William Golding was born in Cornwall in 1911 and was the son of a schoolmaster. He attended Oxford and studied Sciences. Against his parents wishes he changed to English literature. He then followed his dad to become a schoolteacher but in 1939 joined the navy to help fight in the war against Germany. It is shown in his writing that the war influenced his view of life that he was overwhelmed with what humans could do to each other once given orders. He published Lord of the Flies in 1954 and the reason he used children was because he use to watch them everyday and the things they did to each other made him realize how cruel kids could be to one another. William Golding was presented the Nobel Prize for literature in 1983 and was then knighted. He lived most of his life in Wiltshire and died in 1993.
Both writers use all male characters in their novels showing at the time of their upbringing that males were the dominant sex. Both writers show a keen interest in human nature and both books portray a hidden message that in all humans there is good and evil. This is reflected in the author’s background but Stevenson was very interested in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. It is thought that humans originated from apes and there were probably small giraffes but they died of starvation, as they couldn’t reach the tall trees. This is present throughout the novel and Stevenson makes several animal references.
“Mr. Hyde shrank back with a hissing intake of breath”
This reflects that Mr. Hyde was evil as in Stevenson’s day the snake was considered the lowest of all animals. Also as our lives are linked to animals this creates another duality in human nature.
In Lord of the Flies, Golding suggests that when humans are released into the world without responsibility or guidance e.g. the children have no parental supervision and it is probably the first time in their life they are living without rules and have to make up their own. Golding believes that this is when evil will be revealed in man with no boundaries or restrictions to keep them in line. The view that man can become cruel and wicked is the hidden point throughout the novel. And when the boys find there is a beast on the island, if you read closely Golding is really telling them that the beast is being brought out in a few characters mainly Jack and Roger. During their stay on the island the boys achieve great success by being able to survive. They showed adult responsibility by calling a meeting and addressing what should be done. They made a fire, built shelters and elected leaders and jobs for people to do on the island.
“Vote for a chief”
Even though there is no parental control on the island Ralph and Piggy take on the role of organizing everything and their main aim is to find rescue but Jacks is to survive so in a way their all try to help out but don’t really recognize it.
Jacks character in the novel is very important and significant as he is strong and very intimidating but it is him that shows the decent into savagery. When he loses out on the vote for leader to Ralph he automatically wants power by saying “I’ll be chief hunter then”. This is where he shows his inner evil and so do all the other member of his hunting tribe. They find a pig and they don’t just kill it they physically tear it to shreds and enjoy it.
“I cut the pig’s throat said Jack proudly”
The tribe also made a sickening chant showing that they enjoyed killing the pig.
“Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.”
Jack then tells everyone that if they want food they have to join his tribe. But without fire they can’t cook the pig so instead of sharing with Ralph and Piggy, Jack’s tribe again shows their force by charging and stealing the fire by setting fire to pieces of wood.
Ralph’s character brings social control by using a big shell called “a conch”. This is a key symbol as anyone who holds the conch, shall talk and be listened to this almost shows a school like act as normally when a pupil puts their hand up in class its to talk and to be listened to. When Ralph is elected chief his main priority is to keep the fire going but it’s his friend Piggy who advises him on what should be done, as he is very intelligent. Ralph is the only person on the island who is mentally strong enough to stand up to Jack. When Jack allows the fire to be blown out by not looking after it as his tribe goes hunting instead Ralph confronts Jack and argues with him. Ralph knows the most important thing to do is keep the fire going as it is there only way to be rescued.
Piggy if he was different looking would be an ideal chief but he is mocked because of his weight and him wearing glasses is almost considered as a disability. He is very weak but strong minded he knows this and is very nervous because he has ass-mar and to much work makes him very tired and gasping for breath. Because of this he is constantly left out and even if he pleads with Ralph to let him go Ralph just tells him to “shut up”. Jacks tribe becomes rebellious and at the start of the book there is a part of the island described as the “dark side” its ironic that this is where Jacks tribe sets up base as he has become evil and this side of the island is perfect for Golding to get this message across to evil can be brought out of man even through children. Piggy and Ralph are the only two people not in Jacks tribe and again they show maturity by going to sort their differences with Jack but it only resorts in Piggy being murdered.
“The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee”
“Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea”.
Ralph is on his own and runs and hides for his life. Jack sends the whole of his tribe to kill him. Ralph is in hiding and he sees a boy called Bill and he sums up what Jacks tribe has turned into.
“This was not Bill. This was a savage whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt.”
When Piggy was murdered he was holding the conch but now that had smashed there was no rules and order anymore and it was everyone against Ralph.
Simon is very innocent almost Christ like he is always willing to help and is very kind. Also he is strong by going in search of the beast and not being afraid. It’s his perseverance that causes his death that after he’s seen what the beast really is. He races to tell the boys but is mistaken for the beast and gets brutally murdered like Christ did.
In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Jekyll’s scientific research is considered morally wrong by one of his old best friends Dr. Lanyon. Stevenson could be describing Jekyll, as himself about finding out that there is evil inside everyone. Jekyll is very talented in his work and he creates the ultimate beast. Even though Mr. Hyde can reek havoc with the public and commit murder. Stevenson tells how evil can be locked away. Jekyll acts as a lock as it him, which keeps Hyde away but it’s shown as windows being shut. Also to keep secrecy Hyde uses the back door to exit Jekyll’s house so the public does not see him. This tells us that people know that they are evil and try to avoid it but it always prevails.
