Jordan McNaughton
Mrs. Getchell
2nd hour AP Lit.
December 19, 2011
Prompt- 1981: The meaning of some literary works is often enhanced by
sustained allusion to myths, the Bible, or other works of literature. Select a
literary work that makes use of such a sustained reference. Then write a wellorganized essay in which you explain the allusion that predominates in the work
and analyze how it enhances the work’s meaning.
Simon and Godfunkel
Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel that focuses heavily on the
struggle between civilization and savagery. This conflict can be rephrased in
multiple ways but all of it boils down to the flaws in human nature and how we as
a species try to correct them or at least keep them in check. Golding suggests
that in each person there is inherently a desire to give into instinct and,
essentially, a deep rooted evil. He presents the idea that, when left to their own
devices, the human species will turn to violence and savagery; that civilization
forces morals and rules onto people and it is unnatural for people to behave as
such. This theme is strong throughout the piece and is made more poignant by
the allusion it makes to The Bible. These allusions include the similarities
between the island to the Garden of Eden, Simon and Jesus, and The Lord of the
Flies and the Devil.
Before the plane crash, the island was uninhabited by human life. Free
from all of the pollution and troubles that human life inevitably brings along with it,
the island is a pure and perfect place. After the crash, the island is introduced to
human life. The children are amazed by the islands beauty and allured by its
mystery. They have been placed into a fresh environment; a blank page of sorts.
This island can be seen as a Garden of Eden and its new inhabitants are much
like Adam. And just like the Garden fell to sin, so does the island. Over the
course of the novel, the children resort to violence and savagery that taints the
sanctity and almost holiness of the island. The introduction of evil in the Garden
leads to its own destruction. Similarly, the island is literally destroyed in an
inferno started by the children. Adam gave into the temptation of the apple and
the children gave into the temptation of anarchy. Both Adam and the children are
at fault for the actions that lead to the fall of their paradise and gave into instinct
instead of listening to reason.
One of the few voices of reason on the island is a boy by the name of
Simon. Simon is one of the older boys on the island who, throughout the novel,
proves himself a hard worker who tries to cling to the idea of order. He befriends
Ralph earlier in the novel and the two of them try their best to advocate order and
morals to the rest of their peers. While the others slowly give up on the idea of
civilization, Simon sticks to his morals. After his encounter with the Lord of the
Flies, Simon comes to the realization that within all of us lurks an evil; a force that
compels people to commit violent acts. He becomes enlightened with the truth,
much like Jesus Christ. Both are aware of a moral truth and try to share it with
those around them. Although Simon is unable to successfully preach his
discovery, he suffers the same sort of end. Simon is brutally killed by those
driven by the very evil he attempts to speak out against. Unlike Simon, Jesus is
said to be much more successful in his delivery of his message. Simon’s
interaction with the Lord of the Flies can be seen as Jesus’ encounter with the
Devil during his 40 days in the wilderness. Each learn of the truth and are
punished when they attempt to spread it. Jesus’ death lead to the spreading of
his philosophy and Simon’s to the further corruption of the island; the spreading
of the evil that the Lord of the Flies warns Simon of.
The Lord of the Flies is the severed head of a sow that begins to
speak to Simon who is suffering mentally. It tells Simon that there is an evil in the
depths of each and every person on the Earth. He says that he’ll “have some fun”
with Simon, which refers to the killing and beating of Simon later that day. The
head used to belong to a sow that was brutally killed and maimed by Jack and
his hunters who have given in to the very evil the Lord of the Flies tells Simon
about. The sow itself that became The Lord of the Flies is a victim of the evil he
speaks of. Like Satan, the Lord of the Flies represents the force in the world that
edges people to commit acts that go against all morals and rules set up in
civilized living. Both are the antithesis of civilization and functional society. They
fed on primal urges of the human psyche and can never be fully dissolved. By
having the reader associate Satan with a vile, filthy, gory, desecrated pigs head,
Golding effectively commutates the inhumanity and ugliness of, well, humanity.
As Satan leads people towards sin, The Lord of the Flies influences the children
to be completely savage. They represent the primal instinct in people and the
inherent evil rooted within us.
Golding’s novel is a modern speculation of the nature of man and what
drives us. His use of symbolism effectively communicates his message, but what
helps to solidify what he is trying to say and, at the same time, make the material
easier for the reader to comprehend, is the biblical allusions present through out
the piece. The similarities between the Garden of Eden and the island make it
easier to see and understand the physical effects the children have on their
surroundings; it provides a physical manifestation of the growing evil. Simon’s
enlightenment and death are much like those of Jesus Christ and add
significance to his role in the novel. The manifestation of the Lord of the Flies
gives the unseen evil a face and plays a role in the novels world; much like the
one Satan plays in The Bible. These allusions enhance the overall theme of the
novel and make it more excusable to many readers.