This essay talks about the sources of evil in the book Lord of the Flies. It focuses on William Golding's attempt to get his message across: the main source of evil anywhere is mankind itself.

Source of Evil

In William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, the main source of evil is human nature. Golding proves that evil lives inside of every human being. But it takes certain circumstances and situations for the evil that lives in everyone to seep out. The presence of evil in the book leads to the fall of all civilization on the island and to the deaths of Simon and Piggy. Human characteristics, desires, and actions are responsible for all that occurred on the island, especially Simon and Piggy's death.

One characteristic of a human that played a major role in evil that happened on the island in the book is fear. The boys suffer from fear which makes them do evil things. Fear is caused by the unknown. The boys know that they are all alone in an unfamiliar place with no adults and no knowledge of the area.

Piggy bank china

Ralph Wolf as he prepares to jack a sheep.

English: picture of piggy palz piggy bank

The boys are forced "to look after themselves" (pg21). There is fear that the boys will not have a sturdy shelter to sleep in or a sufficient amount of food to feed everyone so that they do not starve to death. Ralph makes sure that those needs are fulfilled in the beginning. When Ralph is elected chief, he tells Jack that Jack can still lead his choir, and they decide that Jack's group will become "hunters" (pg 23). The boys also fear that they will not survive and make it off the island. Simon mysteriously knows that he is not going to make it off the island, but knows that Ralph is going to survive. Simon says to Jack, "You'll get back where you came from" (pg 111).

Fear seems to affect everyone except for Simon. Ralph states the fact that Piggy needs to be informed that the rest of...