THE CORAL ISLAND
Author:
R.M.Ballantyne
First edition:
The Coral Island, 1858.
In short:
The Coral Island is the story of Ralph, Jack and Peterkin, three young English boys who are shipwrcked in a deserted island of the Pacific. In the Robinson Crusoe Fashion, these three young heors managed to create and idyllic society. They build they own house, make fire, gather fruits, build boats to explore neighbouring paradisiac islands... After many unpleasant yet instructive experiences, they are rescued by an English missionary. They christianize two friendly savages of their island and all together sail back to England. When they return to civilization, they are much wiser and mature, for the adventure was an initiatic experience.
Selection of edition:
The Coral Island, Puffin Books, 1994.
The Coral Island, Penguin Books, 1995.
More about The Coral Island:
The Coral Island was written in the 19th century, and thus it refelcts the full pomposity of Victorian superiority and prosperity. But this optimistic atmosphere did not last forever. The 20th century is marked by cruel and bloody wars. William Golding, an English novelist, wrote after the war, and his vision of mankind deffers a lot from Ballantyne's. Golding wrote Lord of the Flies in 1954 as a realist answer to The Coral Island. In the 20th century book we find the same three characters plus some more boys, all stranded in an unhinhabited island without adult supervision. And their reaction to freedom and the unknown is absolutely different from Ballantyne's three young adventurers. Instead of bringing civilization, they create chaos, terror and death.