The Presence of Evil: Exploring its Origin and Manifestation in Society and Art

With headlines that announce the brutal slaughter of the innocent, articles that expose the gruesome effects of war on a nation, and pictures that display the emaciated faces of small abandoned children suffering from poverty, one needs only to open the pages of a newspaper to become aware of the depravity and wickedness rampant in society. Evil elicits such horrid behavior amongst men; jealousy, greed, and envy form as byproducts of evil, and in turn lead to widespread suffering and injustice. Many individuals have made inquiries about the origin of evil. Some personify evil as a single malevolent entity that coerces vulnerable souls, while others recognize the capability of men to perform acts of violence and treachery.

In his fiction novel The Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the idea of “the beast” in order to illustrate evil as a demon that lives within every person, always threatening to consume an individual as soon as the society's restraints are lifted. Likewise, in the song "Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones, songwriter Mick Jagger seeks to communicate the presence of the Devil within everyone through direct and indirect characterization of the Devil and references to historical events. By speaking in the third person, Jagger suggests that the listener and essentially all people are the Devil.

Jagger adopts a mischievous tone when describing the Devil. Through the use of common phrases of introduction such as “Please allow me to introduce myself” and "Pleased to meet you", the artist portrays the Devil as an average person. Moreover, the Devil's polite formal introduction provides a sharp contrast with the description of the malicious acts of the Devil and serves to enhance his immorality. Furthermore, Jagger depicts the Devil as a sadist who looks back on his instances of treachery with fondness and pride. The Devil gives off an air of indifference. While he commits heinous acts with seemingly no other motivation than his own amusement, the Devil remains unrepentant. He shows no regard for the feelings of others, often mocking the suffering of his victims.

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The Devil's statement, "I watched with glee while your kings and queens fought for ten decades for the gods they made" demonstrates his view on humans as foolish, subordinate beings, which he uses to justify his vicious deeds. In his song, Jagger references various events in history as well as biblical stories in order to provide evidence of how, despite how much society progresses, individuality and savagery have stood the test of time. The Devil mentions his presence, “...when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain”, which serves as a clue for identifying him as the Devil because it is a reference to the time Jesus spent in the desert, during which he was tempted by the Devil.

The song also refers to Pontius Pilate and to the Crusades, which represent instances in which, ironically, humans turned to brutality in order to promote their version morality. Similarly, Golding uses the experiences of the virtuous, spiritual character Simon as biblical allusions with Simon representing as Jesus Christ. Simon's encounter with the Lord of the Flies is a reference to the same pilgrimage of Christ in the desert that Jagger mentions. Through this reference, Golding asserts that even the most saintly characters must go through a strenuous internal conflict with evil.

In addition, Jagger makes use of more recent historical events such as the assassination of the Russian imperial Romanov family and John F. Kennedy. Jagger includes these references in order to identify instances of violence lead by a small group of people. He then proceeds to speak about World War I and the Mumbai Terror Attacks, which represent the artist's commentary on individual responsibility in violence within a society; he asserts that the culmination of the evil within individuals leads to large conflict, and everyone is responsible.

The novel and song alike both utilize the concept of an external source of evil, the Lord of the Flies for Golding and the Devil for Jagger, in order to convey their message that evil lies within every individual. Although they sought to project their guilt for their grievous actions onto the Lord of the Flies, the characters in Golding's novel eventually must come to terms with the monsters they had become. “You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you.” This quote signifies the moment when the veil of denial is lifted and the boys realize that evil is not something that can be engaged in physical combat and permanently defeated. Golding asserts that suppressing the selfish aspect of human nature is a constant battle.

Similarly, Jagger agrees that the source of evil comes from man himself. Through distributing the blame for social issues on all members of society, he also implores the reader to take responsibility for his contribution to the world's problems, “... after all, it was you and me.” However, Jagger illustrates a dichotomy between good and evil. He states that there is not only malevolence but also benevolence in every man, “Just as every cop is a criminal and all the sinners saints.” Unlike Golding, Jagger recognizes everyone's capacity for good.

William Golding and Mick Jagger have consonant views on the root of evil. Both writers believe that, despite man's attempt to cast the blame for his sins away from himself and scapegoat an outside entity, evil lies within each individual. Society sets constraints on its people in order to combat their ingrained selfishness, which hinders the group from creating an utopia. Evil serves as a constant threat to social order and equalitarianism, however, if individuals remain cognizant of their capability to harm others, some semblance of harmony can be achieved.

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