Lord of the flies and implications of tutelage

Abstract

The striking propensity for violence, displayed by a band of British schoolboys, comes to light as a prominent feature of William Golding's Lord of the Flies. It is widely known that the choice of schoolchildren, as the perpetrators of such a savagery, finds its roots in Golding's own pessimistic vision of mankind, and his admonitions about inherent evil and fallen nature in all people regardless of their age and nationality. Nonetheless, the circumstances that lead to a decline in civilized values, and give rise to aggressive instincts, are too complicated to be expounded in purely theological terms. Other major factors could contribute to the spread of violence in human relations. This study does specifically elaborate on the tendency among the boys to be under tutelage, and the underlying psycho-sociological state that could prove crucial to the dramatic turn of events on the island. An assessment of tutelage in Lord of the Flies would further illuminate the significance of child characters in Golding's narrative and the way it manifests a similar tutelage in adult world.