Theme


 * EQ: What is theme? How does the author reveal and develop the theme(s) throughout the course of a novel?**

The following themes are presented, developed and supported throughout the story.

**1. Good versus Evil** - what the characters do and why they do it

** 2. The "Heart of Darkness" or how civilized people can descend into savagery ** - going from an advanced, orderly society into a primitive one ruled by "native" desires, needs and instincts. Are the boys turning into "savages"? Who? Why? How?

**3. Rules and Society and the World of Adult Authority** - the importance of rules, common goals, adult versus childish logic and reasoning. Who are the "adults" on the island? Are rules necessary? Do we need to be surrounded by the confines of society (rules, uniforms, consequences) to act civilized? Would a group of stranded adults act any differently than the boys?

**4. Nature versus Nuture** - is a person born "good" or "evil" or does that person learn to be good or evil? Which has a stronger effect on a person: genetics or the environment in which he/she is raised?

** 5. Survival of the Fittest ** - what characteristics are valued? Who is "fit" to make decisions? Why? What skills (physical, mental) are needed to survive on this island? Which charatcers have those strengths?

**6. Fear** - how does fear rule the characters' lives? Is it real or imagined?

** 7. Humans versus Nature ** - how do the boys treat their surroundings? Do they have a thirst for natural destruction? Are they working against their natural environment or using it their advantage? What environmental messages are being conveyed in the book?