Beelzebub. Satan. Lucifer. The Devil. All are names encompassing the same concept: evil. Open up any newspaper, turn on any news channel or any radio station and you will hear, read, or see a majority of the subject matter pertaining to violence, murder and criminal activity. Does the world influence the behavior, or does the behavior influence the world? - Your classic chicken or the egg question left unanswered.
Think about the progression of the boys on the island from their arrival up until this moment in the novel. What is happening to them and why? Delve deep into the human psyche to figure out the reasons behind the evil occurring on the island. Where do you think it all comes from? Why are there bad people and why are they so bad?
26 comments:
Throughout their time spent on the island thus far, the boys have slowly begun to turn away from the customs instilled on them by civilization and instead turn to the ways of the savage. This particularly pertains to Jack and his followers who, by tortuously killing a sow, have severed their ties with the civilization that birthed them.
Others, such as Ralph have begun to change in other ways. For example, he has grown much more serious and adult-like; he is scared and desperate to maintain what they've left of their previous lives. One might even conclude he is beginning to lose his mind, however, none so much as Simon. Simon, being the good-natured person he is, often helps the littl'uns with things, which they are incapable of on their own. He often goes off into the forest alone in order to think and be alone, and he has a lot to bring to the table. Unfortunately, he does not know how to express his ideas effectively and this is yet to change in him.
These major changes in people are simply the result of major changes in the environment, the resources, and the people available. For example, there are few means of competition and fun on the island, and so Jack has taken on the "game" of hunting. The island is also lacking in ways for one to get his head on straight and express himself, and so Simon indulges in lone trips into the forest. Finally, there are virtually no adults available to the children on the island and so Ralph is forced to mature and play the role to the best of his ability. Unfortunately this may not be enough.
I do not believe it possible for one to explain the development of evil, for when it comes to a world of young, impressionable people, there is no true way to define evil because few morals are intact. When young children are raised by responsible and civilized adults, they grow to be responsible and civilized adults as well (usually). However, when young children are raised by the wild, they are prone to do whatever it takes to survive because - if the truth be told, this is human nature.
Survival is everyone's main goal, but the fact of the matter is that everyone has a different vantage point on how to go about that survival. While Ralph imagines rescue as the best way for the boys to survive, Jack believes the best plan is for them to hunt for meat. Civilized people who remain within the grips of society would view this as "evil" for he has begun to kill - and what's more, he sincerely enjoys it. However, one can also argue that it is in our nature to survive by any means necessary.
I believe that soon the expression "survival of the fittest" might come into play, because more of this "evil" is undoubtedly soon to come in a more devastating dose. While many associate "evil" with the killing that goes on in the island, I perceive it as though the true evil is human nature. Even the adults are fighting in a war, and so the children are merely a more shocking account of what's occurring in the "real" world.
emmasharon94@yahoo.com
Even if the boys tried to avoid the problem, it will still be there. It will never go away, even by the off chance that they do get rescued and get brought back to civilization and society. What is the problem exactly? It is the evil that hides within every single one of us. The evil's level of intensity varies from person to person though, that's why some of us are able to surpress it and become good people while the others let the evil take over.
While in society, the boys - Jack for the most part - found a place to hide their evil and animosity in order to fit in to the requirements of said society. They have no guidelines or higher authority on the island, so, with obvious reason, their true colors start to show. Jack and his hunters did not become savages on the island because I feel that they always were savages to begin with. Since before the island, something has been wrong inside of them. The evil that is within them was always there, the island just gave them a place to showcase it.
Nobody is born bad. During the process of growing up, certain factors determine how we turn out. We know nothing about how the boys were before the island except for Piggy. The boy grew up with his Aunt because his parents died. He grew plump because his Aunt owned a candy shop and let him eat all the sweets he wants. He was ostracized for his weight, eyesight and asthma, so the boy sought refuge in books. In what he lacked athletically and physically, he made up for it academically and with his intellegence. Something must have happened that traumatized Jack to make him the savage that he is today.
Simon has been compared to Jesus Christ. That must make the Lord of the Flies Lucifer. The Lucifer told Simon to go back on the beach and "play" with the boys, or have some fun. The true evil of inhumane savagery was brought under a light when the Jesus figure was killed in a frenzy when he tried to tell the bosy there was nothing to fear. The Lucifer's whisper blows through the island like the wind, telling Jack's group to "play" and "have fun" with Ralph and Piggy.
