Lord of the flies

Lord of the Flies is a novel written by Nobel-Prize winning author William Golding. It discusses the struggle that men face in creating a culture of their own. We are shown this through a group of young school boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves with disastrous results. They become uncivilized, savage, and sooner than they know it, they are their own worst enemy. Primal instincts come out and they begin to control each boy in a different way. The desire to kill and hunt becomes overpowering and soon the boys find themselves out of control. The controversy of human nature versus common good reoccurs throughout this novel. However, the most evident theme throughout this book is the idea that there is darkness lurking in even the most innocent person. The boys believe that there is some kind of ” beast” on the island, often thought of as some sort of monster or animal, but Simon thinks that the beast is merely the boys themselves. As Simon is discussing the idea of the beast with the lord of the flies, it says, ” You knew didn’t you? I’m a part of you.” (143). This shows that the evilness lies within every one of us. While all the boys are on a hunt to kill off these big bad monsters, most Kinsella 2 of them don’t realize that those monsters are in fact the boys themselves. The monsters are the evil and bad that has been lurking in each one of them. The boys begin to reenact the killing of the pig by tormenting one of their peers. ” Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They were glad to touch the brown backs of the fence that hemmed in the terror and made it governable.” (152). Piggy and Ralph always have seemed to be the most sensible and down to earth characters. Golding once again shows us that even the people who we least expect have evilness lying somewhere deep inside them. Ralph and Piggy are just realizing that the boys, including themselves, essentially murdered Simon with no second thoughts at the time. They realize what they are turning into; their primal instincts are taking over and they are no longer in control. Ralph says, ” I’m frightened of us. I want to go home. Oh god, I want to go home.” (157). The boys are afraid of themselves. Piggy and Ralph recognize the evil that is coming out in every one of the boys on the island and it frightens them. In conclusion, Lord of the Flies is a story that portrays the dark, deteriorating life that results from mankind’s inherent capacity for evil, which becomes evident and is soon allowed to control humans when they are freed from the rules of society. No matter how innocent a person is, there is still a sense of evil lying within them. This idea is portrayed throughout the novel through the lives of young boys who quickly become uncivilized. Faster than they know it, they slip away from what they know, from civilization, from humanity; and turn to savagery, violence, and immorality.