Lord Of The Flies Human Nature Analysis
Human nature is a double-sided coin. On one side there is the incredible capacity to love and care for others, the willingness to put one’s own needs aside and lay down for the good of his fellow man. But on the other. On the other side, there always remain the horrendous capacity for destruction despite any attempt to bury it within. William Golding exemplifies the darker aspects of human nature in his book Lord of The Flies. He accomplishes this by using characters like Jack, Ralph, and Simon as tools to convey deeper symbolic messages. Golding uses his characters allegorically consistently throughout his novel. Through them he conveys viewpoints on the political viewpoints, as well as the physical representation of many of mankind’s inherent
…show more content…
Despite his seemingly inherent goodness, Ralph shows his imperfection when he takes part in the brutal murder of Simon. Golding describes Ralph’s actions, “Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They were glad to touch the brown backs of the fence that hemmed in the terror and made it governable. ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’” (152). Ralph’s eventual fall from grace provides insight into a relatively cynical view of human nature as described by Golding. Ralph has been trusted by many of the children throughout the book due to his showing of reason and positive prioritization. He is even shown to respect Simon early on in the book when Simon is the only one who assists him in building the shelters, while the others either play or hunt. Despite this, Ralph is still caught up in the general flow of violence displayed by the other children in the act of beating Simon. This seems to symbolize a view of human nature that describes the social aspect of humans. The idea that humans will often join in on the actions of others regardless of their own personal morals is heavily symbolized in Golding’s depiction of Ralph’s actions. However, there does seem to be on character within the book that can consistently transcend the negative aspects of human
Despite his seemingly inherent goodness, Ralph shows his imperfection when he takes part in the brutal murder of Simon. Golding describes Ralph’s actions, “Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They were glad to touch the brown backs of the fence that hemmed in the terror and made it governable. ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’” (152). Ralph’s eventual fall from grace provides insight into a relatively cynical view of human nature as described by Golding. Ralph has been trusted by many of the children throughout the book due to his showing of reason and positive prioritization. He is even shown to respect Simon early on in the book when Simon is the only one who assists him in building the shelters, while the others either play or hunt. Despite this, Ralph is still caught up in the general flow of violence displayed by the other children in the act of beating Simon. This seems to symbolize a view of human nature that describes the social aspect of humans. The idea that humans will often join in on the actions of others regardless of their own personal morals is heavily symbolized in Golding’s depiction of Ralph’s actions. However, there does seem to be on character within the book that can consistently transcend the negative aspects of human