Premium Essay

Defects In Society In Lord Of The Flies

Submitted By
Words 906
Pages 4
Defects in Society Are babies evil? During World War II, there were mass killings all over the world at the hands of humans. This lead to the idea that people are destructive because they were born corrupted instead of being born with morality and being taught imorality. William Golding, a officer in the Navy during World War II, wrote the book Lord of the Flies about the end of innocence and the beginnings of primal instinct for some young boys trapped on a island. The boys live in this paradise until human nature takes over and democracy fails turning many into savages and leading to multiple deaths. This depicts defects in society are traced back to defects in individuals. People can be taught to be acceptable, but our nature of hatred is always there and order will not stand. Regardless of the rules in society, deformity and chaos is always led to the decisions of the people inside it. The political system on the island in Lord of the Flies was corrupt. The rules were not the dilemma, it was the individuals in it. At first they had voted a leader, Ralph, had meeting and jobs, and had rules on behavior. Jack even says,“‘We'll have lots of rules!’ he cried …show more content…
If the law says that you have to kill one person a year and you obey the law, would that make you a ill-behaved person? No. However this is not fully thought out. Society is made by people, it is not alive. Someone made the rules and therefore the fault in the society is traced back to individuals. “All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.”(Einstein). All rules, leaders, and followers are people. All distress and faults in human societies are always traced back to the actions of the people in the society. Not all people are poison to the society, but one malicious person can break the

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Characterization in Lord of the Flies

...Literary Devices in Lord of the Flies Ayomide Fakuade English III - 2nd Period 4-18-13 Is every human being predisposed with the capabilities to do evil? This question has stimulated minds since the beginning of time. In the Bible, as far back as the book of Genesis, we find the ineluctable capacity of man to commit evil. Likewise, in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies we find the depiction of the proclivity of man to transgress. William Golding “presents the universe under the guise of a school adventure story on a coral island” (Forster V). Golding presents the universe and the inescapable struggle of human kind between good and evil through his prolific use of symbols and metaphors. Symbols are one of the principle literary devices used by Golding in Lord of the Flies. Golding uses many of the devices discovered by the boys to represent vital elements of structured society. Ralph makes the statement, “The fire’s the most important thing” (Golding 162). The fire symbolizes the structured society the boys want to exist on the island. The fire represents structure and organization. Without the fire, the boys will never be rescued, and without an organized, structured society, they will not survive. Just as organization and structure are essential to the perpetuation of a society, the fire is vital to the survival of the boys on the island. When describing the setting of the novel, the narrator states, “It [the island]...

Words: 786 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Examples Of Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

...Savagery Vs. Humanity Often times we like to ignore the darker times of humanity, because we know the darkness resides in us. “The Lord of the Flies” is a perfect portrayal of how when given the chance the darkness will take over our humanity and leave us with the decision of how we are going to deal with it. All of this is shown in “The Lord of the Flies”, a book driven by Golding’s desire to portray how the theme of the book is “an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature” (Golding, 204). His idea assists in showing how savagery derives not from the brutal society they have created but themselves and their human impulse, which they intend to act upon. The boy’s behavior...

Words: 696 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The Minotaur vs. Lord of the Flies

...The story of Theseus and the Minotaur is one of the most fascinating in Greek mythology. It is a story where man and beast break borders and create the unknown. The story begins when Poseidon, a mighty Greek god, gives a beautiful bull to the king of Crete. Expecting the bull to be sacrificed in the name of Poseidon, the king was infatuated by the beauty of the bull and kept it for himself. Enraged, Poseidon punishes the king by making the king’s wife fall madly in love with the bull. In result, the Minotaur was created: A half man, half bull cannibal. Mortified and disgusted, instead of killing this creature, the king created a labyrinth and locked up the Minotaur. Every nine years, to feed the Minotaur, the king would order Athens to choose seven boys and seven girls to be sent to the labyrinth. Because of the complicated architecture of the labyrinth, the youths would be helplessly lost until the Minotaur would find them and devour them. Why did Athens agree to do this? Why is the Minotaur so intimidating? Athens and the King of Crete could have treated the Minotaur as an individual, but instead they were captivated by fear. Although the Minotaur has many human features, we categorize him as a beast because we fear him: his abnormality, inscrutability and forbidden nature. The Minotaur, aside from being too big and a carnivore, was thrown into a never-ending maze mainly because of shame and chagrin. The Minotaur was never seen; only the king, the queen as well as the...

