- Published: September 15, 2022
- Updated: September 15, 2022
- University / College: Cardiff University
- Language: English
- Downloads: 13
The novel Lord of the Flies depicts two paradoxical concepts- the innocence of a child and the darkness of the human heart. In a powerful statement Haynes (1988) mentioned that the author William Golding is able to capture the readers’ attention because of his ability to make them see that the devil does not come out from typical villain characters such as pirates and cannibals, but rather rooted form the darkness of the human heart. The novel is able to portray a realistic metaphor of the adult world, which is filled with hatred and greed. People are forced to kill and threaten one another for power and survival. In addition, Burris (1999) shared that the tale is made even more intriguing because it depicts the breakdown of society told in the eyes of children. Despite being fictional and seemingly unrealistic, the words of the novel were able to portray the nature of human politics. The children in the island were forced to live like savages due to the scarcity in resources. The issue of control and dominance in the island is also crafty explored, as a consequence of the loss of control in the island; havoc emerged in from the children. The children in the island lived a life of hunt and kill because it was demanded by their situation and their environment. Moody (1964) despite the informal language of the novel, it was able to capture the interests of many readers even decades after its publish because it portrays the danger of the darkness of human heart. Darkness can turn even the most innocent being into something they are not in order to survive in their world.
References
Burris Skylar Hamilton. What makes things break up like they do?” Alternative Explanations For the Societal Breakdown in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Accessed at: http://www. literatureclassics. com/ancientpaths/lord. html
Hynes, Samuel. ” William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.” Critical Essays on William Golding. Ed. James R. Baker. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co. 1988.
Moody, Philippa. Golding: Lord of the Flies, a critical commentary. London: Macmillan. 1964
