Dark Side Of Human Nature (Lord Of The Flies)

Dark Side of Human Nature William Golding¡¦s, The Lord of The Flies takes place on an island where only schoolboys survive an air crash. As things progress, the boys go wild and hate, power, a loss of innocence and fear start to show throughout the book. The book¡¦s main protaganist is Ralph and he is the initial leader of the group of stranded boys. Jack, the antagonist, was the choir leader in the boys¡¦ school in England and he later becomes Ralph¡¦s opponent for control of the island¡¦s fledgling community. Piggy is the smartest of the boys who no one takes very seriously because of his weight. He wears glasses that become one symbol of the story. The gradual loss of sight that Piggy has because his glasses get broken or stolen, represent the gradual breakdown of the order of the island. Over the course of the book, the breakdown of law and order reveals human nature¡¦s darker, hidden side.

Lord of the Flies

Ralph Wolf as he prepares to jack a sheep.

English: Photo of Ralph Brown taken on 26 March 20...

The book has many different characters that bring various elements to the story. Both Jack and Ralph display power of character. However, both use their power in different ways. Jack represents hate while Ralph represents fairness. Simon, the quiet thinker, represents goodness, Piggy symbolizes order, and the little ¡¥uns, made up the smaller boys in the group and represent society. Ralph displays his leadership abilities when he is elected leader on the island.¡¨ ¡§Listen, everybody. I¡¦ve got to have time to think things out. I can¡¦t decide what to do straight off. If this isn¡¦t an island we might be rescued straight away. So we¡¦ve got to decide if this is an island. Everybody must stay round here and wait and not go away. Three of us ¡V if we take more we¡¦d get mixed, and lose each other...