i just found one of my book reports from yr 7 and i realised i fell off so bad

Title: Lord of the Flies           Author: William Golding

Plot

In the midst of a raging war, a plane evacuating from Britain is shot down over a deserted island in the Pacific, and the only survivors are a group of schoolboys. Two of the boys, Ralph and another who is nicknamed ‘Piggy’ throughout the book, find a conch shell and use it as a signal to summon more of the boys. It works, and a number of boys crowd on that beach. They appoint Ralph as chief, and a school choir decides to become hunters with a boy named Jack as their leader.  Ralph’s main focus is to make smoke as a signal for passing ships, an attempt of rescue, but as time goes on other things start to occupy the boy's minds. The hunters are more focused on killing pigs than being saved, and the ‘littluns’ just play. And then when the idea of a beast on the island appears, the boys descend into chaos and lose order.

Themes

Published in 1954, this psychological fiction strongly portrays violence, power and human nature. Away from civilisation, the boys, especially those under Jack’s leadership, turn to violence and barbarism. They start off by hunting pigs, but what difference is there between killing for survival and killing for pleasure? By the end of the novel, they end up brutally murdering each other. Those who resist, like Simon, Piggy, Ralph, and initially Sam and Eric, fall victim. The novel also centres around the power struggle between Ralph and Jack. Ralph presents democracy and thinks in a reasonable manner. On the other hand, Jack presents dictatorship and tyranny as he punishes anyone who opposes him.  

Language

Golding uses symbols to suggest deeper ideas to the reader. An example of this is Piggy’s glasses; they help him to see and are also used to start fires. They symbolise technology and clear thinking as Piggy is the thinker of the group but loses his ability to influence when his glasses are stolen by Jack’s tribe. Similarly, another example is the conch, which is a spiralled white and pink shell and makes a loud sound when blown into. The conch symbolises order and civilisation as it is used by Ralph to call meetings. When Jack leaves the group he rejects and disregards the conch and what it stands for. When the shell is destroyed it symbolises the destruction of civilisation as the boys become wild.

Structure & Ending

Golding uses a series of contrasts to highlight the differences between the beginning and end. For example, at the start, the island is ‘dazzling ', but at the end, it is reduced to a ‘burning wreckage’. The novel ends with the boys hunting Ralph as the island burns. It is only the unexpected arrival of the naval officer that saves him. It could be argued that Lord of the Flies has a happy ending as the boys are rescued, but with the loss of Piggy, Simon and the innocence of the boys, it makes the answer more complicated.  

Characters & Relationships

Ralph is the protagonist and starts off as a dignified, respected boy while being handsome, which means the boys look up to him. However, by the end, he is a mess both in his appearance and mind. Piggy is Ralph’s most loyal friend. He wears glasses, suffers from asthma, comes from a lower societal class, and is overweight so he is not as respected as Ralph despite his intelligence. Piggy and Ralph start off as a sidekick-main character type friendship, with Ralph being the more dominant friend, pretending not to care about Piggy (and being overly rude in some cases). At the end, when Piggy is killed, Ralph finally realises how much he depended on Piggy to do the thinking and appreciated their friendship when he mourns his loss by crying while being rescued. Jack is the antagonist, and is cruel, proud and a leader. He objects when they appoint Ralph as chief, takes control of the hunting party and makes fun of Piggy. Him and Ralph were initially friends, but they are driven apart when Jack’s hunger for power possesses him and he makes a new tribe focussed on hunting and killing the beast. Simon is a shy boy, a follower, and is the only boy on the island who understood that the beast did not exist externally, but rather in the boy's minds. He hallucinates when he comes across a sow's head stuck on a spear, tribute for the beast. He calls this sow's head the Lord of the Flies, as it is surrounded by flying insects. It mocks him, calls him silly for leaving Ralph. When he tries to educate the others that the beast isn’t real, he is savaged and murdered as the boys mistake him for the beast.  

Human Nature & Context

Overall, Golding explores the idea that basic human nature is violent and selfish. For example, early in the novel, the boys play when they should be working and do not obey Ralph’s rules. As the story continues, they lose order and start to become primitive. Golding probably reflects these ideas from his time served in the British Navy during WWII. He believed that wars were more about human nature than politics. He also worked as a schoolteacher and noticed how cruel children could be to each other. He brought these ideas together in Lord of the Flies. Golding was also inspired by another novel called ‘The Coral Island’ by R.M. Ballantyne. In The Coral Island, the main characters, also called Jack and Ralph, though a little older, live in peace and harmony after being shipwrecked. Golding didn't think this was realistic and wanted to write a more truthful story.

Opinion

In my opinion, The Lord of the Flies is a beautifully written allegory that provides an interesting, thought-provoking  exploration of human nature when unbound by laws and restrictions. It delves into the intricacies of human behavior, painting a vivid picture of the raw essence of humanity laid bare. I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to those seeking a profound reading experience that investigates the depths of the human psyche and offers complicated insights into the nature of society and morality.