I recently watched a movie called Me, Myself and Irene. It is about a schizophrenic man with a split persoanilty. When watching this movie I thought about how the boys were going through a similar problem and the innocent young ones they were are now becoming viscous savages. As simon said before "maybe the beast is in ourselves and we are causing this fear in each other". This thought is now brought to life when Simon himself goes through the process of being tortured by the Lord of the Flies. As the boys stay longer on the island their enviorenmental awkwardness at such a young age is making them all into savages. All of the boys have realized that there is a beastie and that is just all of the boys realizing that their is evil in all of their minds.
Evil is something that the world deals with on a day to day basis. War is how we "solve" the evil amongst us. There is no civil way to end what has become in this world. Just as the world cannot control the violence, neither can the boys. Just as we all question, "Which came first the chicken or the egg?" I feel that the behavior has always thrived in the boys past each of their normal behaviors, but due to the lack of adult supervision and civilization it broke through their shells. In the beginning it was easy for each of the children to follow the rules. They easily chose a leader and assembled, in a way, their own little civilization. As time went on the boys that were the rebels of the group branched out. They became the hunters and decided not to follow the rules. When one person does not follow the rules others tend to follow. This causes disorder which only leads to chaos and war. The extensive period of time that the group of boys is spending on the island is officially getting to their heads. The ones that remain civilized will not for long. There is that feeling in everyone that knows when they cannot deal with a certain situation for quite some time. I feel that it is not so much why the bad people are so bad, but more why did they become bad first. Their tolerance for disorder was much lower which lead them to become "bad" first. I think that there is still much time for the rest of the boys to float over to the dark side.
syd1194@aol.com
Evil is something that the world deals with on a day to day basis. War is how we "solve" the evil amongst us. There is no civil way to end what has become in this world. Just as the world cannot control the violence, neither can the boys. Just as we all question, "Which came first the chicken or the egg?" I feel that the behavior has always thrived in the boys past each of their normal behaviors, but due to the lack of adult supervision and civilization it broke through their shells. In the beginning it was easy for each of the children to follow the rules. They easily chose a leader and assembled, in a way, their own little civilization. As time went on the boys that were the rebels of the group branched out. They became the hunters and decided not to follow the rules. When one person does not follow the rules others tend to follow. This causes disorder which only leads to chaos and war. The extensive period of time that the group of boys is spending on the island is officially getting to their heads. The ones that remain civilized will not for long. There is that feeling in everyone that knows when they cannot deal with a certain situation for quite some time. I feel that it is not so much why the bad people are so bad, but more why did they become bad first. Their tolerance for disorder was much lower which lead them to become "bad" first. I think that there is still much time for the rest of the boys to float over to the dark side.
syd1194@aol.com
The boys were innocent young children on an island. They kept the laws of society and just had fun. And then they had too much fun. They realized the freedom that they had on this island. The island is all theirs to do what they want. No rules. Some children like Ralph and Piggy can contain themselves and remain like normal human children. And then there are those like Jack who become to engrossed in their freedom and let inner sinful pleasures take advantage of their souls. If we had complete freedom in our world, it would be in complete chaos don’t you think. People can steal, their will be kids with guns, men beat woman, women torture men. Trees would be cut down on reservations, animal will room the streets harming people. With authority sinful people would take over the world and they see the world as strong beats the weak.
The boys have just killed Simon through there mindless chanting and then he is thrown into the ocean. They boys have just killed one of their own, there is no going back to normal after the all this. They are all completely tainted of their innocence. They have learned to kill, in our world that is the greatest sin of all.
The environment of freedom has let all parts of the boys mind go free: happiness, stress, sin, anger, hope and despair. Jack see Ralph and Piggy as weak for standing with good intentions, Ralph and Piggy see Jack as a Primal Tyrant. Remember when the Spanish came and Christianized the Tribes in Mexico. Ralph and Piggy are trying to be the Spanish and Jack represents the tribes. The only difference is that Jack is winning this fight. He has the excuse of “having fun.” Jack is using that freedom to lure others into doing his sinful pleasures because Jack himself is guilty. But he will feel better in his actions if he has others doing it with him. Just as the devil lures others to do dirty and horrible things.
Evil comes from the world. It corrupts almost everything that it comes in contact with. The world has a set standard that has been acquired over thousands of generations of backstabbing punks. Everyone just can not help themselves from turning each other because he or she has been trained to do so. The actions of the people just enforce this feeling and even worse is that the problem builds on itself. The evil doings goes from cheating in petty squabbles to brawling. From there it goes to war and from war to slaughtering the defenseless. No matter what happens the surroundings one is put in will affect the inhabitant or inhabitants. Since the world we love so much is hell, the best thing we could be is its demons. Demons only manipulate and desecrate the ones around itself.
