Lord of the Flies Blogpost

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, creates a unique story of primal instinct and the terrifying effects of isolation using a group of prepubescent boys stranded on an island. The way in which their fragile society begins to develop and how the actions of the boys, influenced by the psychological effects of isolation, destroy it, sends an important message. We can learn a lot about human nature and how people act when stripped of their civilization from this tale.

The characters start off as curious, innocent children who rejoice in the absence of dreary routine and responsibilities. They believe they’ve stumbled upon a tropical paradise where they can act as they please, carefree and without their usual shackles of civilized society. There’s no tension between any of the characters, and the only things on the boys’ minds are being rescued and having a good time until that happens. The conch shell, a symbol of authority, holds much power in drawing the attention and respect of the boys early in the book. It represents the remnants of their normal lives in the boys, looking up to signs of power. They act kindly towards each other, and respect Ralph and his decisions.

As the book progresses, the boys start to lose sight of their hope of being rescued. This turn of events is punctuated when Jack’s first successful kill comes at the price of lighting the signal fire as a boat comes by. Ralph and Piggy are furious at this, them being the most intent on being rescued, but many of the other boys, who participate in Jack’s hunting, don’t care as much. The boys become obsessed with wild pigs, and they prioritize hunting over all else. No one openly rebels against Ralph, but they turn their heads away from their old homes and venture deeper into the wilderness of the island. As reports of a beast become more vivid and frequent, tension builds and the power of the conch, and thereby reason and the hope of rescue, grow dimmer. Less attention is payed to the original goals of the group, and fear spreads. These events show how, after being exposed to the wild with no connections to civilized life, fear and primal instincts take over the boys.

Around two thirds of the way through the story, a dead pilot from a dogfight drops onto the signal fire hill. As the boys encounter it and mistake it for the beast, fear peaks and reason loses control. At this point, many boys are overcome with terror, and the hope of rescue is completely lost. The powers of thought and civilization have all but vanished at this point, as demonstrated at the numerous times where the conch is ignored and the rules of the island violated. Eventually, Jack rebels against Ralph, and almost all the boys join him. This shows how the primal instincts and fear have utterly consumed the boys. Every time a pig is killed by Jack’s tribe, its head is left on a stake. One of these, dubbed the Lord of the Flies, is used to symbolize the complete loss of civilization by the boys. As they all turn to Jack’s side, Ralph is hunted down. Just as all hope seems lost, a ship attracted by a hunting fire comes. Ralph’s final emotional breakdown at his rescue, over the loss of his friends and innocence, shows the consequences of the terror-driven actions of the boys.

This book is very interesting, and provides an insightful view on the effects of civilization, or the absence thereof. The lack of order on the island has devastating consequences, and it’s interesting to see how different characters react to it. The story provides lots of insight on human nature and how it can influence our actions, sending an important message.