Human Nature in Lord of the Flies by William Golding

It is a very arguable subject on whether or not people are born with good intentions, and therefore taught by others the ‘evil’ side of their personality. Whether it is the absence of ethical conduct in human nature, or just the way one perceives a situation, evil seems to be prominent in our everyday lives. Humans seem to have a moral code that follows them with every decision they make, yet despite the laws of morality and society, people of this world still seem to behave inhumanely because of the act of self-preservation, human interest, and who exactly the authority figure is at the time.

One’s behaviour can have an substantial impact on a society's outcome. There is a common notion that humans are nurtured to be peaceful and civil. However this belief is contradicted by the action of the boys, in William Golding’s, “Lord of the Flies”. A group of schoolboys are abruptly thrown out of their controlled and civil circumstances into an inhabited tropical island in the middle of the Pacific. The novel is Golding’s attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature, by using symbolism to delineate this theme. Golding’s extensive use of symbolism, such as the conch, the signal fire and the painted faces helps demonstrates the defects of society. These symbols are used by Golding to illuminate the subsequent effects on the boys’ behaviour, which undoubtedly illustrates the defects of human nature on society.

In the novel “Lord of the flies” written by William Golding examines the true nature of humankind when unfettered by the constraints of civilization, culture and society. When a group of boys varying in ages are stranded on an island without adult supervision, they immediately organize a society and elect Ralph as their Chief and Jack as the Hunter. The group of boys were divided into two groups the bigguns which comprised of the more seasoned children that symbolized government and littleuns which comprised of the younger children that symbolizes the ordinary people. Initially, everybody was given a responsibility and their role was taken seriously. However, the lack of maturity within them caused them to abandon assigned task that was pivotal

Human nature is complex. It may take over an individual’s mind in many desperate and threatening situations. In Golding’s compelling novel, Lord of the Flies, it is implied that the evil, or bad side of humanity will overshadow the good. However, there are certain situations present in the novel that portray the opposite. The depiction of human nature in this novel creates a nice balance between the positive and negative aspects of humanity. Although Golding’s novel is portrayed as pessimistic, Ralph’s words and actions when dealing with various situations, Sam and Eric’s loyalty to Ralph, and the boys’ rescue at the end of the novel contradict this idea, creating a commendable balance of pessimistic and optimistic situations.

Two philosophers of different eras tackle the same topic, human nature, and a great argument breaks out. Is man inherently evil, like William Golding believes? Or is man good at heart but inevitably becomes corrupted by the society he lives in, as said by Jean Jacques Rousseau? Both philosophers have very strong opinions and well reasoning for what they believe. Golding’s views are displayed well throughout his novel, Lord of the Flies; a tale about strong minded, young boys stranded on an island who must find a way to survive on their own. After reading this novel, I found myself agreeing much with Rousseau’s views on human nature.

Lord of the Flies is an extraordinarily well-written novel that teaches one how to live life. When asked about the philosophy of the book, the author, William Golding, replied, "The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectful." This completely exemplifies the theme of the novel. Lord of the Flies truly shows that it is not the government that determines survival, it is the sheer human nature in all of us that proves whether a society can function. A person's personality will always trump another person's because of difference

Wallace Stevens once said, “Human nature is like water. It takes the shape of its container.” In other words, water conforms to the shape of its container in the same manner human nature conforms to society. However, when human nature is released from society, it can cause people to tend toward savagery. This concept of human nature is shown in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. In the novel, civilization and sensibility are lost when a group of schoolboys find themselves on a desolate island and fall to their own brutality. Through their self-interest, fearfulness, and dominance, the boys portray that when human nature is emancipated from the constraints of society, it can draw people away from reason and toward savagery.

In the novel, Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, makes people really think what people’s real human nature really is. The human nature of people vary today. The human nature of people 1,000’s of years ago was a whole lot different. Or when being stranded on an island, it makes things a whole lot more interesting. People’s real human nature is to not necessarily be bad but they are certainly not good.

