Advanced English 2
November 12, 2012
Period: 4
Lord of the Flies
The central concern of Lord of the Flies by William Golding is the conflict between two competing impulses that exist within all human beings: good vs. evil.
Throughout the novel, Golding associates the instinct of civilization with good and the instinct of savagery with evil. The conflict between the two instincts is the driving force of the novel, explored through the end of the young English boy’s civilized, moral, and disciplined behavior as they adapt themselves to a wild, brutal, and barbaric life on the island. Golding says that evil is an inborn trait of mankind that is held down by society’s rules and ways, and I believe that this isn’t always the case because humans are …show more content…
“The disobedience of the hardened personality could be one of three things.”
You 're dealing with illness, brute contempt for others or bravado," Welner said. "I would have every reason to believe that he 's terrified, because when you take his gun away, how scary is he?" Handy was not scary at all as a child. He was raised by a loving and religious single mother in New Orleans. "I went to Catholic schools all my life. And I was an honor student, Boy Scouts, all that. The choir — I went to catechism, first communion and after a while, that wasn 't me. It didn 't give me pleasure," he said. Handy explained that he felt alone and misunderstood as a child, feelings he says contributed to his aggressive behavior as he grew up. "Something just never felt quite right to me — this internal pain — and I always felt that no one else feels my pain. But I can give you a small taste of it … a small taste. If I hurt you … that pain you feel … can 't compare to mine. And I am not alone anymore." Many criminals pasts and childhood are a huge contribution to their behaviors as an adult. This show that evil is nurtured and not instinctive. Another example is serial killers and psychopaths. The people above, and