Lotf Essay

Evil

Sleeping

Within

By: Cheiyohn, Veresh and Dylan

‘It’s not what surrounds, but what is found within…’

“Kill the beast! Cut its throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!” (Golding 168). How do innocent boys end up being demonic twisted savages? It all relates to one basic idea that is expressed throughout the novel Lord of the Flies written by William Golding. In the first quarter of the novel Golding paints an image of a perfect paradise of an island with a beautiful beach, a lush forest, a bountiful of fresh fruits, no parents and essentially no rules. Although no human is truly a saint, and given our ‘perfect’ surroundings we tend to forget the inner evil that conquers our body, soul and mind that is waiting to be released. The evil that is depicted in the novel show the savage instincts inside all humans, the lack of a conscience need to act out and how emotionally driven humans are.

The intrinsic evil bound inside the human body, according to the novel is primarily based on the savage instincts shared among all humans. The instinct to self-preserve in all human beings when left independent, creates one to be care free and destructive to anything in the objecting path. In all respects, throughout the novel the boys put survival, in other words self-preservation as their priority. To withstand the idea, Golding proves this intuition to survive will gradually evolve into a savage characteristic and as a result exposing the inner evil. This idea in the novel is clearly evident through the antagonist’s actions. As the novel begins, Jack wants to hunt for food understanding it being the only apparatus for his survival. The assembly has been called, the authority has been given, the rules have been established and Jack wants himself to be heard. “We’ll get food. – Hunt” (Golding 27). This quote provides readers the reiteration of Jacks thoughts being stranded on the island. Jack, as the novel progresses will stay adamant to...