Had to read this my Senior year and really enjoyed it then. Have been able to re-read it recently at work and still love it. I understand it so much more now that I am older and have children and work with children every day. This is another one that I passed on to my own daughters to read and hope they enjoy it as well.
The story is set on an island where a group of boys find themselves marooned. Almost immediately the boys divide into two separate groups. Ralph is the emergent leader of one group and requests the boys cooperation in working together to maintain camp and a signal fire. But the second group, "the hunters" are forming on the outskirts of the group, led by Jack. They are hostile and determined to find food. From there the book leads you through the de-evolution of the boys in everything from their social behavior to their actual appearance. The "hunters" paint their bodies with animal blood and regress to a primitive state. The other boys either join the pack of hunters through fear or torture and eventually they kill one of the boys in a rageful fit. Through it all, Ralph tries to maintain his humanity and leadership of the group. But finally he is forced to run for his life as he is chased by the rest of the group. Just when you think he is not going to make it, they are rescued. There are several other things that happen with regards to "a beast" on the island, the hunt for the wild pig, and the death of another member of the group who represents the "adult" in the situation and tries to hold the boys together despite the lack of respect that he tries to command.
Great story of how civilization would/could deteriorate if there were no governing forces at all and people had to rely on themselves 100%. Scary to think about.
[book:Lord of the Flies|7624]
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