Good vs. Evil in Literature

Good vs. Evil in literature “Evil triumphs, but never conquers,” is a timeless concept repeated throughout all great literature in some capacity. It means that evil is powerful, and may even take over one’s life for a limited amount of time. In the end, though, the good always comes out and wins over. In other words, everything will always get better, and good is stronger than bad. Three novels that exhibit this theme are Speak by Laurie Anderson, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. All three of these literary works are classic examples of this idea. In the novel Speak, by Laurie Anderson, the concept is plain to see. It jumps right out at the reader. Andy Evans is obviously the "evil." After he rapes Melinda, her life goes into a downward spiral. She struggled with depression and self-hatred for many months. At one point, Melinda says, "There is a beast in my gut, i can hear it scraping away at my ribs" (Anderson 51). This quote in particular captures the agony and pain she faces every day, which is a very clear image of the evil triumphing. Not too long after, though, Melinda begins to explore herself a little more. At the end of the novel, she finally opens up a bit. "The tears dissolve the last block of ice in my throat. I feel the frozen stillness melt down through the inside of me, dripping shards of ice that vanish in a puddle of sunlight on the stained floor. Words float up" (Anderson 198). This quote beautifully exhibits good overpowering evil. Evil certainly does not conquer for Melinda. She comes out stronger than ever before, and the experience shaped her into who she is now.

Lowell 2 Another great literary work that contains the same theme is Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. In this case, the "evil" is the censorship over society. Good wins over in the end when Beatty is killed and the city in burnt down in chaos. Before Captain Beatty died, he was one of the strongest advocates of censorship. He says, "What

Cited: Anderson, Laurie. Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999. Print. Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballentine Books, 1953. Print. Golding, William. Lord of the Fliesl. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.