One sentence summary
Lord of the Flies is a classic novel by William Golding, in which a group of British schoolboys are stranded on a deserted island and must struggle to survive, gradually sliding towards savagery and barbarity.
Book Genre
Lord of the Flies is a novel of adventure, suspense, and psychological horror written by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding.
Main Topic of the Book
The main topic of Lord of the Flies is a group of British schoolboys stranded on an uninhabited island, and their struggle to survive amid a breakdown in social order and morality.
Key Ideas
- Loss of Innocence – The boys struggle to maintain their innocence in the face of increasing brutality and savagery.
- Primitivism vs. Civilization. – The boys form two distinct factions, with one favoring the more primitive values of hunting and hunting games, and the other trying to establish a more sophisticated society.
- Symbolism. – Many symbols, such as the conch shell, are used throughout the story to represent different themes and ideas.
- Themes of Good and Evil. – The story explores themes of good versus evil, morality versus immorality, and human nature.
Main Parts of the Book and a Short Summary
The novel begins as a planeload of British schoolboys ages six through twelve crash on a deserted island. The boys decide to organize a society and at first, progress smoothly, establishing rules and norms for their society and electing Ralph to be their leader. As time passes, however, certain boys fall under the influence of Jack, a young hunter, and become increasingly barbaric and violent. The boys are divided between Ralph and Jack’s camps, and fear spreads as strange things begin to happen on the island and a “beast” starts to haunt them. Eventually, the boys descend into complete savagery and chaos, culminating in the death of Simon, a peaceful, symbolically important character.
Key Takeaways
- The novel paints an unflattering portrait of human nature and explores how easily civilization and morality can break down without social norms or outside influences.
- Lord of the Flies asks readers to consider the tension between individual desires and obligations toward social order, and the need for trust and accountability in a complex society.
- The novel is highly symbolic and uses several motifs to convey its themes.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
William Golding was a Nobel Prize–winning British novelist and poet, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies. He wrote the novel in 1954, inspired by his wartime experiences as a navy officer. After serving in the British Navy during World War II, Golding became a teacher and later worked as a novelist and playwright.
Target Audience
Lord of the Flies is primarily aimed at adult readers, although it has become popular with young adults and is frequently taught in high school literature classes.
Publisher and First Publication Date
Lord of the Flies was first published in 1954 by Faber and Faber and has been re-issued numerous times since then.