Nature Vs Nurture Lord Of The Flies Analysis

“The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.”- Thomas Hobbes. This quote represents how humans, in their natural state, fight for their own benefit. It addresses the philosophical debate of nature versus nurture, and in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, his views of this debate are expressed. The characters are stripped from civilization, forced to act for themselves, and place their needs above all. People are shaped by society, but when deprived of this structure they are forced to adapt, and as Golding argues, peoples learned behavior is quickly overcome when placed in a difficult environment In the book many of the characters started to detach from civilization, and descend into savagery. One specific character, Jack, was affected the most. At the beginning of the book he was presented as intelligent and a strong leader, and was respected by his choir members. However, as the book progressed he turned into a vicious control freak and he bullied most of the boys into focusing on hunting instead of being rescued. At the start he was hesitant to kill a pig, on page 28 it says, “Jack drew his knife with a flourish. He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream

For example, the beast was a thought that was embedded in the boy's minds for the duration of the book. At first, it started with the “littluns”, but as the book progressed the older boys started to become paranoid as well. The boys even leave a sacrifice of the pig for the beast, “This head is for the beast, it's a gift.” (Golding. page 151). The older boys, who at the start were shown as mature and somewhat sophisticated, were scared of something such as a children's nightmare. When put in a harsh environment people's minds are affected severely, and new beliefs take