Lord Of The Flies Unhappy Ending

An ending is the most crucial part of a book. Not only does it conclude the whole book, but it can also give the reader a whole new interpretation to what the book is about. ¡®The Lord of the Flies¡¯ by William Golding is a typical book that illustrates this point. Without the ending, the book would hardly amount to half of its true value. This is because the ending shows what the book is really about. If one does not read the last part of the book, one will not be able to see the crucial meaning of what the author wants to say. The ending of ¡®The Lord of the Flies¡¯ is not a happy one. It is very ironic and shocking, in a way. Of course, it is literally a ¡°happy ending¡±, however, it leaves somewhat a bitter feeling in us. However bitter
it makes us feel, the ending of ¡®The Lord of the Flies¡¯ is extremely symbolic and significant. Golding¡¯s theme is not merely about the evils of boys¡¯ inner selves.
Though if one has not read the ending, one would think this way. In the end, the evil of the boys connects to man¡¯s society on the planet Earth. The boys represent the society as a whole, yet are rescued by that society. While they were in war among themselves, the supposedly mature adults outside that island were having a war too. ¡°A naval officer stood on the sand, looking down at Ralf in wary astonishment. On the beach behind him was a cutter, her bows hauled up and held by two ratings. In the stern-sheets another rating held a sub-machine gun.¡± (pg. 200 lines 21~ 24) and the last line of this whole book could not better depict this connection. ¡°¡¦ and waited, allowing his eyes to reswt on the trim cruiser in the distance.¡± (pg. 202 lines 24~25) Through this swap of position, Golding helps readers see the strong ties between the English boys on the island to the society of this whole
world. Another significant meaning this ending has is its silent caution to us human beings.
Just like the island the boys are in, our world is an isolated existence. Unlike the fate of our British boys, however, there is no one who can rescue the world should savagery go out of control. In the end, the boys, lost in savagery, set fire to the island without thinking of the consequences it may bring. If no one came to the rescue, they would have had no more means of surviving. Then, if the island represents the Earth, I believe there can be a environmental interpretation to this part also. Just like the boys, us humans are now hurting the environment little by little. The depletion of the ozone layer, pollution of the soil, air, and water, the cutting down of trees, extinction of animals, and etc are all examples of setting the earth on fire. ¡°Ralph screamed, a scream of fright and anger and desperation¡¦. All at once the lights flickering ahead of him merged together, the roar of the forest rose to thunder and a tall bush directly in his path burst into a great fan-shaped flame. He swung to the right, running desperately fast, with the heat beating on his left side and the fire racing forward like a tide.¡± (pg. 199 parts of lines 25~ 37) Golding wanted us to read what could happen to the earth and
humans. The most significant factor I saw in this ending was the irony hidden inside. The boys are on a paradise island, but they become dirty as they turn into savages. The officer who comes and rescues them, however, has a clean white uniform on with epaulets and shining medals. ¡°It was a white-topped cap, and above the green shade of the peak was a crown, an anchor, gold foliage. He saw white drill, epaulettes, a revolver, a row of gilt buttons down the front of a uniform.¡± (pg. 200 lines 17~ 21) It is ironical that as boys get dirtier, they turn vicious, but as adults turn into savages, they are awarded with shining golden medals and clean uniforms. This interpretation shocks readers, but helps them see what Golding is trying to say. He is saying that adult society is a seemingly orderly version of the boys¡¯ island. In ¡®Lord of the Flies¡¯, the ending played a crucial role in helping readers understand the main theme. The real meaning of Golding¡¯s ending is not a rescue nor an escape, but the peak of his allegory and powerful symbolism. The ending is ironic which makes readers become conscious of their own society, a seemingly clean island for grown ups. The naval officer¡¯s part in this book is to point out how far the boys have fallen and why their rescue was not so happy because in the end everybody cries with grief instead of relief. Therefore, the ending is essential in this story. It is not happy, but it clearly states what the author wants all of us to notice.