Lord of the Flies: An Analysis
"The two boys faced each other. There was the brilliant world of
hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was world of
longing and baffled common-sense." A quote showing the two main contrasts
of the story. Savageness, and civilization. This, is the Lord of the Flies,
a book written by William Golding. The Lord of the Flies has some
interesting and deep thoughts, pertaining to the theme, plot, characters,
and setting in this novel. William Golding did not just start writing a
book; he took his time and worked out every little matter, to make sure the
book was entertaining, and most of all, did not bore the reader.
The Lord of the Flies begins with about 20 pre-adolescent boys who are
on an airplane, and the airplane crashes on an uninhabited coral island in
the Pacific. The airplane crew has been killed, and the boys are left on
their own. They start to collect themselves into a society of food
gatherers under an elected chief, Ralph. Ralph is about 12 years old, and
has a very sensible, and logical personality. At first, the boys create
duties to follow, and they live amicably in peace.
Soon however, differences arise as to their priorities. The smaller
children (know as littl'uns) lose interest in their tasks; the older boys
want to spend more time hunting than carrying out more routine duties, such
as keeping the signal fire on the top of the mountain going, and building
shelters. A rumor spreads that a "beast" of some sort is lurking in the
forest, and the children have nightmares.
Jack, (A ruthless, power-hungry person), promising to fulfil the
children's desire for a reversion to the ways of primitivism, is chosen as
the new leader, and the society splits into two sections: those who want to
hunt and soon become savages, and those who believe in rational conduct,
and a civiliized manner. Ralph, the rational leader, soon ...