preview

Evil In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Decent Essays

Lord of the Flies portrays the battle of good vs. evil caused by human nature. The novel depicts how human nature and its potential to cause people to be evil, especially when there is a lack of civilization. Whereas some agree that humans are good by nature and stay good throughout their lives, Golding’s opinion is that all humans are naturally evil and he is able to express this belief through the evil that takes place in Lord of the Flies. The narrative is able to get across that it is far easier to be evil than to be good. Golding is able to express how evil truly effects society, and how evil separates the bad from the good. The conflict of evil is interpreted in the novel through Jack as an individual, savagery between the boys, as well …show more content…

However, as the novel progresses, Simon is able to realize that the beast is far more than something that will externally attack them; the Lord of the Flies represents that there is a devil inside of everyone who can evoke the evil inside of each human being. Golding uses the Lord of the Flies to symbolize how the inner conscience has immense impact on how people are evil. “Maybe…maybe there is a beast…maybe it’s only us.” (Golding 77) This extract states that the Lord of the Flies is not necessarily something that is out to get the boys superficially, but rather can attack within and can be controlled or tamed from inside the boys. Golding expresses that there is evil inside of everyone, and if it is activated it will become a reality. “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 what they are?” (Golding 128) In this quotation, the boys realize that the Lord of the Flies is not a literal thing, but rather something that affects how they behave. This represents that the Lord of the Flies “decides” the choices that are present; the good and bad decisions. Overall, it inquires that it is the boys’ conscience determining their evil behavior. In the novel, Golding uses the allusion of Beelzebub to portray the Lord of the Flies. Beelzebub, another name for Lord of the Flies can be directly defined as the devil himself and a powerful demon. Golding uses this allusion to show how evil can be controlled by the inner self, specifically through inner actions and thoughts. “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” (Golding 128) This quote exposes that the beast is something that is inside of them and always will be; evil cannot be “killed” but it can be controlled. The “beast” signifies that there are evil tendencies within human nature, and if these are not

Get Access