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The relationship between Ralph and Piggy is very symbiotic. Piggy's intelligence with Ralph's common sense - each supports the other. There are a lot of examples of such relationships in literature, like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, or Lennie and George in Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men".
The battle between good and evil is a central theme of Lord of the Flies. It appears in many conflicts - for example between the conch group and the savages or between the boys and the "beast". In the beginning of the novel, good is the "leader" - the conch is a symbol for democracy. While Ralph's government, good is dominant.
This situation changes when Jack tries to take over the conch group. First he fails, but from then on evil takes control. In the end only the Naval Officer prevents the complete triumph of evil over good.
It is important that evil exists in every man and it's a necessary part of human condition.
Another theme is law, order & discipline. The boys came from a society in which discipline is very important and they attempt to continue this on the island too. Very soon you recognise the conch as the symbol for democracy and respect. They have meetings where they discuss the problems and think about possible changes and improvements, like keep a fire going. It is a kind of a "Parliament" with Ralph as a democratic leader.
First law and order reigns, but then there is for example the rubbery of Piggy's glasses because the savages wanted the power of fire, although they belong to Piggy and he would have lent it to them. In the end there are no rules left, except obeying Jack.
William Golding itself was a teacher and he was very unhappy with the English public school system, which believes in discipline as the best way of turning children into young adults.
The island can be seen like a laboratory. He removes all the adults - so the aren't influenced and have to set their impulses free. Jack, for instance, was the head of a choir, a hunter, a dictator and finally a murder.
Golding wanted the balance between firm discipline and a creative freedom in the schools of his time.
Crowd mentality is also a very important point. In the beginning their is only one formed group, the choir. It is a disciplined group, which is very good for hunting, where organisation is important.
When the order on the island breaks down, and most of the boys join Jack's tribe, they behave differently. Pig hunts are rituals and the boys start to loose their identity. There is no individuality because of the paint - everybody has to look and act the same way.
Top of the crowd mentality is reached when Simon returns with news and is killed by the hysterical savages in their ritual dance.
In this book are two important elements of Goldings's life reflected: his insight, because of his job as teacher, into the way children behave and function and his pessimism after the Second World War. Historically, the post-war period was one of hope and optimism, but the events Golding had witnessed didn't allow him to see things this way - he had a rather pessimistic view of human beings, so he shows us what the consequences of our behaviour might be, then leaves us to think and to learn.
"Before the Second World War I believed in the perfectibility of social man;
that a correct structure of society would produce good will; and that therefore you could remove all social ills by a reorganisation of society. It is possible that today I believe something of the same again; but after the war I did not because I was unable to. I had discovered what one man could do to another."
Personal statement:
I liked this novel very much, because it gives a warning about the power of evil. Golding isolates children on an island and shows how they could act, and that the capacity for brutality isn't only in adults.
To my mind the themes are very interesting and still topical and the way Golding tries to make people think about these problems is really fascinating.
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