The Role of Power and Corruption in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)

The Role of Power and Corruption in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)

Expanding the Roles:
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a dystopian novel in which a group of boys is stranded on a deserted island and must form their own society. As the boys’ society begins to disintegrate, power struggles emerge, and the boys descend into savagery. The novel explores themes of power, corruption, and human nature. For literature students, The Lord of the Flies offers a critical examination of the fragility of civilization and the dark side of human nature.

• Power and Corruption:
  The conflict between Ralph, who represents order and civilization, and Jack, who represents chaos and primal instincts, illustrates how power can be easily corrupted. Students can explore how Golding uses the boys’ descent into violence to show how easily authority and power can lead to moral decay.

• Human Nature and Civilization:
  The novel examines the tension between civilization and the innate human desire for power and violence. Literature students can analyze how Golding suggests that beneath the veneer of civilization, humans are predisposed to brutality when freed from societal constraints.

What We Learn:
The Lord of the Flies provides literature students with a chilling exploration of the dangers of power and the inherent violence in human nature. The novel serves as a critique of the fragility of social order and the moral consequences of abandoning societal norms.