Views On Society Through Novels

5 Pages 1128 Words

Views on Society
Whether done intentionally or not, many authors’ beliefs and views are portrayed through their own text. Ideas of the author can be found subliminally throughout the compositions they write. Many authors use metaphors such as William Golding in Lord of the Flies, others are more blunt like Albert Camus in The Stranger, while some use their own knowledge and experiences to preach their views as Alan Paton did in Cry, the Beloved Country. Golding, Camus, and Paton use each of their novels to reveal their views on society.
In Lord of the Flies, Williams Golding reveals his viewpoint on the savagery of society. Golding uses a group of young boys as a metaphor of civilization in the raw. The boys find themselves stuck alone on a deserted island and in need of the structure of society. They attempted to follow the “old rules” of laws and morals by electing two leaders, one to provide food and the other to provide hope for rescue. As they begin to form a hierarchy, conflicts arise and principles are compromised.
“Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law.” (Golding)
This is the beginning of the corruption in a society which initially held hope. Rodger is pushing the boundaries that had once limited him in his old life. Evil has begun to invade and savagery is taking over. This is Golding’s premise of what will happen to society without strong, moral leadership. The boys are presented with the option of a leader who promises immediate gratification by providing food, or a leader who focuses on future need for society and rescue. As savagery takes over and anarchy sets in, Piggy is murdered. Golding uses Piggy’s death as a milestone ...