War on the Lord of the Flies

Essay by mariannedenisse March 2014

download word file, 3 pages 0.0

Consequences of War

The novel, written in the 1950s, is greatly influenced of the World War II that is happening during that time. Specifically, Lord of the Flies is in part an allegory of the Cold war between the West and the Soviet Union. Golding created a hypothetical atomic war between the England and "the Reds", which is a clear word for communists.

Moreover, it is seen that the conflict among the boys on the island as an image of the conflict between the powers of the West who are democratic, and the communism present throughout China, Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union. Ralph, a picture of democracy, clashes terribly with Jack, who represents a style of military dictatorship similar to the West's description of communist leaders such as Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin. Dressed in a choir dress, black cape and cap, and having a flaming red hair, Jack also visually suggests the "Reds" in the imaginary world of the novel and the historical U.S.S.R.,

whose signature colors were red and black.

There is also a clear suggestion in Lord of the Flies that the story deals with war and the effects of war. Analyzing what Piggy said to Ralph before the other characters were introduced in the story, he said, "Didn't you hear what the pilot said? About the atom bomb? They're all dead." This idea of mass death is more realized when Ralph saw a ship's smoke at sea. The war is still continuing and is near to them based on how the narrator tells the story. He says, "… but there were other lights in the sky, that moved fast, winked or went out, though not even a faint popping came down from the battle fought at ten miles height. "

The novel is deeply concerned...