A Grim Ending Laura Lee

Lord of the Flies ends on a bleak note in order to emphasize the recurring theme throughout the novel: the idea that every human contains the beast within him/herself. By making the finale of the book so depressing, Golding illustrates the transfiguration of the boys at the same time that he recalls to mind the incidents that were caused by the change.

The grim ending of Golding's book is needed to clearly convey the evolution that has been observed in all the boys. By ending the book on the tone that it first began with, realization of the boys'immediate transgressions of British society begins to surface. When the boys first appear, they have the "obedience" (18) that has been trained into them, as obvious as the "uniforms" (18) that they wear as a badge of conformity. For them, uniforms represent "superiority" (21). It seems to be more than a coincidence that the rescuing officer comes in a neat outfit, complete with a "cap" (200) and "epaulettes" (200). This brings back memories of the fine group that Jack's capped choir first appeared as. By using parallel examples, Golding is able to translate the boys'appearances to others, a good way of making the reader...