Significance of Ending: The conclusion to Lord of the Flies is not exactly fit the criteria of a happy ending. When Ralph saw the officer he was baffled instead of ecstatic and grateful for saving his life. Ralph was grievous and “wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy”. Ralph weeps for the end of civilization as he …showed first 75 words of 431 total…

…showed last 75 words of 431 total…the two and put them into one picture, the savage boys and the naval officer. Golding was trying to show through the ending that both savageness and moral exists in humans. The fundamental theme throughout the story is the struggle between natural human instincts and civilization. If Ralph had simply died, the theme would be different, the emphasis would turn to be on the darkness of man, but not the struggle between “good and evil”.