'How pessimistic is the view of human lifepresented in Lord of the flies?'

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                Linda-Maria Westman

                English 2K

                14.9.03

‘How pessimistic is the view of human life

presented in LORD OF THE FLIES?’

        William Golding’s classic novel, Lord of the Flies, presents a very pessimistic and cynical view of human life and behaviour.  The novel argues that when removed from the midst of civilization, humans will revert to a wild, barbaric lifestyle.  Lord of the Flies is a cynic’s view of what humans are at their core: selfish, desirous, and fundamentally evil.

When the children first arrive on the island, they democratically elect a leader and delegate responsibilities but as their time on the island progresses the rules and behaviours impressed upon them by civilized society begin to crumble.  A prime example of the beginning of this corrosion is when Roger throws stones at Henry.  Roger is still tied by the ‘taboo of old life’ and will not venture to throw stones into a space six yards in diameter around Henry.  As Roger gives himself to the savage lifestyle without abandon, he eventually comes to be Piggy’s murderer when he leans on the lever with ‘a sense of delirious abandonment’ releasing a boulder onto Piggy.  With his progress from avoiding hitting Henry with the stones, Roger moves to deliberately and maliciously striking Piggy with a boulder sending him to his death; going from civilization to savagery.  

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        As soon as the children land on the island, which should be paradise, one begins to see the selfishness in all the children.  The ‘littluns’ wish only to play and gorge themselves on fruit; Jack and his hunters do not want anything to do with the building of shelters or anything of the sort, they wish only to hunt.  Each child puts their own wants and needs ahead of the needs of the group. This selfishness eventually leads to the abandoning of the signal fire and the splitting of the group.  The selfishness and disregard of others is the root ...

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