When it was originally published in 1954, Lord of the Flies sold fewer than 3,000 copies in the United States. Today, it is required reading in many US high school and college English classes. The story centers on British schoolboys stranded on an island after their plane crashes. The boys are quick to realize that there are no adults and that they need to fend for themselves. Two leaders emerge: Ralph and Jack. Ralph's priority is keeping a fire lit in order to be spotted by a passing ship, while Jack is more focused on hunting pigs to obtain meat. Their different concerns cause a schism between them and, from that point on, they lose all interest in cooperating and havoc results.
This novel asks the reader if humans, as portrayed by the children, are inherently good or evil. Golding wants us to believe the latter. He has created a story about innocent young boys who, when there are no rules, do unforgivable things to each other. I agree with Golding, because it's easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing.
Golding peppers his novel with symbolism and detail. The symbols were enjoyable to spot and their meanings developed over time. The details which described the island gave the novel a more realistic character.
My only negative criticism would be of the dull moments in the plot. In the middle of the book, there's a repeated cycle of back-and-forth conflict between Ralph and Jack. I found this boring.
Overall, I really enjoyed this work. It spelled out very well the theme of man's intrinsic evil and, for that, I give it four and a half out of five stars.
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