Several British schoolboys are stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean. Now it is up to Ralph, a charismatic boy who believes that there should be some sort of government among the group, to control everything that will be done. Gradually, the boys lose all sense of civilization and morality and turn to more sadistic, cannibalistic behaviors, even killing some other boys in the process. The main theme of the book is moral decay and the saddening fact that when left alone in the wild, humans can become nothing more than beasts.

The book's title, "Lord of the Flies", is a reference to the translation of the Hebrew name for the devil, 'Beelzebub'. The reference to the devil is an allusion to the author's opinion that humans are evil by nature, and in their natural states, they lose all sense of logic and reasoning and turn to vile instincts instead.

High school students, preferably those who are not particularly sensitive to dark and graphic subject material.

The macrocosm/microcosm involved in the story, as World War II is going on in the background of this book. This book is set in the 1940's, so while the boys fend for themselves on the island, the Axis and Allies are battling fiercely against each other.

Several passages in the book were rather long and unnecessary. I felt that in places, the author was merely 'filling up space' by adding extra details and descriptions to the objects or people mentioned. Also, there were places where the book got a little wordy (no pun intended).

It teaches a great lesson to both young and old that in order to remain sane, we have to stick to civilization's ways - the arts, sciences, humanities: these are all things that ensure that we are cultured and do not run wild. It also teaches the importance of a stable government, hence, not only could it be used for English, it could also be used for a Government/Politics class.

I would strongly advise children under 12 years to read this book together with an adult - some of the subject material is really difficult and requires high levels of maturity. Also, this book is based on the English philosopher Thomas Hobbe's ideas of humans in their natural state: wild and reckless. Some others will not find the book a pleasant read at all as it conflicts with their ideas.

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Created Nov 23, 2007 at 10:15am • Submit your own review...