Theme of Evil in William Golding´s Lord of the Flies and Why Boys Become Vicious Essay Example

William Golding once said, “If this is true, as it seems to be, that there is a simplicity about human goodness, then it is just as true that there is a corresponding complexity about human evil.” William Golding explores this idea in his allegorical fiction novel Lord of the Flies and article “Why Boys Become Vicious”. In the novel Lord of the Flies he writes of a group of boys stranded on an island with no adult supervision and a fun-filled, rule less society, until order collapses and violence rises. In “Why Boys Become Vicious”, Golding relays the struggles of parent less children, fear, and bottomless violence. The deeper message William Golding conveys is that evil is always a part of mankind's heart; this is demonstrated when rules disappear and chaos thrives.

To commence, Golding explores how the absence of parental guidance causes children to express evil, eventually leading to bad decisions being made. For instance, he explains the loss of parents of children in Russia, which causes them to act out and experience evil, also spreading it to others. Specifically, in paragraph 11 of “Why Boys Become Vicious”, “In Russia after the First World War, there were, I believe, gangs of children who had lost their parents. Dispossessed, without anywhere to live or anything to live on, they roamed the country attacking and killing out of sheer cruelty.” To explain further, this shows the frustration and sadness brought about in the children because of the war, which caused them to lose direction. This great travesty uncovered something, and that something was evil. This reaction to loneliness reveals how kids need parents to provide security and keep the evilness under wraps. That support given to society promotes goodness that allows them to flourish. When children are left without parents however, the goodness that was once promoted dwindles and mankind's true, humanistic nature is shown.

In addition, order provided by a society of laws hides the reality of life without rules. Golding further shows this in his book Lord of the Flies when tension starts to rise between Jack and Ralph about the conch shell and the rules that were set in place for a reason. For example, in the fiction novel Lord of the Flies, first published in 1954 by William Golding, “The rules!” shouted Ralph. “You’re breaking the rules!”” (Golding 91) In other words, this shows how Jack disagreeing with Ralph promotes chaos in leadership and causes Jack to take advantage of the situation, using precedence to his advantage. Instead of trying to work together the two end up having a rivalry that brings evil upon everyone and others get hurt. The dispute and general disagreeing of these characters reveals how in the most stressful situations rules are the only guaranteed way to ensure that mankind doesn't do something that they’ll end up regretting. When we disobey these set laws we unlock a side of ourselves that is the exact reason they were put into place for.

Furthermore, fear contributes to how chaos can thrive, eventually causing clouded judgment and unforeseen rise of evil. William Golding first introduces this topic through his book Lord of the Flies where a group of boys become stranded on an island and discover their fear for a “beast” thought to exist among them. Golding states in chapter 8, page 143 of Lord of the Flies, “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!...You knew, didn't you? I'm a part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's a no-go? Why things are what they are?” This takes place when Simon was isolated in the woods with the Lord of the Flies. It confirmed Simon's theory that the Beast was something that lived within the boys all along; the darkness that lived within. This darkness was the fear that they felt, which might as well have been of themselves, and Simon's death later in the book justifies this. To elaborate, this reveals that fear can cloud people’s judgment and create chaos. Being so, realizations may happen leading to the discovery of a greater evil. This discovery can either be the birth of positivism or of destruction.

Evil is not as simple as others make it out to be. To be quite honest it is most definitely one of the most complex concepts known to man. In short, William Golding demonstrates how evil breeds from chaos and rules disappearing, whether it's through loss of parental guidance or fear of the unknown. Chaos and disappearance of rules can cause evil to become recognizable even in those who seem the most pure of heart. Society must not forget that evil will always be a part of Mankind's heart. Whether or not they choose to embrace this complex concept is entirely up to the beholder of that heart.