Human Nature- Lord Of The Flies

5 Pages 1133 Words

“What we call human habit in actuality is human nature” (Jewel, Pieces of You). Society has cultivated the human mind into a sponge, which filters knowledge and moral values that are taught from birth. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding places fictitious characters on a remote island to test human instinct without outside influences. Golding uses objects such as the Island, the Conch, and the Beast to reflect aspects of our society socially, politically, and psychologically.
Golding uses the island to represent the social structure of human nature. One aspect of our social structure is how different each individual is from the next. The plane, which crashed, delivered a variety of personalities with different backgrounds: Ralph, from a loving mother and father, Piggy from his overprotective Aunt, and Jack from a rebellious childhood. These boys are defined by different ages, backgrounds, and characteristics, which represent individuality among the population that exists today. Another aspect of our society is the tendency to form groups. Jack forms a rebellious group of hunters and says, “We hunt and feast and have fun.” (140). The other, more conservative group, is led by Ralph who states, “I’d like to put on war-paint and be a savage. But we must keep the fire burning.” (142). This reflects how humans tend to group together and have contrasting beliefs. Political parties today, in which one is more conservative or liberal than the next exemplify a parallel to this statement. The last aspect of society is shown in the war, which displays how socially, humans tend to fight with violence and animosity. “The ululation rose behind him [Ralph] and spread along, a series of short sharp cries, the sighting call” (199). Jack’s Savages start a fire to kill Ralph, the enemy, but cease to realize that they are only destroying their shelters, food supply, and sanity. This is much like the wars fought in modern ...