Evolving Communication

In the book The Inheritors, author William Golding describes the different social behaviors of the Neanderthals and the Cro-Magnons. One difference is how the two groups value human and other animal life. In the description of Neanderthals Golding writes as if this group of people had an overall respect of the other living creatures.

An example of the Neanderthals morality is show in the section of the book where Lok has found a dead doe. Lok makes this statement, “This is bad. But a cat killed you so there is no blame” (p.54). In the use of the word “blame” Golding is saying that this group of Neanderthals had a conscience and felt that killing was “bad”.  Lok really grieves over the doe.  

Throughout the book I noticed that Neanderthals were less aggressive and violent than the Cro-Magnons.  When Fa tells Lok of the encounter between the two groups, the Neanderthals act more curious and welcoming than the Cro-Magnons.  Fa explained when the Cro-Magnons appeared the old woman went out to greet them. The Cro-Magnon men in turn killed the old woman and Nil, throw both bodies in the water, and took the children (114). The Cro-Magnons simply killed the others without expressing grief. 

Golding writes as if the Cro-magnon people had no conscience about killing. In the scene where the old woman brings out the animal to drink from, the people become so greedy they end up pummeling the animal to death (166). I noticed humans today act similar to Cro-Magnons. We kill and slaughter animals without a second thought. We go to war and kill thousands and lack a conscience about are behaviors.  This book points to the theory that we started out curious and evolved to be violent.