Theme


 * 1. Good versus Evil  - what the characters do and why they do it **
 * Jack is the one being evil because he has one mindset and is very stubborn about it. He is very rude to Piggy and isn’t giving him a chance. Ralph is good because he is trying his best to think through things and he is trying to be the most rational. Good will always overpower evil. **


 * 2. The "Heart of Darkness" or how civilized people can descend into savagery  - going from an advanced, orderly society into a primitive one ruled by "native" desires, needs and instincts. Are the boys turning into "savages"? Who? Why? How? **
 * Yes, they are turning into savages because they are starting to lose control of who they really are. They are becoming less proper and they have know one to tell them what they are doing wrong. They have killed innocent people out of fear. **


 * 3. Rules and Society and the World of Adult Authority  - the importance of rules, common goals, adult versus childish logic and reasoning. Who are the "adults" on the island? Are rules necessary? Do we need to be surrounded by the confines of society (rules, uniforms, consequences) to act civilized? Would a group of stranded adults act any differently than the boys? **
 * There is know one who is really acting like a parent on the island. I think rules/structure is very necessary because otherwise they would not be able to get much accomplished. Out here in the wilderness they are becoming less civilized because they don’t have any examples to show them what to be like. I think if they were adults, they would act much more mature. They don't know what to do first or what to focus on. (Getting rescued, fire, shelter, food, etc.) **
 * 4. Nature versus Nuture  - is a person born "good" or "evil" or does that person learn to be good or evil? Which has a stronger effect on a person: genetics or the environment in which he/she is raised? **
 * I think that to a degree someone can be born evil but I think the environment in which they are raised has a more important effect on the person. I think certain predicaments can change a person to act evil or good, but people are mostly born with an evil or good mindset. **
 * 5. Survival of the Fittest  - what characteristics are valued? Who is "fit" to make decisions? Why? What skills (physical, mental) are needed to survive on this island? Which charatcers have those strengths? **
 * Ralph and Jack are the two valued boys on this island. Piggy is the best at making decisions although no one really listens to him. He thinks the most clearly. You need to be strong and fit to hunt for food and make shelters but more importantly you need to be able to make quick decisions and smart decisions. **
 * 6. Fear <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> - how does fear rule the characters' lives? Is it real or imagined? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #4a86e8; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They are scared of the beast that they think is on the island. Several boys have realized that the beast is really themselves, but most of them still have not figured that out. Their fear is the evil inside them. **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Humans versus Nature <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> - how do the boys treat their surroundings? Do they have a thirst for natural destruction? Are they working against their natural environment or using it their advantage? What environmental messages are being conveyed in the book? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They are not trying to use their natural environment to their advantage. Although they have used the animals in their environment for food and they eat the fruit, they don't realize how much more they could have if they used their environment. Nature could destroy them at any moment, but I think they could destroy nature just as much with their evilness. The environmental message being conveyed in the book is that you can use the environment, but do not destroy it. **