Harrowing (Lord of the Flies - William Golding)

Member Name: FilmstarUK

Product:	Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Date:	15/09/00 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Demonstrates the frailty of human existance

Disadvantages: Very bleak

Lord of the Flies is a book that should strike a nerve with each and every individual person who reads it. Bearing in mind that it was written during the time of WW2 and the Nuremburg War Trials it is not surprising that the book discusses the essential evilness of man. It is a harrowing tale of a group of young boys stranded on an island and the slow descention into a savage existence.

What makes the book so brilliant yet so disturbing is that it chronicles the feelings each and everyone of us have felt at some stage of our lives. One is prompted to ask the question, "In a world dominated by humans, in a world in which we have progressed so drastically what separates us from animals?" It is bleak but true and the deep psychological symbolism of the characters and the events make it something special and deserved of its reputation as one of the key books of the 20th century. Like "The Catcher in the Rye" and "Heart of Darkness" it make us think about humanity and makes us question our existence. I thought about this book and re-read it many times and each time things became clearer to me.

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