Lord of Lord of the Fliesthe Flies

Introduction Notes

About the NovelSet in mid 1940’s when Europe

was in the middle of WWII.A plane carrying British school

boys is mistaken for a military craft and shot down.

Only the boys (no adults) survive the crash, and try to form a society and govern themselves.

Summary NotesBritish schoolboys are

stranded on an uninhabited island during a nuclear war.

Ralph meets Piggy, a fat boy with glasses, and together they find a conch shell which Ralph uses as a trumpet.

Summary Notes

In response to the sound, other boys appear, some very small, none older than 12, and finally a group dressed in choir robes and led by Jack Merridew.

Summary NotesRealizing that there are no

adults, the boys attempt to organize their own society.

Ralph is elected chief and Jack is given control of the choir who become his “hunters.”

Summary Notes

As the novel progresses, fear becomes a part of island life for the boys.

One of the fears is that there is an unexplained “beast” on the island.

Themes The capacity for human nature to be both

good and evil. All individuals have the natural capacity for

brutality. A society can often be judged by the way it

treats its most vulnerable citizens. People can lose their innocence when put in

circumstances with the possibility of corruption.

Symbols in the NovelThe Conch- Civilization and orderThe Beast- The fear that separates

man from GodPiggy’s Glasses- Reason, science, and

insightLord of the Flies- Evil Fire Signal- Hope, salvation

Need for Social Order1. The boys are separated from civilization2. They attempt to create their own form of

order and government3. Without someone to enforce the rules, the

boys fail to observe their own rules4. The boys eventually abandon the rules of

civilization5. Without social order, the boys commit

acts of savagery and murder

Power1. To Ralph, power is democratic

2. The conch becomes a symbol of power

3. To Jack, power is authoritarian

4. Jack treats the members of his choir cruelly

5. The littluns begin to exercise power of small creatures

6. Roger enjoys unrestrained power

Vision1. Mirages impair the boy’ vision2. Although Piggy’s vision is poor, he can

see most clearly what they need to do to survive

3. Piggy is blind to the reality that evil exists in the boys themselves

4. Simon has the clearest vision of the true nature of evil on the island

5. Only Simon sees the “Lord of the Flies”6. Only Simon goes to the mountaintop to

see the beast clearly in the daylight.

Fear of the Unknown1. The boys are afraid because they do not

know where they are, why their plane crashed, or what will happen if they are not rescued.

2. The littluns fear the beastie or snake-like thing that comes in the dark

3. The bigguns fears beasts that are still unknown

4. “The Beast” is a – Snake-like thing – that represents the the dead parachutist – The Lord of the Flies – Simon - The boys themselves

Loss of Identity1. The boys begin to lose their individual

identities: littluns, bigguns, samneric

2. The choir becomes hunters

3. The mask allows the boys to become someone else

4. Jack’s followers become a savage tribe

5. Ralph has difficulty remember he is the leader and why rescue is important

6. Percival forgets his own name

Loss of Innocence1. Ralph’s faith in democracy is

shattered

2. Following the rules offers no protection

3. Piggy’s belief in fairness is proven false

4. Violence takes the lives of three boys

5. The boys come to accept the notion that the world is not completely good

The Symbol of the Shell

1. The shell symbolizes power and order on the island

2. The boy holding the shell has the floor to speak at assemblies

3. When the shell is shattered, any semblance of order is gone

The Characters1. Ralph – “counsel”

Good-natured, fair, uses common sense

2. Jack – “one who takes over by force” Uses fear and threats to control the

boys

3. Simon – “listener” Most spiritual character, not afraid to

go alone into the jungle, understands the reality of the “beast”

The Characters

4. Piggy – Is the most intelligent character on the island. He is an outcast, an outsider, and his death is foreshadowed by the killing of pigs on the island.

5. Roger – nicknamed “Spear” is the cruelest character. He uses brute force at whim, and dislodges the boulder that kills Piggy. Spear represents the worst in people when there is no society to keep people in check.

Simon as a “Christ figure”

Simon goes alone into the jungle and confronts evil.

Simon comes down from the mountain bringing news that will save the boys from their fear.

However, instead of listening to Simon, the other boys kill him.

ThemesHuman beings need to belong to a

group, such as a society.The story shows that laws and

rules, policemen and schools are necessary to keep the darker side of human nature in line.

When these institutions and concepts slip away or are ignored, human beings revert to a more primitive part of their nature.

ThemesEvil (the beast) is within man himself.

Golding implies that the loss of innocence has little to do with age but is related to a person's understanding of human nature. It can happen at any age or not at all. Painful though it may be, this loss of innocence by coming to terms with reality is necessary if humanity is to survive.

ThemesFear of the unknown on the island

revolves around the boys' terror of the beast. The recognition that no real beast exists, that there is only the power of fear, is one of the deepest meanings of the story.

Characters as Symbols

Ralph - common sense, and responsibility

Jack - immediate gratification and irresponsible authority

Piggy - ineffective intellectualism

•Dead parachutist - the “sign,” evil developing on the island

Characters as Symbols

Simon - mystic, Religious side of man. Understands good and evil but no communication.

Samneric - incapable of acting independently. They represent loss of identity through fear of the beast.

Objects as Symbols

Conch shell - law and order. The shell looses authority as anarchy grows. The conch fades in color and power. It’s power is broken with the “fall of piggy.”

Objects as Symbols

Lord of the Flies -Refers to the head of the pig which Jack has left as an offering to the “beast.” Literal translation of the “Beelzebub,” prince of demons. Symbolizes man’s capacity for evil

Objects as Symbols

Huts - represent the desire to preserve civilization; when Jack gains power they move into caves like the animals they have become.

Objects as SymbolsFire - its use divides civilization

from savagery. Ralph uses it for hope; Jack for cooking. It is Jack’s group that allows the fire (hope) to go out

Objects as symbols

Piggy’s glasses - They signify man’s ability to perceive, to think. That thought can be misused for destructive purpose is shown when Piggy’s glasses are used to smoke Ralph out.

Objects as symbolsNight and Darkness - A typical symbol of evil, “the

powers of darkness.” The boys would have recognized the chutist in the daylight, as would they have Simon. The beast is more real at night

Objects as Symbols

Face paint - The paint helps the boys hide from their own consciences, turning them into anonymous savages who are freed from the restraints of “civilized” behavior.

Objects as SymbolsStick sharpened on both ends

- Represents how much evil has taken the boys over. First it was used to offer the beast the pig sacrifice; next to offer it Ralph.