In Lord of the Flies, why is the story increasingly taking place in near darkness or in the deep night when only the moon and stars give little light?

Golding's use of darkness is allegorical. The longer the boys remain on the island, the more ruthless and savage they become. Darkness has descended upon the island, both literally and metaphorically. There is still light, to be sure, provided by the moon and the stars, but it's very faint and cannot do much more than make a pinprick in the enveloping darkness.
The moon and the stars represent the faint glimmer of hope that the boys can somehow be rescued from the island and from themselves. They present a kind of God's-eye view of things, looking down at the boys, almost judging them as they descend further and further into outright savagery. There may be a complete absence of adult authority figures on the island, but God still sees everything.


Golding's decision to set many of the scenes during the night and depict the darkness of the island creates an ominous, foreboding atmosphere, which corresponds to the novel's dark themes regarding inherent human wickedness and unrestrained savagery. The dark sky and stormy weather act as pathetic fallacies, which relate to the brutality and wickedness taking place on the island. The most notable example of Golding's use of pathetic fallacy occurs in chapter 9 when a terrible thunderstorm strikes the island. During the storm, Jack and his hunters work themselves into a frenzy, which mirrors the chaotic weather and they end up brutally murdering Simon in the middle of the thunderstorm. In addition to creating dark, stormy settings, Golding also depicts the extremely hot weather on the island, which corresponds to the tense, dangerous environment and increasing anger and hostility among the boys.

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