Lord of the Flies is a thrilling and adventurous novel at the casual glance. It has action, explorations, discoveries and gore. The book indeed has a huge amount of merit for young readers. It easily captivates young readers since it depicts the ideal paradise of every (or most rather) twelve year old boys. Golding portrays the thrill of hiking, swimming in the lagoon, hunting and being hunted. He incorporates tragic twists and ironies which keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The work is indeed timeless and provides an intriguing and extremely pleasurable reading experience.
Golding wrote this book after his return from World War II. As a result, critics agree that his experience during the war accounts for his dark subject matter and style. This is a very plausible deduction. I agree with it since from my reading the evidence of the dark and twisted dimension of human nature is clearly outlined within the work. The reader is shown the dark and monstrous metamorphosis humans undergone at times of war.
I read a quote on past exam paper which relates to this book- "Something for the scholar, something for the school boy." I fervently agree with this view of the novel since it has elements of adventure and action, as well as gore for the school boy. At the same time, the work has enormous scholarly merit because of Golding's skillful and effective use of symbolism within the novel. Lord of the Flies \an allegorical novel; everyone and everything in the novel has a figurative dimension to it.
The "biguns" such as Ralph, Jack, Piggy and Simon are all symbolic. Ralph may be viewed as the democratic leader and the norms of western civilization. Piggy is the voice of reason, intellect and science. Simon is the visionary and prophet to some extent. He sees the situation clearer than the others but he is not taken seriously when he attempts to reveal major truths. He is also viewed as the symbol of human goodness. Jack is the symbol of anarchy and power lust. He represents the rebellious aspect of society.
Objects such as the conch shell, Piggy's glasses and even the signal fire echo the derogatory spiral of the boys from civilized lads to savages. Golding has used children to communicate a dark and ominous truth of the human race- "the darkness of man's heart."
