an unfamiliar place. Ralph has no idea where he is, and simply “...lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon” (1). He does not look back to see where he came from. It is almost like he is placed there. He then goes on to find the lagoon and gets answers pertaining to why he is placed there. An important feature in the Garden of Eden is the Forbidden Fruit. In Genesis this serves as temptation for the people in the Garden, and is parallel to the pig blood/meat on the island for the boys. When the hunters return from their expedition, “Ralph meant to refuse meat but his past diet... gave him too little resistance” (73). Ralph knew not to eat the meat because it would disable him from making his point, but the temptation of nourishment is too large for Ralph to resist. He gives in and eats the half raw meat. This happens in Genesis when Adam and Eve eat the Forbidden Fruit. The Forbidden Fruit has a perplexing effect on Adam and Eve when they give into temptation. Their eyes are opened, and they truly see each other. Adam and Eve care about nudity and try to cover up immediately. When Jack feels the blood in his hands,“He noticed Ralph’s scarred nakedness,and the sombre silence of all four of them” (70). This connects to Genesis since Jack has his eyes opened when he eats his version of the Forbidden Fruit. The pig meat/blood is the parallel to the Tree of Knowledge and the Forbidden Fruit because it makes the characters feel the same way as Adam and Eve.
Sean Hanley
Golding’s Lord of the Flies shows different connections regarding Genesis in the Bible. For many reasons, the island that the boys inhabit is parallel to the Garden of Eden. These parallels affect the boys the same as Adam and Eve from the Old Testament. Whether it is temptation, a gain of awareness, or concrete symbols like serpents or skulls, it is not difficult to find a biblical reference.
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