Just like the Ying Yang symbol, everyone has a good side and a bad side. Goodness always has some evil, and evil always contains some goodness. If the two are not balanced, conditions can worsen quickly. The battle between the two was evident in William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Young, immature children stranded on an island fought between the morals ingrained in their minds by society and their internal need to be consumed by hatred. Golding's theme of good versus evil is highlighted when Jack encounters a pig on the island, when Roger attempts to harm Henry, and when Simon comes face to face with the "beast". The first time Ralph, Jack, and Simon encountered a pig on the island, Jack's attempt to slaughter her showed her inner good and evil. The boys found the piglet tangled in some vines and Jack rushed forward with a knife. He prepared to strike, but found he couldn't. Golding wrote, “The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the race to the bottom would be” (Golding 31). The piglet ran away and Jack's excuse for not killing it is that he was looking for the right place. The real reason behind his hesitation was the implications of killing a young, live animal. Without realizing it, Jack was influenced by a civilization of which he was no longer a part. Jack's better half knew that there was a certain taboo associated with murder. He knew that his actions would never have been acceptable in the previous world, but the malevolent side of Jack argued that no one could stand in his way. He could experience the thrill of killing without being punished by the authority figures of his past. Later in the book, Jack leaves all his morals behind and triumphantly kills a sow....... middle of paper... and him so he can successfully hunt a pig. Roger had no innate kindness, but he didn't show it until the other children turned evil. If he had shown his true nature early, others would never have accepted him. The only one who realized the destructive force that overwhelmed them was Simon. When he hallucinated the beast, he realized that it was not something tangible, but a part of each of us. He realized that the "beast" was the evil within them. The children arrived on the island pure and free from sin, but by the end of their ordeal they had experienced the horrors of humanity. Without the help of adults, they could not fight their fears and temptations. Golding's theme of good versus evil raised interesting questions about the essence of human nature. Is the core of humanity truly good or is evil always lurking beneath the surface??