Ms. Depalo had said that it would be interesting to see how the boys would do on the island being free of the world's influence. It would be interesting to see how the untouched and pure children would do on the island is what she told us. Charollette said they were innocent and I do not agree. They are just as dirty as adults. Since they have been in the world their minds have been infected by the hatred, cruelty and general evils that it so warmly embraces. Through various influences these kids have been spoiled by the war and every bit civilization they have been immersed in. At the beginning of the book we see Ralph imitate an airplane shooting at Piggy before the savagery starts to occur. This the world downsized, but only because the influences of the real one got into the island.
Email: nicocoup@msn.com
When I question the root of all evil I think back to the Adam,Eve and the serpent (Satan). Many Christians believe that while in the Garden of Eden Eve could not resist the temptation of picking fruit from the forbidden tree. The Bible says that the Lord preached that Adam and Eve could eat from anywhere else other than that one tree.Apparently due to the fact that Eve disobeyed this one blatant command, this is what brought the world its first sin.
I personally believe that people make their own choice whether they want to be good or bad. The fact is that most people cant handle the temptation or the serpent (Satan). There are many bad people in this world but sometimes you cant always blame people for their actions for instance Terrorists apposed to a Serial killer are two completely different things. A serial killer kills with no remorse, no purpose, no feeling. While say a member of Al- Qaeda truly believes that if he performs a violent act against whoever they will go to heaven. They believe that "Alah" asks of them to give their bodies and minds to hurting other people and protecting their beliefs. Even though I think the members of terrorist groups are extremely confused, I am in no way shape of form saying what they are doing is right.
I believe that the evil occurring on the island is stemming souly from human nature. Humans dont always get along, their will always be problems. Their will always be a "Eve" in every situation, the person who disobeys orders. When I think of this story I compare Jack to Satan and Ralph and Piggy's group to God and the angels, because Satan was once an angel banished to rule his own world because of the fact that he could not obey Gods rule. You can see that all the boys were once one family and now Jack is stemming away from the group choosing to get his group to hurt Raplhs group.
On the religious aspect of life, many people believe that the world is controlled by the evil one – Satan – Lucifer – the Devil. If this is in fact true than criminal activities prove to be inevitable. Others believe that evil just manifests in some people. Well I believe that both theories are correct. Evil lies within all beings but it is triggered by the temptations of the world. Look at the boys from The Lord of the Flies, for an example, they feel like they are above all things petty, but when put into certain situations, like being trapped on an island, their true colors begin to show.
The question that many readers ask is: What in the world has become of these boys? Why are like acting like they have no home-training? The answers to those questions are simple; in fact there is only one answer: all humans have EVIL that lies inside them. The laws of civilization are there to make sure that the evil that is inside all humans do not show. What happens to these boys is simple: they have left civilization. They have left a place of laws and law abiding citizens. They are now in an inhabited island without the one thing that keeps them civil – laws.
The question of where evil comes from is very controversial. Those without religious beliefs believe that evil is just there and will always be there. However, people with religious beliefs feel that the world is ruled by the evil one and that one day the “evil” one will meet his match.
At the end of the day, people have the choice of being “good” or being “bad” – doing “right” or doing “wrong”. Although evil lies within all people, the person chooses whether or not he or she wants to act on the evil that lies within. The boys on the island decide to viciously hunt pigs and cause mayhem all around them (Jack’s group). Just like they choose, we have to make our own decisions also.
eo95@ymail.com
Ms. Depalo is definitely right when she says that a lot of the news we hear on the radio or on TV, is about violence. I think the behavior influences the world because the world is the way it is because of the behaviors we do, and how we choose things in life, not the other way around.
When the boys first got on the island, I never thought they would turn to violence, or at least violence as far as people are concerned. As the novel progressed, I began to see violence as more of a regular activity, and as Emma said, more towards being a savage.
Most, if not all the main characters change in some way throughout the novel. I noticed that Jack was the first one to really go throughout some sort of main character change. Jack becomes more and more like an animal and less civilized as the book goes on. He takes charge more, and more, and uses that power to take over everyone, not really for their own benefit. Ralph changes a significant amount too in the book. In the beginning he was the one to take charge, but as a kid, not knowing what to do, or how to make decisions for himself, but as the novel progressed, he became less dependant on Piggy, and more able to make his own decisions, therefore showing his way to becoming an adult. Piggy also changes since the novel had started. When the book started he was clearly the one with the good ideas, but no one wanted to listen to him, and he just let them push him around, and stayed almost like just a shadow in the dark. Later in the book, we see that he has started fighting back, both physically and mentally and started taking action, and doing things on his own, instead of waiting for someone to do it do him.
