How Does Golding Present The Power In Lord Of The Flies

Dictators and humans throughout history have sustained their reign of terror through fear and violence. These people are influenced by power, and this brings them to little to no regard for innocence. Their control has left many stories to tell throughout history and leads many authors and scholars to question and criticize human morals and their patterns. Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding implies that human nature is easily swayed into evil by the temptations of power and conveys this through the imagery of savagery and violence, much like other events in history and literature.

Golding presents human nature as easily swayed by outside influences and desires, such as power and violence. When the boys initially get stranded on the

Orwell makes it a point throughout his novel to use allegories to prove that ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely. Napoleon’s rise to power led to the destruction of morals, previous rules originally set in place, and violence and terror. His motives are clouded by desire, and his character is formed by the human characteristics of selfish needs and yearning for power or a feeling of control. His change to the tyrannical ruling of Animal Farm, an allegory for the Soviet Union, is represented by the Commandments. These commandments are set in place by Old Major, who has these beliefs because of humans, which are are inherently evil and cruel. The irony in this is when Napoleon is tempted by power, he becomes just like the corrupted humans. By the end of the novel, only one commandment remains: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell 112). The original commandment, stating that all animals are equal, being changed to this goes back to a theme of personalized power, and the desire for control. Napoleon ends up intensifying the violence and cruelty, simply because he knows that he will get away with it. The animals are unable to fight back against the control and reign of their dictator, and he uses the power of fear, and the use of a scapegoat to ensure that his corrupt views are held in place. This is like Jack in Lord of the Flies, with his tactics of manipulation and fear to ensure the boys are on his side, turning them against Ralph, and the haunting reminders of the “beast.” Both leaders are corrupt and are unable to resist the temptation of power, and the violence that ensures their constant