Lord of the Flies: Encyclopedia II - Lord of the Flies - Anaylsis

Lord of the Flies - Anaylsis

Many people have interpreted "Lord of the Flies" as a work on moral philosophy. The enviornment of the island, a paradise with all the food, water, and all the necessities, can be seen as a metaphor for the Garden of Eden. Yet, the first appearance of the "beastie" is that of a serpent, as evil appears in the Book of Genesis.

One of the major themes of the book is on the nature of evil. This is clearly seen in the conversation that Simon holds with the skull of the pig, which refers to itself as "The Lord of the Flies" (a literal translation of the Hebrew name of Beelzebub). The name, while referring to the swarms of flies gathering on it, is clearly a reference to the biblical character of the Devil. The conversation held also points to Simon as the character representing religion and goodwill in the novel, which is reminiscent of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Anaylsis", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki