Is Pride Always Hidden
Mamadou Samassa
Mrs. Pahomov
03/31/18
English
Is Pride Always Hidden
In Lord of Flies by, William Golding shares a deep understanding of how much pride a person can maintain within themselves when being cherished by those around them. Sometimes it is hard for people to see their true colors, could it be that they want to be different? There are people that use their pride as a way to get ahead of everyone, others who use it to look bigger than they really are, and this is all the result of being influenced by their own action. This pride people are so daring to try is like a drug one good taste of it and there is no return, it becomes a habit an addiction. Pride is the destroyer of hearts, the grave for the arrogant, the cause of losing someone important. A person becomes a liability when pride barricades them from other people. The author of the novel presents Ralph the main protagonist in the story as having arrogance because he wants to show how pride turns friends into enemies, and how pride leads to guilt.
An example of this arrogant behavior also took place during 1301 BC. There was a ruler during the Moses, named Ramses ll, he was the third pharaoh of his dynasty, his father, King Seti the first. Ramses ll lead many expeditions including the Levant and the battle of Kadesh. Ramses led several campaigns south of Cataract to the land of Nubia which was later taken by him. He was a cruel leader which loved to see his people in great agony. According to the Old Testament and the Quran, Ramses ll was the same man who was a contemporary of Moses and the Jews. He was also the one who adopted Moses when he was only a baby. After Ramses ll took the throne at the death of his father he became a very arrogant, prideful, and even calling himself “God” he had possession of all the riches of Egypt, and was the most powerful man of his time. Muslims mention that he was also married to Asiya which was one of the most honored women in Islam, amongst Mary, Khadija, and Fatima (peace be upon them). She was tortured to death because she refused to call her husband Ramses a God, and made sure to discontinue his self-pride. Ramses eventually received a punishment from God after constantly refusing to give the Jews freedom, and saying he is the greatest later dies at the crossing of the Red Sea. According to the Quran Allah (God) says, “So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea) that you may be a sign to those who come after you” (Quran 10:92). Allah ordered the sea to drown the Pharaoh then to spit him out whole, without any decomposition streaking his body so that he may serve as proof to the people who believed in him and to us today. His arrogance put him in a place where he forgot the one with supreme power over all things.The quote can be found true today because if you visit the Museum of Cairo today this man is found in the Royal Mummies Chamber and he is preserved and displayed just like Allah promised. When Allah says “so that he may be a sign for those who come after”, he was speaking of people which act with so much arrogance, and are full of themselves just like the Pharaoh. Arrogance is dangerous because it causes a change in a person, making no longer a person, but trying to become something more superior, and it destroys the friendships and love, the Pharaoh lost his son, his wife and his people because of his arrogance for himself, the Prophet Moses came to him day after day telling him your Lord orders you to free his people and he refused, he knew the truth, but refused, for what to show people he is strong?
It’s time for the election and the boys are deciding on who should be the leader, and who has the capabilities to sustain a healthy living community of survivors, however a leader which will also have no second guess as to what is best for their community. Jack seemed to be the obvious choice for becoming chief, and piggy demonstrated a lot of intelligence. Ralph on the other hand “appeared” very attractive, without even having a stable qualification was deemed to be the leader of all the boys. "Shut up," said Ralph absently. He lifted the conch. "Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things." (22). This quote clearly shows how prideful Ralph was, he was the one which brought forth the idea of even having a supreme leader, as for Jack was arrogant after saying, “ I ought be chief”, but Ralph was self-conceited he said, “It seems to “me” we ought have a chief to decide things” referring to himself, he was showcasing that he was the only one capable of being chief, he didn’t tell the others he had floss when he was spoken good about, and always had something to saying if anything negative was said about him.
Ralph has now been on the island for quite a while starting off when he and his group of survivors first arrived at the island, to know where he is alone. Once upon a time in solitary with Piggy, Simon, and Samneric, now they are no more. He hides in the thick underbrush wondering in isolation how he’ll be able to heal his rib wound, he desperately wants to wash, but there is no guarantee that he won’t risk being caught by Jack and his group of savages. He finally realizes he is the one who caused all this grief and suffering, he is the reason why Piggy no longer is by his side. “And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. (222). The phrase that shows Ralph was arrogant the whole time was “Ralph wept for the end of innocence” he knew he was never innocent, he knows why he brings the brutal truth after the loss of his closest friends. The darkness in his heart is due to the regret of not looking out for his people before himself. Sometimes being a chief means the loose joy, it means doing the good for the people over the individual, something he missed interpreted. Ralph wept in despair and regret, just like a sinner who sinned their whole life and felt that sense of repentance after coming back. It had taken him all this time to finally realize, he lost everything, he had forced himself to a place which never belonged to him, he knows what was bad for him, but still stuck to it because it made him feel good. It could be that something which he liked was bad for him, while something which made him feel bad might have been good for him, as there could be some many benefits that come with it. Ralph revoked seeking others aid, while he focused on himself, and anyone that had possession of what he was looking for, which was respect, honor, power, but what use is having all these blessings if those blessings are not shared back?
In conclusion Ralph from the very start, Ralph gave signs of his self-pride which later evolved into arrogance. Ralph became boastful of himself, forgetting the people that cared for him, once he lost those people he learned their worth. In society, the greatest rulers occasionally forget what it means to be a leader it means to be equitable to all the people, audacious whenever and wherever, it means having discretion. Pride is a major reason why relationships no longer share a strong connection, pride is a damning human characteristic.
Work Cited (MLA) format
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin, 2006.
Meaning of the Verse "So This Day We Shall Deliver Your (Dead) Body (out from the Sea)", islamqa.info/en/72516.
“Why Pride Is Nothing to Be Proud Of.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intimacy-path-toward-spirituality/201506/why-pride-is-nothing-be-proud.
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