The novel is set on an uninhabited island, free from the taint of human occupation. As such, the island is uncorrupted and pure. It has survived and flourished without human intervention. The island exists in its natural and original state, providing sustenance to its flora and fauna.
Since the island is isolated and far removed from human interference, it becomes the ideal setting in which to place our characters since it is here, in such a pure and uncorrupted environment, that man's true nature can be explored. The boys' arrival on the island is symbolic of man being placed in unfamiliar surroundings, free from rules, dogma and religion. When the boys arrive, there are no adults to supervise, guide or discipline them. They are young and carefree, free from society's restrictions.
It is this aspect which makes the boys vulnerable to whatever inherent weaknesses they might have. Being on the island allows them the time to discover the good and the bad about themselves, since there is no authority to intervene or advise. They are entirely separated from what we understand as civilization. The boys have to establish their own, rudimentary civilization to ensure their survival and ultimately, their rescue. As far as the first is concerned, the boys fail miserably. The second occurs, ironically, as a consequence of the first.
This is the point Golding wishes to emphasise: That in the right circumstances and conditions, man ultimately turns to his baser instinct - savagery. Man's inherent desire to dominate and commit evil finds an outlet in situations where civilization does not exist. It is clear from events in the novel that reason (as represented by Piggy, Ralph and Simon) is quickly ignored and replaced by irrational savagery and evil (Jack, Roger, Maurice and the hunters). Evil, if it is not contained, triumphs, and only chance or some other intervention may save those who are exposed to its destruction (as illustrated by the fire burning out of control and the arrival of the captain).
In choosing an island as the setting, Golding makes it clear that it is man's inherent evil that corrupts everything he touches. Before the boys' arrival, the island was a paradise. Its natural beauty is at once destroyed by the arrival of humans. When the plane crashes, it creates a massive scar - denoting the first damage the arrival of man causes. The island is literally invaded by the boys who further taint the pristine environment by dragging wood to make a fire, using the flora to feed and to build shelters.
They encroach on the animals' territory and hunt the pigs that had probably been free of natural enemies, threatening their existence. They disturb the natural rhythm on the island, practically destroying it in the end when the fire to smoke out Ralph runs out of control. Their arrival spells destruction and doom.
No comments:
Post a Comment