![BY Golding, William ( Author ) [{ Lord of the Flies [ LORD OF THE FLIES ] By Golding, William ( Author )Aug-01-1997 Paperback](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41UCrHFEntL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
William Goldberg’s novel Lord of Flies tells the story of a group of British boys who are involved in a plane crash and find themselves deserted on a stranded island during World War II. The boys rejoice in their new-found freedom since no adults survived the crash; however, they soon realize that chaos is never a good thing. Without order or civility, the true colors of the boys begin to show, and they realize that social order is crucial to their survival.
Needing a sense of structure, the boys elect one of the boys, Ralph, as the chief of the group. Ralph then assigns roles and duties to each of the other boys to survive until they can be rescued. This seems like a good solution to their problem until rumors begin that a monster is residing on the island with the boys. The boys decide to give a sacrifice to the monster in the form of a bloody boar’s head, which in time decays becoming “Lord of the Flies.” This unknown monster “fear” ultimately lives inside each of the boys causing it to consume every moment of the boys’ days and nights turning the boys against one another. Their make-shift society quickly begins to unravel creating a conflict between the need for order and the savage nature of human beings.
The novel delves deep into the four main characters showing how chaos can truly change a person and make one do things that he never imagined he could do. The first character is Ralph, who is elected chief of the group. Ralph is determined to maintain order within the group. When the boys first arrive on the island, Ralph blows a conch shell like a make-shift horn signaling all the lost boys from the island to descend upon the group. The second character is Piggy, who is smart and insightful. Piggy becomes the most mature of the group; however, he is soon mocked by the other boys due to his physique. Another character Jack is the hunter of the group and delights in hunting for wild pigs on the island. Jack slowly develops a following of other boys who want to hunt, and this leads to a power struggle between Ralph’s followers and Jack’s group. The last of the boys is Simon, the quiet type who likes to venture into the jungle to find solitude away from the others. However, Simon’s solitude becomes his downfall when he starts to become crazy leading to the other boys killing Simon thinking he is the monster of their dreams.
The climax of the novel begins after Piggy is killed, and Ralph, Jack, and one of the island’s lost boys named Roger set fire to the entire island. Knowing he is the next to be killed by the group of savages, Ralph runs away and straight into the arms of a British naval officer signaling the end of the haunting journey for the remaining boys. When the boys realize that they have been rescued, they burst into tears realizing what the evil that they have become.
Human nature, the struggle between good and evil, and the ultimate darkness of man are central themes throughout the story detailing how even good people can be savage if it means survival. The haunting story is a scary reminder that human depravity makes people do things unimaginable. The struggle between savagery and civilization is something our own society has dealt with since the beginning of time. The novel is a classic story that bleeds over into our world today and details how fear can be used as a weapon when needed to achieve a desired outcome. Goldberg’s novel Lord of the Flies is dark and disturbing at times, but it opens the reader’s eyes to how human nature ultimately controls us all.
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Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.Highlighted by 6,962 Kindle readers- He became absorbed beyond mere happiness as he felt himself exercising control over living things.Highlighted by 4,882 Kindle readers
- However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick.Highlighted by 4,308 Kindle readers
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My new old favorite!
There are so many amazing things to say about this story and this product.I first want to point out that the packaging for this book was perfect and my book was very well taken care of. It was as if I had just bought it from a library!!Secondly, I want to say that this story is absolutely amazing, and I loved it so much I read it in one day.Please, please, please get this book! It is such a timeless tale of a broken society and broken people.
Top reviews from other countries
O livro vem com um código que dá direito a fazer um teste, sobre os nossos talentos. Excelente pra o autoconhecimento
Complicado
Reviewed in Brazil on July 15, 2023
JOSE EDUARDO ZARATE ARANDA
Buen libro, con buen mensaje de fondo
Reviewed in Mexico on April 27, 2023ND
A Timeless Classic that Still Resonates
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2023