Lord of the Flies

Themes

The novel's major themes of morality, civility, leadership, and society all explore the duality of human nature.[5]

Lord of the Flies portrays a scenario in which upper-class British children quickly descend into chaos and violence without adult authority, despite the boys' attempts to establish order and co-ordination. This subverts the colonial narration found in many British books of this period, such as The Coral Island.[5] Lord of the Flies contains various references to The Coral Island, such as the rescuing naval officer describing the boys' misadventures as a "jolly good show. Like the Coral Island."[13] Golding's three central characters, Ralph, Piggy, and Jack, can also be interpreted as caricatures of the protagonists in The Coral Island.[14]

At an allegorical level, a central theme is how the desire for civilisation conflicts with the desire for power. Lord of the Flies also portrays the tension between groupthink and individuality, rational and emotional reactions, and morality and immorality. These themes have been explored in an essay by American literary critic Harold Bloom.[15]

Some examples of symbolism in Lord of the Flies are the signal fire, Piggy's glasses, and the conch shell, which can be read as representing hope, reason, and unity, among other interpretations.

The novel also examines aspects of war, as the story is set during a war that has begun before the boys arrive on the island.[16] Although the location of the island is never stated, it is implied to be somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

Genre and style

As a tale of adventure and survival, Lord of the Flies fits the genre of romanticism. It also questions human morality, making it a work of philosophical fiction. The novel is styled as allegorical fiction, embodying the concepts of inherent human savagery, mob mentality, and totalitarian leadership.[17] However, Golding deviates from typical allegory in that both the protagonists and the antagonists are fully developed, realistic characters.


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