Society in Lord of the Flies

On the surface, Lord of the Flies seems like a book about wild children, but there is much more to this novel than that. William Golding’s novel is overflowing with symbols and messages. The main message is that when society breaks down, the worst parts of human nature are expressed. The violent part of human nature is apparent throughout the entire book. The violence in human nature is first shown during the hunts and …

…ended up being only Ralph and Simon who still were constructing the shelters. Human nature is a very complicated thing that no one can completely understand. However, William Golding uses this story of school boys to explore some of the darker aspects of human nature. Golding’s message makes clear that when the daily controls of society are destroyed, then violence, selfishness, power, and cowardice no longer lie hidden but are unleashed in terrible ways.