I listened to the audiobook of it – which was recorded in the 70s, which I found interesting as I thought audiobooks were a newer development and William Golding died in 1993. He clarified that the only interpretation of the book that matters is your own, not his and not others. He also stated that he didn’t make the story about young girls as he feels the events that unfolded in the book wouldn’t happen if it was girls stranded on an island, and that it wasn’t both boys and girls as he didn’t want sex to be involved in the story since that wasn’t the purpose. He mentioned the idea he had behind it was how evil comes about when there is no law and order, and how kids may view being on a coral island as a fun adventure at first but reality would greatly change that impression.
One aspect that made me sad was how two characters (Simon and Piggy) who were the voice of reason and really tried to be logical and hold the fort were killed – I’d assume that was an intentional choice as Jack ended up getting most of the boys to join his tribe and they all started acting like savages so they were overpowered. I believe most of the boys joined Jack’s side and started to ignore what Ralph had to say as Ralph had rules in place to ensure there is structure and that they were all working towards the goal of being saved. The rules Ralph tried to enforce felt like too much for the kids – especially the little kids, and Jack’s focus on hunting more than flagging down rescue efforts felt more enjoyable for the boys especially since that ensured they’d have food.
The paranoia about the imaginary beast is something I kinda had a hard time wrapping my head around. I believe it might’ve been a representation of the fear the boys had being alone and it manifested for Jack’s tribe as something that united them. Additionally, when Simon was killed after being mistaken as the beast when it was really a dead pilot they thought to be the beast, Piggy and Ralph likely joined in because the majority of the boys believed there was a beast while they had their doubts so in away they were gaslighted into believing it. Well specifically Ralph was the most uncertain about the beast, while Piggy maintained there wasn’t one, so Ralph worried about how his stance on the matter would impact how the rest of the boys view him.
Personally, I believe LotF is a good example of what can happen when there are no rules or structure in a society – it can bring out the worst in people. While Ralph tried to establish rules, because these were all boys who were close in age, it was hard for the boys to view him as an authoritative figure while adults are easily seen as such. I agree with William Golding when he said the events of the book wouldn’t make sense with a group of young girls as savagery and violence would be less likely to occur in that scenario. The ending where the boys are saved by the Navy served as their reality check as the adult perspective made them realize that they allowed themselves to get too far out of hand.
by InfiniteCalendar1