In Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, the protagonist Ralph asks his friend Piggy, "What makes things break up like they do?" (127). This very serious question gives insight into the novel's central theme. Before analyzing the novel, however, it is first important to note the historical period in which the novel was published, and important events that occurred in the life of Golding before the novel's publication. The novel was first published in 1954, just a decade after World War II. The world had just been stunned to learn the evils that took place in Nazi Germany, and these evils, among many others facing the world at the time, shaped the views of many famous writers of the time period. Golding, who was in the Navy during the war, was just one of these authors. Golding had an especially bleak outlook on the human race and the future of humanity, and it is shown throughout his work. In Lord of the Flies, Golding tells a story of a group of children who become stranded on an island after their plane crashes while they are being evacuated during World War II. The boys create a primitive government, which quickly deteriorates as time progresses and the savage instincts within the children become more prominent. Though the novel does not focus on the war itself, it still manages to tell a tale of the evils contained in all people. So, what actually causes things to break up? According to critic Skylar Hamilton Burris, "The cause is nothing more than the inherent evil of man; no matter how well-intentioned he is, and no matter how reasonable a government he erects, man will never be able to permanently contain the beast within" (1). Golding, by using his characters as symbols for society and reflections of human nature, expresses his idea that man's inherent evil causes the breakdown of society.
             Golding's theme is expressed through the simple, yet deep, chronology of the...