The image is found in religions as common as Christianity 
and as abstract as Zoroastrianism.  It is called by many 
names: Abaddon, Belial, God of this World, Prince of 
Darkness, Satan, and Beelzebub.  This dark character calls 
fear and revulsion to the minds of even the most faithful.  
Beelzebub's image of evil is given a new twist by William 
Golding, who introduces a much creepier notion of this 
beast's true nature.  The deterioration of the society in 
Lord of the Flies displays Golding's philosophy that the 
arcaic evil in humanity comes from within man himself.   
   The stranded boys are extremely innocent and civilized 
at the beginning of the novel.  Soon after the conch is 
blown, when Jack and the choir first appears,  Golding 
describes them, "...boys, marching approximately in step 
in two paralell lines....Their bodies, from throat to 
ankle, were hidden by black coats which bore a long silver 
cross on the left breast..." (p. 19).  The boys' military-
style marching shows the regimental nature of the boys' 
education.  The crosses on their clothing also connote 
affiliation with a religion, a civilized structure.  
These signs of sophistication show that the boys were not
wild or inhumane in thier lives before they were 
stranded.
   As the boys further their life on the island, they 
become increasingly more savage and barbaric.  After a 
few days on the island, Jack's appearance, like the other 
boys', is considerably different, "Then dog-like, 
uncomfortably on all fours yet unheeding to his 
discomfort...His sandy hair, considerably longer than it 
had been when they dropped in."(p. 48).  Golding first 
gives an animalistic impression of Jack by comparing his 
movement to that of a dog.  His long hair shows a neglect 
for his physical appearance.  These two descriptions show 
the group's civilized mentality being stripped away by the 
wild instinct that the jungle evokes.  This transformation 
becomes more evident when the boys paint their faces.  
Golding describes the painting, "He made one cheek and one 
eyesocket white, then he rubbed red over the other half of 
his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across...he 
looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an 
awesome stranger." (p. 63).  They boys' savage sides become
obvious at this point.  They are painting their faces, 
which gives them an inhuman appearance.  The paint is 
similar to war paint worn by indains, and has a violent
connotation.       
   Simon's conversation with the Lord of the Flies shows 
that the evil in the boys is not from beast, but from within 
them.  During the conversation, the Lord of the Flies says 
to Simon, "Fancy thinking the beast was something you could 
hunt and kill!...You knew, didn't you?  I'm part of you?   
Close, close, close!  I'm the reason why it's no go?  Why 
things are what they are?" (p. 143).  The Lord of the Flies 
reveals to Simon that the beast is in their nature, and not 
an animal that they could physically challenge.  The 
degregidation of the boys was not caused by outside 
influence, but by their inner attraction to evil.  Later 
the Lord of the Flies says, "This is ridiculous.  You know 
perfectly well you'll only meet me down there- so don't try 
to escape!" (p. 143).  This statement calls attention to the 
universal influence of the evil.  Simon is warned that he can 
never escape from the evils within man, for it exists in 
everyone.  With this statement, Golding expands the 
importance of the evil in the boys and declaires it a 
universal event, not an isolated oddity. 
    Golding's portrayal of the boys' metomorphosis from 
civilized students to cruel and barbaric beasts shows the 
inner evil within all humans.  It strips the silly horns, 
pointed tail, and red flesh off Beelzebub's spirit and 
places that spirit within the heart of humanity.  The image 
Golding creates of the Prince of Darkness births a grim new 
understanding of the nature of the beast.    

   William Golding was born in Cornwall in 1911.  At the 
early age of twelve he had serious aspirtions to become 
a writer.Golding's first attempt at writing was a twelve-
volume opus about trade unions.  He never completed this 
massive undertaking.

   Golding grew up during World War I, and the war had a 
large impact on his philosophy.  The war crushed his belief 
that man was primarily good and innocent.  Golding's new 
philosophy that man has strong tendencies towards evil in 
his nature.  His war-born philosophy is a fundamental theme 
of Lord of the Flies. 
 
   Golding attended college at Marlboro and Oxford 
University.  He studied both Physics and English literature 
in college until World War II broke out in 1939. Golding 
served in England's Royal Navy, working in antisubmarine 
and antiaircraft operations.  In 1944 he was involved in 
the naval support at the landings in Normandy on D-Day.  
While in the Navy he gained the reputation of loving intense 
combat situations. 

   After the war, Golding became a teacher at an all boys' 
school.  The boys that he taught in this school inspired 
many of the characters in Lord of the Flies.  

   Golding wrote three novels before writing Lord of the 
Flies.  None of which were published, and even Golding 
himself denounced them.  In 1954, Lord of the Flies was 
first published after being turned down by over twenty 
different publishers.  The book did not gain its popularity 
until the 60's, when teenagers and college students became 
its fundamental following.  The book soon became accepted 
by many critics and teachers despite some of the strong 
criticism against it.

   Golding published three novels after Lord of the Flies: 
The Inheritors, Pincher Martin, and Free Fall.  These added 
to his popularity as a writer. Eventually Golding gave up 
teaching to become a full-time author.  In 1983, Golding 
received the Nobel Prize for Literature for his genious in 
all his novels.  He died ten years later in Wiltshire, 
England.

   No matter which level you interpret this book on, it is 
remarkable.  It can simply be a riviting tale of boys losing 
their innocence and humanity after being stranded on a 
deserted island.  It is also a deep statement about man's 
instinct towards evil tendencies.  It also chronicles the 
clash between agressive men of action and composed men of 
politics.  
   The literal tale is harrowing and interesting.  It 
contains real characters that are not stereotyped or 
overdone.  The plot is full of conflict, action, and drama.  
Through the coarse of the novel the reader feels fear, pity, 
anger, sorrow, and finally great relief.  Such intense 
tales are not found in modern literature.
   The story can also be seen as a figurative portrayal of 
man's dark side.  The reader is able to see the decline of 
the characters as they change from innocent boys to blood-
thirsty savages.  The novel shows how man has a natural 
attraction to evil and savagry.  
   It also gives a depiction of the clash of two different 
walks of man.  Jack, an instinctual and aggressive hellion, 
personifies the men of action who work with fists and 
physical power.  Ralph, a soft but intelligent politician, 
represents the men of thought and compramise.  The novel 
shows how the two conflict in the story as well as in 
modern society.
   A novel as entertaining and deep as Lord of the Flies 
does not hit our world often.  It is a classic which 
provokes both pure thought and deep emotion.  Its 
universal appeal is testament to its depth and scope and 
overall excellence. Read it, love it.  We did.