“If you’re hunting sometimes... you can feel as if you’re not hunting, but—being hunted, as if somethings behind you all the time in the jungle.” It's extraordinary what people are able to overcome from nature since we all depend on society, environment, and culture. The idea of these three classes were able to create the human nature aside it's enactment.
Society plays a major role in human nature and the novel clarifies some characters as uncivilized and violent. In the novel the boys were far from society and they were left without rules, punishment, and guidance from those of experience. Without society, the characters in the novel were stranded alone which led to violence, murder and enemies to one another. "Jack made a rush and stabbed at Ralph's chest with his spear... They were chest to chest, breathing fiercely, pushing and glaring." And in Golding's quote, "society traces the defects of human nature," which is true. This incidence's importance is based on how uncivilized Jack has become and his power over Ralph. He wants to dominate over Ralph's leadership skill's by showing fear and violence which led to who survived such an act.
Environment is also a major contributor to human nature as Golding's theme statement demonstrates to readers the effects of people developing. The Lord of the Flies environment was based upon survival from the beastie and a leader to aid them whereas there was danger lurking on the island. In addition, a quote from Jack in Lord of the Flies, "I gave you food," said Jack, "and my hunters will protect you from the beast." The character's stranded on this island have a decision to choose which leader to follow, and human nature may have aspects of determining which way to pursue, a planned and domestic leader or a violent type to protect an individual from danger in the environment. In the novel's case, some chose Jack's path and other's in Ralph's stead. Ralph, who was always planned and determined to organize his group and maintain everything socialized as possible, “I agree with Ralph. We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything. So we've got to do the right things.” Meanwhile, Jack did not follow this concept and believed to show fear amongst all the boys in order to overcome as a true leader and better than Ralph since this was his determination. There has been variety of people in the past and present in the world which believe fear is the ultimate power as a leader. Take Adolf Hitler for example, he showed fear among the world and believed to be unstoppable by a surge of power he acquired in his own perspective. And through this, many lives were lost, and the whole world began to fear this leader, similar to Jack as he believed he proved himself a rightful leader. Jack also showed fear by hunting, commanding character's harshly, meanwhile he acquired everyone's belief he was better than Ralph, and that rules were useless.
Culture also relates to Golding's theme of human nature. The novel's culture was in dress codes as the hunters developed their own rules which separated them from the other groups. In today's modern world, gangs are very much similar to matter's as these. Their color of clothing and symbol's separates's them from another group, and demonstrates to other's who they were. In Lord of the Flies, Jack's choir placed clay over their faces as their symbol for hunters. The boys and each leader created varieties of ideas. While Ralph was leader, his culture was peaceful and maintained civilized, Jack's led to a violent style of living and a course to survive, "His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink.” Jack exults in the kill and is unable to think about anything else because his mind is “crowded with memories” of the hunt which explains his violent state. This is all motivated as how one group acts which leads to appearance and style of living changes.
It is clear that human nature has been shaped by society, environment and culture. While all three factors are a common thread in our development as humans, it is the unique blending of factors combined with the free will of the human mind that ultimately determine, the final outcome.
2006-12-05
18:26:49
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