Lord of the Flies and the Story of Creation

Satan, Prince of Darkness, Lucifer, Iblis; no matter what title he bears, the devil is the most recognizable and distinct representation of evil In existence. In the story of Adam and Eve, the devil's wicked evilness takes the form of temptation. He uses temptation to stray Eve from the path of God, the path she was created to follow. In the Lord of the Flies evil disguises itself as temptation yet again. The boys are tempted by their persisting desires to leave their civilized morals behind and indulge in the vicious and untroubled ways of savagery.

Numerous parallel themes, in ddition to evil disguised as temptation, between Lord of the Flies and the story of Adam and Eve are present. Themes such as original purity, the spread of sin, chance for redemption and tainted innocence. When Adam was created by God from the "dust on the ground and the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7) and Eve from Adam's rib, they were perfect, pure human beings and devoutly loyal to God. Similarly, when the boys first arrive on the island they are unwavering In their devotion to maintain civilized morals and disciplined behavior.

In chapter 2, Jack displays this devotion by nnouncing to the group, "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything. " In the beginning of both plots, the characters of the story are pure in their Innocence and loyalty to what they believe is right. Adam and Eve pure in their loyalty to God and the boys retain their innocence by maintaining civilized behavior. Jack and Eve have one clear thing in common; they both lead their companions in straying from the path of righteousness.

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Eve by being the first to give into the evil temptation of eating the fruit nd Jack by glvlng In to the evil temptation of power and the "compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up. " Subsequently after, the evil that engulfed Jack and Eve quickly spreads to their companions like a terribly contagious disease. Eve convinces Adam to eat the forbidden fruit as well, thus damning them both. Jack starts a new savage tribe that most of the members from the civilized tribe quickly Join.

Upon witnessing this conversion from good to evil Ralph remarks, "The world, that understandable and lawful world. was slipping away," Later in the book. aces savage ways even begin to infect two of the most civilized boys left on the Island. During one of Jack's feasts, Ralph and Piggy "found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They were glad to touch the brown backs of the fence that hemmed In the terror and made it governable. " In continuance of his custom, God goes to visit Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

When they hear him coming they grow ashamed of their nakedness, something they had never noticed before, and try to cover themselves with leaves and hide from him. God, being all knowing, pretends to search for them. He does this in order to give Adam and Eve an opportunity to return to Him and acknowledge their sin. The British Naval offcer that arrives on the island in Lord of the Flies represents what was originally good and right in the eyes of the boys, as does God In the eyes of Adam and Eve.

When the boys come storming out of the burning forest to discover their saviors standing on the beach, they feel no Joy but shame. Shame for the uncivilized ways 1 OF2 tney nave conauctea tnemselves. In emoarrassment was only ampllTlea wnen the British Navvy Officer remarked, "l should have thought that a pack of British boys... ould have been able to put up a better show than that. " This humiliation experienced by the boys is similar to that of Adam and Eve. In correspondence with God's actions in the Garden of Eden, the Navvy officer "turned away to give them time to pull themselves together. In warning Adam and Eve of the dangers of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, God says, mfou may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. " (Genesis 2:16-17) God's warning proves itself very true. Upon eating the fruit, their spiritual death is immediate, Adam and Eve are spiritually separated from God and lose a part of themselves they will never truly regain. The boys in The Lord of the Flies lose something of great value as well; their innocence.

In realization of this, Ralph "wept for the end of innocence. " Both the boys on the island and Adam and Eve permanently tainted their purity in falling victim to the temptations of evil. "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. " "He is everywhere represented as the deceiver, ssuming false guises, and making false representations. " (Peter 5:8) (Corinthians 2:14) Both Adam and Eve and the boys in Lord of the Flies were deceived by the false guises of the the devil's evil.

The bible categorizes evil in two groups; evil against one another, such as murder, theft, and adultery and evil against God such as idolatry and blasphemy. The Devil tempted the characters in the two stories to commit both evil against one and another and evil against God. Adam and Eve committed evil against God by disobeying his orders and Eve committed evil against Adam by convincing him to eat the fruit. In Lord of the Flies the boys committed evil against one another in numerous ways. They murdered Simon, Piggy, and attempted to kill Ralph.

In the book, civilized behavior and morals represented God. They committed Evil against God/civilization by losing faith and worshipping symbols of their savagery (pig's head and beast). In the world today, evil against God is very frequently committed because in most people's eyes, it is not true evil. From the Connecticut shooting to domestic abuse, in society today it seems as if people are carelessly making no effort to resist the devil's temptations to commit evil against one another.

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