Connecting Stanford Prison Experiment and Lord of the Flies free essay sample

But look out the evil is in all of us† stated William Golding in his novel Lord of the Flies. This quote means; watch out, because even the sweetest have evil on the inside. Golding’s novel and the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by Philip Zimbardo, both show a very disturbing transformation of young men. Evil became trapped inside the young boys of Golding’s novel, and the young men in the Experiment. Once innocent, now turned to evils doorstep. Given the situation, when ones innocence is being tested, the evil that lives in everyone is revealed. In the Experiment, college boys were given roles to play in a fake jail, which later engulfed them. In the jail the guards became fearless and the prisoners were truly horrified. â€Å"You really became the person of your uniform† stated a guard. The guards had a hungry desire for power. They began treating the prisoners like they were the dirt on the bottom of their shoes. We will write a custom essay sample on Connecting Stanford Prison Experiment and Lord of the Flies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The prisoners lost any trace of their humanity. â€Å"I wasn’t myself, I was my number, I was prisoner 416† stated the prisoner. They became crazy. They couldn’t tell night from day, they began revolting, they acted crazy just to leave the jail, they were treated awfully, they were truly prisoners, and they knew it. The boys in Golding’s novel became lost in their roles too. Golding’s book was a battle of civilization vs. savagery. Jack and Ralph battled for power. Jack, being on the side of savagery, and Ralph, being on the side of civilization. The savaged boys were once frightened; now they transformed into the ones being feared of. The civilized boys on the island were helping each other, building shelters, trying to be rescued- working together. Ralph as complete leader and Jack leader of choir. The transitioned savages on the island killed a mother pig nursing piglets, they lost all sense of hygiene, they murdered their friends- they worked against each other. The savages role played the killing of the pigs and even created a chant, â€Å"kill the pig, cut his throat, kill the pig, bash him in! † the boys became helpless of the savages. The experiment and Golding’s novel relate with one another. There are a desire for power, a definite fear, loss of identity, and major transitions in both. They both tell the story of young transitioning men. These stories make you wonder if you were in that situation would you resist or give in. transitions happen in a blink of an eye, and sometimes you won’t even realize anything happened to you. But the people around you will. be careful the evil of having too much power will take you on the wrong course and you will become lost, much like it did for Golding’s boys, and the guards. If you give evil a chance it will take you over completely. Don’t give in, resist: because evil is in all of us just waiting to break through the surface. Avoid evil at all costs *and maybe even power* for your sake and your friends.