Human nature is quite despicable. Humans kill for thrill, manipulate one another, act out of greed and dishonesty, and perform acts that are inexcusable. So as a society, humans combat instincts just to function in a way that is regarded as “normal”. This is seen in Barry Lyga’s book I Hunt Killers as Jazz struggles internally in a self versus self war. I Hunt Killers can be connected to conformity, evaluated as a cliché book, and questioned as to what happened once the story ended.
Violence is a constant, a catalyst for the cycle of life and death that has existed since the beginnings of life. However, humans have now, and have been, using violence for senseless pain and suffering. __ In James Gilligan’s novel, Preventing Violence, Gilligan discusses that a major cause of violence is feelings of shame, which usually roots from social factors and views of masculinity. Shame, the most common feeling behind violence, is feeling a lack of self-pride and humiliation.
Many boys grow up to be just like their fathers, and we are still living like we were in the 1950’s. In the short story, How Boys Become Men, Katz explains what it was like to grow up in the 1990’s and how growing up molds boys into being a man. Throughout the story he shows many examples of events that happened through his life that molded him into a man that he is today. Many boys go through life with things happening like in Katz’s life. Katz says that specific events lead to how boys grow into how many really are, they solve issues with physical violence, barely any emotional response, and having to act strong.
In Chapter 7 of, “Lord of the Flies,” the boys recreate the scene of hunting down the boar, which is transforming them into kids that are willing to face fears. This behavior between all the boys is ritualistic and extremely important. The recreation of hunting down the boar with Ralph trying fighting to get a handful of the flesh and Jack trying to finish off the pig, really describes an act of ritualistic behavior between the boys. During this recreation, Robert acts as the pig and all of the other boys swing at Robert with twigs. This reenactment gets out of hand quickly. “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!” (Golding 130). All of this boys are starting to lose their composure and become uncivilized amongst each
The actual lord of the flies is a pig head that Jack and his hunters stick on the end of a stick, this later gives them the idea to do it to Ralph too. Simon then starts talking to the beast, the text demonstrates theme in this quote, “‘Fancy thinking the beast was something you could kill!’ said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. ‘You knew didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason it's no go? Why things are the way they are?’” (Golding 164) This quote is a great example of how the lord of the flies symbolizes the theme of Inhumanity/ Inherent Evil of man. The beast explains it cannot be killed and that the boys are ridiculous for thinking so, and the forest “laughs” as in agreeance to the beast. At this point Simon realizes that they are the real beasts and all the evil inside of them. The beast explains things are the way they are because they let their evil consume them and lost their humanity, turning them into beasts. The boys all have to know that they are truly the evil ones, since they hallucinate up what the lord of the flies is saying. Once the island is in turmoil, Jack has his tribe sharpen their spears at both ends therefore they can do exactly what they did to the boar's head to Ralph, symbolizing the beast no
The Monitor on Psychology article “What makes good people do bad things?” by Melissa Dittmann analyzes the results of the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by Stanford psychology professor Phillip Zimbardo in 1971 and discusses what the experiment can tell us about human nature and what causes humans to be evil. In the novel “Lord of the Flies” the author William Golding discusses the effects of the theories mentioned in the article by creating his own fictional experiment with children stranded on an island during a nuclear war. Throughout his novel Golding explores the focus of Dittmann’s article; that environments and situations can bring out the evil that is inside all of us. People can act good or bad depending on their environment, and these actions are not entirely their fault because when people are not held accountable for their actions their more violent natures are revealed.
In the novel More Joy in Heaven by Morley Callaghan, Kip Caley has a taste of what being a free man is like. Upon release, he wants to lead a quiet life, mind his own business and live a righteous law-abiding life. However, after being in prison and coming accustom to society and the powers of the public eye it might be too much for him. The mix of love, friendship and his want for acceptance from his family and friends is too great for him. The pressure from society is too much and the fallout of Kip is ultimately his own fault along with Judge Ford for rejecting him as well as, Foley his only friend and not believing in him how Kip needed.
