Themes in Lord of the Flies
Although Lord of the Flies may appear to be just a story about some wild, immoral boys on an
island, it is also about the nature of humanity, the weaknesses of government,
the inevitability of violence, and the essential importance of morality.
Through an analysis of the themes in Lord of the Flies, the reader can determine GoldingÕs philosophical
views of war, humanity, government, and morality. Through this novel, Golding gives social commentary on World
War II
List of major and minor themes in Lord of the Flies:
- Civilization
v. savagery
- Humans
are inherently violent
- We
need civilization, civility or morality, to control our savage side
- Nations
revert to war for the same reasons that humans regress to violence
- War is
not a civilized solution to problems; war is violent and savage
- Society
is hypocritical when it tells boys not to fight, but conducts war itself.
- Nevertheless,
sometimes a person or a nation must fight in order to protect
civilization, morality, and what is right. Still, we must not become
confused and think that this war is noble.
- Fear
and anger are the most powerful emotions and both lead to violence.