Sometimes the task of reviewing a book can
be quite daunting. This could be great for the book, or it could
express the readers ill-favor. Sometimes though, the reader may just be
at a loss of words as to how to begin. This is an obviously tough
predicament for the reviewer but if books were alive, I'm sure they
would be flattered. Finding words to describe the particular complexity
of certain literature is a task that must not be taken lightly,
especially when reviewing William Golding's Lord of the Flies. There is a
quote out there in the world of literature that I can understand.
"Some books should be tasted,
Some devoured,
But only a few
Should be chewed and digested thoroughly."
-Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Lord
of the Flies is truly a book that should only be "chewed and digested
thoroughly." The content is not lightly absorbed and the symbolism can
be subtle to discern. I was completely enthralled while wrapping my mind
around William Golding's allegory. Lord of the Flies is not just a
fantastic story but also leaves the reader with a powerful moral that is
truly iconic. To grasp what I am trying to impart, and if you have not
had the chance to read it yet, an overview of Lord of the Flies may be
sufficient.
The story takes place in the midst of a
raging war, where a plane evacuating a group of schoolboys from Britain
is shot down over a deserted tropical island. Two boys, Ralph and Piggy,
find a conch shell on the bottom of a lagoon which they use to call an
assembly. The boys who arrive range from young, aimless children or
"littl'uns" to older, more tempermental "bigg'uns." Jack, the clever
leader of a boys choir attempts to secure a position for himself as
Chief but Ralph takes the position by popular vote. Jack assumes
leadership over his choir as hunters. Together the boys try to build a
simple society in which to coexist until rescue arrives. Their attempts
were disastrous.
The theme of Lord of the Flies
attempts to trace the flaws and defects of society back to the flaws of
human nature. The moral of the book is that the condition of a society
must depend on the ethical nature of it's individuals and not on a
political system, no matter how perfect or foolproof it may seem. The
attempted society portrayed in Lord of the Flies is an excellent example
of this. The boys were unable to coexist peacefully for an extended
time because their ego's would not allow it. They fell apart and
degraded into savagery.
The "Lord of the Flies" is a
translation of the Hebrew word, Ba'alzevuv, which roughly means devil or
Satan. In Golding's book, the satanic forces that compel the shocking
events on the island come from within the human psyche rather than from
an external, supernatural realm. A lack of spiritual motivation and an
overpowering domination of Ego was prevalent among all the boys on the
island, except perhaps Simon, who was very morally inclined. This led to
the collapse of their society because without God/Spirit, man is truly
evil when left to their own devices.
The emergence of
this concealed wildness is the very theme of the book. One of the boys,
Piggy is the intellectual of the story. The fact that he wears
spectacles is of great importance to the symbolic plot. Later on, when
his spectacles shatter, it marks the progressive decay of rational
thought as the story progresses. The struggle between Ralph, who is the
representative of civilization and government, and Jack, whose Ego is
much more evident than Ralph's and who is a good representative of
anarchy on the island is also a struggle in society on a much larger
scale.
Among the many symbolic moments in Lord of the
Flies, one stood out largely for me, the killing of the sow. It was a
very important part of the plot because it marked a turning point in the
condition of the boy's society. The symbolism of the act was that the
drive or emotions the boys felt while slaying the sow was symbolic for
sexual intercourse. It was in all ways amoral and was a great portrayal
of the Devil/Ego.
The pigs head was cut off and
skewered upon a stick (sharpened at both ends) which was jammed in a
crack in the earth. The boys stared in awe as they watched the flies
gather around the leering head which was dubbed "Lord of the Flies."
Once the boys had been fully immersed in savagery they planned to kill
Ralph toward the end of the book. The death planned for Ralph involved a
stick sharpened at both ends. Grim thought eh? ;-)
Although
the killing of the sow was greatly symbolic in Lord of the Flies, it
only laid the groundwork for the most deeply symbolic incident. Simon
was greatly affected by the skewered head and seemed to be having a
conversation with it in the book. The "Lord of the Flies" explained to
Simon, in his heightened perceptions, that he was a part of Simon, as he
was of all the boys, and was the cause of the distress among them.
Simon eventually loses consciousness and imagines he is looking into a
vast mouth. The blackness spread and encompassed Simon's entire vision
just before he lost consciousness. This mouth is the symbol of the
ravenous and unreasoning Devil/Ego conquering Simon.
Eventually,
the boys on the island are rescued by a naval officer who disrupts the
man-hunt for Ralph. This is where the book ends with the boys being
saved. Lord of the Flies was one of the most thought-provoking books I
have ever had the chance to read. I am grateful to have successfully
discerned it's symbolism and understood its moral. The collapse of a
society can only be halted through an acceptance of God or Love. The
true nature of humanity, without this force, is inherently evil and will
cause the collapse of the most respectable civilizations. This is a
great read for those who welcome deep thinking. ;-)
-Ival Ty Crisp
