The book Lord of the Flies by William Golding is commonly found as part of English class curriculums all over the United States. The story follows a group of boys stranded on a deserted island without any adults. At first the boys work together to survive. As time passes the boys grow aggressive with one another and some commit evil acts like killing one another.

My old copy of Lord of the Flies.

Golding lived through World War II and Lord of the Flies was inspired by his experiences. He used the story of a group of boys to explain that all men have evil inside of them. The evil that existed during WWII and crimes committed by the Germans was what sparked Golding to write Lord of the Flies. Even though it is a story about boys on an island, the story has a lot of depth and symbolism.

I like to write notes in my books. These are the three most important characters: Ralph, Piggy, and Jack.

All Humans Are Evil and Power Hungry

The theme of the story is that humans are inherently evil and power hungry. In the beginning of the story, after arriving on the island, the stranded boys felt the need to follow the rules of English society and the rules of their parents. Different boys in the group expressed feelings of fear, regret, or restriction at first.

After they killed their first wild pig things changed. By killing they became aggressive and forgot the old rules they followed when they lived in normal society. Piggy was the only boy who always represented the old rules. Piggy acted adult-like because he was smart and he was capable of giving valuable guidance to surviving on the island. He lacked the leadership qualities needed to get respect from the other boys. He was rejected and hated by another boy named Jack and the other hunters for representing old rules. He was seen as weak and threatened the new power structure emerging.

Killing their first pig changed them mentally. It pushed the boys to want power and dominance over nature and other boys. In the beginning the boys were much more cooperative with one another. They were all scared and felt like they needed one another to survive. After becoming successful hunters the group dynamics broke apart.

The character of Piggy wore glasses. His glasses were used to light fires. Without his glasses he couldn't see. His poor eyesight made him weak. Eventually he would be murdered because he was seen as weak.

The Character of Piggy: A Lesson In Social Class and Masculinity

The book has one character who is truly different from all the boys on the island. The boy is named Piggy and he represents the one person who retains the ability to be good and moral while all the other boys turn on one another and fight.

One reason Piggy is hated by the other boys on the island is because he comes from a different social class. His friend Ralph’s father is in the navy giving him a higher social status. A group of choir boys come from the upper class and wealthy families. Piggy however seems to come from a working class status home which can be seen in how he talks and his work ethic.

Piggy is also treated badly by the other boys because he mentions he lives with his aunt. His aunt is the only woman mentioned in the entire book. His mentioning of a female as his only parental figure and the one giving him guidance makes him seem weak and less masculine in the eyes of the other boys. Young boys are often taught to tease other boys for doing things like girls or for their relationships with their mom’s or girls. Piggy’s relationship with his aunt and him showing he has a strong need to follow her rules and guidance make him a target for the boys. Ralph mentioned his father several times and this gives him status but Piggy mentioning his aunt lowers his status.

Could This Story Realistically Happen?

I think there is a possibility a situation like portrayed in Lord of the Flies could happen. In extreme situations of survival, people can often turn violent towards one another when opinions and techniques to survive differ. In normal everyday society we have rules, spoken and unspoken, that govern our behaviors that we learn through socializing with others. When taken out of normal society and put into life and death situations, like surviving on an island, there is no government, police, or military to reinforce social rules so old rules might be forgotten.

People with certain personalities may seek power and dominance over others. On an island with no formal rules or social structure put into place, individuals with personalities that are violent, dominating, ignorant, uncaring of others may impact how social life is lived on the island in a negative way. People who threaten those grasping for power might be ostracized from the group or even killed.

Back cover of my copy of the book.

Overall, Lord of the Flies is a great book to read and a fascinating story about how all people have evil in them. If you haven't read it I highly recommend you giving it a try.

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