Lord of the Flies
Golding has enlarged the view of the perception of human nature which is based on the fact that each person in the society is inclined towards doing evil acts more than good hence strongly implying that criminals and wrong doers will never seize. Through a personal experience, Golding has illustrated the nature of human character which he observed and analyzed during the World War II. He observed the cruel treatment of the prisoners, the bombing of the civilians and all sought of evils that were conducted by the Nazi concentrated camps and all these occurrences affected his view of humanity as explained in the book “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” by Thomas Foster. Foster decides to discuss in details about the significance of a quest in determining the number of aspects that concern the perception of people on their view of human nature. As described by Foster, a quest is perceived to be a knight or rather a dangerous path that is made up of various structural terms. A quest for human nature by Foster is practically seen in the novel Lord of the Flies by Golding as it shall be discussed throughout this paper.
First, the first chapter of the book has expounded on the need and purpose of a quest. Foster refers to a quest as a process of seeking discovery that requires one to move to a place with a specific reason for research. The quest aims at understanding the self-traits with respect to those of others which can be learned through ordinary trips, adventures, and outings (Schall 137). On a practical basis, Golding was learning the nature of the human character while at war, in various places which were away from home. The move he made from home to the military camping site would explain nature of a journey that Foster is talking about in his book that advocates for the best quest to be carried out (Bloom 156).
The second chapter of the book addresses the literal significance of eating meals together as an act of communion. Foster points that communion according to literature is inclusive of the Christianity acts, friendships intimacy and the act of sharing. Taking meals together is considered as a contributing factor in promoting peace and good will, connections between members of the society are able to maintain their intimacy towards one another (Schall 138). The concept of communion has been the crucial part of Golding’s experience throughout the war period in a variety of ways. The act of sharing meals is a countermeasure that is taken to by societies to enact against the evil that has taken control of the human character. From the broader perspective of the evil-minded nature, Golding was interested in discussing about evil, its causes and the effects it has on the community. The novel bases its key concerns on the role of individuals in the society when problems arise. For instance, the young boys that were set on an island were faced with numerous challenges on the island and this demanded oneness but unfortunately, they lacked it. The communion between these boys grew weaker due to the fact that all were having different interests and motives. The end results confirmed that the boys chose to fulfill their individual desires instead of co-operating their minds to build a coherent and profound society that would require the good of each person. In this regard, it is evident that human nature is perceived to be overwhelmed by selfishness as seen from the boys (Bloom 155). This weakness could be best done away with as explained by Foster by establishing communal activities such as eating together in order to build unity.
Chapter three covers the literary significance that can be drawn from the use of fanatics and other spiritual figures. According to fosters, authors usually deploy figures such as vampires and ghosts with a sole purpose of presenting the dark side of the human nature. The fanatics are commonly used to represent selfishness, exploitation and dominion among other symbolic dark principles that are contained in the human character. In addition, the example that Foster presents of the Dracula, the theme of seduction, lust and danger have been covered among other evils. These evil traits have been the cause of rotten human characters that sum up to constitute the evil society at large. This is a theoretical concept of the human nature which is vividly described by Golding as the two boys Ralph and Piggy who are responsible for bringing all those who survived together. Jack the other boy forms a rebellious group which disorients all the plans that have been put in place by the fellow boys. From the way these boys are unable to remain united and decide on a common goal, Golding has derived his message which holds that human nature comes from within and the end results is a degenerated society into a barbaric anarchy. The boys are in not able to unite their efforts to eradicate themselves from the hands of the harsh natural conditions that presented in the island. Finally, the gradual decline of the moral standards of the individual values results to the declined structured society (Bloom 160).
The twelfth chapter of the Fosters writings has captured the use of symbols in professional writings. It talks about the straightforward symbols and those that have got a deeper meaning. For instance, raising a white flag communicates that he should not shoot or generally peace (Schall 138). In practical explanation, Golding has presented a horrible experience while at war. When he is confronted with a choice concerning the savagery of animals, he considers the act of turning back the various values that were represented by Ralph (Bloom 154). Golding uses the symbolism of the beast which the boys thought it could be killed or hurt. The beast is revealed when Roger kills Piggy deliberately. The writer of the novel has also symbolized authority and order by the use of conch which is destroyed during the death of Piggy. This basically symbolized the complete rejection of the moral standards that was followed by the boys implying that the fear of superstition concerning the beast was within them.
In conclusion, Golding has presented a practical explanation of the perception of human nature which is broadly covered in the book by Foster. Literature has embraced the use of symbolism, and fanatics to describe the nature of human character. Through the experience of the World War II that is presented by Golding, a deeper discussion has been derived to portray the perception of people about the character traits of the human nature.
Works Cited
SCHALL, JAMES. "On The Teaching Of Classical Literature." Logos: A Journal Of Catholic Thought & Culture 19.3 (2016): 137-147. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Aug. 2016.
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Bloom, Harold. William Golding's Lord of the Flies. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2010. Internet resource.
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