Golding Has Written a Novel Which Explores the ‘Darkness of Man’s Heart’. Do You Agree?
‘Man is a fallen being. He is gripped by original sin. His nature is sinful and his state perilous.’
In the novel, ‘Lord of the Flies’, the text explores the concept of man having a ‘dark heart’ and his capacity for evil and hatred. Readers are engrossed by the repeated occurrence of evil and barbarity, which evidently shapes the novel and acts as a catalyst to problems forming on the island. Golding never vocalises problems concerning a lack of food or water and yet problems concerning the social structure on the island are the focal concern within the novel. The author illustrates the concept of evil lurking in every man’s heart in a range of different ways: the characters and their behaviour, the events that occur and through a number of different symbols. ‘Lord of the Flies’ effectively explores the ‘darkness of man’s heart’ and moves further into detail to explore the reasoning and factors that have the ability to bring out the Beast in every human.
Golding has intentionally placed the boys on the inhabited island to withdraw the darkness inside. The island is a microcosm where the boys symbolise the population of the world, signifying that all humans are capable of sinful behaviour. Without advice from adults, influence of culture and assistance from materialistic objects the ‘real’ nature of the humans, and boys in particular, is exposed. Readers understand the quality of life and society the boys are building for their selves from knowledge and instinct. The setting and situation the boys are placed into accentuates the importance of order and peace, and the contrasting desire for power and authority, which creates many of the problems within the novel. The results are a broken and ‘morally diseased’ civilization without order or dignity.
Golding creates a selection of characters, which have distinct personalities and viewpoints to portray the different forms of immorality. The author cleverly uses children as the subjects of his exploration, which
In the novel, ‘Lord of the Flies’, the text explores the concept of man having a ‘dark heart’ and his capacity for evil and hatred. Readers are engrossed by the repeated occurrence of evil and barbarity, which evidently shapes the novel and acts as a catalyst to problems forming on the island. Golding never vocalises problems concerning a lack of food or water and yet problems concerning the social structure on the island are the focal concern within the novel. The author illustrates the concept of evil lurking in every man’s heart in a range of different ways: the characters and their behaviour, the events that occur and through a number of different symbols. ‘Lord of the Flies’ effectively explores the ‘darkness of man’s heart’ and moves further into detail to explore the reasoning and factors that have the ability to bring out the Beast in every human.
Golding has intentionally placed the boys on the inhabited island to withdraw the darkness inside. The island is a microcosm where the boys symbolise the population of the world, signifying that all humans are capable of sinful behaviour. Without advice from adults, influence of culture and assistance from materialistic objects the ‘real’ nature of the humans, and boys in particular, is exposed. Readers understand the quality of life and society the boys are building for their selves from knowledge and instinct. The setting and situation the boys are placed into accentuates the importance of order and peace, and the contrasting desire for power and authority, which creates many of the problems within the novel. The results are a broken and ‘morally diseased’ civilization without order or dignity.
Golding creates a selection of characters, which have distinct personalities and viewpoints to portray the different forms of immorality. The author cleverly uses children as the subjects of his exploration, which