The Lord Of the Flies - William Golding

Another well known classic here from 1954, known to many from school, I did
this at school too and remembered the basic premise of the story and the key
points but had really forgotten or not really noticed the power and quality
of both the writing and the storyline. Re visiting this as an adult perhaps
I'm more able to see it as a fine novel, influential too as the ideas there
have been used in more modern books and films (Alex Garlands superb book -
"The Beach" springs to mind) with a gripping and thought provoking
narrative. The copy I read the 1986 Faber & Faber educational edition had
the advantage of a detailed introduction as well as copious notes at the
back to explain each point in detail for use in the classroom. These notes
really helped and to be honest some of the questions had me stumped but that
may be down to my own lack of insight rather than the abilities of school
children it's aimed at! Even though I knew ultimately what would happen in
the descent to savagery, the path it takes still shocks and disturbs
slightly even now. This is one of those books that because of its school
associations we think we know and ultimately may dismiss but the power to
shock all these years later were actually quite surprising.

Strange too is the reaction now as a parent reading this novel. Reading as a
schoolchild I viewed it from the bear pit of the playground yet as an adult
I was able to disassociate myself from the characters and see them as the
children they ultimately are. To be honest I felt like giving the evil
protagonists a clip round the ear hole and telling them not to be so beastly
and play nicely to use the 50's parlance the book is written in. But it's a
book and the dreadful climax comes upon the reader with an awful
inevitability. Paradise tempts everyone at some point but quite often it
holds hidden dangers both within and without as the children found on the
island. I'm not at all sure whether this novel is used in schools now or if
it has been replaced by the modern Louis Sachar novel "Holes". It may
viewed by some as not really suitable in today's modern classroom given that
it could be viewed as dated both in its outlook and the terms of speech used
or the characterisation of public schoolboys, I don't know myself but given
the already mentioned far reaching ideas that spread into modern literature
perhaps it should be read just for its place in classic post war literature.
I liked this quick read, I found the re visiting of an book read many years
ago at school a delightful experience I hope other may view it in the same
way or even new younger readers discover a old classic.

Did you know the "The Lord of the Flies" is from the Arabic Baal- Zebub ,
Beelzebub one of the manifestations of the Devil? . I found that in the
notes!!

sofa-spud wrote:

Did you know the "The Lord of the Flies" is from the Arabic Baal- Zebub
,
Beelzebub one of the manifestations of the Devil? . I found that in the

notes!!

********************
So what is the theme in the book? I'm agreeable to almost anything,
but I thought Golding was making a statement about human nature.
The theory I'm working on is that around the time he wrote the novel,
children were considered pure and innocent and were only corrupted
later in life. Golding is suggesting that the wicked way those little
boys act is just plain old human nature in action.

Or maybe he's saying that the corruption started early, and the
evil seed was planted and only needed fertile ground to grow.

What do you think?

Michael