William Golding’s debut novel follows a group of British schoolboys whose plane crashes on the shore of an uninhabited island. As well intentioned their attempt to cope with the situation and govern themselves may have been they instead regress to primal instincts and the mentality of humanity’s earliest hunter societies.

Published in 1954, Lord of the Flies wasn’t a huge success in the United States, selling only 3,000 copies before going out of print. By the early 1960’s, though, it was a best seller and required reading in grade schools and universities across the country. It was also adapted for the screen in 1963 and 1990. In 2005, it was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best novels of the century.

The story makes vague hints about taking place during a nuclear war, which was a common fear during the political Red Scare of the 1950’s. Due to its rather stark and dystopian exploration of human nature it has also been quite controversial, especially in regards to its commentary on putting the self before the common good, which is the book’s central theme. The conflict between civilization- living by rules, peacefully and in harmony- and the human impulse to control others shapes most of the interactions and dialog; related themes include the conflict between rational and emotional reactions, and morality and immorality. Thus, it finds itself at #8 on the American Library Associations list of frequently banned classics.

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