Sunday, May 10, 2020

The real Lord of the Flies: what happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months

Via David

 Mr Peter Warner, third from left, with his crew in 1968, including the survivors from ‘Ata.

For centuries western culture has been permeated by the idea that humans are selfish creatures. That cynical image of humanity has been proclaimed in films and novels, history books and scientific research. But in the last 20 years, something extraordinary has happened. Scientists from all over the world have switched to a more hopeful view of mankind. This development is still so young that researchers in different fields often don’t even know about each other.

When I started writing a book about this more hopeful view, I knew there was one story I would have to address. It takes place on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific. A plane has just gone down. The only survivors are some British schoolboys, who can’t believe their good fortune. Nothing but beach, shells and water for miles. And better yet: no grownups.

More @ The Guardian

4 comments:

  1. The difference, and it is a big one, is the Ata boys began and ended their days with song and prayer.

    Rick

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