Question

In Lord of the Flies, Golding suggests that human nature is inherently savage and that civilization only masks this darkness. In Chapter 12, Ralph is hunted like an animal, showing how far the boys have fallen. When Ralph “wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart,” it reflects his realization that evil exists within everyone. The boys’ decision to burn the island to find Ralph shows their complete loss of reason and destruction of their own world. Even the naval officer’s casual remark about “having a war” shows that adults, too, are part of this cycle. Golding asks: Is civilization enough to control the darkness within us?


. rephrase like a 8th grader and keep anything in quotation the same

Answer 1

In "Lord of the Flies," Golding suggests that people are naturally savage and that civilization only covers up this darkness. In Chapter 12, Ralph is chased like an animal, showing how far the boys have fallen. When Ralph “wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart,” it shows that he understands there is evil in everyone. The boys’ choice to set the island on fire just to find Ralph shows that they’ve completely lost their reason and destroyed their own world. Even the naval officer’s offhand comment about “having a war” indicates that adults are part of this cycle too. Golding asks: Is civilization really enough to control the darkness inside us?