Over decades scientists have studied individuals’ childhoods to find the correlation between their environments and behavior. It is widely accepted that the environment a child grows up in impacts their decision making and behavior later in life. According to Jay Belsky, a professor of human development at the University of California, “We know that our early experiences likely affect all of us to a certain extent. . . and we know that due to variations in psychological makeup, some people are more sensitive to environmental factors than others” (Singh). This theory is commonly used in literature as a theme called nature vs nurture, an argument that describes whether the genetic makeup or the environment affects the way people behave. William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, incorporated this theme into his book to prove behavior is dependent upon a child’s growing environment. …show more content…
Readers recognize, through each individuals behavior, that survival is their primary motivation and can then draw connections to the character’s childhood. Although the nature vs nurture theory is primarily shown from the major characters such as Ralph, Jack and Piggy, other significant characters assist in proving that childhood environment influences an individual’s behavior. Within the novel, the boys’ survival instincts on the island differs and is separated into two groups: civilization and savagery. Ralph idolizes civilization due to his upbringing while Jack worships savagery as a means to survive because of his background. The Lord of the Flies effectively illustrates how an individual’s childhood and background experience can impact their behavior in an isolated