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If you’re looking for a happy book, we don’t recommend William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. So is there any reason to read Lord of the Flies—other than the fact that you’ve been assigned the book for school? Stick around as Jenny puts a positive spin on William Golding’s tale of doom.

Video Transcription:

Simon and Piggy are dead. Is there any reason not leave this book feeling completely depressed? Stay tuned …

Let’s be honest. Lord of the Flies is a pretty pessimistic take on human nature. Basically, it says that without an organized society to impose punishment for bad behavior, we’d all become barbaric savages.

But. There is one small reason to feel hopeful about the message of this book.

Golding says that morality is a result of society’s conditioning. That it isn’t innate. Or, if it is, that it’s easily overcome by savagery and self-interest.

I’m getting to the hopeful part.

Instead of looking at Lord of the Flies as some prophecy of civilization’s demise, why not look at it as a challenge? Call it the challenge to be better, to choose love and unselfishness over hatred and selfishness.

Prove Golding wrong by letting good win out.

Don’t buy it? OK, here’s a take-away you can’t argue with: After reading Lord of the Flies, I bet you’ll never look at pork products in the same way again.