Savagery vs. Instincts in Lord of the Flies
Savagery vs. Instincts in Lord of the Flies
The Seed of Evil
"This is an island. At least I think it's an island. That's a reef out in the sea. Perhaps there aren't any grownups anywhere" (Ralph, Chapter 1). Stranded on an island, facing a crisis that resulted from one of humanity’s many wars, the boys become a model that represents humanity itself. They organize to help one another cope with this strange experience. A tiny system of government is formed, and the boys are somehow empowered in spite of their bleak circumstances. Any system is subject to corruption when the institution becomes more powerful than the individuals, however, and Ralph’s system of government is no exception. What is it that causes people to fight amongst themselves when, at the end of the day, they all seek the same solutions to the crises they all have in common? In the grand scheme of things, conflict seems to arise in the world for a number of complicated reasons, but on the island it is easy to see what forces are at work. Before there was ever a conflict between Jack and Ralph, there was a conflict between the rational desire to do good and the aggressive desire for power—a conflict that exists within every person. Simon, in his vision of the talking head of the decapitated sow, learned the same lesson expressed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:22-23: “I love god’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me!” That lesson, forewarning readers about the seed of evil, is that the Lord of the Flies is real after all in the heart of every individual.
In retrospect, the folly of their aggression is as clear to the boys as our own aberrations are to us when we look back into history. We see well intended systems that became institutionalized and corrupt. We see countries that went to war over land or pride or religious convictions.
The Seed of Evil
"This is an island. At least I think it's an island. That's a reef out in the sea. Perhaps there aren't any grownups anywhere" (Ralph, Chapter 1). Stranded on an island, facing a crisis that resulted from one of humanity’s many wars, the boys become a model that represents humanity itself. They organize to help one another cope with this strange experience. A tiny system of government is formed, and the boys are somehow empowered in spite of their bleak circumstances. Any system is subject to corruption when the institution becomes more powerful than the individuals, however, and Ralph’s system of government is no exception. What is it that causes people to fight amongst themselves when, at the end of the day, they all seek the same solutions to the crises they all have in common? In the grand scheme of things, conflict seems to arise in the world for a number of complicated reasons, but on the island it is easy to see what forces are at work. Before there was ever a conflict between Jack and Ralph, there was a conflict between the rational desire to do good and the aggressive desire for power—a conflict that exists within every person. Simon, in his vision of the talking head of the decapitated sow, learned the same lesson expressed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:22-23: “I love god’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me!” That lesson, forewarning readers about the seed of evil, is that the Lord of the Flies is real after all in the heart of every individual.
In retrospect, the folly of their aggression is as clear to the boys as our own aberrations are to us when we look back into history. We see well intended systems that became institutionalized and corrupt. We see countries that went to war over land or pride or religious convictions.
Cited: Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. Berkely Publishing Group, 1954. Life Application Study Bible. Illinois: Tyndale, 1988.