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Comparing Lord Of The Flies By William Golding And A Sufi Tale

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The Plight of Man

Fear is a clever, sinister adversary, displaying no grace, no mercy, no humanity in the grisly war for life. This omniscient foe battles for dominance within each person and society, as exhibited in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding and A Sufi Tale. While Golding’s novel is set in an idyllic, blooming island paradise and the Persian teaching story occurs in a small, primitive village, fear is nondiscriminatory, looming as a major conflict that strikes humanity’s core in both works. As a result, combating fear is the plight of man; yet, it is man’s own tactics that determines fate. So, as epitomized in these two pieces above, the human condition is an inescapable fact, where civilization may fall to the ruins of chaos …show more content…

The second visiter in A Sufi Tale embodies those three ideals, using caution and care when interacting with the villagers. Initially, the man gently knocks, asking first for permission, then opens the door to gain the tribe’s trust, even tiptoeing as he approaches with caution and care. Then he asks the people to step closer as he inspects the strange object, using knowledgeable thought to contribute to a fuller conclusion. The man, aware of its benignity, generously shares a piece of the watermelon, teaching the masses of its true nature. Through the fruit’s seeds, the visiter also provides hope and stability by guiding the villagers to grow the watermelons themselves. Rather than using death and fear as a motivator, the focus is on creating new things and cultivating life. Meanwhile in Lord of the Flies, the three characters, Ralph, Piggy and Simon, provide similar reasonings when dealing with the unknown, using sagacity and civilized thought to fuel their decisions. Piggy, for instance, is the erudite symbol of society, declaring that “life is scientific ” and as a result, “ isn’t no beast.” He is an eminent intellectual whose way of life is shaped by the values of their past world. So up till his death, he fights for the remains of civilization, wrangling with the “savages” if it is better to “to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill.” However, only Ralph applies Piggy’s “brains”, being able …show more content…

The two works, A Sufi Tale and Lord of the Flies embodies how fear affects the mind, able to corrupt or inspire. The Persian teaching tale depicted how the unknown drives panic to inhabit one’s life. However, instead of barbarously assailing the watermelon like the strongman, knowledge and care are the main assets in warding away fear. In relation with Golding’s works, while Jack merely manipulated the island’s terror to gain power, Ralph, Simon and Piggy’s civilized mannerisms aid in conveying the beast’s true nature, dwelling within mankind. Sometimes, while the world is teeming with treachery, the worst is our own

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