Lord of the Flies Symbolism

"A devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick" (Tempest 4.1.188-190). Are people really "born a devil"? Or is evil something which is inborn in humans and is always just there? The battle between nature vs. nurture is one that has been disputed for many years. It has been scientifically proven that genes (nature) determine certain traits, such as hair or eye color. The dispute, however, is concerning what determines a person's behavioral traits. Some scientists believe that these traits, too, are determined by genes, while others feel these traits are learned from the person's environment (genealogy.about.com). The idea that evil is inborn within humans is a. controversial issue associated with these beliefs. Many believe that evil behavior in people is something that is learned and is the result of "nurturing." At the same time, others believe evil is a tendency that humans naturally are born with. In the 1970's, scientific research began to show that "the nurture-only view was indeed too simplistic" (Lemonick 54). Similar studies led to the assumption that humans are born with evil inside and it is human nature to act upon evil impulses. In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Golding uses symbolism to convey this idea of evil being innate within humans.

Golding uses the settings as different symbols throughout the novel. One of the first symbols is the main setting, the island. The island in itself represents isolation of the children. Since the children are isolated on the island, there is no way that the evil of the outside world could influence them to become evil. The island is also used to show that the environment, being so beautiful and pure, does not affect the boys and cause them to become ev

The island is described as a place where "the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake--blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple" (8). These descriptions of the island draw a picture very similar to the Garden of Eden. "Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:8-9). In the Garden of Eden there is a tree which bears fruit, much like the trees on the island which the boys feast upon. "Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden" (Gen. 2:10). A river flows through the Eden providing Adam with clean water to drink. Similarly, a river flows through the center of the island providing the children with fresh water. This river represents purity on the island, before corrupted by man. The water runs pure and clean until the dead bodies, representing evil, are thrown into it by the children and pollute it. Although the island seems to be