Evil Instincts in Lord of the Flies
Evil Instincts in Lord of the FliesEvil Instincts by Sasha-Li Chinloy
EVIL INSTINCTS
The world is composed of both good and evil. However, it seems that the evil component prevails over the good component. The media is bombarded with headlines such as those dealing with the Montreal Massacre, the Paul Bernado/ Carla Hamolka saga and the Columbine Shooting. This evil can be traced beyond the headlines to the root of the problem. The root of the problem is the darkness of human nature. The darkness of human nature is shown in William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies. This 1954 Nobel Prize Award winner shows the disintegration from a good and civilized society to an evil and barbaric one. Golding’s pessimistic view of the human nature is shown through the character Jack, the actions of the tribe and the fate of Simon.
William Golding’s negative perspective of the darkness of human nature is shown through the actions and the personality of Jack. Jack is initially portrayed as a British choirboy who is prim and proper. Throughout the novel, this façade is gotten rid of. His dark nature shows through more and more. In the beginning Jack shows hostility towards Piggy when he says, “You’re talking too much…Shut up, Fatty,” (Golding, 23). This cruel nature of the human heart is followed up by many more events. When Jack paints his face, “He knelt, holding the shell of water…He looked in astonishment…at an awesome stranger…He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarl,” (Golding, 69). This unveiling of Jack’s dark nature leads to the hunt of the pig. This hunt is not only a hunt for food but also a kill to fulfill his dark nature. After the pig is viciously killed, Jack announces proudly, “I cut the pig’s throat…Can I borrow yours, Ralph, to make a nick in the hilt?” (Golding, 75). Jack’s brutality progresses throughout his stay on the island as does his despise of Ralph. Jack grows wary of Ralph and his rules. To set his nature free, Jack is forced to leave Ralph and his rules. He forms a tribe that is free to be murderous and savage. Jack and Ralph form a rivalry between each other. This rivalry leads to the hunt of Ralph, which is done with “a stick sharpened at both ends,” (Golding, 219). A primary attack on Ralph shows Jack’s true nature when he “viciously, with full intention, Jack hurled his spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and the flesh over ralph’s ribs, then sheared off and fell in the water,” (Golding, 200). This happens directly after the tribe murders Piggy. Jack is so evil, he not only hunts Ralph, but he does it with a doubly lethal weapon. Golding’s character Jack gives insight to his pessimistic view of human nature. Jack’s actions in Lord of the Flies show that the author believes people are naturally evil.
The tribe that Jack formed portrays Golding’s negative view of human nature. This tribe degenerates to savagery and darkness when they leave the order of Piggy and Ralph. This degeneration is portrayed at the beach when:
Roger and Maurice came out of the forest. They were relieved from duty at the fire and had come down for a swim. Roger led the way straight through the castles, kicking them over, burying the flowers, scattering the chosen stones. Maurice followed laughing and added to the destruction, (Golding, 65).
Roger and Maurice, bigguns, destroys the littluns castles for fun. As civilization deteriorates, their nature becomes more noticeable. The negative nature of people is shown through the many evil actions of the savage tribe. As time passes the fight to be civilized and good is gradually conquered by the discouragingly dark human heart. Soon killing becomes their number one priority. When they do kill the pig, it is paraded through the forest to Ralph and the other:
The gutted carcass of a pig swung from the stake, swinging heavily as the twins toiled over the uneven ground. The pig’s head hung down with gaping neck and seemed to search for something on the ground. At last the words of the chant floated up to them across the bowl of blackened woods and ashes. Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood, (Golding, 74-75).
The ferocious murder of the innocent pig is celebrated. Their actions have progressed from picking on kids to brutally killing pigs and even to sadism. The tribe commits rape, one of the most vicious acts of violence, on an innocent sow. When the tribe finds the sow, they kill her with excess violence, both physical and sexual, and brute force.
Roger ran round the heap, prodding with his spear whenever pig flesh appeared. Jack was on top of the sow, stabbing downward with his knife. Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high-pitched scream. Then Jack found the throat and hot blood squirted over his hands…The butterfiles still danced, (Golding, 149).
This disgusting and grotesque act of sexual and physical abuse is praised and worshipped by the tribe. “Right up her ass!” (Golding, 150) is said and is received uproariously. Roger rapes the sow with his spear, and the other tribe members revere this action. The tribe’s behaviour, their killings, and their reaction to their killing prove Golding’s negative belief of the human heart.
The fate of Simon strongly suggests that Golding’s view of human nature is pessimistic. Simon is good and Christ-like in nature. He is intuitively intelligent. He suggests to Ralph to draw a map of the island by making scratches on bark, (Golding, 29). He helps Ralph build the shelters, (Golding, 54). As a Christ-like character Simon takes time to meditate (Golding, 62). Although he is good, Simon suffers throughout his stay on the island. Simon is teased and he hallucinates. When Simon tries to tell the others about the beast, “Simon became inarticulate in his efforts to express mankind’s essential illness,” (Golding, 97). Simon’s failed effort left him humiliated; this humiliation is followed up with cruel laughter from the others, (Golding, 98). Simon being overcome by the tribe is symbolizes good succumbing to evil. Simon suffers a hallucination when he passes the pig’s head on a stick. It says to Simon in Simon’s own voice, (Golding, 158), “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill…You knew didn’t you? I’m part of you,” (Golding, 158). Soon after, Simon loses consciousness, (Golding, 159). His suffering goes beyond his weak and timid nature. Simon’s good and pure character is outweighed by the evil of the tribe. Their minds, intoxicated with dark thoughts, mistake the innocent Simon for a beast:
A circling movement developed and a chant…[Simon, the beast.] was on its knees in the centre, its arms folded over its face…the beast struggled forward, broke the ring and fell over the steep edge of the rock to the sand by the water. At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on the beach screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws, (Golding, 168).
This mistake leads to the death of Simon. He is savagely attacked when he attempts to inform the tribe of the dead parachutist. When Simon tries to inform the tribe of their inner beast, his act of concern is outweighed by the tribe’s darkness. This act of murder is followed up with no remorse. Simon’s death is ignored for the most part. When Ralph tries to bring up Simon’s death Piggy shrugs it off as an accident (Golding, 173). Simon’s pure and Christ-like goodness is murdered when the tribe’s evil nature prevails. Golding’s pessimistic view is evident when good succumbs to evil in the case of Simon versus the tribe of savages.
A novel, a piece of writing, is a reflection of the author’s view. William Golding’s 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies, shows that he thinks negatively of human nature. This is evident in the savage character Jack, the evil actions of the tribe, and the struggles and eventual death of the innocent Simon. This perception goes beyond Golding’s novel to the real world. As in -Lord of the Flies, the killing of animals or people are revered. This is proven through the popularity of violent movies, games, and shows. Also, parallels can be drawn between the evil in the books and the evil in the world. Recent events such as the Montreal Massacre and the Columbine Shooting connect with Golding’s negative perspective of people. As in Golding’s novel, good Simon dies, as in real life, the victim of murders and/ or rapes are often innocent. The world is composed of both good and evil. The good often is overcome by evil. Murders, rapes and other acts of violence are unfriendly reminders that Golding’s pessimistic view of human nature is correct.
WORKS CITED
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber and Faber, 1954.