Lord Of The Flies By William Golding Essay, Research Paper

This was the most interesting book I have ever read. It is sort of a cross

between Alive and Hatchet. Because the book is extremely addictive and written

so superbly, it did not take long for me to get into and finish it. The

characters were probably the most interesting element in Lord of the Flies. All

British and male, the young boys in this story portray the savagery and sadistic

nature to which all but a few succumb. The other boys are the only symbol of

sanity on the island. There is also a very interesting conflict between Ralph

and Jack. In essence, this is the eternal struggle between good and evil. The

ending of the novel concludes in a gut-wrenching showdown between the two. The

only thing I disliked about this book is that sometimes Golding’s writing style

was a little hard to follow. The main problem was that the boy’s British accents

made it difficult to understand what they meant. This problem appeared in few

spots, however, and for the most part the book was easy to read. I think that

males would enjoy this book mainly because of the fact that all the characters

were boys. It also appeals to a person with good literary insight who can

understand Golding’s symbolism. This book also made a very good movie which

portrays the story well. I did have a favorite character in this book. His name

is Simon. Simon is peculiar in that he likes to be alone and take long walks

into the jungle while most of the other boys play. He also discovers the beast

that every one on the island fears. Ultimately, he discovers the true source of

evil, the Lord of the Flies, and is later betrayed by his friends. Being an

enthusiastic and long time book reader, I think Lord of the Flies is a great

book. It is very intriguing and seems to place a terrible spell over the reader

who gets lured into this arousing adventure. I spent four days reading this book

and only put it down during meals. Lord of the Flies kept my interest with very

little slow moving dialogue and lots of vivid description. For me this book

ranks right up there with Clockwork Orange and The Last Herald Mage. All of

these books have incredible story lines with non-stop adventure. They also all

seem to address some of the controversial subjects facing our society today. The

thing I probably liked the most about Lord of the Flies was the theme of the

story. This topic was very intriguing. It dealt with the many flaws and desires

of human nature, and how devastating these factors can be to a culture with no

directions or order to follow. I enjoyed how the story showed that even the

youngest and most innocent of humans strive for power over everything and will

stop at nothing until he achieves that power. The theme shows the greed that has

been bred into all humans. There was very little I disliked about this book. The

mood was a little dark and depressing but that just added to the setting.

Probably the one thing that could have been improved upon was William Golding’s

writing style. He tended to skip around sometimes and use difficult dialect and

terms that can confuse the reader, but this happened rarely. I think all serious

readers would like this book. Probably the people who could enjoy this book the

most would be the faithful followers of Science Fiction and Adventure novels who

might enjoy the stranger aspects of life. I also think readers who are

interested in human behavior would relish this book because of the way it

portrays the many sides of human nature, values, and morals. I will probably

read this book again. It was such a good novel it might possibly end up in my

personal library. Lord of the Flies was also made into a great movie that

captured the best aspects of the book. The best lesson I learned from Lord of

the Flies is that people can not let one thing control their whole life. They

can not let greed control their every action and thought so that it corrupts

them into acting on an evil purpose. Lord of the Flies was a great novel and I

know when ever I think about this book, the scene I see is one of a young boy

talking to a bloody pig’s head on a stick in the middle of a beautiful, sunny

little field, scattered with bright flowers. Review by: Travis Donovan (4-96)

Lord of the Flies is an action-packed book which takes place on an uninhabited

island after a plane full of English boys is shot down. Told from a third-person

omniscient point-of-view, this story’s mood is extremely bleak because it deals

so profoundly with the dark side of humanity. The protagonist in Lord of the

Flies is Ralph. At the beginning of the story he is described as being a playful

child, but towards the end he matures significantly. He is one of the few boys

who realizes that the only way to survive is through peace and order. Because he

summons the boys at the beginning of the novel with the conch he and Piggy find,

they look upon him as the most responsible of the boys and elect him chief over

the humiliated Jack. Jack Merridew, Ralph’s main antagonist, is older than most

of the other boys. He is the leader of a group of choir boys and is dubbed chief

of the hunters by Ralph. He and his hunters become sadistic and detached from

the world of peace Ralph creates. Jack is the prime reason why the island

becomes full of chaos and corruption. Piggy is a fat little boy who remains

close to Ralph’s side throughout the story. Although he is intellectually

insightful, Piggy is weak and endlessly complains about their troubles. Most of

the other boys bully him even though his glasses are their only hope of rescue.

Roger is a young lad who comes on to the island with hints of evil. He is

constantly bullying Piggy and other small kids. Roger follows Jack, who exploits

his dark side, and by the end of their adventures has committed murder as well

as many other sadistic acts. Simon is like no other boy on the island. Simon’s

goodness and caring are shown by the way he takes care of the "littluns".

He is the only boy who discovers the beast on the island that everybody fears.

Simon’s symbolism in this story offers a meaning deeper than just a young,

bashful boy. The main conflict in Lord of the Flies is between Ralph and Jack.

The beginning of their struggle stems from the very start of the novel when

Ralph is elected chief over Jack. Jack and his hunters eventually form their own

group apart from the others. Uncivilized to say the least, his savages are

totally stripped of what society has impressed upon them. Ralph demands peace on

the island but to no avail. Their struggle symbolizes that of good and evil.

Because he is weak and a bit chubby, Piggy is in constant conflict with the

other boys who mock and bully him. Jack is the instigator in this struggle,

belittling Piggy at every chance. This conflict escalates until the end of the

story when Roger kills him. The turning point of the novel occurs when Jack and

his hunters have a feast to celebrate breaking away from Ralph and forming their

own tribe. During this sadistic event, the boys are invited to join Jack and

many accept. Everyone begins to dance and lose touch with reality and all

civilization, and when Simon crawls out of the forest with his message about the

beast, he himself is mistaken for the for it and is torn apart in by the

frenzied children. At this point Ralph loses most of his control over almost all

the kids, and Jack begins to take over. After the feast, things only get worse

for Ralph and his remaining followers. Jack and his warriors attack them one

night and steal the key to fire, Piggy’s glasses. The next day Ralph, Piggy, and

Samneric journey to Castle Rock to try to talk some sense into the savages but

it was no use. Piggy, still holding the conch, desperately tries to be heard

over the scuffle but Roger, the most evil of all the hunters, heaves an immense

boulder upon him, crushing both Piggy and the symbol of sanity and order, the

conch. The next day Jack organizes and island-wide manhunt for Ralph. The leader

of the savages sets the bushes on fire in an attempt to flush him out. The

fugitive is chased across most of the blazing island when, with nowhere to run,

he collapses at the foot of a cheerful naval officer who was attracted by the

smoke. When Ralph recalls the atrocities that he and the other boys had

committed, he bursts into tears. William Golding stated that the theme of Lord

of the Flies as "an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the

defects of human nature". In this novel, he presents some serious warnings

about humanity and what is needed to mature the human race into that of a better

civilization. In conclusion, this story is an excellent portrayal of human

nature that is bound to make an impression on the reader.