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Alfredo Carrillo
Ms. Mendez
Period 5 English
May 17th, 2013
True Evil: Is it Inside of Us?
Many years ago, Charles Darwin theorized we humans are a species that
evolved from animals that have inhabited Earth for many years, and he believed we
were the most civilized, logical and intelligent life forms for this reason. Religion has
taught us that Jesus Christ sacrificed himself to save us from sin, from the evil that
inhabits in us. Theoretically, our world is logical, rational, civilized, safe from evil. Is it
possible though, that men can devolve back into savage, brute beasts if the traces of
civilization disappear? Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, explores this
complex question, and the answers to it is found in the characters of the story, who
serve as a reflection of humanity itself, and how it molds and changes, sometimes
drastically, as the situation jeopardizes civilization, law and order. It explores the
possibility that there is a fine line between savagery and logic, good and evil, that is
traced (and crossed) within us all. As the story unfolds, Lord of the Flies demonstrates
that there is a "beast" inside every human being, and when the traces of civilization, law
and order fade away we are able to release it and let it overpower our own personality,
no matter how disciplined, good or strong-willed we used to be.
The stranded boys, who supposedly were educated, privileged and civilized
English boys change gradually as days go by on the island, and the loss of control and
order within themselves ends up making most of them turn to savagery, the traces of
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their personality fading away along with time itself. When they first arrive (unwillingly)
to the island, the boys try to stick to a strict code of morality, law and order because
"The English are best at everything" (42). Given that there are no adults on the island,
the boys at first decide to organize themselves into a society, and set strict rules to
follow in order to be survive and increase their possibilities of being rescued. "We'll
have rules.... Lots of rules!" (33), Jack, the choir head boy quotes when the boys are
called into the assembly in which they set these rules. In a very civilized manner, the
boys select a chief for their society, decide on responsibilities small groups of boys will
have, set a list of things they must achieve in order to survive and determine to give
equal opinion to everyone. At first, the system functioned well, though the boys are
inexperienced and somewhat disorganized, there is still a sense of authority in the
group, as the boys do what they are told to do, such as making a fire in order to give out
a signal, exploring the island in search for food, and building shelters; there is also
almost unanimous respect for everyone in the group, and they are all allowed to have an
opinion. Yet, new fears and distractions possess the children’s minds, deriving their
thoughts and actions, and it does not take long for the first signs of savagery to become
visible.
As the story progresses, boys like Jack lose all sense of the rules that had been
established, and instead choose to do as they pleased, eventually, losing sense of what
was it like to have order, to control themselves, and to think of the greater good. They
succumb to the temptations and fears that lurk in their innermost thoughts, taking
actions that at first seem innocent or justifiable, but each time escalate in level. Jack and
his hunters find joy in wounding and killing pigs, so they adapt a native-like way of life,
and their methods of killing become more brutal. Roger, another boy who follows Jack,
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is revealed to be entertained by the thought of hurting others, this proved when he starts
throwing stones at a littleun, Maurice. The majority of the kid’s actions are fueled by
the constant fear of a beast that inhabits on the island, haunting their dreams. Distraught,
the boys start making decisions and taking actions proper to those of uncivilized,
uneducated savages. These actions divide the children within their own society, for boys
like Ralph and Piggy find no logic whatsoever in what the rest of their peers are doing,
while Jack and his followers turn to irrational behavior and a negative attitude towards
the other kids, particularly Simon, Piggy and, eventually Ralph; leading to the division
of two tribes, one led by Ralph, the other by Jack. A key character in the story that
makes us understand the change the boys are experiencing is Simon. Specifically, two
moments in the book in which he is present provide a lot of insight into this. In the
meeting Ralph calls in order to get things straight with all of the boys, and he states his
overall confusion and concern for the boy’s actions and their motives for them. Simon
comes up and, having the right to speak suggests, “...Maybe it is just us” (89). When he
meets the Lord of the Flies, Simon holds a conversation with it, and the Lord of the
Flies gives some insight into what is going on, “Fancy thinking the Beast was
something you could hunt and kill!”... “You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you?...”