The major changes that occur in these characters are just resulted from time in their new enviorment, having time to figure things out, and react. There is not one reason why evil starts to happen on the island, it just does, there’s no explanation to this, its just life, and people’s own actions which bring on this evil.
“Why are their bad people?” that’s a question I don’t think anyone can really answer. We don’t know exactly why people do what they do, but we sometimes know how they got to that point that just made them break, or that life they live. But the enviorment of a person, how they grow up, who they hang out with and who raises them deffinately plays a huge role in this.
raech629@verizon.net
Throughout the progression on the island, the boys are beginning to split apart into two different groups. The two different groups are Ralph's and Jack's. They both have different views on what should be done on the island for the time being. Ralph's main objective is to light the fire and keep it going so they will all hopefully be rescued. On the other hand, Jack's main priority is to hunt. Not only does he want to hunt pigs, but also the beastie.
I think the reason why they decide to split apart was mainly because of both Ralph and Jack's strong personalities. When two people have strong opinions and views on what to do, their ideas eventually will clash and develop problems with one another. Like Syd said, I also agree with that the boys branched out due to the lack of rules and supervision on the island.
All these evil and mischievous acts are occurring in "Lord of the Flies" because the boys are all at a certain point where they cannot handle each other. They are constantly around each other 24/7 and are getting sick of each other. Although in the beginning of this whole unit, we weren't really with our previous groups for as long as the boys were together on the island, some of our group members began to get annoyed and frustrated with one another. I personally think people in general are bad because of the people that surround them. They tend to annoy us after being around us for so long so we snap at them.
Earth and the environment were the first creations; nature existed peacefully for years without the influence of living creatures. While dinosaurs and other organisms roamed the earth well before mortals, human beings are perhaps the most evil creation of all. The truth is, as a whole, we do not care about the environment, and therefore, our surroundings are deteriorating. We are not reprised directly for the destruction we inflict because the environment can’t retaliate. However, by our actions, we are causing the environment irreparable harm; in turn, we are punished with natural disasters that viciously wipe out many lives. On the other hand, forest fires often occur because of human carelessness. We demolish our surroundings more often than we destroy our own species.
During class, Mrs. DePalo posed a question pertaining to the savageness of the boys: is it the island that causes the behavior of the boys, or does the boy’s behavior influence the island environment? The answer: both. Primarily, it’s the boys’ mental disposition and the absence of civilization on the island that affords them the freedom to behave as they see fit. Because there is no electricity available; when it becomes night time, it is dark and the fire is insufficient. This scenario invites fear; Simon is hidden from visibility and is mistaken for the beast. Given the conditions and human nature, I’m not so sure that the boys would not have killed Simon anyway. With basic needs, especially food, in short supply, tempers are bound to flare more often as time passes and the situation becomes more desperate. Man likes to control his environment; since the island environment is uncooperative, man strives to control other men instead. Thus, an intense rivalry emerges and escalates; the survival instinct and fear fuel this reaction.
Every child rebels against his/her parents at some point. The more a parent reprimands his/her child, the more the offspring bristles. Because many children don’t succeed, they look for opportunities where they can shine. Without grownups present on the island; every kid can become who they choose to be. No authority figure is watching over them, so they are on their own. What they don’t realize is that there are still consequences for their games and actions, some outcomes are more permanent than others. For example, the boys massacre Simon in perhaps the most Neolithic way; their actions can never be reversed; Simon will not rejoin the living.
As Sydney has stated, it’s not so much a question as to why people are so bad, but what led them to become bad in the first place. I believe the media largely is responsible for children’s behavior today. In children’s shows, there usually is an evil force or villain, but the story still ends happily. TV shows and movies suggest that it is normal to accept “mean girls” or serial killers within our society. People are dangerous; their rebellious natures overtake them and evil, immoral actions result.
