Lord of the Flies

Did you enjoy the book Robinson Crusoe? Do you like stories of people surviving on a deserted island? If so, you will enjoy the book Lord of the Flies.

Lord of the Flies is a book written by Nobel winning author William Golding. When William was 12, (around our age) he wanted to write a book. However, his parents were strongly opposed to the idea, and advised him to focus on his science subjects. William heeded their advice, but he still studied English Literature at Harvard. After his education, William commanded a military rocket in World War 2.

This book is about a group of school boys living on an island after a plane crash. There are no adults to look over them, and they have to take care of themselves. In the first chapter, two main characters are introduced, namely Ralph and Piggy. Ralph is physically quite fit, while Piggy is, as the name suggests, quite plum. While walking along the seashore, they spot a conch (a shell). Ralph blows into it, and soon, other boys on the island appear. There are quite a lot of boys on the island.

First, they decide who should be the leader. There are two contestants, Jack, who is the leader of the choir boys, and Ralph. Following a unanimous vote, Ralph is selected as the leader. Jack gave me the impression that he is arrogant, and proud, ('I ought to be chief, because I'm chapter chorister, and head boy. I can sing C sharp). Ralph appointed him as the chief of the choir boys, and they decide to take up the role of hunting. Ralph decides that there are tow very important things to do first; to start a signal fire, and to build shelters. They used Piggy's glasses to start the fire, and Ralph asked some of the choir boys to guard the fire.

Next, Ralph starts to build the shelters, while Jack goes hunting. Ralph feels frustrated, as most people are playing, and not helping. Jack has many failed attempts at hunting too. One day, Ralph and Piggy saw a ship coming towards their island. However, to their horror, they discover that the fire has gone out. It turns out that Jack asked the boys guarding the fire to go hunting with him. When Jack returns, after his first kill, they have an argument. Their relation worsens after this. Ralph calls a meeting to settle this matter. In the meeting, some of the little children claim that there are monsters on the island. The older boys try to rationalize this, but the little children are still afraid.

Jack tries to take over Ralph as the chief, but always does not succeed. They eventually break up. Jack continues with his hunting, and they catch more animals. He decides to 'sacrifice' the animal's head to the monster so that the monster will not come and attack them

One afternoon, Simon (one of the older boys) was strolling through the forest when he spots the head of the animal that Jack sacrificed. He imagined that it was the Lord of the Flies, and it told him that they could not escape from the monster, which exists internally in all humans. Simon understood that the monster does not exists physically, but internally, in everyone. When he runs back to tell them this, he sees that they having a rowdy celebration. The boys, in their excitement, kill Simon with their bare hands and teeth.

As Jack gains more power, he tries to kill Ralph. In the course of this, Piggy is killed, and all his team members leave him. In the last part, Jack starts a fire to burn up Ralph, but Ralph escapes in time, onboard a ship.

In the novel, there are a few themes, and symbols:

Civilization and Savagery

In the first part of the book, there is the basic instinct to be orderly, and follow rules, like in a modern society. However, this quickly falls apart for most people. This is especially so for Jack, who gets drawn in by the exhilaration of killing. Towards the end of the book, the boys become savages. They even killed another human being for no reason. Simon is the only one that seems to be innocent through his life on the island.

The Conch shell

The conch shell was used to call meetings, and it is a symbol of civilization, and order. They also set a rule that only the person holding the conch shell could speak. This rule was later slowly put irrelevant, as Jack ignored the rule. The conch shell was later broken, signifying the demise of civilization in the boys.

Piggy's glasses

Piggy's glasses were used to start fire, and it was, in a way the most advanced thing that they used. When Jack later stole it, Ralph could not start the signal fire. Piggy also needed the glasses to see, and he was killed when he demanded that Jack return his glasses.

The Signal fire

The signal fire was needed to signal to any ship that was coming to rescue them. Ralph insisted that the fire must be on at all times, and this was one of the reasons Ralph and Jack quarreled. The fire symbolizes the boy's desire to be rescued, and when the boys let the fire go out, we can tell that the boys have accepted their lives on the island. Ironically, it was the fire that Jack started to kill Ralph that signaled for the rescue ship to come.

The Lord of the Flies

The Lord of the Flies is the head of a pig that Jack offered as a sacrifice to the monster. Simon sees it, and it speaks to him, telling him that the monster is not what they imagined it to be, but instead is the evil that exists in human beings. Simon then realizes that this evil is not caused by events on the island. Rather, this evil exists in every human. William Golding, the author, experienced World War 2, and the book symbolizes the evil that he sees in the War.

荀子, an ancient Chinese philosopher, believed that 人之初
性本恶 (humans are born evil). This story also says that same thing - evil exists in every human. The boy's life on the island brings out their evil, not creates it. It is hard for people to overcome the evil in them. Ralph, for example was at first appalled at the violence, but he later joined in.

This book has an engaging, and unusual plot. Unlike other fairy-tale like stories, this book explores the darker side of humans. While I enjoyed reading the book, I am still optimistic about mankind. Many people selflessly help others in need, there are leaders who inspire, and care for the team. Another ancient philosopher, 孟子 said人之初
性本善 (humans are born kind). If you ask me, I feel that people are generally kind, although most are born with character flaws.