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Evil In Lord Of The Flies Research Paper

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In society, evil is seen as a black and white concept that impacts actions of creatures of the dark and unimaginable villains. However, in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, evil is seen as a corporeal presence that takes shape in all. While the Bible is a tale that speaks on how the ineffable pull of faith oppresses the voices of sin and temptation, Lord of the Flies demonstrates how evil is more tangible than people naturally believe. The novel centers around school children trapped on an island and forced to make their own society, rules, and organization. However, the collection of boys must survive the island amongst a “Beast” and accept the savagery that marks their lives. Lord of the Flies by William Golding symbolizes important figures …show more content…

Satan is, notably, the voice of evil in the Bible. Often, he is seen guiding the hand of innocents to do his bidding by tempting them. The most notable occurrence is in the Book of Genesis when he took the shape of a serpent. Satan attempts to manipulate Eve, but she is hesitant of doing so saying, “‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it” (Genesis 3: 2-6). The serpent, Satan, uses the temptation of wisdom and being equal to God in order to get what he wants with the sole intention of corrupting the woman. He appeals to her wishes, knowing fully well Eve wished equality with God. The Beast is symbol for Satan, because he too manipulates the innocent boys on the island by appealing to their wishes. In Lord of the Flies, choir boy Jack grows obsessed with the prospect of hunting after he mercifully lets a pig escape his grasp. Rationalizing it by saying his obsession was solely based on a need for …show more content…

In the wilderness, Jesus is tested by the Devil to give into temptation. In the religious figure’s brief exposure to solitude in the desert to express his own faith in God, the Devil said to him, “‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written:’Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan attempts to manipulate the prophet by targeting Jesus’ constant need to prove his beliefs. Jesus is not swayed by the Devil’s words, for he found his strength in his faith. His belief in God’s protection suprasses his fear of Satan. Simon symbolizes Jesus, because, he too, as a familiar conversation with an evil presence. Venturing in the woods alone, Simon stumbles on a decapitated head of a pig and begins to hallucinate that the animal is the Beast, the manifestation of evil on the island. The young boy believes the head says to him, “I’m warning you. I’m going to get angry. D’you see? you’re not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don’t try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else - “ (Golding 144). In Simon’s conversation with the Beast, the hallucination attempts to scare him away from disrupting the “fun

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