At last, he ends up on the beach, where he collapses in exhaustion, his pursuers close behind. ... Now, when all he can do is struggle to stay alive as long as possible, a deus ex machina (an improbable or unexpected device or character that suddenly appears to resolve a situation) appears, at the last possible moment, in the form of the naval officer who brings the boys back to the world of law, order, and society. Golding's use of irony in the last chapter blurs the boundary between civilization and savagery and implies that the two are more closely connected than the story has illustr...

• Word Count: 11237
• Approx Pages: 45
• Grade Level: High School