The Shattering of Reason within a Society
             William Golding in his novel Lord of the Flies symbolically describes
             the degeneration of a civilized society in three stages. Embedded within
             this story of a group of young boys struggling to survive alone on a
             deserted island are insights to the capacity of evil within the human soul
             and how it can completely destroy society. After a plane crash that results
             in their inhabitation of the island, the boys establish a democratic
             society that thrives on order, necessity, and unity. Slowly, however, the
             peaceful society that they create shatters through a path of hatred,
             disrespect, murder, and the release of the true human soul.
             Upon a desolate tropical island, the lost boys begin to organize
             themselves to gain a sense of stability, order, and brotherhood. They
             elect Ralph, the oldest boy at twelve years of age, as leader and use a
             conch found in the lagoon as a symbol of democracy and respect. Two other
             children, Jack, the head of a choir group, and Simon, a small but
             intellectual boy, accompany Ralph on an expedition to determine whether the
             land is truly an island. They find that it is indeed true, and compose a
             plan to light a fire on the beach to create smoke; their only hope of
             rescue. After they obtain the glasses of an intelligent and rather fat
             child called "Piggy," they make a fire using the sunlight and glass lenses.
             However, the fire spreads to the forest quickly and destroys the group's
             supply of firewood. The boys shrug this off as an accident and Ralph and
             Simon commence work on shelters. They begin to build a society that contains
             rules and government. "'I agree with Ralph,' states Jack. 'We've got to
             have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages'" (40). The boys
             establish bonds of friendship and work together to help one another, but
             soon forget what is truly most important to their sur...