Stranded on an island by a plane crash that leaves all the adults dead, a group of schoolboys establish a primitive society in order to survive. However, their tribal community, begun on moral terms, decays into savagery and ends in a brutal murder. This allegorical novel, now a classic of 20th-century literature, probes the dark side of human nature that lurks beneath the thin veneer of civilization. In this program—enriched by footage from the 1963 black-and-white film directed by Peter Brook—literary experts discuss the novel’s religious imagery and use of irony. In addition, the principles of law and order, role of society and culture, and effects of political unrest are explored. (32 minutes)