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Lord of the Flies
by William Goldong
Chaos insues when children are left to create their own government.
Published in 1954, William Golding’s story of young boys stranded on an island who must learn to fend for themselves has a remained a pertinent and haunting account of human survival.
Among the chaos of a British war, a transport plane carrying school boys crashes into an island jungle after being shot down. The boys find themselves alone and scattered about, unable to locate the pilot. Ralph and Piggy, the two main characters, discover a large conch shell and use it to summon the others, thus beginning the core of the tale. Ranging in ages between six and 12, the children are surprisingly smart in their decision to delegate responsibilities. Among the group is a choir dressed in black gowns, led by Jack, who is determined to be the leader of the pack. After a vote, Ralph is elected leader, much to Jack’s dismay, thus creating immediate tension between the two. The choir is left in charge of hunting for food, Jack becoming the lead hunter. After the tasks are delegated, a signal fire is lit in hopes of being rescued. Although the boys initially enjoy the freedom from adults, things quickly take a violent and eerie turn. Believing that a monster lurks on the island, the paranoia heightens and conflicts between Jack’s tribe and Ralph’s followers lead to chaos and murder. What began as a democracy of the innocent evolves into an anarchy of the uncivilized.
As untainted young boys become terrorizing and dangerous, this classic story leaves its readers shocked and uneasy. Symbolic of governmental corruption and loss of innocence, Lord of the Flies seems incapable of losing its edge no matter how modern our own society becomes. An ever-satisfying tale, Lord of the Flies explores the oldest conflicts of philosophy: instinct versus reason, order versus chaos, and good versus evil.
Title: Lord of the Flies
Author: William Goldong
Publisher: Perigee Trade
ISBN: 0399529209
Review written by: Jennifer Kneisley
Reviewer's Rating:9.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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