"Lord of the Flies"

Book Review # 117450

English > Analysis
Literature > English

"Lord of the Flies"

An analysis of the meaning inherent in the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding.

1,759 words () | 11 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how Golding, in his work "Lord of the Flies", addresses the need for civilization and order, the loss of identity and human nature itself. The paper analyzes the main themes of the novel and offers examples of the imagery that is utilized. The paper also explains Golding's overall meaning that when human beings are left to their own devices without any interference from the law or society, they tend to revert to their primitive animal instincts. The paper concludes, however, that due to the complexity of Golding's "Lord of the Flies", the inherent meaning of the novel will be different for everyone.

From the Paper:

"In psychological terms, this "Lord of the Flies" represents the underlying motif of the novel and serves to stress Golding's overall meaning that when human beings (in this case, young boys) are left to their own devices without any interference from the law or society, they tend to revert to their primitive animal instincts. Kirstin Olsen maintains that the "Lord of the Flies" is the equivalent of what Sigmund Freud once called the "Id" whose only function is to "insure the survival of the host in which it is embedded or embodied" (76). Thus, the meaning associated with the "Id" is related to human survival under the most dire of circumstances, especially with the island on which the boys are stranded after crashing in an airplane."

Sample of Sources Used:

Bhelande, Anjali. Lord of the Flies: A Stylistic Analysis. New York: Writer's Workshop,1996.
Bloom, Harold. William Golding's Lord of the Flies. New York: Chelsea House, 2004.
Friedland, Joyce. Lord of the Flies: A Study Guide. New York: Learning Links, Inc.,1983.
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Random House, 2000.
"Novel Analysis: Lord of the Flies." Internet. 2007. Retrieved from http://www.novelguide.com/lordoftheflies/metaphoranalysis.html