One of the central themes in Lord of the Flies is the idea that within all of us is a primal and instinctive evil, one we cannot ignore. We see this evil throughout the novel as the boys become increasingly more violent, and seem to have urges of instinct based on evil. Golding tried to convey the message that this evil is in us all, regardless of how we act. We see this in how such proper young boys at the beginning of the novel become savages near it's end. One of the more civilized boys, Ralph, notices this deep evil at the end of the novel and seems to have been stricken with dumbfounding knowledge. This idea can be summed up in the following key quote:
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.”
The simple realization of the death of a dear friend at the hands of bare evil finally brings Ralph to tears. It is the knowledge of his old life that causes him to realize the horror of humanity. The meeting of the officer seems to wake him and all the other boys from a long dream. Once they are brought back into the real world, they are able to realize the darkness within their hearts.
This quote serves to sum up the novel in all but one sentence. We see the themes Golding was trying to relate brought to life in words, giving closure to the incidents. The evil of man and the end of innocence for Ralph clearly will impact him for the rest of his life. Though we do not see this evil everyday, Golding's novel is a constant reminder that we are all capable of such horrible acts. He simply subconsciously presents the idea that no matter the case, we as a people have a choice. Whatever the circumstance, we should use reason and logic in order to overcome struggle.
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2 comments:
Mike, I think it was really insightful of you to pick this out as a defining quote for the novel. As I read it myself, a number of different thoughts ran through my head. Ralph weeping for the “end of innocence” (225) is a realization that although he now has the opportunity to return home and live a normal childhood, this has been destroyed by his experiences and this “end of innocence” (225) is a realization that his life will never be the same. Now that Ralph has seen “the darkness of man’s heart” (225) and the darkness that lies within himself, he can never really return to who he was before. Piggy is also mourned in this sentence I believe because Piggy was a voice of reason for Ralph that allowed him to maintain his innocence and halt the darkness of his heart from prevailing. It is only after Piggy dies that Ralph becomes just as much as a savage in order to survive as the savages who are hunting him.
I also found it interesting that you related this quote to human choice and will. In a way, it is a reminder that we do indeed always have a choice between good and evil. We must all learn to live with the choices that we do make. Whether or not we make the right choice will determine how capable we are of overcoming the pull of evil on “man’s heart”. In my mind, this almost invariably is what determines the true character and quality of a person.
Mike, you've chosen an excellent quote to sum up this novel. I also agree with Jason's response. I think that Golding's mind-set when writing this novel was summed up in this quote. Lord of the Flies in my mind is ultimately about human nature and how one may react when placed in hard situations. Piggy was siginificant to this novel because he was acting as the innocence in all the boys. His death truly was the "end of innocence" (225). For all the characters of the story "the darkness of man's heart" (225) is present for each individual's survival. With Piggy gone, i believe that Ralph lost his own innocence and fell into acting as his peers did for survival.
I find it's interesting that you said "this evil is in us all". I think the story tries to show that one can succumb to this evil when their intentions are not for a greater good. I agree that this everyone is capable of being "evil" or "good". The choices we make determine what we can become. Ralph's realization that Piggy was much more than just a friend seems to represent his own self- realization and what choices he was going to make to survive.
You have a good point that Lord of the Flies "is a constant reminder that we are all capable of such horrible acts". I think Golding shows us that no matter what situation, we have to ask ourselves what decisions are we going to make to determine our future? Will we choose to sway towards "the darkness of man's heart" or maintain the innocence of man. I believe that this novel defines what human behavior is capable of doing and what one can do to define their character.
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