The Lord of the Flies is an island adventure story cleverly turned on its head to illustrate Golding’s grim views on human nature through a group of boys who slowly turn away from rationality. In the opening scene, the sound of a conch shell found by the main character, Ralph, is established as the call to order, but Jack, Ralph’s competitor for power, lures the other boys toward his own camp on the far side of the island by tempting them into a life of savagery. Full of symbols and dark themes, Lord of the Flies gives a different perspective on human nature, forcing us to question whether we are as good-willed as we often think we are. -Jiyu K., eighth-grade teen volunteer
Publisher's description:
5 years after it was first published, William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary boys marooned on a coral island has been labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, and even a vision of the apocalypse. But above all, it has earned its place as one of the indisputable classics of the twentieth century for readers of any age.