Human Nature in Lord of the Flies, and Empire of the Sun

Human nature is unavoidable and often the source of evil. Evil is an inborn characteristic that lives inside each and every one of us. The evil comes from our human sense of survival. And unfortunately, it is our nature to do whatever it takes in order to survive. If our survival is at risk, our evil rears its ugly head. Golding and Spielberg both show us how human nature act under certain circumstances in their works. In Golding's novel, Lord of The Flies he portrayed human nature through a group of British choir boys that had been stranded on an island, and forced to create their own civilization. On the other hand Spielberg showed human nature capabilities through Jim another British boy in the movie Empire of the Sun who spent time a Japanese interment camp during WWII. In each book characters were presented with the possibility of not surviving. Each character in both works had different reactions to what was happening around them this for instance Ralph and Jim both took practical approaches to everything that happened in their surroundings. Where as Basey and Jack did what they needed to do to survive. Each human has the intention to do good but when threatened human nature can turn violent.

"C'mon Jim haven't I taught you anything?" Basey asked

"Yes," Jim replied "A person will do anything for a potato."

This remark is very true about humans in general. When humans in need something they will sometimes do anything to do it, this can also result in a violent act. Through out the movie Jim had looked up to Basey and respected him. At the end of the movie Jim saw who Basey really was. It was not that Basey was a terrible person, it was that he was a "life is tough," do what you need to do to survive. At first Jim saw Basey as a really cool guy and to some extent looking up to him. All the while Jim somewhat acted like Basey, he was very practical and did what he needed to do to survive. One example is when Jim was with the doctor, a man was dying and Jim asked for his shoes. Jim really didn't care about the man dying, he just wanted his shoes. Jim was just being human at this point doing what he needed or thought needed to survive. You could say the same for Ralph when he and piggy decided to go to Jack's feast, "Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly
secure society" (Golding 138). Piggy and Ralph did this to fit in and also for food they thought they needed. They did not go to be a part of Jack's savage group they went to be part of the social group.

"Viciously, with full intention, he hurdled his spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and flesh over Ralph's ribs, then sheared off and fell in the water"(Golding 167). This signifies the transformation from the once civilized British boys to savages like beasts. The loss of civilization let them maliciously kill with no grief. Their emotions and feelings of remorse had been lost, and the island was roaming with blood thirsty beasts. This violence was caused by the fear of Ralph and the possibility of Jack losing his power, therefore Jack felt threatened so he acted through violence. When Jim first met Basey, Basey's friend didn't want Jim around them. He sort of got angry when Basey gave Jim his food and let him come with them in the truck. Once again someone felt threatened the result was an argument between him and Basey.

When Jim saw his parents at the end of the movie he acted as he had never seen them before. Jim had been through so much and changed so much over the years where his parents weren't there to shape him. It was almost a shock to him when he saw them because he had wanted them for so long and they had finally come. He now was done with all the horrors of the camps and he could go home with his parents. Ralph had a similar experience with the officer on the beach. After running for his life Ralph stumbles upon his rescue, a naval officer. At first he has a conversation with him, then he breaks down crying. He has just in a few days seen two of his friends murdered and run for his own life. Part of it is shock and the other was relief. When Ralph broke down he was recollecting on all the terrible events that had happened on the island. Humans can be both good and evil. Its what happens to the that makes them act the way they act. In the movie Empire of the Sun Steven Spielberg showed us what makes people fight over a potato. He showed the hardships people endured during the internment camps and the way they reacted. Some gave up and died and others like Jim and Basey never gave up and survived. William Golding in Lord of the Flies showed that the evil residing within everyone could be unleashed. It proved the dark side of human nature could be as vicious and as terrifying as the unknown it itself, and even the most innocent of us are vulnerable to it.