Lord of the Flies Essay “...[The] hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her”(Golding 155). Golding uses the ruthless actions of once innocent schoolboys to prove his point that all humans have the capacity for evil in his novel, Lord of the Flies. This book describes the transition of schoolboys, stranded on an island after escaping the threats of nuclear warfare, from innocent to completely corrupt and savage beasts. Although morally sound at first, their island society quickly devolves into an unstructured society ruled by evil. In Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the transformation of Roger from civilized to savage highlights Golding’s belief that humans are inherently evil
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In his novel Lord of the Flies, once the initial mayhem of the plane crash wares off, the stranded boys congregate on the beach in order to decide how the island should be structured. The boys come to the agreement that they need a chief to run the island, and this only creates more arguments as they all struggle for power. Amid this argument “[the] dark boy, Roger, stirred at last and spoke up. ‘Let’s have a vote’”(Golding Lord 22). Roger has been raised in a society based off of rules and order. This has instilled within him a sense of morality that leads him to the understanding that fighting against each other will not accomplish anything, instead it will only breed more arguments. He suggests a democracy, an idea specific to developed societies, as a way for the boys to remain morally sound and continue following the rules of the environment they were once in. Golding highlights society’s effect on the behavior of an individual, which is further expanded in Kimberly Powell’s article, “Nature vs. Nurture: Are We Really Born That Way?”. Powell presents the arguments of both sides in the nature versus nurture debate, explaining that the nature theory claims that traits such as personality are hereditary. However, she contrasts this with the nurture theory which believes that “behavioral aspects originate only from the environmental factors of our upbringing”(Powell 15). Although placed in a chaotic situation, Roger’s nurtured behavior is what pushes him to suggest a society that is unified and where all people are equal. Being in a structured group such as the choir has taught him that although order is good, all members of the society must be heard. Roger’s suggestion of the democracy is a direct effect of the “environmental factors” he experienced while growing up. Golding’s initial description of Roger as a pacific and civilized
In his novel Lord of the Flies, once the initial mayhem of the plane crash wares off, the stranded boys congregate on the beach in order to decide how the island should be structured. The boys come to the agreement that they need a chief to run the island, and this only creates more arguments as they all struggle for power. Amid this argument “[the] dark boy, Roger, stirred at last and spoke up. ‘Let’s have a vote’”(Golding Lord 22). Roger has been raised in a society based off of rules and order. This has instilled within him a sense of morality that leads him to the understanding that fighting against each other will not accomplish anything, instead it will only breed more arguments. He suggests a democracy, an idea specific to developed societies, as a way for the boys to remain morally sound and continue following the rules of the environment they were once in. Golding highlights society’s effect on the behavior of an individual, which is further expanded in Kimberly Powell’s article, “Nature vs. Nurture: Are We Really Born That Way?”. Powell presents the arguments of both sides in the nature versus nurture debate, explaining that the nature theory claims that traits such as personality are hereditary. However, she contrasts this with the nurture theory which believes that “behavioral aspects originate only from the environmental factors of our upbringing”(Powell 15). Although placed in a chaotic situation, Roger’s nurtured behavior is what pushes him to suggest a society that is unified and where all people are equal. Being in a structured group such as the choir has taught him that although order is good, all members of the society must be heard. Roger’s suggestion of the democracy is a direct effect of the “environmental factors” he experienced while growing up. Golding’s initial description of Roger as a pacific and civilized