“You know perfectly well you’ll only meet me down there!” (143). These two
moments, and two quotes make us understand that the real beast is on the kids, and
slowly it is overpowering the good there is in them, rather than the beast being on the
island. A peak is reached eventually, and both Simon and Piggy are killed by their own
peers, some participating directly, others not being able to stop it. In the end of the
novel, when he sees the officer arriving on the island, Ralph weeps for the “loss of
innocence, and the darkness in men’s heart” (202), showing to us that he has realized
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the truth about the evil that inhabits deep in each of us, and how it finally came to take
over most of the children in the island.
When we talk about evil, controversy arises over the question if evil really does
lie in our hearts, or if evil comes to us from the setting or the situation we are facing, if
there are really “good and bad apples” or if this is caused because of the “barrel” that
encloses them. If we translate this to Lord of the Flies, there might be disagreement
whether the “beast” really comes from the children, or if it is on the island and makes
them act the way they did. In order to disprove this theory, it is important to take a look
at all characters, particularly those who do keep some composure. For example, the
twins, Samneric who live throughout the same situations many of the characters that
start acting like savages live through, in some cases, probably even scarier scenarios.
Yet, Samneric do not become evil as the rest of them did. They seem to be turning to
evil at first when Jack’s threats make them agree to join his tribe. But, as the story goes
on we realize that Samneric do not “become” savage like the rest of Jack’s tribe, they
just pretend to be that way in order to save themselves. Another example would be
Ralph and Piggy, the two other boys that serve as main characters of the story, and who
remain civilized while Jack and the others move on to a savage form of life. Though
some impulses appear in Ralph, for example, neither he or Piggy fall to savagery, even
when they are invited to join Jack’s tribe, and participate in the feast, which ultimately
culminates in the death of Simon, in which both of these characters do not participate
directly, but rather by passive inaction. Now, in order to reinforce this previous point, it
would also be necessary to look over to the other side, Jack, who is the kid who changes
into brutal savagery as the story goes on. Ever since Ralph and Piggy meet Jack on the
island, there is something about Jack that we the readers and the characters of the novel
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get to know. From the moment Ralph is chosen as chief, Jack does not view this in a
completely positive perspective. Also, when Ralph notices in one of their assemblies
how the control he has over the group has faded, and proposes stepping aside as chief,
Piggy makes it very clear he is afraid Jack will take over, because he is scared of what
he is capable of doing. These arguments ultimately demonstrate that inside everyone,
not outside necessarily, there is evil, and that when the circumstances put us to the test,
that’s when the real personality and the capacity of containing our own evil is shown.
Lord of the Flies demonstrates that anyone, even the theoretically most
educated, civilized, and well-mannered people can succumb to inner evil and savagery
when the situation we are going through allows us to do so. The theme the novel
revolves around, good vs. evil, might seem to be simplistic, but it conveys a lot of ideas,
theories and questions that the book communicates, one of the most important being
whether there is evil inside everyone or if it comes from outside and possesses us. There
are many proofs that may support the fact that evil is really inside the characters this
story involved, and that the island and the scenarios they faced in it were just a medium
for their true personality to be shown. Lord of the Flies is a novel that reflects our
society, and even though the novel dates many years back, we can still find the themes
it innovatively explored in our world today. Furthermore, the book makes us reflect
about our lives, our personalities, our actions and those of who surround us, making us
think if we, who are supposed to be civilized, educated, and moral people are capable of
releasing the evil there is inside us. And if we can, will we have to be stranded on an
island in order to do so? Or is it just a matter of everyday life, challenges and
experiences, as trivial or important as they appear to be, in order for us to become
“savage”?
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Works Cited
1. Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. Perigee Literature, Print.