The Struggle Between Good and Evil
Savanah Deming
Mr. Jetter
English 12H
19 December, 2012
Throughout history man has proven that, when left to deal with the struggle between good and evil, our immortality often claims victory, meaning that we are essentially wicked. Upon examining history along with fictional characters in plays, novels, short stories, etc., we recognize that man default to their immoral and sinful human nature, which plays a colossal role in our everyday lives. Religion provides us with the original interpretation of what is evil versus what is not, while society and knowledge apply this definition to today’s world. The assessment of these characters morality invariably leads to one conclusion: good and evil are not opposite ends of a continuum but instead are inherent in every person’s psyche therefore, man in inherently evil. Human nature can be described as an everlasting struggle between the forces of light and dark within the human soul. Humans are at the mercy of this darkness around and within them and must consciously choose the light, leading to a righteous way of life. Lord of the Flies by William Golding depicts this struggle between the light and dark sides of human nature, “Golding has been described as pessimistic, mythical, and spiritual- an allegorist who uses his novel as a canvas to paint portraits of man’s constant struggle between civilized self and his hidden darker nature” (Golding William 708). There are two groups of boys that represent each end of the continuum, those who gave into their evil nature, Jack and his followers, and those who resisted it, Piggy, Simon, and Ralph. The novel demonstrates this inward struggle by providing multiple circumstances where the boys must subconsciously choose where their humanity lies. Just as our DNA is intertwined into us, so are the forces of evil. “There exists an unwritten but operative universal morality that is ultimately as inescapable as the hereditary forces that determine a person’s life”(Carpenter
Mr. Jetter
English 12H
19 December, 2012
Throughout history man has proven that, when left to deal with the struggle between good and evil, our immortality often claims victory, meaning that we are essentially wicked. Upon examining history along with fictional characters in plays, novels, short stories, etc., we recognize that man default to their immoral and sinful human nature, which plays a colossal role in our everyday lives. Religion provides us with the original interpretation of what is evil versus what is not, while society and knowledge apply this definition to today’s world. The assessment of these characters morality invariably leads to one conclusion: good and evil are not opposite ends of a continuum but instead are inherent in every person’s psyche therefore, man in inherently evil. Human nature can be described as an everlasting struggle between the forces of light and dark within the human soul. Humans are at the mercy of this darkness around and within them and must consciously choose the light, leading to a righteous way of life. Lord of the Flies by William Golding depicts this struggle between the light and dark sides of human nature, “Golding has been described as pessimistic, mythical, and spiritual- an allegorist who uses his novel as a canvas to paint portraits of man’s constant struggle between civilized self and his hidden darker nature” (Golding William 708). There are two groups of boys that represent each end of the continuum, those who gave into their evil nature, Jack and his followers, and those who resisted it, Piggy, Simon, and Ralph. The novel demonstrates this inward struggle by providing multiple circumstances where the boys must subconsciously choose where their humanity lies. Just as our DNA is intertwined into us, so are the forces of evil. “There exists an unwritten but operative universal morality that is ultimately as inescapable as the hereditary forces that determine a person’s life”(Carpenter