Lord of the Flies by William Golding explores how a group of boys behaves when stranded on a desert island, using the setting to examine human nature and civilization. The desert island is important because it removes the structures of adult society—laws, schools, and authority—forcing the boys to create their own rules. At first, the island seems like a paradise, offering food, freedom, and adventure. This reflects the boys’ initial optimism and belief that they can govern themselves fairly.

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However, as time passes, the island becomes a place of fear and chaos. Without adults, the boys struggle to maintain order. Ralph represents civilization and democracy, trying to keep rules through meetings and the signal fire. In contrast, Jack represents savagery and the desire for power. The isolation of the desert island allows Jack’s violent instincts to grow, showing how quickly society can break down when consequences disappear.

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The island itself mirrors the boys’ moral decline. As their behavior becomes more savage, the island becomes scarred by fires, hunting, and destruction. Golding uses the island to suggest that evil is not caused by society but exists naturally within humans. When the boys fear the “beast,” they fail to realize it symbolizes the darkness inside themselves.

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By the end of the novel, the desert island is no longer a place of freedom but a prison created by the boys’ own actions. Golding uses this setting to argue that civilization is fragile and that without rules and responsibility, humans can descend into violence and chaos.

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       Learning Check Questions

1. Why is the desert island an important setting in Lord of the Flies?

2. How does the island initially seem like a paradise?

3. What does Ralph symbolize on the island?

4. What does Jack represent, and how does the island influence him?

5. How does the island change as the boys become more savage?

6. What does the “beast” symbolize?

7. How does isolation affect the boys’ behavior?

8. What message is Golding sending about human nature through the desert island?