Lord of the Flies

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. 1954. 182p. Available at FIC GOL and as an eBook on Overdrive.

When their plane goes down, a group of boys find themselves stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific. With no adult survivors, the boys must organize themselves to survive while waiting for a rescue. Over the first few days, the boys are having fun and run all over the island. But as the days go by and no one comes, the boys, all alone, begin to break along friendship lines. The apparition of a “monster” throws the boys into a panic, and fear takes over. The boys’ behavior becomes more violent as they rapidly descend to their very own hell. Can they survive long enough for rescue?

A terrible tale and a parable for the ages, Lord of the Flies explores the collapse of moral order and the nature of boys left alone. As a commentary on society, it’s not very pretty.

To find out how would girls react in a similar situation, read Beauty Queens by Linda Bray.