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Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a powerful allegorical novel about a group of British schoolboys stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. With no adults to guide them, the boys try to govern themselves—but their attempt at civilization quickly falls apart.
At first, they form a group led by Ralph, who emphasizes order and rescue. But as fear of a mysterious “beast” grows, another boy, Jack, breaks away and forms a savage tribe focused on hunting and power. As tensions rise, the boys descend into chaos and violence, revealing how quickly human nature can unravel without rules and structure.
Boy oh boy, was this a psychological book! There were 5 themes shown throughout this story and all were quite compelling.
#1 Civilization vs. Savagery – The novel tracks the boys’ descent from order to chaos.
#2 Loss of Innocence – As the boys give in to primal instincts, their innocence is destroyed.
#3 Innate Human Evil – Golding suggests that the true “beast” is the darkness within humanity.
#4 Leadership and Power – The rivalry between Ralph and Jack highlights different styles of leadership.
#5 Fear and Its Power – The fear of the beast shapes their actions and becomes a tool for manipulation.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Seeing how the boys interacted throughout time was very interesting, going from organization to complete chaos. Also fighting over what was more important, survival or rescuing.
Golding’s message is haunting: when left to our own devices, even children can become monsters.
I would recommend this book for teens and above. It definitely puts into perspective how humans could be when faced with adversity.
My Rating:
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