Words: 1786 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Lord of the Flies

...Lord of the Flies Comprehensive Test True/False- Mark “A” for True and “B” for False. 1. When Ralph is elected chief, Jack is so frustrated that he refuses to hunt. 2. Ralph starts the signal fire by rubbing two sticks together. 3. The signal fire goes out because Jack and the hunters neglect it. 4. A wild boar eats the littlun who has a mulberry-colored birthmark on his face. 5. Piggy’s parents will come find them. 6. The conch provides a symbol for authority that the boys recognize as civilized. 7. The main source of food on the island is food scavenged from the wreckage of the airplane. 8. The boys murder Simon because they think that he is “batty.” 9. Piggy is not afraid of Jack because he knows that SamnEric will protect him. 10. Ralph and Jack initially had a mutual respect for each other that diminished by the end of the book. Match the following descriptions with the choices given (A-E) a. Ralph b. Piggy c. Jack d. Simon e. Roger 11. dies when a rock falls on him 12. the elected leader of the group 13. the most evil character; kills Piggy 14. puts his own lust for hunting ahead of everyone else’s needs 15. sees people for what they really are 16. represents the power-hungry dictator in society 17. represents the mystic philosophers in society 18. represents the good-hearted rule-following leaders in society 19. represents the evil sadist figures in society 20. represents the scholars...

Words: 1447 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Nature Vs. Nurture In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding

...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....

Words: 1757 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Lord Od the Flies

...Inner darkness in human nature is discovered by the use of disorganization and violence. As order collapses, terror becomes reality. Criticism is recognized as man rips nature apart without thinking about the consequences and outcomes. An attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature is revealed through criticism. There are several tools used to symbolize the fight against chaos. Golding uses objects as a representation of mass hysteria, and to show the end of innocence and the darkness of a man’s heart. Symbolism is evident within the story through the fire, the glasses, and the beast. Violence is shown through rescue and destruction. It shows the intention of humans to control nature by destroying it. Through harming the island surrounding them, the boys destroy their own habitat and cause damage to themselves. The signal fire serves the purpose of helping the group to be recognized by passing ships, eventually being rescued. If the boys’ world is just a symbol for the real world, then they are not being rescued at all. They are just going to a larger scale of violence. But in the novel, the fire gets out of control and threatens the boys’ lives. Consequently, the signal fire is a symbol of the boys’ diminishing hope. Golding uses the signal fire to also symbolize hope, something which Jack destroys as the novel progresses. At times the signal fire rages out of control, symbolic of the boys themselves. Furthermore, the signal fire is the island...

Words: 1656 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Horatian and Juvenalian Satire

...poets, Juvenal and Horace, were responsible for further defining satirical works by their literary tone (Moyers). Thus, creating a systematic way to categorize satire into two different types, Horatian satire which approaches satirical observations, literature and performance in a humorous and lighthearted manner, and Juvenalian satire, which focuses on specific verbal or literary attacks on corrupt ideals or individuals (Weisgerber). I view Horatian satire as clever and humorous and find that it generally mocks others. Horatian is not negative; it aims to make fun of human behavior in a comic way. In a work using Horatian satire, readers often laugh at the characters in the story who are the subject of mockery as well as themselves and society for behaving in those ways (Thomas). One example of Horatian satire in literature is The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (Weisgerber). This play criticized characteristics of England at the time in areas such as class, countryside, marriage, love, women, and education (RachiRa). In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde mocks...