Throughout the Bible, issues of Good and Evil are addressed constantly, from the trickery in the Garden of Eden to the betrayal of Jesus. From BC to AD, the world is a place where evil is at large; no one is perfect; some people make better decisions than others. How we are raised, how we are wired, whom we befriend and revenge, where we live, how we are treated, and how we spend our time all factor into our individual outcomes.
e.e.butler@comcast.net
These poor boys are turning into beasts, savages, and inhumane creatures. Most of them have lost their common sense and good judgment. The boys are not able to get along which only continues to split them apart. They have been away from civilization for so long they do not even know left from right anymore. It makes sense to me as to why they are acting this way. If I was away from society as long as them I would be going out of my mind too. There is not much to do on the island. Their adventure is more of a struggle than a vacation. They can barely get along and come to any conclusions so what hope do they have of escaping. They have attacked each other by mistake just because they have become savages. It is almost like when you give a little kid sugar. They will go crazy for a while then completely crash. The only difference is that these kids do not crash; as a matter of fact they actually get worse. All of these behaviors happen because they’re kids and they don’t know what to do. They are not used to these situations. They are used to playing around and enjoying life. Being thrust into a life or death situation and having to care for little ones is not something that average tweens and teens do. In my eyes none of these characters are purely “bad” but they do have their cons. Jack cannot be contained nor persuaded so there is no hope of asking him to help. Piggy seems to be the only one that has plans of escaping. Jack and his hunters have been on the island too long that they have adapted to a completely different lifestyle. The island has taken its toll on the boys and at this point they will remain this way. Even if they were to be rescued they would not be able to remember how they once lived. It is the same thing as breaking a bad habit, only the kids begin their own. It is not the kids’ fault that they have become this way. It is fate that brought this island situation upon them.
The boys are losing their ties with civilization! They already killed Simon, what more can they do that won't separate them completely from society and how they should behave....? The island is affecting the boys into acting out the way they are in the novel psychologically and physically. They are in constant need of food, water and shelter and are terrorized by the fears of the night and the beast. Ultimately it will accumulate into insanity at one point in the novel and their bonds to society and civilization will be severed completely. The fear comes from within the boys themselves. Fear inside each of the boys has different degrees and varies from one boy to another. If they cannot control their fears of not getting rescued and not being optimistic and not having faith that everything will be alright, then it can lead to social problems. People who experience fear have been known to commit irrational and dangerous acts just like the boys have started chanting and dancing and once they spotted Simon they just charged after him not knowing it was really Simon but the Beast and killing him in the process. I don't really believe that there are bad people but the environment definetly plays a HUGE role in to their behavior and how they interact with one another. Like I said before they need resources in order to stay alive long enough for someone to spot their signal smoke and rescue them from the island. The boys are indeed overwhelmed with stress and overbearing emotions of homesick, paranoia, and desperate feelings. If they can't cooperate together as seen in the splitting of the boys; part of the boys going to join with Jack's tribe and the loyal boys who remain true to Ralph, they will die in the island before anyone can come and rescue them. The boys are traumatized of actually going out there and killing animals for food in which they weren't put in that position before they crashed on the island. The boys had to adjust and adapt to the environment and the resources that were given to them like fetching wood for fire for warmth and shelter and hunting. This will cause their minds to resort to unhealthy behavior and lash out only because they are not used to the environment of being trapped in an island with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the boys that they have to get along with even if they don't particularly like them. The real bad "people" or evil being is the island itself, an endless void waiting to take the lives of innocent young boys one by one.
christian.pineda@rocketmail.com
Good and evil deride and feed off of one another. In order for one to exist the other needs to be present. Similar to yin and yang both working together are essential balance forces of human behavior/fate, and nature influences. I believe in the make up of every organism is the program of "good" and "evil". We are incased with this software, however it is up to us how we decide to "run" it. I believe that the environment which we reside in does influence the behavior in which we portray, but it does not solely depend upon it. Take for people who are born and raised in poverty, they may be MORE LIKELY to engage themselves in an act of evil; however it is based on the individual to decide. Evil is all around us, it sometimes takes form in poverty or a misfortune, environmental, death, and etc. Overall I would say that the world feeds and is a nutrient to factors of "evil" behavior yet it is the individual who harbors it and allows it to grow.
I agree with Efe when she talks about how society and the boy’s exposure to its concrete rules contain the "evil" within them. The boys being taken out of it strips them bare of these "shackles", which can be seen as an act of something good or bad. I believe society can be seen as a good or bad worldly influence factor to the growth of “evil being”. The disappearance of society may be good by offering the boys freedom to develop into more unique beings, or bad being that it gets rid of the laws that may have been preventing their true colors from showing. By being on the island the boys are able to transform into their "real" state. They are no longer being held captive in the reins of society, parental supervision, laws, and rules which sometimes are used as excuses as to why some person do the things they do. They are secluded from all limiting factors that which may influence their behaviors therefore causing the boys to be the masters of his own domain.
Olivia_taylor31@yahoo.com
Although there are a few people in the world who seem to be genuinely evil from the start, even those people are not evil. They are what we call psychopaths. Psychopaths have flaws in their brains that cause them to do such, what we perceive as "crazy" things, like cutting people up, eating them, or making furniture out of their skin. The people who do this don't think they are doing anything wrong. To them, it is just a part of life. There will always be a few deformed apples on a apple tree.
