Lord of the Flies - A Symbolic Interpretation Lord of the Flies is a complex book. When first reading this book one might assume that it is just a book about a group of boys stranded on an island. When looking deeper into the novel you might find that it is actually a commentary on how the author, William Golding, views human nature. From reading this book you might gather that Golding believed that people are basically bad, and it is only the influence that society has on them that makes them good. Golding was in the war and it is believed that the experiences he had during this time influenced the way he viewed people and society. The underlying message about soci