Good versus EvilMany years ago, Charles Darwin introduced a theory that we humans are a species descended from animals that have inhabited Earth for many years, and he believed that we were civilized, intelligent, and logical life forms for these very reasons. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, there is a strong theme of good versus evil that reveals that humans may not be the civilized human beings they were made out to be. William Golding carefully addressed this theme using literary means such as its symbolism. Golding uses this simple story of English boys stranded on an inhabited island to illustrate how destructive humans can be when planted in a poor environment where they are left to their own devices to survive. William Golding was present during World War II, and this is where he shows how a normal individual can undergo changes from a civilized human being to a complete savage. The dictionary definition of good is man-made conformity based on rules that society has created and modernized and evil is deep depravity and wickedness. Throughout the novel, these boys face many conflicts between good and evil and between civilization and savagery. As Lord of the Flies unfolds, it demonstrates that inside every individual is a beast, and it is unleashed when the traces of civilization, law and order begin to fade and let it conquer our own personality, however strong-willed, good, or disciplined we pretend to be. William Golding makes very good use of his characters in Lord of the Flies, showing good and evil through each of the characters. One of the characters who represents good will is Simon. Simon is pure and good, and is different from the other...... middle of paper ... possesses innocence and odiousness, but also children that no one would have ever thought had the potential to become savages themselves. An author once said, “Human life is the only theme of fiction,” and Golding describes it in Lord of the Flies. Golding creatively uses symbols like Jack, Simon and conflict to give a complete understanding of good versus evil. Works Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York, NY, USA: Penguin, 1954. Print. Lloyd, Sharon A. “The Moral and Political Philosophy of Hobbes.” Stanford University. Stanford University, February 12, 2002. Web. February 11, 2014. .Wood, Bryan. “The social influence of good versus evil.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, March 8, 2013. Web. February 11. 2014. .