Comparisons And Contrasts Between Lord Of The Files And 12 Angry Men
The novel Lord of the Flies written by William Golding and the American film 12 Angry Men are two of the most celebrated tales in history. Both in different ways show the fallibility of human nature, the darkness of the human soul and need for true morality in a structured and civilized world.
The setting for the Lord of the Flies takes place on a deserted island during a fictional World War. The story focuses on the relationship between several English boys all under the age of thirteen who are the only survivors of a plane crash. Thereafter, the story follows the boys as they try to survive on the island, attempt to be rescued and eventually give in to their baser savage natures (Golding, 1959). The film 12 Angry Men is a drama which takes place almost entirely in a jury deliberation room. The film follows the exploits of Juror number 8 as he presents the lone dissenting voice in a room of twelve men who wish to convict a teenage boy of murder and give him the death penalty. The film is notable for not providing any of the names of the jurors until after the verdict has been read and taking place almost entirely in the jury room (Lumet, 1957).
The moralistic centre of both films centre on one individual. This shows them to be the lone voice of reason in a crowd of individuals who have succumbed to peer pressure and their baser instincts. In the Lord of the Flies Simon is that voice. He represents the only boy on the island who does not abandon his moral values due to any religious teaching or structured upbringing. Rather, he fights for what he believes to be morally sound simply because he believes in the concept of right and wrong. While the other children, even Ralph and Piggy abandon their civilized ways and morality in favour of the thrill of the hunt and their baser savage natures. Simon is the lone voice of reason in the crowd of savages. It is only due to this reasoning that he is able to decipher that the true beast on the island that all the boys’ fear is the savagery within themselves.
In much the same way Juror number 8 in twelve angry men is the only person who sees the truth of what is before him in the trial, that an innocent boy will be condemned to death if he does not act. At the beginning of the film the man stands alone in his convictions, providing an overview of how much evil has a hold over this world. It also shows how the efforts of one man can turn the tide and bring about true palpable change in the world. At the end of the film his efforts result in the exoneration of the boy.
In Lord of the Flies however, Simon’s efforts to bring order and morality back to the group results in his untimely death at the hands of the very individuals he wishes to save, though his efforts may be seen to have ended in failure. It is only through his death that Ralph and Piggy manage to come to their senses and turn against the group dynamic they became trapped in.
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