Own Choice in Lord of the Flies

Free will, it is defined as a voluntary choice or decision. (Webster) In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of boys get stranded on an island with no parental guidance. Having no rules and responsibilities left the boys to make their own choices, but when it came down to survival, their environment ended up influencing their choices. Everyone has a choice as well as the ability to do what is morally right or wrong. But to an extent, man’s free will is limited to their environment.

In Lord of the Flies, the boys did not have any guidance or any authoritative figures and responsibilities, allowing them to make up rules and do as they please, such as committing heinous acts like murder. Once their environment fell into place with their actions, civilization started to fall too. “Yet there was a space around Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong was the taboo of the old life” (Golding 62).

The quote is explaining how the boys are starting to feel their old, civilized lifestyle back in England slip away from them as they resort to old tactics. Therefore, this shows that their environment is shaping their choices. From this, one can see just how influential the outside world affects their morals and decisions.

In an article titled The Nature vs. Nurture Debate claims that, “The view that humans acquire all or almost all of their behavioral traits from “nurture” was termed tabula rasa, Latin for “blank slate,” by philosopher John Locke.

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This idea proposes that humans develop only from environmental influences.” The boys didn’t have much of a choice over their actions, especially when it came down to obtaining food. A person’s environment contributes to their own actions, consequently influencing their life choices, rather than having them, themself influencing their own choices.

Continuing on that thought, In an article titled The Madness of Humanity Part 3: Tribalism by talks about the different facets of humanity. “Extreme behavior comes from a radicalized sense of belonging, a desperate attachment to a single-minded goal that causes a short-sightedness of the ‘other.’ Extreme behavior is inward-looking, intolerant, unwilling to grow, to look out. In Lord of the Flies, this idea is evident throughout the course of the novel. Even from the beginning of the novel, the reader can see how the boys separate into different groups to feel important and to have a sense of belonging, like when Jack was able to offer the boys satisfaction of becoming an animal or a savage when they join his group. With the children in Jack’s group having this mentality, it shapes them and conforms them to fit into this role and the environment in which this type of behavior is acceptable by their standards.

An example of this is when Simon dies due to the savagery of Jack and his group. When they mistake Simon for the beast, they end up brutally murdering Simon, making Jack’s tribe more evil and violent for the remainder of the book. On page 152 Golding writes, “Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the night sky, found themselves eager to take place in this demented but partly secured society.” Even though Piggy and Ralph are the more sensible and moral characters, they still were eager to join in on this barbaric and cruel ceremony. Having this happens truly shows that someone’s environment takes part in their life choices.

To sum this up, man’s free will is limited to their environment. Although one is free to make their own choices, they are limited to their environment as it is what ultimately affects how one would act. In the end, the people that one surrounds themself with as well as what one is surrounded by ends up influencing their predisposed actions. One learns and grows from their environment, allowing them to grow and change into the person they are.