Live or Evil?

    “The mask was a thing on it's own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-conciousness.” ― William Golding, Lord of the Flies

    There is a beast inside every one of us. Some people conceal it with as much joyousness and peacefulness as they can, but deep down everyone has that putrid evil in their heart. In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the idea of evil and morality is evident. 

    Simon, the wisest of all the boys was walking through the jungle when he happened upon the choir boys hunting and killing their second pig. They had recently broken up from the rest of the group because Jack was turned down as leader again which made him feel powerless and power hungry. After they killed the pig they cut off the head and put it onto a stick as an offering to he beast. When they left Simon had a silent conversation with the pig head. 

“Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. “You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go; Why things are what they are?”

This conversation explained that there isn’t a physical beast that you can kill. And that the beast is in everyone, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t kill it. The pig head represents the beast in the way that the faults in humanity lead to the monstrosity of sacrificing a pig head to a non-physical beast. By this terminology they were sacrificing the beast to themselves. Making them feel better or more protected by this sacrifice.

    It is important that we understand that the beast isn’t something you can catch and kill, and that it resides in everyone of us and we all are capable of evil things. The boys use masks and face paint when they are partaking in hunting or violence. It masks their true identity both figuratively and literally. The masks allow the boys to function within the realm of a new identity, and in these new identities, they can release the beast inside all of them. This brings up the question of what kind of society is better? One that hides every humans hatred and ability to partake in evil acts, or one that accepts the darkness in every mans heart. 

    I believe that even though hiding our anger and hatred is safer and creates a more harmonious society. However, we can’t forget or ignore humankind’s mishaps and faults. Because like a caged lion, locking it away only makes it more hostile.

Hair In Lord of The Flies

     “The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.” ― William Golding, Lord of the Flies

     The human race has always had a sense of carelessness and savagery. Often times carelessness and laziness leads to savage behavior in that it takes effort to be civilized and some don’t always work to remain on the path of sophistication. In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the boys hair symbolizes their battle with savagery. And them fighting to keep the hair out of their eyes represents their desire “fun” and their overall carelessness.

     After a couple weeks on the Island, all the boys at this point in the story had long hair and were dirty and a lot of them were getting careless about their hygiene.

“Piggy was the only boy on the island whose hair never seemed to grow. The rest were shockheaded, but Piggy’s hair still lay in wisps over his head as though baldness were his natural state and this imperfect covering would soon go, like the velvet on a young stag’s antlers” (Golding page 64)

This quote shows that Piggy, the most reasonable one and most civilized, had hair that never really seemed to grow. As the other boys all seemed to creep into savagery including Ralph, Piggy never seemed to. Their hair represents their transformation into savagery.

     Ralph has an ongoing battle with keeping his hair out of his eyes which represents his fight with savagery. “Ralph stood, one hand holding back his hair, the other clenched” (Golding page 66). This quote shows how his hair represents more than just hair and that is is more like a blindfold for civilization and leads people into savagery. “Not one of them was an obvious subject for a shower, and yet-hair, much too long, tangled here and there, knotted round a dead leaf or a twig…scurfy with brine” (Golding page 110).

    The growth of the boys hair is equal to their growth into savagery. As their hair grows, so does the desire for fun and recklessness. Piggy and Ralph’s hair show how some of the wiser and more intelligent members of society deal with the problem of civilization and the fight to remain civilized.