Lord of the Flies

by William Golding · 1954

Lord of the Flies, published in 1954, is an allegorical novel by William Golding that follows a group of English schoolboys stranded on a remote Pacific island. Isolated from adult authority and societal norms, the boys attempt to govern themselves, establishing rules symbolized by a conch shell. As fear and power struggles intensify, civilization collapses into savagery, revealing humanity’s inherent capacity for evil. The work satirizes the optimistic adventure narrative of R.M. Ballantyne’s *The Coral Island* and has become a classic study of power, morality, and the darkness within human nature. It has also faced challenges and bans in schools due to its profanity, racist language, and graphic depictions of sex and violence.