Words: 1893 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Lord Of The Flies Chapter 2 Summary

...This intervention for the William Golding novel Lord of the Flies is placed after chapter 2 as an epilogue of the realisation of losing the mulberry faced boy. It begins with the little’un waking up after a stereotypical restless sleep, characteristic to the little’uns as they live in constant fear of the beast. After which he distracts himself with the excitement of playing in the lagoon that he has all to himself. Until he spots a sea creature in the abyss and with the fear of the beastie a constant in the back of his mind it doesn’t take much for his imagination to run wild. Sparked a sprint to the jungle where a lack of experience and knowledge leaves him lost and with the exhaustion of running he fell asleep. Where he awoke from by the...

Words: 954 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Reading a Novel in 1950-2000

...Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 i RTNA01 1 13/6/05, 5:28 PM READING THE NOVEL General Editor: Daniel R. Schwarz The aim of this series is to provide practical introductions to reading the novel in both the British and Irish, and the American traditions. Published Reading the Modern British and Irish Novel 1890–1930 Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Daniel R. Schwarz Brian W. Shaffer Forthcoming Reading the Eighteenth-Century Novel Paula R. Backscheider Reading the Nineteenth-Century Novel Harry E. Shaw and Alison Case Reading the American Novel 1780–1865 Shirley Samuels Reading the American Novel 1865–1914 G. R. Thompson Reading the Twentieth-Century American Novel James Phelan ii RTNA01 2 13/6/05, 5:28 PM Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Brian W. Shaffer iii RTNA01 3 13/6/05, 5:28 PM © 2006 by Brian W. Shaffer BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Brian W. Shaffer to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and...

Words: 123617 - Pages: 495

Premium Essay

Kingdom Principles

...KINGDOM PRINCIPLES PREPARING FOR KINGDOM EXPERIENCE AND EXPANSION KINGDOM PRINCIPLES PREPARING FOR KINGDOM EXPERIENCE AND EXPANSION Dr. Myles Munroe © Copyright 2006 — Myles Munroe All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken form the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Please note that Destiny Image’s publishing style capitalizes certain pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and may differ from some publishers’ styles. Take note that the name satan and related names are not capitalized. We choose not to acknowledge him, even to the point of violating grammatical rules. Cover photography by Andy Adderley, Creative Photography, Nassau, Bahamas Destiny Image® Publishers, Inc. P.O. Box 310 Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310 “Speaking to the Purposes of God for this Generation and for the Generations to Come. ” Bahamas Faith Ministry...

Words: 61966 - Pages: 248

Premium Essay

Law Cases

...manufacturer Paisley, in which she claimed £500 as damages for injuries sustained by her through drinking ginger beer which had been manufactured by the defender. May had not ordered or paid for the drink herself, so there was no contractual relationship between May and the café owner. Tort law at this time did not allow for May to sue the café owner. There was a contractual relationship between him and the friend, but the friend had not drunk the ginger beer. Ginger beer was not a dangerous product, and the manufacturer had not fraudulently misrepresented it. At that time, those were the only two grounds for claiming negligence against a manufacturer. On the face of it, the law did not provide a remedy for May. On appeal to the House of Lord, Lord Atkin deliver his speech to the House of...

Words: 19909 - Pages: 80

Free Essay

Wtwetrwerer

...elected in 1997 together promise to transform the institutional structure of the United Kingdom. ▪ The Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly are the most tangible signs of this transformation but other constitutional reforms are either in being or well under way …… ▪ including the Human Rights Act of 1998 (incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights), ▪ a directly-elected mayor and assembly for London, ▪ a reformed House of Lords ▪ and Freedom of Information legislation. ▪ Although reform of the electoral system for Westminster now seems a somewhat distant prospect, the 1999 elections to the Welsh Assembly, to the Scottish Parliament and to the European Parliament were all conducted using electoral systems very different from the traditional first-past-the-post method. ▪ Referendums have been widely used, and more promised o Lecture by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, to the Constitution Unit, Westminster. 8 December 1998 o No other Government this century has embarked upon so significant or wide-ranging a programme of constitutional reform as the New Labour Government. It is therefore my particular pleasure, as the member of the Cabinet entrusted with driving forward development of policy, to have been invited here to give the Annual Constitution Unit Lecture. o We came to power with specific problems identified: ...

