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Literary Lens In William Golding's 'Lord Of The Flies'

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Kaiden Sheridan Mrs. Browne English March 15, 2023 Literary Lens Essay Both literal and metaphorical fires divide several boys who land on an island during a nuclear war. These boys fight over power and resources without the bindings of society. William Golding believes that civilization has no room for goodness and is pessimistic about mankind’s ability to live successfully. Not only the breakage of faith in the chief, but also the idolization of the Devil, and the extermination of children, support Golding’s pessimistic view. Golding, with a negative outlook on society, uses the boys’ disloyalty to their leader to convey the idea that humanity is evil. Roger sharpening a stick at “both ends” implies that Roger and …show more content…

The lord of the flies commanding Simon to “get back” to the children who later murder him, the Christlike figure, demonstrates the Devil’s strong control over all people(143). Being comparable to the Devil, the lord of the flies is very deceiving and convinces Simon to march to his death, like Jesus did to his crucifixion. Corruption is among the boys as even the Christlike figure falls to temptation and is murdered amidst the violence of the island. The boys fearfully leaving the pig head for “the beast” as they try to appease a creature of the Devil’s works, reveals just how much power people give to monsters(137). Because the boys are trying to appease the beast, they are worshiping an evil entity like humans are naturally drawn to. This beast represents humanity’s sins that one feeds into to please oneself instead of other people and Simon symbolizes Jesus whose main purpose was to help others. Consequently, Golding’s pessimistic view ensues through the pagan worship of a boar head that embodies the Devil as the boys disconnect from virtue and actually fall to crime as not just the murder of Simon takes

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The beast represents mankind’s essential illness that man cannot remain good and pure, because of human natures’ natural incline to resort to evil and violence. “After fear drives most of the boys into the hunter tribe, they lose all capacity for dialectic and begin sadistic persecution of those who stand outside their power,” (226). Golding also wants to portray that the beast is everywhere and is part of every member of mankind. While Simon is hallucinating, the beast says, “You knew, didn’t you? ” I’m part of you?

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In his 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding incorporates various Biblical allusions to add depth and complexity to the story. The uninhabited island, upon which a group of boys find themselves stranded, can be likened to the Garden of Eden from the book of Genesis. It is depicted as a paradise-like setting filled with an abundance of resources that quickly becomes marred in the presence of man. While some of the boys embody the essences of good and evil, the character Simon is portrayed as a Christ-like figure, as he is generous and empathetic to his companions. The encounter between Simon and the pig’s head also serves as a metaphor of the constant struggle that can be found between morality’s two spectrums.

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He stood back and the head hung there, a little blood dribbling down the stick” (Golding 136). Jacks vicious and bloody killing of the sow not only suggests that Golding views human nature to be evil, but it also conveys the Golding believes that the “beast” is inside of everyone. In a world where the “beast,” is unleashed, rules and morals become weak and useless. The “beast” symbolizing the boys indicates that Golding suggests humans are born innately

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(Golding, 77). Although the boys laugh at Simon’s idea, his belief conforms Golding’s idea that inner evil exists. The boys develop into the beast when they kill Simon. Simon was desperate to explain the unidentified creature on the mountain but the boys weren’t in the mood for listening to him. With his brutal murder by the other boys, chaos takes over civilized order on the island.

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