Lord Of The Flies: A Shocking Tale Of The Darkness Of Man's Heart At first, William Golding's novel, The Lord Of The Flies, seems little more than a tale of a group of boys, the sole survivors of a plane crash, and their adventures on a deserted island. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes more than a mere tale of survival. The island is no longer simply a place for an adventure but a metaphor for the entire world, with each of the characters representing important aspects that make up this world. The first hint Golding gives us that his novel will contain deeper meaning is the fact