Critical Study of Lord of the Flies
William Golding opens his story by placing a group of lost schoolboys on an isolated island and therefore shatters our preconceived concepts of a civilized human nature. The presumption that if perchance an atomic war or some other devastating tragedy were to occur that could potentially wipe out civilization as we know it — and — this group of young boys were to survive, would they in fact, recreate the type of civilization that we have today. Here Golding paints a picture of deeply entrenched animal instincts inherent in all of us, that will come to the fore and most of mankind, even the most innocent of them all will inevitably revert back to some more primitive, pre-civilized lifestyle in order to survive.(1)
The book raises an important question that forces all of us to look within ourselves to determine what guides our ethical decisions and what is the basis for our societal conduct. In short, is it the inner beast or something more pervasive that is the impetus of our human nature?
Golding alludes to this fact in several quotes within the story. A perfect example of this are the words “man’s essential illness,” mentioned in the chapter “Gift for the Darkness” where Simon first comes face-to-face with the sow’s head perched on a stick with flies swarming all around it. Here he reveals the actual Lord of the Flies in the form of corruption and decay.
His careful choice of wording addresses Simon’s inner fears and reinforces his assumption that the Beast (or the evil) is a part of all of us.
The powerful message found in Lord of the Flies is effective because the dialogue and actions of each of the boys is quite believable. His story is just complex enough to avoid the feeling that you have entered into a fairy tale land but that you have actually been taken to a real place where these things could happen. Your mind’s eye can actually conjure up the image of real boys that you know and how they would behave if no adults were present to set boundaries for them. You visualize them seeking out emotional support in their friendships when no responsible adult is there to guide them; searching out a place of security in the rock formations when there is no place provided that they can call home. And it is highly plausible that given the circumstances outlined in the beginning of the book were to occur, each of us would have to make similar life choices in order to survive.
The changes in the book are quite subtle and the reader doesn’t immediately see them as a catalyst to a future of war and chaos. They are equally swept away with this new life right along with the characters of the story. This also makes it much easier to believe that this inner beast is possible for all of us. The initial choices made by the boys mimic our own democratic society but gradually that familiar structure gives way to something much more powerful along the way, demonstrated by the boys choice to go swimming in the lagoon rather than work on building their shelters or when they decide to go hunting (a much more exciting option) rather than tend to the fire and finally submitting to a leader that will eventually have them on a hunt for each other.
While Lord of the Files was Golding’s first novel, he was very adept at incorporating bits of his own life experiences within its pages. One can only imagine the things he witnessed as a naval officer during World War II and the tragic battles he must of be a part of.(2) The story thus shows his disillusionment with humanity and probably his own loss of innocence as a young man forced into battle at the height of a war.
References:
http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/86150.html
http://www.enotes.com/topics/lord-of-the-flies/in-depth