Lord of the Flies
They grinned at each other, remembering the glamour of the first day. Ralph went on.
“So we need shelters as a sort of--”
“Home.”
“That’s right.”
-William Golding
The title I chose this time is “Lord of the Flies”, an allegorical novel from 1954, written by William Golding. This story caught my attention after watching the movie, which was shocking to me. Hence, I wanted to know what the book was like. Additionally, the narrative takes place on an uninhabited island, during a fictional nuclear war around 1950.
The story revolves around a group of six to twelve year-old children. The main characters are Ralph and Piggy. Ralph is an optimistic teenager, he tries his best to keep things under control by organizing the gang. On the other hand, Piggy is a friendly and smart boy, who is often bullied by others. Moreover, another important character is Jack, the teenager with great leadership skills, who is also a bit grumpy.
The novel begins with Ralph and Piggy, finding themselves stranded on an island after what it seems to have been a plane crash. After the two boys get to know each other, they find a shell in the ocean. With the help of this “conch” -as they call it-, they notice there are more people near them. Even though the number of kids is not stated, we know there are a few; some of their names are: Simon, Maurice, Roger, the twins Sam and Eric, Henry, and Robert, among others. As the story develops, Ralph ends up taking the role of “chief” between them all, for which Jack does not seem very happy. Now, they are trying to survive by making use of the island’s natural resources.
-Abril Canché Covarrubias
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