synopsis:

a group of boys is stranded on a deserted island when the plane they are traveling in crashes over the ocean. Without adult leadership, the boys must learn to fend for themselves. They develop a 'society' within which they operate. Ultimately, this society breaks down into two groups: a group of 'hunter/gatherers' led by an aggressive older teenager, and a more passive and submissive group led by a more philosphical boy. As these two 'cultures' come more and more into conflict with each other, a lesson in how mores and customs are developed is shown.

on this book:

written in reaction to Robert Ballantyne's idyllic novel Coral Island, Golding presents numerous themes and basic ideas that give the reader something to think about. One of the most basic and obvious themes is that society holds everyone together, and without these conditions, ideals, values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Without society's rigid rules, anarchy and savagery can come to light.

Golding's message is that morals come directly from our surroundings, and if there is no civilization around us, we will lose these values. without society to keep them cultivated, humans - even british private school-boys - can easily become savage beasts.