Evil: A Choice

I was assigned the novel: Lord of the Flies in my 10th grade English class and for a debate, we were given the question: Is evil committed by choice, or only when under pressure. Here is my essay expressing my stand-point.


At its base, human behavior and desire is very dark. If given the option, humans would commit evil acts constantly. The “good” that we tend to see in civil society, is merely a front used to hide the evil within us. I call this concept “organized fear”. This is also very much the case in the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding. As the boys were extracted from the controlled and mostly rational environment that is civil society as we know it, they almost instinctively chose more evil behaviors over more moral and productive ones. It’s like a thrill. Without authority to control us, and no one to fear, we will do as we please.
Jack is the perfect example of this concept. He was the first boy on the island to come to the full realization that no one would stop his evil. As soon as he made this realization, he immediately felt the rush, and fell deeper and deeper into a sick love with immorality. Jack was not pressured to enter into evil, but Ralph certainly fueled the “fire” in giving him corrupt power. “’Jack’s in charge of the choir. They can be—what do you want them to be?’ ‘Hunters.’ Jack and Ralph smiled at each other with shy liking.” (Golding 23)
Many others were immediately willing to follow into this savage abyss. They were brought in not by pressure, but temptation. Pressure implies the burden of physical or mental distress, while temptation is imposed through the promise of pleasure or gain. There were, according to the opposition, people who did not succumb to temptation. There were three boys that appeared to retain a full sense of rationality. These boys were Simon, Ralph, and Piggy. Here, I will make an attempt at explaining their corruptions, however “insignificant”.
The first and foremost of these boys, was Simon. It “appeared” that he not only confronted and shunned evil from himself, but also made an attempt to save the others as well. It seems to me though that Simon was very clearly insane, brought to the outer boundaries of his mind from the isolation of the island. Simon was hearing the voice of a dead boar and responding to it. “Simon shook. ‘There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast.’ Simon’s mouth labored, brought forth audible words. ‘Pig’s head on a stick’ ‘Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!’ said the head… ‘Get back to the others and we’ll forget the whole thing.’”. (Golding 143) He trusted the information from this revolting source and attempted to bring about peace based on it. However he imagined the outcome, the results are what matter. His method and his results were both, let’s say, less than desirable.
Ralph may have actually shown his evil before Jack, but simply not to the same extent. He was entrusted with Piggy’s secret and to test the reaches of his new found freedom, Ralph openly passed the secret on to the other boys. “’He’s not fatty,’ cried Ralph, ‘his real name’s Piggy!’” (Golding 21) As the story progressed, it became more evident that everyone was involved willingly in evil activities such as the killing of Simon. “The blue-white scar was constant, the noise unendurable. Simon was crying out… ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!’… Simon’s dead body moved out toward open sea.” (Golding 152-154) And, as unwilling as he is to admit it, he takes part in the evil acts of the island constantly.
Piggy is the third and final boy that the opposition argues as pure. I believe that Piggy fits best into my description of “organized fear”. Piggy experiences strong hostility and animosity from the others and is afraid to speak anything that upsets anyone, good or bad.
So, even the seemingly incorruptible are corruptible and often even corrupted. They are not corrupted by the imposition of pressure, but, in most cases, the removal of it.

Google Sync - iPhone

Hey guys,

I recently started using "Google Sync" with my iPhone, and I think that the service that they provide is fantastic. Google Sync, as it's name suggests, allows you to synchronize the calendar and contacts on your Apple iPhone with your Google account.


Pros:

• Changes are pushed directly to your iPhone
• Works very nearly instantaneously
• Allows for easy changes to your Google contacts or calendars while on the go
• Multiple calendars viewed in different colors

Cons:

• Drains battery more quickly

Overall, I highly suggest that you Google/iPhone users try this out! For instructions, you can look here. If you're not yet a member over at Google, go here.

Thanks for Reading,
Ian Skelskey