In the book, the Lord of the Flies, the boys grow more and more savage as time progresses and even begin to kill other boys. There seems to be an evil inside them, portrayed by the Beast, that is triggered by isolation and lack of civilzation. However, to be honest, I believe like Anne Frank that people are inherently good. If everybody truly had a lurking evil inside them, like the Lord of the Flies suggests, would our world not be a destitute land of chaos and anarchy? From the beginning of human existence, humans would be jealous and genuinely evil, and therefore they would be able to create nothing but chaos. As time passed, I believe the chaos would expand exponentially til the world was utterly destroyed. Why then, were humans able to build such beautiful civilizations and invent such magnificent technology and laws? How is it possible that such beauty could come from a people who are supposedly evil? Religion has intrigued and confused me for years now, as it has confused people for millenia, but looking around at the wonders that humans have created, I can't help but think that perhaps there is no God, except that we ourselves are all gods. If we brought a caveman forward in time to the present, as I'm sure we one day will, I am positive that he would look around and wonder if he was in the presence of gods. If we are indeed all gods, is it even possible for a god to be inherently evil?
In regards to the people out there who do seem evil or perhaps just a little mean, I think they are the products of nurture, rather than nature. I read a book recently about the ghetto, and it truly opened my eyes and showed me how in the ghetto, it is almost impossible to lead a pure life and be good. The situations we are born into definitely play a part in our personalities. If we are born into bad or complicated situations, we won't turn out as the kindest people. I think Jack may have had some troubles as a small child that molded him into being more aggressive and harsh. As children we are very easily influenced, which is why I think Jack was able to quickly reform the boys to his will.
"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."
As a Christian, growing up, we learn that things of the world are not good, and that we should not focus all our attention on worldly things. We also learned that the things that God creates are good (like it says in the book of Genesis). But it is when they allow things to influence them is when they turn bad, thus answering your question. Because no one is perfect, everyone has bad in them, but it is their choice on whether to act upon it or not. On the island, the boys have let their situation affect them. What I mean by that is that except for Ralph and Simon, no one has really tried to stay positive. Because no one has really tried to stay positive they are constantly surrounded by a state of negativity, and as Sai points out that, that the evil within them (represented by the beast) is starting to come out and play more and more of a role. As a baby, you are considered innocent and have the inability to tell right from wrong. So initially, they are fine and uncorrupt. But as time progresses, different things start to influence them whether it be good or bad, thus deciding what type of person they are. What a person is exposed to is the type of person they become. Yes, overtime they can change but ultimately, whatever someone is surrounded by is basically what they start to become
Through out the book, the boys have slowly drifted from civilization and towards becoming savages. Ralph and Piggy are the main people trying to hold on to civilization. Jack is the main one trying to change everyone to savages. Because of Jack's behavior, he easily influences the other kid. He glorified hunting pigs. Every time the boys found a pig, they would chant kill the pig and spill its blood. The boys enjoyed this a lot. They let it influence them because they thought it was fun. If Jack had not been there, the boys probably would not have become savages.
This applies to the world. Other people influence each other. When people hear about people doing bad evil things and getting away with it, they may think they can do the same. Other people may do bad things like robbing a store because they cannot get a job and need money fast. When people see this, they things it is the only option. People may be bad because of their childhood. A lot of people grow up in a home with parents who do not treat them right or lack of parenting. This may cause them to rebel. It is behavior that influences the world and not the world that influences people.
I believe that our behavior influences the world to become a good or bad place because the decisions we make determines the future of our country and others. As human beings we are given the choice to do what we want in the world but have rules and guidelines to follow. Those who choose to follow the rules influences the world to become a better place, while those who do not, turn the world into the opposite. We are the ones who decide to kill people and steal money which makes the world a worse place to live in. I believe that when saying the world influences behavior it is an excuse for all the bad decisions people make around the world. A person can grow up around drugs and abuse but is still be able to turn out as a good person. While those surrounded by the richest people in the world can turn out bad. The world does not influence one’s behavior and when reading the novel I begin to acknowledge that more. In the novel the boys are completely isolated from society and are left alone to make their own decisions. Some boys such as Jack decide to make bad decisions like killing a pig while some boys such as Ralph make good decisions trying to help the others survive and get off of the island. Eventually the boys divide into two groups where the island becomes into a war of good versus evil. Just like Efe stated I believe that evil lies within everyone but I disagree that is it triggered with the temptations of the world. I believe that the evil is triggered by the decisions we make within the world. As Jack makes the first decision to kill the pig it leads to a domino affect where he begins making worse decisions on the island turning him into a bad person. Eventually he becomes so bad that he and the hunters attack Simon and kill him for mistaking him with the beast. Therefore some boys emerge into good and bad character where their decisions influence them to become who they are. As they continue to make worse decisions they will eventually become worse themselves. Therefore as we grow up we should become wiser on our decision making and remember no matter where we are from and how bad a situation may be we can still turn out as a good human being.
