There is innocence inside of everyone
Youth, love, curiosity
A desire for good, for peace, for safety, for fun
A beacon of unwavering luminosity
There are two parts two every person
A perfect balance of character
Dark like the moon, bright like the sun
Calm like a clear sky, harsh like thunder
A vicious creature of brutality
A desire for blood, for authority, for power, for retribution
Savage, ruthless, ferocity
There is a beast inside of everyone
Upon looking at the poem “Beast” by Brenden Belluardo, it is obvious the author draws upon inspiration from sources similar to The Lord of the Flies. The underlying topics that are fundamental to both this poem and The Lord of the Flies are parallel, thus this poem serves well as a comparison to the novel.
Firstly, we examine the base themes present in both literary works. Both the poem and the novel speaks of the duality of man; the double sided nature of humans. Man can be both civilised yet barbaric, holding a desire for both peace and power, at times calm like the sky on a good day, at other times harsh like the crack of lightning and thunder.
On one side, man is a rational creature that wishes for a peace and civility as it understand these are tenets necessary for society to flourish. In the novel, this yearning for “wholesome” principles such as said peace and civility is represented by Ralph, while the rationality of man which understands that such tenets are necessary for a community to advance is represented by Piggy. Ralph and Piggy yearn to be reunited with the rest of adult society, thus attempt to create an environment that is safe and organised, with everyone assigned proper roles, such as keeping the fire burning so as to be rescued by passing ships. Under Ralph, the boys exhibit a semblance of order and peace, reflecting normal, civilised society. In the poem, their longing for peace and order is represented in the lines “There is innocence inside of everyone. Youth, love, curiosity. A desire for good, for peace, for safety, for fun”.
On the other side, man is a vicious and savage creature, bound by instincts and greed even under layers of supposed “civility”. The viciousness and bloodthirst of mankind is represented in the story by Jack and his transition from the prim and proper head of the choir to the leader of the barbaric and bloodthirsty tribe of boys. Jack thirsts for power, constantly trying to twist control of the boys away from Jack. As he learns more about the island and his position at the top of the food chain, he becomes more and more depraved, craving for the blood of pigs and the thrill of the hunt. He begins to lose sight of what is rational and right, such as building the hut, and instead becomes more and more obsessed with hunting and killing. He begins to show viscous behavior and disregard for organization, and demonstrates and irrational lust for power. Jack represents the darkness of humanity, and can be best described with the phrase “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. The poem exemplifies Jack’s brutality and hunger for control with the line “A vicious creature of brutality. A desire for blood, for authority, for power, for retribution. Savage, ruthless, ferocity”.
Finally, both the poem and the novel demonstrate that while man has two directly opposing natures, both natures are just two sides of the same coin. The poem speaks of the civility and savagery of man, and how while they are different, “there are two parts two every person, perfect balance of character”. The novel demonstrates how man is a brutal and barbaric creature wrapped in a shell of civility with the downwards spiral of Jack from a well groomed choir boy to a savage tribal chief. His transition shows that barbarism may emerge from anyone, even the most seemingly “civilised” of men. Thus, it is shown in both the novel and poem that man is capable of existing in a state of both orderly peace and deplorable savagery.
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