William Golding’s Development of the Theme of Lord of the Flies Through Plot and Characters
“The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. The whole book is symbolic in nature except the rescue in the end where adult life appears, dignified and capable, but in reality enmeshed in the same evil as the symbolic life of the children on the island. The officer, having interrupted a manhunt, prepares to take the children off the island in a cruiser which will presently be hunting its enemy in the same implacable way. And who will rescue the adult and his cruiser?” (204). From the …show more content…
The pig head starts talking to him, saying that he is the Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies says, "’What are you doing out here all alone? Aren’t you afraid of me?’ Simon shook. ‘There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast... Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!’ said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. ‘You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?’” (143). The Lord of the Flies is Golding speaking through the pig's head on a stick conveying the theme of his book loud and clear. As Simon said earlier in the book, “‘What I mean is. . . Maybe it’s only us.’” (89). There was never any beast, it was just them on the island. The boys’ imaginations got the best of them while they were on the island, and they didn’t even realize themselves and their sins were the things they needed to be scared
“The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. The whole book is symbolic in nature except the rescue in the end where adult life appears, dignified and capable, but in reality enmeshed in the same evil as the symbolic life of the children on the island. The officer, having interrupted a manhunt, prepares to take the children off the island in a cruiser which will presently be hunting its enemy in the same implacable way. And who will rescue the adult and his cruiser?” (204). From the …show more content…
The pig head starts talking to him, saying that he is the Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies says, "’What are you doing out here all alone? Aren’t you afraid of me?’ Simon shook. ‘There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast... Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!’ said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. ‘You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?’” (143). The Lord of the Flies is Golding speaking through the pig's head on a stick conveying the theme of his book loud and clear. As Simon said earlier in the book, “‘What I mean is. . . Maybe it’s only us.’” (89). There was never any beast, it was just them on the island. The boys’ imaginations got the best of them while they were on the island, and they didn’t even realize themselves and their sins were the things they needed to be scared