biancasanabria13@hotmail.com
Through the bok so far we've seen the boys develop into totally different characters. The once young ambitious choir boys now viciously hunting sows, and killing them merciously. Being on the island so long has almost changed their identity. At first they were afraid of what may lay in the jungle, but nowtey are the fear of all the jungle animals. I believe this change is due to their time on the island.
They've now been on this island for a few months, and with any new place you develop many new ways. The boys arenow becoming more savage like, and are living almost like animals. They started off structured with rules, such as the rules of the conch, and only going to the bathroom in certain areas, but the island has turned into total chaos. Ultimately in the word there always ha to be evil. Whether its a murder of a bully. The world just couldn't work with everyone being jolly and nice to each other. The island is a perfect example of this. In the end the boys are unable to live together in harmony, and feuds and evil start occuring on the island. For example Jack's coming at Ralph, and dividing the boys on the island came from an evil in him coming out. These evils come from ntural human instinct. In all places all over the country there are evil, because we really just can't live without them.
It is easier to be bad and evil then to be good. Obviously a person has a harder time trying not to lie, cheat, steal, or think bad things other than doing whatever he or she wants. This is why the kids on the island are full of evil, because it’s easy to do, and it is addictive. Once you are on a bad path to evil it is hard to turn around. Men love evil, and would do anything to have it. The kids on the island have fallen into the trap. They know that being savage ways are wrong but it is an easy lifestyle. They become addictive to it and cannot stop.
It is all about how resistant one is to these easy ways. Ralph, Piggy and Simon all have endured the pressure to become like Jacks group, but stayed civilized. They try to cooperate but fail, and it causes them to become more tempted.
Everybody has evil in them, it only matters who could control it the best. So far that is Ralph, Simon and Piggy. Jacks group is essentially bad. The way they do things is wrong, like how they killed the last pig. Also how they treat each other like they are savages. Also, their hatred toward Ralph’s group has become outrageous.
Overall, bad people are bad because they have low self-control, and are addicted to the easy life, where they could do whatever they want. They are lazy because they do not try to be good. Bad people tend to not get anywhere in life, only the people who can control themselves and work against the evil, will succeed in life.
joepedo@ymail.com
Throughout The Lord of the Flies, the changes in the boys' personalities are very evident. In the beginning of the story the boys were as civilized as any British child. They were pleased to not have any adults around and were happy to have control over themselves for once in their lives. Also, eventhough they didn't want an adult on the island with them, they littl'uns needed somebody to look to for direction and guidance, so they elected a leader: Ralph.
Then as time dragged on, the boys began to show signs of anxiety and fear. They all said like they felt something was following them while they were on the island. Then once Jack becomes obsessed with hunting this beast and pigs for their meat, he drives the other children into savagery and therefore into evil beasts.
There is an evil lurking inside of every single person in this world. The only way to bring out this evil is to be in a situation where you give in to this evil. Ashley makes a valid comparison in that the Lord of the Flies is like the serpent who is Satan the devil, from the Garden of Eden. The serpent was trying to pressure Eve to eat the forbidden fruit which God told Adam and specifically not to eat. Also, when Jesus went into the forest to pray to God, the devil tried to tempt Jesus into giving up his fast and eat. In the same way, The Lord of the Flies tries to convince Simon to join the other boys in their evil ways by rejoicing in killing pigs and hunting, but Simon doesn't give into this temptation.
I agree with Dapo when he says that by letting worldly issues and temptations change us and persuade us, the evil lurking in each person is brought out. In the media as teenagers we are always seeing celebrities and other things everywhere we look, so as young people it is easier for us to give in to the temptation to copy the bad and evil acts we see on television. In fact that is how some crazy people go off on killing sprees because they see other people in real life doing it, so they can too. But that is where the decision of good and evil comes into play. There is a choice of whether to let the evil play itself out or keep the evil within and do good.
