/lit/ - Literature

Workplace alienation. The conch as the ruling form of capital gives voice to those in possesion of it while the rest exist merely to serve and affirm.

The primal and savage nature of man lies mere millimeters below to our pretenses of civilization and rationality, and is clawing to get out, ready to break free at the slightest crack in the facade.

I guess I can excuse you missing this if you were in middle school, but the reason its common syllabus material is because of how overt it is.

You could as well argue the novel was an experiment to see how unsubtle you can be while still calling it symbolism.

>>6180080
It's not about "dictatorship vs. democracy", nor is it about workplace alienation, but it could be read as a criticism of liberalism, but it's definitely about the dangerous fear-based mentality of fascism/far-right nationalism specifically. Think of the ending as the rude awakening of the feverish nightmare of fascism ("hunter" ideology, neo-primitivism disguised as civilization). The boys didn't have to give in to savagery because of fear (Jack's chest-beating, rule-breaking, and hunting are all short-term securities against this fear). Before the adults show up, their descent makes sense in the ideological choice that only the present time matters and all ethical choices are short-term considerations, but once the first adult shows up that kind of thinking (non-thinking) is shattered, and all that's left is the reality of what they did to each other.

>>6180193
That was the one story part I did focus on that I liked. It felt as though they were 18-20 year olds surviving and fighting on this island and as soon as an adult shows up they were 12 year olds again(sorry I'm drunk now-op)

>>6180080
Shucks to your asthmar

children are beastly listen to teacher.

>>6181356
WE DONT NEED NO EDUCATION

Who's right, Hobbes or Rousseau? left to his own devices, will man revert to primitive savagery?

>>6182456
No but he will get pic related.

>>6180165
This.

>>6181328
If you're aware of the time period through which it is set and that the man on the boat is navy personnel, it's fairly ostensible the parallel they're trying to make here.