lord of the flies

• William Golding


  author

  fought in Royal Navy
• Why were British children being transported overseas in 1940

  Britain feared an invasion and evacuated children to other countries
• conch shell


  Symbolizes law and order of the adult world - democracy.

  Represents the authority the boys are so used to obeying.

  When Jack destroys it, anarchy takes over because any hope of strong, central leadership has been abandoned

  
• Fire


  symbolizes the best hope of the boys being rescued.

  To Piggy and Ralph, represents the moral influence of their old life in England.

  Good- reminds them of home, warmth and hope

  Bad- Destruction

  
• Beastie


  is seen as a real object on the island which frightens the boys. In reality the beast is only their own internal fear.

  It is located in the soul and mind of the boys, leading them to the natural chaos of a society with no adults.

  personifies the fear that every human being on earth feels.
• Pig


  It illustrates the line of aggression which becomes more and more dominant in the course of events.

  Thus, it is a symbol of Jack's leadership.

  The first killing of a pig also foreshadows Piggy's death. His nickname Piggy contains the word "pig." He is killed by the hunters like a pig.

  
• the lord of the flies


  Symbolizes the power of evil and the evilness in the boys (and in humanity).

  The head is called "Lord of the Flies" which is a translation of the word Beelzebub (name of the devil in the Bible).

  is connected with the symbol of the pig (or rather, the head of a pig). It is a symbolic dramatization of human evil.

  
• Piggy's Specs


  They symbolize the voice of reason and logic among the boys. A symbol of intelligence and education.

  Notice how Piggy defends his glasses even more than the conch. Piggy uses his glasses to find solutions to the boys' problems.
• The Island


  symbolizes "isolation" and serves as the perfect backdrop for the frailties of human nature which eventually surface.

  
• Face Paint


  t is the excuse many of the boys use for living as hunting savages, instead of civilized English citizens.

  It serves as a mask that allows the boys to become someone they are not.
• parachute man


  symbolizes the end of adult supervision.

  Simon has a special connection with the parachute man when he climbs the mountain to determine if the parachute man is still alive.

  
• Scars


  where the plane crashed; it symbolizes destruction.

  Time spent on the island also leaves a scar.

  The boys destroy themselves and others leaving internal and physical scars.
• Ralph


  This character represents the law-abiding hardworking citizen who works for the good of the group and has faith that everything will turn out all right in the end if the proper rules are obeyed by everyone.

  Protagonist

  Cheif

  His father is in the navy and hopes he will come

  Most passionate about making sure the fire keeps going
• Jack


  This character represents the destructive forces in society: ruthless and evil, he plays on the fears of the group to gain power over them. Rather than help society, he wants to dominate it.

  Obsessed with meat and hunting

  He becomes violent and controlling and splits into an new group
• Piggy


  The character stands for the intellectual who tries to solve problems with logic and reason. Because he is considered "different" by the others, they pay little attention to him and he is ineffective despite his intelligence.

  Distinct characterization- fat with glasses

  Originally finds the conch

  Smashed by a rock when he tries to get his glasses back
• Simon


  This character represents the mystic, spiritual leader or philosopher who functions on a higher plane than the rest of society. He simply "knows" things - but is unable to communicate his knowledge to the others.

  Able to communicate to Lord of the flies.

  Mysterious and likes to be alone

  He is stabbed to death
• Samneric


  They are the last to remain loyal to Ralph and they represent the tug-of-war within us to remain good.

  They are twins and good experts in survival
• Littluns


  The younger kids.

  Represent the common folk, who easily follow the lead of others into savagery when there is no enforced structure in society.
• Loss of innocence

  1. Jack, at first, couldn't kill the pig but as he got hungrier and savage he learned to slaughter the feelings . . . and the pig

  2. Ralph gets caught in the excitement of the mock hunt and helps kill Simon
• The descent from civilization to savagery


  1. In the beginning, Jack is a simple English boy who leads a choir and can't kill a pig. He then becomes more savage and in the end has a dictatorship and is leading the kill hunt for Ralph

  2. The boys find a conch shell that they use as a symbol of government and leadership (and respect) Throughout the book, the boys lose the meaning of the conch, it ultimately becomes powerless and they boys corrupt their government
• The fear of the unknown and its resulting consequences

