Lord of the flies: Literary Review

The lord of the flies is William Goldings graphic, metaphorical portrayal of society in its purest form. Set during ambiguous wartime, the novel tells the story of a group of young British boys stranded on a deserted island. The authors use of tone and a changing point of view between characters helps to challenge the readers sense of morality, humanity, and human nature. As an allegory, Golding uses both his characters and various objects to represent symbols and individual human ideals and perspectives. The authors vivid imagery and complex plot create a piece that is both entertaining and challenging.

The novels key focus is on a struggle for power between Ralph; the protagonist, and Jack; the antagonist. The two characters are made representative of the key players in basic human instinct; order and morality in Ralph, and selfishness and savagery in Jack. Through switching perspectives between the key characters, Golding makes his readers question themselves and their own ...