Lord Of The Flies Inherently Evil

Maja Trtanj
Ms. Dief
ENG 2DA-03
17 May 2023
The destruction of innate goodness
If children are seemingly associated with goodness, how can their descent into savagery be explained? Is man inherently evil, or are there other factors at play? In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the boys prove that humans are inherently good, but can become evil as a result of their environment and lack of moral foundation. This is proven by Simon's untainted goodness, Ralph’s sustainment of civility, and Jack’s descent into savagery.
Simon’s consistent goodness outlines the impossibility of a human possessing inherent evil. His moral foundation and intelligence cause him to show compassion and empathy toward others on the island. Many boys on the island

Although he struggles against the island's mob mentality, he stays strong thanks to inner resistance. Ralph clearly shows his prebuilt knowledge of right and wrong; unlike some more savage characters, he understands that the savagery the boys participate in is fundamentally wrong. He states, “I am frightened. of us. I want to go home. oh god, I want to go home” (Golding 160). He is scared of the direction their society is heading in because he understands it is wrong, and he does not want to live in it. Ralph's understanding of morality is one of the driving factors behind his sustainment of civilization and goodness, as he has a solid prebuilt moral compass. In addition to his moral compass, he has a passion for civilization's success on the island. This is directly related to the fact that he knows he thrives in a civilized environment. He commonly references the conch to sustain order on the island, for example, stating, “You haven’t got the conch… sit down” (Golding 103). Ralph’s determination to uphold civility stems from the fact that this environment is most beneficial for him; he knows he thrives in a civilized society, which is why he tries so hard to uphold this, as he is not just upholding society; he is upholding his sanity. Lastly, although Ralph shows confidence and cockiness throughout the novel, he understands he is not the best. As cocky as he may be, he understands his flaws. It is

He thrives in an environment where he is the leader of the tribe, as seen with his choir. When Ralph is coined as the leader, Jack attempts to fight back to suit his environment to his more vital traits but fails. “Ralph thinks you're cowards, running away from the boar and the beast. and that's not all” (golding 129). Jack’s failure to be chief only worsens his actions since he is such a prideful person, and the fact that he is in an environment that does not highlight his strengths worsens it. Jack enters the island with an inflated ego and sense of superiority, which only worsens in an environment that does not suit him. The mixture of a non-suitable environment and lack of morality causes Jack's susceptibility to savagery to increase, with little foundation tying him to his innate goodness, as he feels savagery grants him the leadership he