Power appears as the common denominator, and its poor handling leads us to a similarly horrifying conclusion. What we end up with is a reflection on both the human psyche and the societal mechanisms used to keep it chained. Golding’s novella traces the link between human depravity and the forces that trigger our return to base instincts, much like Animal Farm. What remains is only the darkness unleashed by the loosened hold of civilisation, and the violent impulses it demands. As fear of the island’s hidden dangers threatens the system they’ve established, the boys soon find themselves grappling with the loss of innocence.
The class stratification is based on their ruthless perception of each other’s weaknesses, which they covertly seek to exploit. As their survival instincts kick in and a need for order is begrudgingly addressed, the boys set about forming a hierarchy. Their first taste of freedom, offered by the absence of rule-asserting adults, quickly takes on a foul aftertaste. Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.įollowing a plane crash, a group of boys find themselves stranded on a desert island.
The debauchery in the book is addictive, as is Welsh’s dissection of the parts of ourselves few have the stomach to inspect.Ģ. Its proprietary grip on Robertson seems to stem from the intimacy it gains with the man’s mind. The depth of the novel’s satirical voice is uncovered when the tapeworm living inside Robertson takes on the role of his advocate, referring to itself as The Self. No excuses are made for his controversial behaviour, and no quarter is given to the victims of his alarming motives. Robertson is an anti-hero through and through. The matter of his missing wife and child, eczema on his nether regions, an aggravated cocaine addiction, and an itch for a promotion at work all threaten his fast-living ways. However, dreams of his hedonistic escape are not as imminent as he would like them to be. Detective Sergeant Robertson is looking forward to his yearly, sex-driven holiday in Amsterdam. Welsh’s work hones in on the perverse nature of corruption. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an ideologue or a sensualist, you follow the stimuli thinking that they’re your signposts to the promised land.
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