The utopias in Genesis, Lord of The Flies and The Life of Pi all are created and then destroyed. A utopia is a paradise, whether that is an abundance of resources, food and water or simply a place of peace and divinity.
Utopias have not lasted, however, because of human instinct. In the three texts many techniques have been used to shape our thinking of utopias, and how they inevitably become dystopias. Golding’s allegorical novel Lord of the Flies, tracks the fall from innocence to savagery.Golding creates a perfect island in Lord of the Flies with descriptive language such as “Here and there, little breezes crept over the polished waters” and “spots of blurred sunlight slid over their bodies or moved like bright, winged things in the shade. ” A bountiful feeling is created, because they have the whole island to themselves, with all the animals and fruit available to them. The boys’ sense of freewill is contradicted by Jack’s eventual control and evilness, though.
Jack’s early descent into savagery is shown in “He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. ” By giving him the trait of a vicious animal, Golding highlights his descent into inhumanity. Simon’s revelation shows that the actual beast is within the boys themselves and that man is his own undoing. The boys become savage, which leads them to go as far as brutally killing an innocent Simon. The Book of Genesis, from the Bible, explores the Fall of Man.Through a repetitive and prosaic use of language, the Garden of Eden is described as a perfect paradise.
It is tranquil and peaceful, and there is an abundance of food and water. The phrase “Pleasant to the sight and good for food” simply emphasizes the beauty of the garden and the availability of food. The utopic environment and the abundance of life is also created in “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures. ” This utopia is eventually contradicted by the fall of man.
When Eve acts out the sin of taking the forbidden fruit, they are banished from the garden. In the extract from The Life of Pi, the paradise created is an island filled with algae that rejuvenates itself, full of life and plenty of food and drink. The utopia is introduced to the reader with much description – “A great green plateau with a green forest in its centre. ” Alliteration is used here to accentuate the lush greenness of the island. Pi becomes in touch with nature, almost part of it.
At first he is pure and only uses and takes what he needs.However, we are shown that in reality, the island is not utopic and peaceful, but a dystopic “carnivorous trap. ” Pi begins to kill and skin meerkats, and the utopia is destroyed. To conclude, the utopias in Lord of the Flies, the Garden of Eden and the Life of Pi are all similar in the fact that they inevitably come to an end. They are all corrupted by the human condition; that is, we are bound to be greedy and selfish eventually.
It is because of this that the utopias created all transform into dystopias.
