The Good and Evil Inherent in Lord of the Flies William Golding's Lord of the Flies is the story of a group of young boys who get stranded on a desert island afterwards their plane crashes. Many themes are intertwined in this classic novel, most of which relate to the inherent evil that exists in all humans and the evil nature of humanity. In Lord of the Flies, Golding shows the gradual transformation of the boys from civilized, well-mannered people to wild, ritualistic beasts. From the moment the boys land on the island, both a power struggle and the first signs of the boys inherent evil, the teasing of Piggy, occurs. After blowing the conch and calling all the kids for the assembly, the election is held. “I should be the leader, Jack said with simple arrogance, because I am the chapter chorister and the head boy” (Golding 22). After Ralph is elected chief, Jack envies his position and constantly struggles for power with Ralph throughout the rest of the novel, convincing the rest of the boys to join his tribe rather than stay with Ralph. Furthermore, soon after the boys arrive on the island, Piggy, a physically weak and vulnerable character, is mocked and ridiculed by the other boys. After trying to tell all the liluns' names, Piggy is told "Shut up, Fatty" by Jack Merridew. Ralph remarks, "He's not Fatty. His real name is Piggy." All the boys on the island, except Piggy, laugh and become more comfortable at Piggy's expense. "A storm of laughter broke out and even the smallest child joined in. For a moment the boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy out." (Golding 21). The boys instinctively feel more comfortable with each other after Piggy's teasing and form a bond, leaving Piggy out. While Jack and Ralph are exploring the island, they encounter a little pig that Jack supposedly tries to kill. After finding the courage to kill the pig, Jack rectifies the situation by saying "I was just waiting for a moment to decide where to stab him (Golding 31)." This event clearly illustrates that, along with inherent evil, "man is [also] capable of being good and kind, and must choose and have free will to choose which one he will become." (Ridley 97). Jack's mercy is short-lived, however, and when they encounter another pig, Jack and his hunters are relentless.