Twining1

AlecTwining
MrSalow
English11
December10,2015

InheritorsEssayCharacterAnalysis
The
Inheritors
byWilliamGoldingisabookthatisbasedontheNeanderthalsstruggleto
survivefromthemoreintelligent,yetmoremalevolentHomoSapiens.FaisthemateofLok
andthemotherofLiku.Throughoutthebook,Fabeginstobreakawayfromthemoldthatmost
envisionNeanderthalstobe:Unintelligent,incapableofthinkingofthingsonthego,usingtools.
Faisanessentialpartofthebook
TheInheritors
andhelpstoaddGoldingsclaimthathumans
areinherentlyevildestructivecreatures,Fasleadership,intelligence,andcompassion)all
supportthis.
Throughout
TheInheritors
Goldingwritesinawaythatrepresentshumansasalmostevil
whileneanderthalsaspeaceful,benevolentcreaturesthatarevictimstothehumansdestructive
ways.Thishelpstoshowthemeaningofthisnovel,whichisthat,thathumansarenaturally
destructivecreatures.Thisisexemplifiedbythefactthatallthehumansweredestructiveand
maliciousintheiractskillingmostoftheneanderthalclanfornoreasonotherthantokill.While,
atthesametime,theNeanderthalswerepeaceful,theybasicallyonlyatevegetablesonlyeating
meatoutofnecessity,afterLokfindadeercarcasshespeakstohimselftobeconvincedthat
eatingmeatisokay,Thepeoplearearethinwithhungerandtheymusteat.Theydonotlike
thetasteofmeatbuttheymusteat.(Golding56).Additionally,theneanderthalsnever


Twining2

attackedthehumansbutwerethevictimsofthem.Whenanauthorgeneralizesagroupacertain
way,theauthorisusuallytryingtosaysomethingaboutthatgroupingeneral,sinceGolding
madeallthehumansevilhewastryingtosaythatallhumansarenaturallyevilanddestructive.
OneoftherecurringthemesinthisbookisthefactthatFaistheleaderandnotthemale
NeanderthalLok(atleastwhensheandLokaretheonlyNeanderthalsthatarenotdeador
captured).WhenFaandLokaretheremainingaliveanduncapturedneanderthalsThefactthat
Faafemaleisleaderisastoundingbecauseitmeansthattheneanderthalsarenotpurelya
PatriarchalsocietybutinfactcanturnintoaMatriarchalsocietyinacrisis.WhenLokwas
runningtowardthehumansoutofcuriosityandanattempttoseethenewoneFatiestostop
himbutLokwontlisten,thenFasaysWhatdidyousay?FahasmanypicturesAtlasthe
wassilentandwaitingforher.Shespokesolemnly.Weshalldodownintotheforest.Forfood.
Weshallwatchthemacrosstheriver(Golding135,136).Faisalsoabletodevelopplansto
executethatare,whilenotcomplex,arestillcapableofworking.Fawhentryingtogetthenew
onebackcomeupwithaplantodosoIshalltakethenewoneandjumptothethorns.WhenI
havegone,follow(Golding178)TheroleofFaasaleaderisreallyusedtocomparewiththe
womenofthehumanshuntingandgatheringtribewherethewomenhavenoleadershiprolesor
reallyanypositionofpower.InexampletheFatWomenispartoftheHumanstribeyetshe
doesntserveagreaterpurposeforthetribeasawhole.AndwhileGoldingrepresentstheFat
womanassomeonewithnopowerthisisnotanattackontheFatWomanbutratheronthemen
orthetribeasawhole,becausetheyareunwillingtoadaptandletsomeonerule.Thisisaway
thattheauthorshowsthe,whilenotnecessarilydestructive,stubbornnessoftheHomoSapiens
comparedtotheadaptableNeanderthals.


Twining3

Additionally,whenanalysingFaitisquiteprevalentthatsheisveryintelligentand
makeswisedecisions.Whenwatchingherdaughter(Liku)diesherealizedwhathadhappened
andeventriedtoprotectLokfromseeingthesamethingshehadjustseen,Hecouldseeher
faceandhereyespeeringthroughtheivyandunblinkinglyopen.Soconcentratedwassheeven
whenhetouchedherlegwithhishandshedidnothingbutwentonstaring.Hesawhermouth
openandherbreathingquicken.(Golding169)FaunderstoodthesignificanceofLikudyingthe
factsheevenrealizedthatLikuhaddiedshowsherintelligencebecausemanyifnotall
neanderthalshaveahardtimegraspingtheintangibleoreventhetangiblelikesnoworicewhich
theyusetheanalogytheicewomanbeingincapableofcallingitwhatitreallyis,ice.Inaddition
FashowsherintelligencewiththecapabilityofusingtoolsFaisabletousethehumansboats
tocrosstheriverIhaveapictureofuscrossingtotheislandonthelog(Golding120).
AlthoughFadoesnotusetheboatsastheywereintendedtobeusedshestillisabletousethem
togetacrosstheriverbyrunningacrossthemlikeabridge.ThepointofmakingFaanintelligent
beingistoshowthattheNeanderthalsarealsocapableofbeingintelligentdespitewhatwemay
think.TheHumansaresupposedtobemoreevolvedthantheNeanderthalsinallways,however,
Goldingistryingtoshowthatthehumanshavedevolvedintheirviolenttendenciesandinfact
havenotevolvedintheirintelligenceasmuchashumansmightbelievetheyhave.
Finally,FaisusedtosupportGoldingsmeaningofthetextbymakingFaa
compassionatewoman.Faisacaringwomenthatiscontinuallylookingoutforthebetterof
otherslikeamotherbearprotectingheryoung.Thisisshownespeciallyonmanyoccasionswith
howFatreatsandbehaveswithLok.whenFacomesupwithaplantogetthenewone
back(Likuisalreadydead,unbeknownsttoLok)LokwantstogetLikubacktooIshalltake


Twining4

thenewoneandjumptothethorns.WhenIhavegone,follow.Lokthoughtbutnopictures
wouldcome.LikuHerhandstightenedonhisbody.FasaysDothis!(Golding178).This
compassionissomethingyoudontseeinthewomanofthehumansliketheFatwomanwho
onlylooksoutforthebettermentofherselfVivani(theFatwoman)laycurledontheuseless
skins0hadshemadetheplacetheskinsthereforcomfort,notbotheringwiththeprecioussails?
Itwouldbelikeher(Golding225).ThepurposeofmakingFaacompassionatewomanisto,
onceagain,compareher,acompassionateneanderthaltotheangerfilledhumansthatonlycare
aboutthemselves.
Intheend,GoldingstrategicallyusedFatohelptopromotehismessageofthe
destructive,cruel,evilnatureofhumans.BycomparingthehumanstotheneanderthalsGolding
triestoshowthenaturehebelieveshumanstohave.Inthis,heusesalltheneanderthalstoshow
thedifferencebetweenthemandthehumans,however,heespeciallyusesFatoshowthe
compassion,intelligence,andleadershipabilitiesthatshehasandcomparesthattothehumans.
FaisanecessaryadditiontothebookthathelpstoaddtoGoldingsmeaningbehind
The
Inheritors.