Summary Of William Golding's 'Lord Of The Flies'

Lord of the Flies essay
Wordcount- 979

Give your opinion on why Lord of the Flies is considered an important novel in the canon of world literature, and why it was seminal in the nomination of Golding as a Nobel Prize winner.

Lord of the Flies is arguably one of the best known books in the world. This is because its main theme, civilisation versus savagery is still relevant today. It is also because the religious undertones throughout the text leave it open to discussion from all religious arguers. The Lord of the Flies was also the reason that Golding won the Nobel Prize, by opening interest into his other works. A reason that “Lord of the Flies” is notable is the theme of civilisation versus savagery.
This is one of the main themes of the book, and is explored in the conflict the between the two main characters of the book, Jack and Ralph. Jack, the head of the choir boys represents savagery and is the antagonist of the book, while Ralph represents civilisation. At the

However, it was not because of the quality of the book, or its themes. It was seminal because it got Golding noticed. That is not to say that Lord of the Flies is a bad book - it is not. The fact is that much of Golding’s work is as good as it. The popularity of Lord of the Flies allowed for public interest in his other work, for example “The Pyramid” (1967) or “Rites of Passage” (1980). Both of these books have been acclaimed by both the public and critics. The unusualness of Lord of the Flies’s themes is not singular to it either, they are a recurring pattern throughout his books. The religious parallels continue throughout “Darkness Visible” (1979) and most of his other works can be said to have allusions to, if not outright be about, civilisation versus savagery. Lord of the Flies was seminal in Golding’s nominalisation, not because of the high quality of the work, but because it allowed for Golding’s other works to become