Maturity In Lord Of The Flies

Maturity is subjective. Maturity has no definition, since everyone views maturity in different ways. Some view maturity as putting other's dire needs before one’s minor needs. Some say maturity is a coming of age, where one finds one’s morals, or what one believe to be right and wrong. One of the most common definitions for maturity is the ability to adapt to the environment one is given. Sometimes, immaturity can be evident in adults. So, what is the thread which ties all of these ideas together? When one puts other’s needs, whether dire or not, before their own, they show maturity. They are showing the level of selflessness that is prevalent within them. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, he shows how ruthless and selfish

He or she finds what they hold to be true and what he or she find to be false. He or she also finds a sense of right and wrong. Many individuals have conflicting morals with another individual. When one understands the other’s morals and respects them, they show maturity. If one doesn’t understand and respect the other’s morals, they present their immaturity. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph takes part in the killing of Simon. When the group is encircled, chanting “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” Simon comes crawling from the forest and the group sees im as “the beast” they have been hunting. Then, the crowd opened up “poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast” and killed Simon. (Golding 219). As they killed Simon, they had a loss of the morals, if any, that they contained. Ralph, who didn’t contain morals at the time, was within the crowd chanting and beating. While they looked back on the event, they realized who they had killed. When Ralph, Piggy, Sam, and Eric realized that the “beast” they have slaughtered was Simon, they break off from the group. The others do not understand the act they have just committed. As Ralph defines his morals with his group, she starts to comprehend the situation he is in. This act represents Ralph coming of age when he defines his morals. This is a common theme which runs through many stories. In Antigone, the King of Thebes, Creon is faced with the decision whether or not he buries Polyneices. He decides that he will leave Polynieces’s body to rot, unburied. When Antigone hears about Creon’s act, she plans to bury Polyneices herself. She tells her sister Ismene that “Creon is not enough to stand in my way.” (Sophocles 2). She tells her sister her plan to bury Polyneices herself and attempts to gather Ismene to help her. However, Ismene allows fear to decide whether she helps her sister. When Ismene comprehends Antigone’s