Why did Golding use allegory in his novels?
Allegory is the most potent tool for dissecting the fundamental truths about our condition. Abstract philosophical debate can feel distant, but a story, a parable, draws the reader in, allowing them to witness these truths unfold organically. 'The Inheritors,' for instance, is an attempt to explore the end of a gentler, more intuitive humanity at the hands of our own species, which is driven by a different kind of knowing, a more acquisitive and destructive one. Through narrative, I can present the inescapable logic of certain aspects of human nature, revealing the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of our perceived progress.
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