There are bad people in the world because they let things in their life effect them. If one were to both lose a family member in a gang fight. This person can either choose to let this event anger them which in turn can bring out the evil or instead do what is good by growing up and trying to help others and stop such a crime from happening.
kristie.varghese@gmail.com
I agree with Tiffany when she says that each boy on the island has now become someone they once nevr were. Since they are on this island for a long time with no certain rules and civilized manners, all the boys are taking advantage to do something out of their confort zone. I think that the main reason for the major change in all of them is that since all their lives they lived with having someone tell them how to act and what to do, they now want to finally experience what it is like to be "free" and get the feeling of what it feels like to not have any rules.
The once civilized group of boys started off with rules. They had a certain place to go to the bathroom and a certain time for when someone is able to speak at the meetings. Soon those rules started to deminish along with the amount of civilization each boy had. The more time spent on the island was the more time they converted into evil people.
In real life, evil is everywhere. At some moment or another every has had an "evil" moment. Obviously, the level of evil within everyone is different. But the way I see it is that the world always has the good people and the bad people. Even cartoon shows have qualities of the real world. Take the show "Fairly OddParents" as an example. There are not alot of realistic characteristics about this show, but one thing I know that is realistic is the idea of evil. The way we behave is what influences on how we act and looking at the world on a daily basis, not everyone knows how to behave. Not knowing how to behave causes people to act in evil ways.
ecanancy@hotmail.com
Like Charlotte said, when the boys came to the Islam they were all innocent. As the story progressed though, they all became either savage or only a shadow of their former selves. The real reason why I think that they are all turning savage though is because of fear. They don't have the safety that adults and civilization provided before. Reverting back to chaos and violence can at least provide some form of structure back to the lives of the boys. They don't need to depend on adults to be their backbone. Fear has a massive amount of power and it is clearly visible from the way that the boys are behaving towards each other. Fear has the power to blind, corrupt and tranform human beings into savage animals with no sense of what is right or wrong. The boys would not be behaving this way if there were an adult on the Island to take charge. They would all just follow the rules and not complain about it because of the authority and fear that a leader imposes. The very thing that Simon said was the beast is also the beast that is turning them against each other and against civilization.
The boys began living on the island in a very civilized manner. They all respected each other and listened to each other. The conch was used as a method of communication and there was a civilized democracy. Now the boys are savages, killing one another and living in anarchy. The new method of communication is by the spear which allows the dictator, no longer elected representative, to control the people with fear.
The boys have lost their grip on civilized society. The reasons that the boys remained refined back home is for a few reasons. There were unwritten, and written, rules in society that kept people acting humanely. These rules were enforced by the government, adults, and people. Now the boys are stranded on the island without rules or any adults to enforce order and therefore the rambunctious and sometimes violent nature that is in almost all young boys is allowed to emerge.
I have known one of my best friends Spencer since we were six weeks old. We would always play house together and I would be the mommy who stayed home with the kids (our younger siblings) and he would go out and hunt and kill dragons and monsters. All young boys wanted to be the strong guy who fought the beast. Also, he and his younger brother would wrestle all the time, normally just for fun. The thrill of fighting always entices young boys.
Now that there are no adults stopping the "playing" when it becomes too violent or saying "it's okay to pretend but it is never okay to hurt someone," the boys have no control over it. Most of them are not old enough to decipher right from wrong and the thing that appeals to them strongest is fun which is what their actions begin as but as they begin to lose sight of where the then line between harmless and hurtful is, the infatuation is too much for them to control.
So to sum everything up, I believe that there is some evil inside everyone but unless a person is in an environment where the evil is not allowed to proliferate and the person has enough morality and control over that evil, then it will emerge.
Along with Charlotte and Cesar I agree that the boys came on the island with innocence and are now instilled with evilness. We come to forget that they are all children. Some may act more mature than others, but they are in a rough situation especially being the age that they are. Its hard to handle especially while they are all getting used to having this newly found independence without having adults instill punishment or wrongdoings upon them. At first they started off being civilized. Having rules, a leader, and equivalent jobs to help out and survive on the island. But over time instead of going crazy, the majority of these boys have become taken over by savageness. They have failed to contain there emotions and do not even think twice when it comes to preforming an action that they would regret earlier in the story. I believe all of this evil and savageness began when the boys all really started getting into hunting.
As you said, there is not a day that passes where there is not a story about some evil action or wrong doing. There are much more evil people in this world of today then there are non-evil. Everyone has an evil side to them though. Some people worse than others, but we all have our moments. We all say hurtful words or commit hurtful actions once in a while. But afterwords we feel bad, whereas some people need to do so to feel good about themselves. All in all just like the story tells us how the beast is not an actual living object it is an emotion that lives inside all of us, this in my eyes is the trait of being evil and that beast only comes out if you allow it too.
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