Essay on Lord of the Flies
"Lord of the Flies" is an exciting story written by William Golding about a group of boys who find themselves stranded on a deserted island after their airplane crashes. The book has different parts, like a roller coaster! These parts are called the plot structure, and it helps us understand what happens in the story.
Exposition: The story starts with the boys meeting each other on the island. This is the beginning, or exposition, where we learn about the main characters, like Ralph, Piggy, and Jack. Ralph is chosen as the leader, and they decide to make rules to help them survive. As Golding writes, “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything.” This shows us how they want to keep order.
Rising Action: As the story goes on, trouble starts to brew. This is the rising action, where things get tense. Ralph and Jack have different ideas about how to be rescued and what to do on the island. Jack becomes obsessed with hunting and starts to change. The boys begin to feel afraid of a mysterious “beast” that they think is on the island. The rising action helps us see how their friendship changes and how fear starts to take over. One example is when the boys chant, “Kill the pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood!” This tells us how Jack's influence starts to create violence.
Climax: The climax of the story is the most exciting or intense part. In “Lord of the Flies,” this happens when Piggy’s glasses get broken, and he dies. At this point, the boys have completely lost control and start fighting each other. What was once a group of friends is now a group of wild children. As Golding describes this moment, “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.” This signifies the end of order among the boys.
Falling Action: After Piggy’s death, the story begins to wind down in the falling action. The boys begin to realize how far they have fallen from being civilized. Ralph is now in danger from Jack's tribe, and everything seems very chaotic. This part shows us how the boys struggle with what they have become.
Conclusion: Finally, the conclusion arrives when a naval officer finds the boys. They are rescued, but they look like savages, and they feel sadness for what has happened. The novel ends with Ralph weeping for the loss of innocence, showing us that they will never be the same again. Golding concludes, “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.” This tells us the main theme of the story—how easily people can turn to savagery and lose their sense of kindness.
In "Lord of the Flies," the plot structure, setting on the island, and theme of the darkness within human nature all connect to create a powerful story.
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