Lord of the Flies is a story of a group of British boys who have crash landed on an island and must learn how to survive till the time someone comes and rescues them. William Golding does a sensational job of portraying the human nature and psyche of the little boys, their fragile sense of order and how reason and instinct battle with each other within them as they try to survive.
What initially starts out with a simple story line, turns into much more. An island, idyllic setting, innocent schoolboys and no adults to oversee them. A boy with fair hair, Ralph, assumes leadership of the group and starts putting in some semblance into the group, to channelize their efforts in making sure that they survive. At his side is compassionate, intelligent Piggy, who acts as Ralph’s conscience. Ralph’s election is contested by Jack, a headstrong guy who believes in living in the moment and doesn’t think of how they will get rescued.
Everything goes on in a downward spiral. The boys’ initial efforts of establishing a successful, happy group and Ralph’s idea of keeping a fire burning at all times (so someone sees it and rescues them) start going wayward. Jack thinks that hunting is more important than keeping a fire alive and forms another group. Jack’s group is a “tribe” of hunters and savages with painted faces. The enmity between the two groups grows as the savages try to kill the boys from the “civilized” group.
The characters are brilliant and comparisons are drawn between the group of boys and the civilization or the society. A group of boys, playful and scared of the unknowns on the island at the same time, lose their innocence, kill off reason and play at being savages. I liked the way this book takes the banal story of a person trapped on a tropical island and slaps it with terrifying realism. A book you should definitely read.
