3. Lord of the Flies, 1954 The Spire, 1964 Books by William Golding
4. Lord of the Flies Democracy versus anarchy Civilization versus barbarism Good versus evil
5. Absence of structure, leads to British prep school boys committing murder. Even an innocent person with a good upbringing is capable of evil doings. Lord of the Flies
6. The Spire Good versus evil Self-righteous versus faithful Weakness of human nature
7. Dean Jocelin knows the church building can not support the spire, he goes on with construction. The church goers suffer and reveal their true nature, and Jocelin ultimately loses his own faith. The church is filled with immoral people committing sins on a regular basis. The Spire
8. Not always a “happily ever after” ending Realistic endings based on human nature Timeless themes Books by William Golding
9. William Golding shows that everyone has a choice, depending on their human nature. Conclusion
10. Babb, Howard. The novels of William Golding. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1970. Baker, James R. William Golding, a critical study, by James R. Baker. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1965. "Golding, William." Educational Paperback Association. 5 Jul. 2009. <http://www.edupaperback.org/showauth.cfm?authid=92>. Stade, George. Stade: Six Contemporary British Novelists (Cloth). New York: Columbia University Press, 1976. "William Golding." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 18 Jul. 2009. 5 Jul. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Golding&oldid=302848237 >. Works Cited
Notes de l'éditeur
In the two books I will analyze, Goldingplays on the age old question whether humans are naturally good or evil. He also deals with other battles of human nature, such as whether people are more civilized as we progress and learn more.
I concentrated on these two books, because they are popular and they have a prevalent theme of the battle of human nature.
Ralph versus Jack.Lord of the Flies has many battles of human nature, such as…
Golding shows even the most innocent people is capable of evil doings.
The Spire has the similar battles of human nature. This time good versus evil is shown between what is morally right or wrong in the spiritual sense. Dean Jocelin loses touch with God and becomes obsessed with the construction of the spire.
Golding illustrates how society does not always “practice what they preach” by showing how the church people were committing adultery (Goody), murder (Pangall), and other sins. The church falls down because of the weakness in human nature caused by the tension of spire construction.
Golding does not always give the readers the happy ending. He gives readers the realistic endings, based on the nature of his characters. A lot of times his endings are morbid and full of tragedy, but they are authentic. That is why his themes are timeless, because they can be seen today in politics, military, the media, and the society. Real life is not always a happy ending. People do not always choose to be good or make the right choice. Golding remains true to the battle of human nature in his characters.
In LOF the schoolboys could have remained civilized and kept the fire going on the mountain until help arrived. In The Spire, the Dean could have stopped constructing the spire. Despite the tragic twist his books may take, William Golding shows that all of his characters had a choice, depending on their human nature. In conclusion, Golding’s books have a common theme, the battle of human nature.
