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What Are The Similarities Between The Stanford Prison Experiment And Lord Of The Flies

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Lord of the Flies and The Stanford Prison experiment exemplify the true darkness of human nature. The novel and the experiment show the evil nature that humans naturally gravitate towards when left to their own devices. They show normal boys, losing their humanity, and descending into the animalistic nature that all human beings have inside them. The Stanford Prison Experiment, shows the depravity of human nature. The abuse that the prisoners suffered throughout the experiment shows the sadism that all humans have within. The prisoners are subjected to psychological torture daily, for a total six days. They are brainwashed into believing they are lesser, and to thinking they are truly prisoner. On day six, the last day of the experiment, …show more content…

The events in the book and the experiment show how quickly human beings lose their humanity when the societal rules are no longer in place. In Lord of the Flies, you’re introduced to seemingly normal, well-adjusted young boys, as they find themselves stranded on an island. Within a matter of weeks, the boys go from well-mannered children to savage beasts. When they first arrived on the island, they clung to what they knew. The boys created a kind of democracy, deciding who would lead their group. They established a routine on the island, a routine that would soon be abandoned, once they realized there was no real authority. That created a spiral effect into the later events, leading to the killing of the Simon and Piggy, as the boys descended into anarchy. Jack decided to take leadership into his own hands, banishing Ralph and any who chose to follow him. Later, the boys are faced with the evil of what they have done, as they are rescued by men from the navy. Confronted by their actions, they begin to cry, realizing that they have lost themselves. The similarities between this book and the experiment are uncanny. Simon says, “Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.” An eerie realization, tying into the idea that human beings are the real beast. Seemingly normal, privileged boys, descending into a sadistic way of life, when given power and exemption from the order the government puts in place. …show more content…

You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?” Simon’s hallucination, being a manifestation of his own thoughts, shows him coming to the realization that the beast is within us. The awareness of the fact that human beings are the beast, in our very nature. The Lord of the Flies and The Stanford Prison Experiment, show the sadistic ways that human beings naturally lean towards, when given power. The animalistic ways that humans quickly partake in, when given the opportunity to do so. Between the young men in the experiment being forced to preform demeaning acts to one and other, and the boys in the book quite literally ripping each other to shreds, the evil ways of human nature, shine

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