An insightful allegorical novel, Lord of the Flies was published in 1954 by Nobel Prize winning/acclaimed British novelist/poet, Sir William G. Golding whose other literary masterpieces also includes the trilogy, To the Ends of the Earth. Garnering very little success at the time of publication, Lord of the Flies catapulted to an all time best seller and by the 1960’s was required reading in most schools and colleges. The sinister nature of the novel is inferred in the title which derives from the Hebrew word, Ba’al-zvuv which means god of the fly, host of the fly or literally the Lord of Flies – a term often synonymous with Satan. An expose on fundamental pessimism about humanity, the novel was written during the euphoric baby boom wave. Human nature and individual welfare versus the common good is the thematic core of Lord of the Flies as well as indicative of the adage where there is no order, disorder reigns.
With the first years of the Cold War/atomic age as the backdrop time frame, the novel commences with a group of British school boys stranded on the Pacific Islands after their plane, airplane en route, to England has been shot down. The novel depicts how the boys care of themselves on a deserted island. Children who in essence are unable to govern themselves, they eventually descend into chaos and savagery. The character ensemble is headed by Ralph – the protagonist, and Jack – the antagonist. Simon – the voice of conscience/ reason and pure goodness and Piggy – a spoiled intellectual boy who servers as Ralph’s lieutenant are the round characters where as, Roger – Jack’s deputy, and the sadistic twins – Sam and Eric are flat characters who serve as Ralph’s deputies. As they descend into savagery these characters become grotesque – mental/spiritual deformed as opposed to physically. Told in the third person, the omniscient narrator vacillates back and forth between characters. Omniscient is defined as “all knowing.” It is through this lens that the novel’s point of view can be ascertained as well. Golding uses an objective approach thereby allowing the reader to judge, filter and assess what is happening in the novel without the opinions of the characters.
Golding imparts and utilizes a great deal of symbolism/allegory to depict the socio-political concerns of the time. A profound allegory/expose on society and human nature, he hypothesizes that human frailty and a natural proclivity for evil always surfaces when societal rules/taboos where removed. Without question, the pigs head is the primary symbol in the novel for it is that which the novel’s name derives. Graphic, frightening and symbolic of dominance/sovereignty over the island and one another other, the pig’s head is an “obscene thing.” It is “dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth,” and covered with a “black blob of flies” that “tickled under his nostrils (Golding, 1954).” Other key symbols include the conch (another symbol of their authority and disdain for outside rule/governance), Piggy’s glasses (the ability to understand and perceive things clearly), and the signal fire (the last remaining link to civilization/normalcy/human decency).
Literature, as does all aspects of society, examines this unsavory element in human nature. It is from this context that the vast array of theme in Lord of the Flies is based on, among them being various levels human savagery present in close knit/small communities. Weapons of mass destruction (biological, nuclear, etc.) are primarily designed to kill large quantities of humans as well destroy natural and man made structures and the biosphere in general. Lord of the Flies is in essence a horror story without the usual monsters (werewolves, vampires, etc.). The monsters are so called civilized/everyday people. In an age in which technology ranks superior, much emphasis is placed the actual weapons as opposed to the individuals/minds that created such lethal armaments. Such individuals/minds epitomize human savagery at the highest level. The array of violence permeating the earth today is committed not just by those in high places but amongst average/ everyday people as well.
From the Khemer Rouge and Darfur genocide to the unjustified U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Wall Street financial meltdown and The Peanut Corp. of America scandal (recent salmonella outbreak in the U.S.) – what do these events share in common with Lord of the Flies? They reflect the tragic consequences of a corrupt/destructive mindset. The world is indicative of a mindset – good and bad. Everything all began with a thought. This being the case, human savagery is equally as much a weapon of mass destruction as anthrax, a nuclear weapon, etc. Since the dawn of time, human nature has without a doubt exuded a persistent vein of unwarranted violence and cruelty. Golding believed that human governance had to take all such faults/frailties into consideration. Did he believe there was solution to such cruelty? In his 1983 Nobel Laureate speech he stated “We need more humanity, more care, more love. There are those who expect a political system to produce that; and others who expect the love to produce the system. My own faith is that the truth of the future lies between the two and we shall behave humanly and a bit humanely, stumbling along, haphazardly generous and gallant, foolishly and meanly wise until the rape of our planet is seen to be the preposterous folly that it is (William Golding Quotes).”
Lord of Flies is thought provocative, relative today just as it was when published. It serves as Sir William Golding’s plea for the sanctity of humanity and the human experience on earth. Contributing to Golding’s outstanding literary legacy, Lord of the Flies transcends time/place as well as culture and will forever leave an indelible influence/impact on English Literature.
Bibliography
Golding, William G. Lord of the Flies, New York: Putnam Publishing Group, 1954.