Allegory...

[icecold]

the best allegory and book by far in my opnion is lord of the flies, but does anyone want to share what they think the book means because im not sure, anyone want to help please

[david niven]

It's the beast inside, the savage beneath the thin skin of civillisation etc. You have outsiders [Piggy], you have monsters and the unknown to be scared of [the corpse of the pilot]. You have the struggle between good and evil [not only between the two factions of boys but in Ralph's soul]. It's a while since I read it so I'd be glad to hear anyone elses views. What about the twins etc? Broadly speaking the book is a study of the nature of man as represented by boys [savage instincts] without the influences of adults [civillisation]. I can only assume that this is what you thought that it's about. Everything by Goulding is excellent but I urge you to read 'Pincher Martin' and 'Free Fall' before you read anything else, go to the pictures or watch tv.

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/ and a link will take you to an excellent website all about the book. Once there, you can click on any of the blue-coloured underlined headings. 'Themes' would seem to fit your question most closely, but I'm sure the others will help, too. Good luck.

[incitatus]

I always had a problem with this book...because I had to do it for O level. The set questions for it asked things like "what is surprising about the childrens degeneration" and the answer was nothing at all. It happens in ten minutes during morning break, let alone on an island. I always thought of it as more of documentary than an allegory.

[Andromeda]

An absolutely appalling book. Erm, what I mean is it is well written, and a fascinating look at the trueism that man is only two meals away from barbarism, but made me feel physically sick. MInd you I did empathise with Fatty a tad too much...

[Breakingdawn]

Go to either sparknotes.com or pinkmonkey.com. I suggest sparknotes. Naturally, I think the overall meaning of the book is to tell us about the evil within our hearts.
" The beast" You know, where evil resides in the heart.
Simon in Lord of the Flies said that "the beast may just be us."

in ch.7, it says: it is important to note that when the boys pass through the burned out forest, the ashes blind them. This temporary blindness is symbolic of the boy's real blindness, their inability to s� the real beast-- the evil within their hearts.