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Friday, May 9, 2008

The Lord of the Flies - William Golding


Category: Books
Genre: Fiction
Year Published:
1954

The present society with which we live in is marred by the undying clamor for the breach in the terms stated in the mandate in connection with the freedom of expression as well as the bill of rights of the citizen. Democracy has turned into fascism, as many other people would say. And this is true all over the world for people ruled under the democratic principles of governance.

However, while reading Golding's highly appraised novel, I came to realize that sometimes, it is necessary for a national leader to hold his people tighter if he wants his subjects to be more inclined at what they should be doing, that is, working towards progress.

Evilness and savagery is innate in the blood and veins of humans for we still are animals in any way you look. From the moment we were born, we all possess those qualities but because we are being tamed and honed by an authority of rules and laws, we tend to become more civilized in the process of growth and development. This is the core of Golding's novel.

But no matter how you look on it and no matter how very truthful, or rather, revealing the ideas that the author presented, the whole narrative itself is enveloped by wickedness and darkness. The use of a bunch of school boys may be impressive for many others which truthfully paved the way to a faster transmission of the things the author tried to tell his readers, it's quite far off that the death of some companions should serve as the consequence for the battle of power and superiority.

True, people who do not have other choice than to kill opponents, like those politicians who are very much engrossed at wielding power for their own interests are the very persons who could do that, but a good writer knows how to convey his message in a lighter way which if analyzed, would be more striking than what the senses could naturally perceive.

The Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of school boys who was stuck in an island after the airplane which they boarded failed to reach its destination due to a storm. At first, everything was in order after they chose a leader and after they decided on their respective tasks to survive and be rescued from the dreadful island. Envy and greed in power caused a rift between the boys which cut loose the string that tied them together.

Little by little, the popularly-selected authority lost control and savagery took over the once civilized boys. They feared of a beast somewhere up in the mountain, but they are unaware that the beast is actually within themselves. Death of two of their companions followed before they were eventually rescued by a passing navy ship and only then did they realize the offenses they did.

Without reference to my previous assertions, I laud Golding for being so bold and for expressing the ills of the society in a creative yet striking manner.

If you want a novel that reveals the prevailing social conditions, then this definitely is for you. But be sure that you're not faint-hearted.

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