Lord of the Flies Essay on Pathetic Fallacy

Jin Chung
05/28/13 Period 3 .

“This is our island. It’s a good island.” (Golding 35). Contradictory to this quote, nature is never

to be claimed by man, nor is always good- it is man that is controlled by the dynamically changing

nature. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding reveals the nature’s beauty and power by personifying the

island into a divine sentience that both rewards and punishes civilization and savagery. In allowing the

natural elements to influence the boys’ behavior, Golding uses the relationships between the individual

boys and the island, with consequences for their actions.

The benevolent and generous side of the island’s nature is seen with Simon, the most civilized

and humane individual in the group. When Simon walks alone through the forest in chapter 3, his

delicate and admiring attitude towards nature is immediately rewarded. When Simon is rushed by the

littluns who were frustrated by unsuccessful attempts at raiding a tree of its fruits, he is compensated by

“double handfuls of ripe fruit” (56). Here we see the stark difference in the island’s treatment to the

disrespectful and the respectful. Golding uses the island’s personification that rejects those who “cry

unintelligibly” (56) while cherishing Simon’s gentle nature to magnify the island’s abundant, yet

unforgiving natural setting. The island’s nourishing treatment to civilization doesn’t end there, as it

continues to prove its comforting nature when Simon is alone by himself. After demonstrations of Simon’s respect towards the island- such as when he places fallen leaves back into their places-, “green

sepals drew back a little and the white tips of the flowers rose delicately” (57). Golding uses this

adoration of the island towards Simon’s presence to enhance the original gentleness of the island’s

natural setting. Nature is emphasized in this particular part of the novel as peaceful and comforting.