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“We did everything adults would do. What went wrong?” A boy named Piggy in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” after a group of boys’ attempt at civilization falls apart. In honor of William Golding’s birthday on September 19, it’s a good time to look at his most famous work and the lessons it teaches. 

Some of you may have read “Lord of the Flies” in high school or college (perhaps even on a lark). Others might have had to simply endure the book in high school or college. For those that don’t remember the story, it follows a group of boarding school boys who are marooned on a desert island after their plane crashes. The boys, under the guidance of Ralph and Piggy, try to work together in order to survive on the island, creating a microcosm of civilization, but another group of boys led by Jack prefers to wear warpaint and hunt wild pigs with spears. Soon, the two factions are at war with each other with Jack’s hunters are soon hunting down Ralph and the others with the same spears they used on a pig.

Critics have looked at “Lord of the Flies” as Golding discussing the conflict between civilization’s rules that guarantee order and our individual primal drives that feed selfish desires. This message is hammered home even more when Golding decides to use children, often symbolizing innocence, for the book’s characters. A very large message in Golding’s book is that evil is inherent in humans because simply being children didn’t make the boys marooned on that island immune from giving in to evil impulses.

Sure, they did exactly what adults did, which is surrender to cruelty once the threat of punishment was taken away, and that’s why it went so wrong. 

Some might be wondering why I’m suddenly doing literary analysis in the middle of a newspaper column about the library. To explain myself, let me explain how I personally feel about the points people have been finding in Golding’s narrative. First, rather that say humans are inherently evil (and thus wading into the quagmire of a philosophical discussion on the nature of evil), I would say simply that evil is easy. It is easy to have a negative thought or opinion about someone from just one brief encounter. It is easy to act on some of those negative thoughts with a snide comment or aloof attitude if a person allows it. Simply put, it is easy to fall to our baser, uglier natures (my word choice of “giving in to evil impulses” is quite intentional). .

What turns this tide is another point that Golding makes about civilization preventing us from turning on each other. I’d like to put a more positive spin by saying that community is what ultimately allows goodness to thrive. We come together to help neighbors and friends. We remind ourselves that someone who is being negative toward us is probably having a bad day and you try to make their day better. Reminding ourselves and our neighbors that we are stronger when we come together is what keeps civilization running. It sounds difficult (I mean children, the supposed epitome of innocence) fell short, but it’s doable. The library can be a community where people come together to learn and know each other, but you are probably forming communities where you tell jokes, share stories, and encourage each other to be better people. 

Sometimes, it’s hard to have faith in the power of community when that faith is tested, but I continue to believe in it. We are greater when we come together rather than just give in. 

And don’t forget to come together for some of these library programs: 

On Tuesday, September 17, at 6 p.m., the library is having an Apple Tasting. Have you ever been at the grocery store wondering which apple variety to buy? Come taste a selection to find out which type reigns supreme! Learn some fun facts about apples, sample a variety of apples and vote on your favorite! Space is limited; please register.

On Wednesday, September 18, at 6 p.m., the Kentucky Picture Show presents an inspirational movie from 2023. A prison social worker assembles a cycling team of teenage convicts and takes them on a transformative 1,000-mile ride. Inspired by the life of Greg Townsend and the Ridgeview Academy cycling team. Rated PG-13. 

On Thursday, September 19, at 6 p.m., the library will be having its monthly meeting of Write Out There! This writing group welcomes writers of all kinds to get some awesome writing prompts to get you started and we can also do workshops where other writers can share their work and get feedback. Bring anything you’re working on, or just bring paper, pencil, or laptop to do some writing and have some fun.