Setting, not just a simple piece of the literary puzzle that makes up a novel, is more than an insignificant fact a third grader is required to have for his book report and in many cases is the underlying reason things happen in the manner and order they occur within a book. This is very true in the case of Lord of the Flies. The island in which all the children have been *placed* presents both literal and obvious obstacles as well as irrational and deep intra-personal conflicts.
             The novel centres around human nature and instinct, and what better a place than an island, untouched by the outside world, to demonstrate what humans can and will do. The isolation also provides a lengthy amount of time for the disintegration of civility and the up rise of anarchy. In the beginning of the novel, the children represent a society typical of WWII England-Ralph, Piggy, Simon, Jack, littlun's, Samneric are all symbols of the diverse types of people you find in a civilized culture, all keeping the others in check. As the book progresses, and the civility of the boys regresses, the author is able to demonstrate how counterintuitive our societies are to true human nature.
             The island, unlike the cities the children came from doesn't provide prepared meals, shelter, or communication that the boys have been accustomed to all their lives. Hunting for their own food is one of the most major deciding facts in the path the boys take throughout the entire book. This newfound killing for survival further deteriorates the waning urbane society within the children. Those who still long for England's policies slowly are brought down to the level of instinct due to both their follow-the-leader attitudes, synonymous with primitive animals attitudes toward alpha males and basic desire to survive. As the boys stay on the island continues, savagery presents itself as the only option.
             The island in its manipulation of characters also ma...