The central concern is the conflict between two strong drives in human society: order and chaos. These translate as the quest to live by law and order, to value the good of others versus the drive to satisfy one’s personal interests and use force to establish one’s supremacy over others, on the other hand. Throughout the novel, Golding associates the drive for order with civilization or good, and the drive for chaos with savagery. This conflict is represented in the conflict between two major characters: Ralph, the protagonist who represents order, and Jack, his antagonist, who represents savagery with his morbid thirst for power.

The question was shunned by most of the candidates and the performance of the few that attempted it was fair.