Constantly facing the darkness of looming greed and lust, humanity seems to be doomed to trudge in the mires of sin forever. However, while fear and chaos—especially a lack of guidance—can cause cruelty to flourish, it is also where kindness makes its greatest display. In “Why Boys Become Vicious”, William Golding argues that mayhem and terror brings out the evil nature of humans. Without proper order and parental guidance, humans are lead astray and band together only to create more chaos and cruelty. Even so, humans can come together to show kindness and love. Even seemingly barbaric gangs search for order in society and provide security and comfort for the impoverished. People are naturally inclined to help others and act socially, especially
Where does savagery come from? Are certain people evil from the moment they were born? Why do some people grow up as saints and leaders, while others grow up as killers and thieves? In Lord of the Flies and “Why Boys Become Vicious”, William Golding explains how one’s background and peers are able to affect who we are as people. Every single person in this world is born with savagery and vicious within themselves. How humans are raised and who they interact with ultimately determine if their true nature flourishes within themselves.
“Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is” (Albert Camus qtd. in Goodreads). Throughout history, the essence of human nature has been meticulously questioned and debated by philosophers, scientists, believers, and all other manners of individuals. Some argue that humans trend towards altruism, having a natural desire to provide assistance and aid to others. However, this viewpoint is quite rare when compared to its counterpart. The most prevailing and pessimistic line of thinking asserts that humans, at their core, are inclined towards savagery and barbarism, even in a civilized setting. This stance has been reflected in countless pieces of literature, such as Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery,” and Suzanne Collins’s
For example, “In Russia after the First World War, there were, I believe, gangs of children who had lost their parents. Dispossessed, without anywhere to live or anything to live on, they roamed the country attacking and killing out of sheer cruelty” (Golding). This shows that without parental guidance, children stray away from their moral values. Lack of guidance results in children being unable to differentiate between right and wrong. In addition, according to Dr. Kathryn Seifert, a forensic psychologist, “when the accumulation of negative factors (chaotic neighborhoods) and the absence of positive factors (such as adults who provide encouragement) reach a threshold, that's when violence is more likely to erupt as a means of coping with life's problems”(Seifert). Seifert shows that people resort to violent measures simply as a coping mechanism. This capacity for evil and cruelty is within everyone, for it is an elemental factor of human nature that has kept us alive. However, this side of human nature doesn’t necessarily have to surface until it becomes one’s last resort. A lack of guidance strips away much of a child’s innocence, leaving them with
By using symbolism, diction, and characterization, Golding demonstrates that one’s savagery is released when civilization is destroyed. The boys become more vicious when the conch, their last hope for civilization, shatters. In reading this text, readers come to realize that it is inevitable that humans will fall into barbarity when there is no society present to teach right from wrong. No matter where one comes from or what influenced them, they have the potential to be
Simon met his fate, getting dismembered, Cato was cruelly devoured while Katniss watched, Rue was stabbed fatally, Ralph was ruthlessly hunted. These events all have exactly one thing in common, the brutality of children. Throughout the books Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games, many ideas about human nature have been brought forth, they have been shown through characters, like Ralph and Katniss, through objects, like the representation of fire, and through events, like the degradation of civility throughout the books. So, what is being said about human nature?
Why do people resort to violence? Why does violence exist at all? Violence occurs everywhere in today’s society whether it be bullying in school or murder in the streets. In the novel, The World According to Garp, by John Irving, the author, through various amounts of characters, displays acts of violence in their everyday lives. Jenny Fields, who becomes known for her autobiography, A Sexual Suspect, thinks and lives ahead of her time. Jenny as a believer of carving oneself's own path has sex with a , “Goner.” The brain injured ball turret gunner named Technical Sergeant Garp. Technical Sergeant Garp (who lives up to his label) and Jenny continues to have an always wanted child without sharing her life. She names her son after her father, but she only knew of his rank and last name. Jenny and Garp progress
Situational effects and personality come into conflict when discussing behavior. Personality is someone’s “usual pattern of behavior, feelings, and thoughts” (Twenge, 2017, p.20). It remains constant throughout different situations, but some situations can be stressful enough to make a person act out of character. The transition between a person’s normal personality and behavior to a more evil, sinister behavior fascinates a man named Philip Zimbardo, who conducted the infamous Zimbardo Prison Experiment, or Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE). Zimbardo is an American psychologist at Stanford University and the mastermind behind the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment (The Story). From the results of his study, Zimbardo explains the Lucifer Effect and how morally righteous people can do malicious things. The effect of both the one’s current