On the tail end of WWII, the world was in ruins, the allies had won, but so much and so many had still been lost. It was a glimpse into the true horror that men were capable of. Amidst bloodshed and suffering it is understandable that William Golding would have great difficulty viewing men as naturally good. He argues in his novel, “The Lord of the Flies” that men need rules and society to keep peace and that if they were to leave that they would fall into chaos, but his arguments are only proven through characters he has constructed. In this debate as old as time itself, there have been others who would disagree with Golding; others who have more faith in man’s nature and less partiality to the system created to keep man in check. It may be overly optimistic to view humans as creatures that are wholly good, but if we are purely evil inside and all that holds us back are the flimsy rules of a society we created, then it would be a near impossibility for us to have survived this long.

“The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.” With this quote, William Golding simply justifies the theme and moral presented in his novel, Lord of the Flies. The characters portray a modern society and depict the cruelty of human disposition. The political system in the U.S., as a whole, is a prime example of the ignorance towards ethical nature and is definitely blameworthy of the ruthlessness of mankind as individuals. Change is needed!

In Sir WIlliam Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, although some of the boys have kept their humanity, others have become savages. Therefore, the boys, who remain humane, suggest, “without the fire [they] can’t be rescued”, as they apprehend, “stay[ing] by the fire and mak[ing] smoke”(157), persists to be eminently essential for survival. Cleverly, they experiment with different branches and leaves, assuming, “some of [the] leaves must be better for [the fire] than the others”(143). Significantly, it becomes evident some of the boys are trying to cope with their conflict as they are adapting to the situation, while maintaining their internal integrity. In contrast, many boys have become savages as they chant, “kill the pig! Cut his throat!

An individual’s behaviour can have a substantial impact on a society's outcome. There is a common notion that humans are nurtured to be peaceful and civil. However, this belief is contradicted by the action of the boys, in William Golding’s, “Lord of the Flies”. A group of schoolboys are abruptly thrown out of their controlled and civil circumstances into an inhabited tropical island in the middle of the Pacific. The novel is Golding’s attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature, by using symbolism to delineate this theme. Golding’s extensive use of symbolism, such as the conch, the signal fire and the painted faces helps demonstrate the defects of society. These symbols are used by Golding to illuminate the

In Lord of the Flies,William Golding explores the relationship between civilization and human nature in primitive settings. When people are placed in a society without rules or punishment, people can revert back to natural instincts that can become barbaric. Isolated on an uninhabited island, a group of British boys attempt to retain principles of civility by democratically voting for a leader, though the time spent away from society releases their humane inhibitions. One of the first objects to catch Ralph’s eye, one of the boys, is a conch “with a slight spiral twist and covered with a delicate, embossed pattern” (Golding 12).

Lord of the Flies is a book of ideas and an allegory. The author, William Golding, uses imagery, characters, and plot for one purpose: to tell the world about his beliefs. He believes that society is the only thing that keeps humanity from falling into anarchy. In order to demonstrate this, he uses the boys on the island to show the reader what happens when humans are left to their own devices. Over the course of the novel, each of the boys undergoes a transformation into crueler, more animalistic versions of their civilized selves. The bully becomes a dictator, the quiet, shy boy reveals his true, more-violent colors, and the virtuous are slaughtered or succumb to savagery themselves. The acts of cruelty start as teasing and arguing but soon turn into murder and war. In Lord of the Flies, acts of cruelty show how characters like Jack, Roger, and Ralph transform slowly, and these acts of violence aid Golding in exhibiting his ideas about human nature.

The human species dominated all others on earth, specifically Homo sapiens, the last living remnant of the original Hominidae family. Their large brain capacity and rising trend to bring about civilized society affected the wellbeing of a myriad of species and the environment surrounding them. Multiple studies and discoveries prove that over time, humans create tools, structure buildings, and slowly adapt to their settings, later on developing civilizations and advanced technology. Many, researching history or philosophy, question human nature concerning our species' development over time. The human behavior in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is questioned as well and sparks debate. The novel, written in 1954, follows to the aftermath of a plane crash on a desolate island, stranding an entire school of British boys, aged six through twelve. The transition of the boys from civilized children to complete savages demonstrates the descent of refined society, revealing the true intent of some of Golding’s most confusing passages. According to Golding, human nature, though spurring intelligence, is essentially evil and savage and through chapters addressing the main protagonists among the boys, it shows how even the most logical and educated descend to primitive ways, the roots of human nature.