Societal Savagery
There is an evil, from immoral actions and villainous desires, possessed in all beings. Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is a complicated and allegorical novel that suggests this theory. When a plane is shot down after being mistaken for a military craft, the school boys that survive the crash are forced to create civilization on an isolated island. With the outside world engulfed in war, two boys, Jack and Ralph, attempt to bring order to the island. This becomes an issue once a soon deadly fight for power turns the boys from civil and innocent to savage. Golding’s powerful use of the symbolic conch shell, beast, and the comparison of light to dark develops the theme; depravity is fed by the lack of communication …show more content…
The boys of the island conjure up a beast in their heads in order to personify and give a form to their fears of the unknown. They struggle to figure out who or what the beast is, unaware the beast is inside of them. Simon is the first to come to this realization, and speaks with this beast, “‘Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could kill!’ said the head. [...] ‘You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?” (Golding 143). The talking sow is a figment of Simon’s imagination, the insight coming from inside. The beast says it’s the reason why “things are the way they are.” The beast is the reason why those participating in Jack’s tribe, as well as Ralph and Piggy, turned savage. “It’s no go” due to Jack’s tribe being taken over by the desire to kill that is a “part of them[.]” Jack’s tribe is influenced by the beast inside, as they sacrifice a part of every kill for the monster. Jack bellows, “‘This head is for the beast. It’s a gift’” (Golding 137). Jack begins to fear the beast, “gift[ing]” it a piece of every kill, clearly showing the development of savagery and despotism. The beast begin taking him over and changes them from innocent and pure children into savages, killing and inflicting pain on others. At this point, any common sense that was once in Jack was stolen from him, as he is slaughtering pigs and eventually humans, causing depravity. The beast is a symbol brilliantly developed by Golding as the evil that lurks inside of one’s
There is an evil, from immoral actions and villainous desires, possessed in all beings. Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is a complicated and allegorical novel that suggests this theory. When a plane is shot down after being mistaken for a military craft, the school boys that survive the crash are forced to create civilization on an isolated island. With the outside world engulfed in war, two boys, Jack and Ralph, attempt to bring order to the island. This becomes an issue once a soon deadly fight for power turns the boys from civil and innocent to savage. Golding’s powerful use of the symbolic conch shell, beast, and the comparison of light to dark develops the theme; depravity is fed by the lack of communication …show more content…
The boys of the island conjure up a beast in their heads in order to personify and give a form to their fears of the unknown. They struggle to figure out who or what the beast is, unaware the beast is inside of them. Simon is the first to come to this realization, and speaks with this beast, “‘Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could kill!’ said the head. [...] ‘You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?” (Golding 143). The talking sow is a figment of Simon’s imagination, the insight coming from inside. The beast says it’s the reason why “things are the way they are.” The beast is the reason why those participating in Jack’s tribe, as well as Ralph and Piggy, turned savage. “It’s no go” due to Jack’s tribe being taken over by the desire to kill that is a “part of them[.]” Jack’s tribe is influenced by the beast inside, as they sacrifice a part of every kill for the monster. Jack bellows, “‘This head is for the beast. It’s a gift’” (Golding 137). Jack begins to fear the beast, “gift[ing]” it a piece of every kill, clearly showing the development of savagery and despotism. The beast begin taking him over and changes them from innocent and pure children into savages, killing and inflicting pain on others. At this point, any common sense that was once in Jack was stolen from him, as he is slaughtering pigs and eventually humans, causing depravity. The beast is a symbol brilliantly developed by Golding as the evil that lurks inside of one’s