Flies. Piggy and Simon together make up the Osirian ideals of reason and creativity respectively (Fitgerald and Kayser 85). In the end of this myth, evil is defeated leading the reader to believe that in the end of these characters’ stories evil will also be defeated. Golding provides hope for mankind’s innate evil nature. Conrad provides hope only through Christian symbolism. Marlow descends into Hell and returns (Walker xiii). Kurtz, the symbol of Satan, dies (Walker xiii). If Conrad believes in the Bible, he also believes that through God there is redemption for man (Lindley 193). Unfortunately, not one character turns to God, and that is why no one finds redemption (Lindley 177). “There can exist things which are wholly good; but there can never be things which
In Lord of the Flies, Simon is clearly a biblical figure. He represents Christ through his death; he was unjustly killed and then it rained in a parallel to heaven weeping at Christ’s death (Spitz 25). He is Peter because Golding builds his church, his philosophy, on Simon (Spitz 25). He is Moses because he comes down from the mountain with the truth (Spitz 25). Lord of the Flies can be much better represented through the ancient myth of Osiris however. Osiris was a good god; he was the god of reason and creativity. His brother, Typhon, was a bad god; he was the god of passion and evil. Osiris ruled over the Egyptians, but his brother was jealous and sought to overthrow his rule. Typhon drowned Osiris, but Osiris’s wife, Isis, found the body and hid it in the woods. Typhon mutilated the body while hunting pig. A war ensued until Osiris’s son Horus defeated Typhon. Jack is the obvious Typhon, a pig-hunter, jealous of Ralph’s position as chief, and leader of a war against Ralph (Fitzgerald and Kayser 79-80). Ralph, however, is not the Osiris in Lord of the Flies. Piggy and Simon together make up the Osirian ideals of reason and creativity respectively (Fitgerald and Kayser 85). In the end of this myth, evil is defeated leading the reader to believe that in the end of these characters’ stories evil will also be defeated. Golding provides hope for mankind’s innate evil nature. Conrad provides hope only through Christian symbolism. Marlow descends into Hell and returns (Walker xiii). Kurtz, the symbol of Satan, dies (Walker xiii). If Conrad believes in the Bible, he also believes that through God there is redemption for man (Lindley 193). Unfortunately, not one character turns to God, and that is why no one finds redemption (Lindley 177). “There can exist things which are wholly good; but there can never be things which