Turn of the Page: 'Lord of the Flies'

by Elizabeth Ostrem and Kayla Werner

Published in the early 1950s, William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” is about an assortment of adolescent boys who are left stranded on an unknown island after their plane is gunned down. The main protagonist of the book, Ralph, calls the rest of the boys to him by blowing into a conch found by another boy, whom everyone calls “Piggy.” The meeting is the first of many assemblies to decide what they’re to do in this unpleasant situation. Ralph teams up with Jack, another leader-type with great ambitions, although Jack makes it clear from the start that he would rather lead the group instead of Ralph. Other notable characters in the novel include vivacious twins Sam and Eric, referred to as the single presence “Samneric” by the other boys; Roger, an emerging sadist and Jack’s lieutenant; and Simon, the only one whose kind nature isn’t affected by the absence of true authority.

Liz:

I’ve read Lord of the Flies once before, but this time it affected me more. The contrast between the light interactions in the beginning (e.g. when Ralph and Piggy first meet) and the later, more serious ones (e.g. the hunting of the pig) is especially striking given the short time frame. 

Golding’s scenario is, for me at least, quite believable.  It might be hard for some people to imagine the events in this book becoming a reality, but away from law and order, the regressing into savagery in such a short time isn’t the most improbable idea in literature.

To cap it off, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite having read the majority of it in one stretch. It’s a great book like that, though, if you have the time to sit down for a few hours and amble through; it keeps your attention and makes you want more. It wasn’t until I had finished it that I realized I wanted to continue reading about Ralph, Piggy, Simon and Jack, but I think the adventure, brief as it may be, is perfect as is.

Kayla: 

The conflict in this book made it really fun to read, and I could really picture what was going on, from the boys starting the signal fire with Piggy’s glasses to when Simon confronts the Lord of the Flies and it seems to be speaking to him. 

The boys kind of represent the battle between being civil and becoming savage. Jack and Roger are showcasing the savage side of it all. They want to gain power and use it to satisfy their own wants and needs. On the other hand, Ralph and Simon want to be leader because they feel the need to protect the younger boys. They aren’t thinking about themselves in this act; they are putting everyone else before themselves. 

‘Lord of the Flies’ shows how easy it really is to turn in a bad situation.