Lord of the Flies by William Golding is one of the most widely read and studied books of all time. The novel is set on an uninhabited island, where a group of British boys are stranded after a plane crash. While the boys work to survive, they find themselves succumbing to their primitive instincts and in-fighting, which eventually leads to the breakdown of their society.
Lord of the Flies was first published in 1954 and was quickly hailed as a literary masterpiece. Through its masterful blend of symbolism and allegory, Golding paints an in-depth exploration of the human condition and the way a society can descend into chaos and brutality. The novel serves as a timeless warning against the fragility of civilization and the power of a few to change the course of humanity.
The events of the novel begin when a group of British schoolboys find themselves stranded on an uninhabited island. The group of boys, led by the rebellious and daring Jack, quickly finds themselves in a makeshift society among the palm trees and beaches. Ralph, the protagonist, works to keep the group organized and maintain a sense of civility. Piggy, an outsider due to his cowardice and obesity, helps Ralph maintain order and use the conch shell that Ralph finds as a symbol of civilization.
At first, the boys establish a non-hierarchical society and work together to build shelters and hunt food. But as tensions increase, a division within the group becomes evident. On one side, Ralph and Piggy work to create a democratic governing system while Jack’s hunters form a kind of military dictatorship. When Ralph and Piggy’s authority is challenged by Jack and his hunters, the boys’ descent into savagery begins.
The central conflict of the novel is between the instinct for savagery, the fear of the unknown, and the drive to keep order. The boys destroy the shelter that Ralph’s group had built and begin to hunt Ralph himself. Throughout the novel, Golding skillfully uses symbolism and allegory to show the workings of instincts and the fragility of order. For example, the conch shell symbolizes the shell of civilization, and its destruction symbolizes the destruction of civility and order. Golding also skillfully uses symbolism to show the allure of savagery and the power it has to corrupt.
Golding’s novel has a reputation of being one of the most powerful commentaries on human nature and the dangers of relinquishing control to the blind forces of instinct. The novel continues to be widely read and studied and remains relevant today, as a timeless warning against the fragility of civilization. Lord of the Flies is a powerful novel, and its insights into the human condition and the dangers of instinct are sure to captivate and challenge any reader.
