Lord of the Flies question

Excellent question. Here's my two cents: "Lord of the Flies" is a story about the inherent nature of mankind: Are people good or bad by nature? By presenting a setting of :civilized; boys left to their own devices, without adult guidance or intervention, they show themselves (and us, by association) to be evil. There is no hope for change for these little savages. Only shame for what they have done, and that only when they are rescued and face having to explain themselves back in "civilization." "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" postulates the same premise (using Edward as the example of inherent evil), but provides redemption for the lost through the death of the sinless Aslan. (I postulate that in the face of Hitler's atrocities during WWII, this question of the nature of man was hotly debated all over the world: Is man's inhumanity to man a product of his upbringing\environment\education\life experience or is it inbred\part of our DNA? And in light of man's wickedness, regardless of its origins, is there hope for redemption?)

One similarity that I'm surprised that no one noticed - or, at least, has mentioned yet - is that both have religious allegory in them. Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia is a Christ figure. The very title of "Lord of the Flies" is a reference to the devil. So, yeah, similarities abound. However, I think the two authors come at it from opposite directions. Golding seems to think that humans are beyond redemption. Lewis seems to think that humans can be redeemed, through faith in God.

I guess so. In a way. A bunch of children are being removed from danger, one group by plane, the other by train and they end up being transported into another world. A world where they must fend for themselves and form some system of government- in Narnia, because it has been prophesised,in LOTF, so they can survive in a somewhat civilised way.

Well, in fact, both groups of children are escaping WWII, if I am not mistaken.

But I think that's pretty much where the similarities end. The intent of the author matters a lot, and Lewis and Golding were trying to say VASTLY different things with their writings. Or at least so I believe.

I'd say "The Golden Compass," from the series "His Dark Materials" by Phillip Pullman is probably closer to "Flies." Pulman wrote the series to directly confront the Christian principles in C.S. Lewis'es "The Chronicles of Narnia," thus that series has a bit more in common with "Lord Of The Flies."

I would agree that on the surface they seem similar in narrative; yet these narratives are merely the author's mechanism in which they create very different stories. All that is inherent in each book; the various themes and motifs, with the exception of the superficial biblical references, are vastly disparate.

Not really, actually. In my opinion, Narnia is just another Fantasy novel with dudes running around in shining armor saving hot girls. *cough cough* But, Lord of the Flies digs deeper into human morals; what would you give up to ensure your own survival? Others' survival? Your thoughts? Not just dudes slashing Ogres, I might say.

Too bad my school's never seen this connection.

I didn't think so but now that you mention it. Sort of. Not close in the context but the basic beginnning is a lot alike.