Without rules people can be free to do what they want as its not considered a crime. In Stevenson’s novel he tells us how the police even though they are meant to control and stop violence can’t stop Mr. Hyde suggesting that they are no match for evil. But without police is could be a whole lot worse.
Dr Jekyll is described as handsome, rich, respected and very good at science. He is considered to be good but with his knowledge on science he shows how anyone can turn into evil. Also Jekyll says “the moment I choose I can be rid of Mr. Hyde” this is ironic as this is early in the novel and he doesn’t chose to get rid of him suggesting he doesn’t want to. But towards the end of the book it becomes apparent that he can’t get rid of him. Showing that evil was inside him all along but needed to be brought out. This tells us once you have tasted evilness inside you it is like an addiction you can never get rid of it.
Mr. Hyde is described as “The haunting sense of unexpressed deformity with which the fugitive impressed his beholders”. As much as he could Dr. Jekyll tried to keep Mr. Hyde a secret but when Hyde came out it was mainly at night showing evil as we associate dark with evil. The evil inside Hyde is uncontrollable he is like Jack in Lord of the Flies he shows power but a lot more stronger. The way the boys on the island were describing the beast is the way Mr. Hyde really is showing the comparison between the two novels.
Mr. Utterson is Henry Jekyll’s lawyer but as the novel goes on he becomes more of a detective, as he wants to know what association Jekyll has with Hyde. It’s his concern that is almost the downfall of Dr. Jekyll as people begin to ask questions on who is this Hyde and the more he says the more he gives away. When Mr. Utterson finds out where Hyde lives he goes in search and there he realizes what a monstrosity he really is. They describe his room as windowless showing that Hyde is shut away. When Hyde becomes the main suspect in the murder it is Utterson, which helps the police in finding him but Hyde’s strength is superior and he always escapes.
Dr. Lanyon is a true scientist he is almost a contrast to Dr. Jekyll as he is more conservative and relies on his old methods and judgment, which aren’t morally wrong. But Jekyll tries to enforce modern methods and prove that being adventurous is the way forward.
In Lord of the flies the island of which the boy’s stay on is described as a “natural beauty” but the boys realize that they can’t go in search of help so they wait in anticipation for help to find them. Golding is making the island sound like a cage and isolating them from the outside world,
“The reef could not be crossed”
“The snapped sharks waited”
He uses alliteration to help bring out what danger they would face if they did go out to find help. Also the weather helps show the boys decent into savagery, at the start of the book the island is described, as “the air was bright”. But towards the end of the book the sun is described as an “angry eye”. As the tension builds up on the island between Jack and Ralph it is then described as a “revolving mass of gas piled up the static until the air was ready to explode”.
Also the title of the novel “Lord of the Flies” in ancient Arabic means “the devil”. Golding may have used this to describe what the book is about as we associate the devil with evil. But as the title is translated into English, a normal reader would not know what it meant bringing a new meaning into the novel. Telling us before we even read it that it’s to do with evil.
The setting of “Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” could be compared to the Edinburgh when Stevenson was growing up.
“A district of some city in nightmare”
This is the description of where Hyde lives it is a completely different area compared to where Dr. Jekyll lives even though their the same person. It could mean that it’s where Hyde feels he fits in and can “hide” himself. Stevenson also uses personification when describing this area as well by saying:
“The procession of the town’s life was still rolling through the great arteries with a sound as of a mighty wind”
Using human images brings the street to life it is explaining that evil is being moved around. When Hyde goes back to Jekyll’s house he uses the back entrance to be discreet and show secrecy. Dr. Jekyll’s house is described as:
“Large, low roofed, comfortable hall, paved with flags, warmed by a bright, open fire, and furnished with costly oak cabinets”
This shows a big contrast between Hyde’s dingy apartments in the rough area of Soho.
In both novels evil prevailed in the end with evil taking over Dr. Jekyll and he has no control over Mr. Hyde and Jacks evil tribe triumphs over Ralph’s as Jack can give them security and Ralph can’t. The arrival of the naval officer in Lord of the Flies restores order, as there is no fighting after that. Again showing how adult supervision can control children. If he hadn’t of turned up it would of surely meant Ralph being hunted and eventually killed. Even though Ralph has been put through so much with his friends being killed he doesn’t tell the officer what happened he is almost too distraught to tell him. Jekyll’s overall message is that as Hyde became more ever present it made him stronger n Jekyll weaker.
“That I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated in my second and worse”
He felt that Hyde was killing him and that once he came out again it would be the last time and Jekyll would never return and Hyde would be free to cause terror. In order to stop this Jekyll commits suicide but when Utterson and Poole find him he is Mr. Hyde finally the beast is dead but so is Jekyll. Being found as Mr. Hyde shows that evil will always be brought out before good. So him being found dead shows that he was predominantly evil and it was a stronger case of killing evil rather than good.
Both of these writers take a very negative view on human nature they mainly focus on evil and that is way life is more based on evil. Also both writers focus on good people in their novels but these are almost forgotten as throughout the book the main focus is on evil rather than goodness. Both novels start of good but then descend into evil this could also be them describing life as even Adam and Eve couldn’t resist temptation and being told something evil would happen. So again start off good with the Garden of Eden but then destroy it with a bit of evil inside them. The books could represent life but very drastic approach it almost instills a message in every reader that evil is inside all of you and it will prevail sometime in your life.
