Introduction
The Lord of the Flies is a story about a group of British schoolboys who found themselves on a pacific island after the plane they were traveling in crashed into a jungle. The island is isolated and just like the boys would have wanted, there was no adult supervision. The lack of adult supervision led to the boys engaging in uncivilized and savage-like behavior. They engaged in violence. William Golding wrote the book at a time when he was still a teacher. He believed that civilization was necessary for controlling behaviors such as the ones that were displayed by the schoolboys. The main characters in this book were Ralph, Jack, Simon, Piggy, Roger, Sam, and Eric.
Analysis
Themes
Civilization and savagery were major themes in this book. The book portrayed the two competing desires of all human beings, the desire to live peacefully through rules and the desire to achieve one's personal needs. While the first desire considers the good of a whole group, the second desire is aimed at having full control over others. In the book, civilization is portrayed as a good thing while savagery is portrayed as a bad thing. Before the plane crashed, the schoolboys were civilized and moral. However, the lack of adult supervision and the need to survive in the jungle turns them into savages. While Ralph represented civilization, Jack represented savagery. How Piggy and Roger become self-centered after they landed on the island is an indication that humans have a natural savage nature and civilization is only forced upon them.
Another major theme in this book is innocence. The schoolboys were portrayed as innocent before the plane crashed. However, the need to adjust to life on the island turned them into savages. Innocence was lost once the boys reached the island and realized that there was no adult supervision. Golding provided a painting of savages that tortured and killed animals and human beings. The island provided an opportunity for the schoolboys to expose their evil and savage nature that Golding considered being innate. According to Golding, civilization is meant to keep away the evil nature of beings but does not eliminate them. Therefore, the theme of the inherent evil of beings can also be supported by the book.
Symbols
Golding used different symbols to indicate the change from innocence to savagery by the schoolboys. The conch shell was used as a symbol of civilization. When the schoolboys reached the island, Ralph and Piggy used the conch shell to bring people together after the separation during the crash. Piggy's glasses represented the importance of intellectuals in society. They were used as lenses for starting a fire. Jack and Ralph believed that by stealing the glasses, they would have the power to make fire. Stealing the glasses turned them into savages. The beast represented the natural savagery that is part of all human beings. All of the boys are afraid of the beast but only Simon reached for it. However, as the savagery nature took over, the boys began to believe in the beast. The signal fire represented the importance of connection. The boys used the fire to ask for help from any of the ships that were passing by. It indicated that the boys had a desire to get back to society.
