the theme of his novel is, in his words, "... an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. the moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. the whole book is symbolic in nature except the rescue in the end where adult life appears, dignified and capable, but in reality enmeshed in the same evil as the symbolic life of the children on the island. the officer, having interrupted a man-hunt, prepares to take the children off the island in a cruiser which will presently be hunting its enemy in the same implacable way. and who will rescue the adult and his cruiser?" william golding on his novel lord of the flies (p189, notes, 1954, 1955).
william golding attended oxford university to study science, but after two years, changed to english literature. he then published a volume of poems, wasted 4 years, then as world war 2 exploded in europe, joined the royal navy and served for 5 years, ending as a lieutenant in command of a ship in action against battleships, submarines and aircraft (e. l. epstein, notes).
i have read all of golding's novels... each one is wonderful... but lord of the flies is definitely his best work...
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