The world had witnessed the atrocities of World War II and began to
examine the defects of their social ethics. Man's purity and innocence was gone.
Man's ability to remain civilized was faltering. This change of attitude was
extremely evident in the literature of the age. Writers, who through the use of
clever symbolism, mocked the tragedy of man's fate. One such writer was William
Golding. An author who has seen the destruction of war and despises its
inevitable return. Through the use of innocent and untainted children, Golding
illustrates how man is doomed by his own instinct. The novel is called Lord of the
Flies, and is of extreme importance to help reconstruct the current wave of
revolutionary ideas that swept the twentieth-century generation. Lord of the Flies
portrays the belief of the age that man is in a constant struggle between darkness
and light, the defects of human nature, and a philosophical pessimism that seals the
fate of man.
English: Cottages, The Green, Marlborough William ...
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the FliesGolding's work are, due to their rigid structure and style, are
interpreted in many different ways. Its unique style is different from the
contemporary thought and therefor open for criticism.
The struggle between darkness and light is a major theme in all the works of
William Golding. Strong examples of this are found throughout Lord of the Flies.
The most obvious is the struggle between Ralph and Jack. The characters
themselves have been heavily influenced by the war. Ralph is the representative of
Democracy. Elected as the leader he and Piggy his companion keep order and
maintain a civilized government. The strength of Ralph's character was supported
by the power of World War II. Jack, on the other hand, represents
authoritarianism. He rules as a dictator and is the exact opposite of Ralph. Jack is
exemplifying the Hitler's...