Lord of the Flies by William Golding Review

William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition.

Title: Lord of the Flies

Author: William Golding

Publisher: Perigee Books

Genre: Classics

Being wild sounds like an appealing idea at first glance. The idea of endless adventure and the freedom of the wilderness is tempting, until it is the only option. Nowhere to run. Only an island. In William Golding’s adventurous fiction book, Lord of the Flies, a group of British school boys discover what the savage life has in store. The island can play tricks on your mind, and your mind can become your worst enemy.

The book, at first, seemed harmless enough. A plane crash and wilderness survival. Simple. Only when the underlying theme of the book is reviled, does the reader realize that it is more than just a fun story. The idea of the book is centered on the mind of humanity. After the aftershock and panic ware off, comes the survival instinct. When the survival instinct is not enough to get you through, tensions my flare. Rescue does not seem like it is coming anytime soon so the only thing the group can do is wait. However, a leader must be chosen. The thing is, two strong personalities butt heads and power struggle has sparked. Hate spurs hate and it only grows to a full on war against Ralph. The fault was not his though. The island can toy with the mind and force you into a state of mental being. After the flame is lit, the inferno only grows. It is amazing what the human body can do once it is in the right mindset. Particularly, a savage one.

I feel that the point of this book was not only to entertain but to inform. The underlying meaning, behind the plot, was about humanity itself. Not only does the strong message speak about survival, it also speaks of the human struggle of mind over matter. The struggle of the characters give the reader an idea to grab onto and run with. Another lesson in philosophy, taught by fictional characters.

I liked the book, but once again, this was a required read. I didn't like it at first but in retrospect, it was a good book.