Words: 14891 - Pages: 60

Free Essay

Lkmkm

...F O R YO U R C O N S I D E R AT I O N 2 0 1 0 BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY David Seidler THE KING'S SPEECH Screenplay by David Seidler See-Saw Films/Bedlam Productions CARD: 1925 King George V reigns over a quarter of the world’s population. He asks his second son, the Duke of York, to give the closing speech at the Empire Exhibition in Wembley, London. INT. BBC BROADCASTING HOUSE, STUDIO - DAY CLOSE ON a BBC microphone of the 1920's, of machinery suspended on springs. A formidable piece A BBC NEWS READER, in a tuxedo with carnation boutonniere, is gargling while a TECHNICIAN holds a porcelain bowl and a towel at the ready. The man in the tuxedo expectorates discreetly into the bowl, wipes his mouth fastidiously, and signals to ANOTHER TECHNICIAN who produces an atomizer. The Reader opens his mouth, squeezes the rubber bulb, and sprays his inner throat. Now, he’s ready. The reader speaks in flawless pear-shaped tones. higher creature in the vocal world. BBC NEWS READER Good afternoon. This is the BBC National Programme and Empire Services taking you to Wembley Stadium for the Closing Ceremony of the Second and Final Season of the Empire Exhibition. INT. CORRIDOR, WEMBLEY STADIUM - DAY CLOSE ON a man's hand clutching a woman's hand. Woman’s mouth whispers into man's ear. BBC NEWS READER (V.O.) 58 British Colonies and Dominions have taken part, making this the largest Exhibition staged anywhere in the world. Complete with the new stadium, the Exhibition was built...

Words: 16292 - Pages: 66

Premium Essay

Hamlet

................ p. 81 Scene 4 .................................... p. 84 Act 4 .................................... p. 92 Scene 1 .................................... p. 92 Scene 2 .................................... p. 93 Scene 3 .................................... p. 95 Scene 4 .................................... p. 97 Scene 5 .................................... p. 100 Scene 6 .................................... p. 108 Scene 7 .................................... p. 109 Act 5 .................................... p. 116 Scene 1 .................................... p. 116 Scene 2 .................................... p. 127 Dramatis Personae CLAUDIUS, king of Denmark. HAMLET, son to the late, and nephew to the present king. POLONIUS, lord chamberlain. HORATIO, friend to Hamlet. LAERTES, son to Polonius. LUCIANUS, nephew to the king....

Words: 33041 - Pages: 133

Free Essay

Swami Vivekananda and Ethics

...SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AND ETHICS PREFACE This paper presents the Ethics of Swami Vivekananda. It shows how anyone's life's condition may be improved through an understanding of the ethics of Swami Vivekananda and the application of his principles to lead a better existence. This paper is primarily addressed to all interested in the working of spirituality and religion from Swami Vivekananda's perspective, which will play a very important role in the growth and development of the oneself. An understanding of ethics, as one of the basic factors that influence behavior will help us shift towards the necessity and purity of universalism by treating all around us equally. Grateful acknowledgment is here made to our History professor, Mrs Archana Raj Mishra and those who helped us gather data for this paper. This work would not have reached its present form without their invaluable help. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Swami Vivekananda was born on 12th January 1863 in Kolkata. He was named Narendranath Datta by his parents Vishwanath Datta and Bhuvaneshwari Devi. Swamiji’s father was a successful attorney while mother had qualities like deep devotion and a strong character. Swamiji was always bright student. Being from an affluent family, he graduated from the Calcutta University and had a vast knowledge of different subjects, especially Western philosophy and History. Nonetheless he was also good at Music, Gymnastics and Studies. One would wonder how a person could excel in so many things...

Words: 6716 - Pages: 27