Is It a Craving for Evil, or for Power?

Is It a Craving For Evil, or For Power?

In his article “Why Boys Become Vicious,” William Golding provides his own insight as to why humans - especially boys - can be cruel and evil. He approaches the topic with a very solemn tone, as he is speaking on the killing of children, which is nothing to take lightly. Golding explains that, “Without the support of mothers and fathers such children have nothing but the fruits of what they can beg and steal to live on,” (“Why Boys Become Vicious”). Along with this, he names conditions in which wickedness is bred; “What are these conditions? Chaos is one; fear is another,” (Golding). Although these claims are reasonable, and the factors Golding stated can support the creation of iniquitous behavior, I see a different cause for these violent actions. I believe the root of evil like this is a craving for power; a need to feel stronger than others and an urge to prove it; a need to feel superior.

In the case of James Bulger’s 1993 murder, the murderers were two 10-year-old boys. In an article of the case on the Crime and Investigation website, the convicted children confessed to the police that their intention was to find a child to push in front of moving traffic. In Golding’s article, he stated his belief that lackluster parenting can result in actions like these. In another online article, this time by The Guardian, many other believed this to be true. For both killers, their parents were separated, and were not always in attendance. This left the boys to often fend for themselves. Although it may be true that the absence of adult figures could aid the formation of evil and cruelty, I don’t believe this alone could cause such a reaction. Even though Golding thinks “We are born with evil in us…” (“Why Boys Become Vicious”), I don’t agree with this statement, and I see it as something deeper. In the same article by The Guardian, several of their neighbors reported the two boys having a history of animal cruelty, especially on pigeons and rabbits, both of which are small and easy targets. According to the two murderer’s statements, they were looking for a child to kill, specifically, one younger and smaller than them. This is a classic example of a superiority complex. This means the afflicted commits actions to feel more powerful, in order to combat their lack of self-worth. People with this disorder often lash out at others, aiming especially for weaker victims, just to prove to themselves that they are stronger than others. This is a common occurrence among children who were made to feel inferior when they were young, or ones who were never given praise by their parents; a perfect description of the two killer’s childhoods. However, the Bulger Case is not the only time this complex has played a part in the murder of a child.

In 1996, 5-year-old Eric Morse was dropped to his death by two older boys. Unlike the Bulger murder, these two boys had a motive, albeit a very childish one. After Morse refused to steal candy for his bullies, the two tormentors, one an 11-year-old and the other a 10-years-old, dangled him over the edge of a 14-story housing complex. According to the New York Times article “The Littlest Killers,” the criminals were ones who lived through childhoods where illegal activity never ceased around them. In the housing complex, crime and drugs roamed free. The two older boys actually learned the