  When the boys were unsure if there was a beastie on the island, so they acted out of fear and joined Jack's dictatorship
• The dangers of mob mentality

  1. The mock hunt with Robert

  2. When they kill Simon (they like hunting after them)

  The dangers of mob mentality can often lead to corruption in society
• Loss of identity


  1. When Percival forgets his phone number and address, which he was taught to memorize this once he was young.

  2. Jack used to be an innocent little boy, but the temptations of power on the island led him to be a savage, and he lost his identity as a young British boy

  3. The masks that they boys put on turned them into savages
• The Importance of vision

  1. The signal fire: A ship or plane has to see the signal fire if the boys will ever be rescued

  2. Piggy's specs: Piggy's specs are used to start the fire that can rescue them. He is the only one who has common sense and the ability to reason. As his glasses get destroyed and then eventually taken, this presents a huge loss to Ralph's group, and the prospects of rescue seem dim.

  3. The boy's hair: The longer the boys are on the island, the longer their hair grows, and the more rapidly they descend into savagery and lose their innocence.

  Theme Statement: When vision becomes cloudy or impaired, the descent from civilization to savagery may occur.
• Describe Piggy


  He's large and he has asthma. He doesn't want to be called piggy. He is bullied by most of the older boys. His father is dead, and his mother is out of the picture. He lived with his Auntie, who was overprotective of him.
• How do the boys decide who will be leader? Who should be leader? Who is elected?

  They have a vote. Ralph seems like and obvious leader because he blew the conch to call the boys and organize the meeting. He is elected, but Jack is clearly put off by that decision. Jack believes he should have been chosen as he is the head boy of the choir boys on the island.
• What happens when they find the first piglet in the forest?


  Jack hesitated to kill he pig and then it ran away.
• What are the rules for speaking in a meeting?

  You have to hold the conch. The holder of the conch should not be interrupted. Wherever the conch is, that's the meeting place.
• The government is already showing signs of weakness. What are the signs?

  They don't have control over everybody. For instance, the speaker of the conch is getting interrupted. When they come up with an idea, often the boys scatter before they can become organized. They haven't accounted for everyone, so they can't tell who might be missing.
• How do the boys make a fire?

  They collect dead wood and pile it up and use Piggy's specs to start a fire.
• What happens to the littlun with the birthmark on his face?

  He gets lost in the fire, and we can assume he might have died.
• How has Jack's personality changed during his stay on the island?

  His personality changed because he seems obsessed with hunting and killing a pig. His looks have changed quite a bit. His hair is in his eyes, and he's sunburned and painted.
• Why does he paint his face, and how does the mask make Jack feel?

  He paints his face so that he can blend in with the vegetation and hunt the pig. It makes him feel free of shame and self-consciousness.
• Why were the boys unable to signal the ship they saw on the horizon?

  Jack and the others went after the pig and let the smoke go out so the ship couldn't see the ship. They needed enough bodies to trap the pig so that Jack could jump on it and slit its throat.
• How does the author show us that Ralph is finally beginning to face the realities of their existence?

  He is contemplating whether or not he is a good leader. He calls an assembly to discuss the issues the boys are facing: the boys aren't using the bathroom in the right spot, no one is helping to build the shelter, they aren't keeping up with the signal fire, and they aren't collecting the water in the shells for everyone to use.See an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!
• Compare Ralph's treatment of the littluns with Jack's.


  Ralph is understanding of the littlun's fears, and he brings it to the group for discussion. Jack is cruel t othe littluns, calling them crybabies and sissies.
• What is Simon saying when he thinks the "beast" may be inside the boys themselves?

  The little kids are afraid of what the boys are becoming--savages.
• What do Sam and Eric tell the boys they have seen? What is it actually?

  They all thought that they saw a beast that was chasing them. They came running down the hill bloody. It is actually a parachutist. Whenever the wind blows it looks like a big beast that is breathing. It also looks very big because of the parachute.
• Why do Ralph and Jack decide to go find the beast?

  They feel like they have too because they have to put the littluns at peace. They won't feel safe until they kill the beast. They won't be able to survive on the island by just staying on the platform (signal fire and food). Jack wants to find the beast and kill it so he would have bragging rights and become chief.
• How does Ralph react when a boar comes charging down the path?

  He throws a wooden spear at the boar. He is excited that he drew blood from the boar, even if he didn't kill it.