Lord of the Flies - Analyzing Its Ending

An ending is the most crucial part of a book. Not only does it conclude the whole book, but it can also give the reader a whole new interpretation to what the book is about. Ў®The Lord of the FliesЎЇ by William Golding is a typical book that illustrates this point. Without the ending, the book would hardly amount to half of its true value. This is because the ending shows what the book is really about. If one does not read the last part of the book, one will not be able to see the crucial meaning of what the author wants to say. The ending of Ў®The Lord of the FliesЎЇ is not a happy one. It is very ironic and shocking, in a way. Of course, it is literally a Ў°happy endingЎ±, however, it leaves somewhat a bitter feeling in us. However bitter it makes us feel, the ending of Ў®The Lord of the FliesЎЇ is extremely symbolic and significant.

GoldingЎЇs theme is not merely about the evils of boysЎЇ inner selves. Though if one has not read the ending, one would think this way. In the end, the evil of the boys connects to manЎЇs society on the planet Earth. The boys represent the society as a whole, yet are rescued by that society. While they were in war among themselves, the supposedly mature adults outside that island were having a war too. Ў°A naval officer stood on the sand, looking down at Ralf in wary astonishment. On the beach behind him was a cutter, her bows hauled up and held by two ratings. In the stern-sheets another rating held a sub-machine gun.Ў± (pg. 200 lines 21~ 24) and the last line of this whole book could not better depict this connection. Ў°Ў¦ and waited, allowing his eyes to reswt on the trim cruiser in the distance.Ў± (pg. 202 lines 24~25) Through this swap of position, Golding helps readers see the strong ties between the English boys on the island to the society of this whole world.

Another significant meaning this ending has is its silent caution to us human beings. Just like the island the boys are in, our world is an isolated existence. Unlike the fate of our British boys, however, there is no one who can rescue the world should savagery go out of control. In the end, the boys, lost in savagery, set fire to the island without thinking of the consequences it may bring. If no one came to the rescue, they would have had no more means of surviving. Then, if the island represents the Earth, I believe there can be a environmental interpretation to this part also. Just like the boys, us humans are now hurting the environment little by little. The depletion of the ozone layer, pollution of the soil, air, and water, the cutting down of trees, extinction of animals, and etc are all examples of setting the earth on fire. Ў°Ralph screamed, a scream of fright and anger and desperationЎ¦. All at once the lights flickering ahead of him merged together, the roar of