Golding's primary purpose is to show that an idealistic view of man is unrealistic and incomplete; to see man whole, one must acknowledge his propensity for cruelty. Therefore, Golding creates a fictional island where all physical needs are met and battle for life's essentials is unnecessary. Then he portrays a group of schoolboys as they shed the vestiges of civilized culture. Without the veneer, the boys do not appear innocent primitives but bloodthirsty savages. Their condition affords a microcosmic view of the "civilized" adult world: they are dropped on the island out of a worldwide...
Source: Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults, ©1999 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
(The entire page is 354 words.)
Want to read the whole thing?
Subscribe now to read the rest of this article. Plus, get access to:
- 30,000+ literature study guides
- Critical essays on more than 30,000 works of literature from Salem on Literature (exclusive to eNotes)
- An unparalleled literary criticism section. 40,000 full-length or excerpted essays.
- Content from leading academic publishers, all easily citable with our "Cite this page" button.
- 100% satisfaction guarantee READ MORE
