Sinceitwasfirstpublishedin1954,WilliamGolding'sclassicdebutnovelhasremainedastarkallegoryofcivilization,survival,andhumannature.AsdystopianstorieslikeHungerGamesandBattleRoyalesurgeinpopularity,thishauntingtaleofagroupofyoungboysstrandedonadesertislandstillcaptivatesschoolchildrenaroundtheworld,raisingtimelessandprofoundquestionsabouthoweasilysocietycanslipintochaosandsavagerywhenrulesandorderhavebeenabandoned.Whenaplanecrashesonaremoteisland,asmallgroupofschoolboysarethesolesurvivors.FromthepropheticSimonandvirtuousRalphtothelovablePiggyandbrutishJack,eachoftheboysattemptstoestablishcontrolasthereality-andbrutalsavagery-oftheirsituationsetsin.Ateacherhimself,Goldingclearlyunderstoodhowtointerestchildrenwithagrippingstoryandstrong,sympatheticcharacters.Thenovelservesasacatalystforthought-provokingdiscussionandanalysisofuniversalissues,notonlyconcerningthecapabilitiesofhumansforgoodandevilandthefragilityofmoralinhibition,butbeyond.Theboys'struggletofindawayofexistinginacommunitywithnofixedboundariesinvitesreaderstoevaluatetheconceptsinvolvedinsocialandpoliticalconstructsandmoralframeworks.Symbolismisstrongthroughout,revealingboththeboys'capacityforempathyandhope,aswellasilluminatingthedarkestcornersofthehumanspirit.Ideasofcommunity,leadership,andtheruleoflawarecalledintoquestionasthereaderhastoconsiderwhohasarighttopower,why,andwhattheconsequencesoftheacquisitionofpowermaybe.OftencomparedtoCatcherintheRye,LordoftheFliesalsorepresentsacoming-of-agestoryofinnocencelost.