Lord of the Flies Quotes

Some LotF Quotes with analysis

covered with a delicate embossed pattern

looks as if it has been made with care, delicate = fragile and could be broken at any second

"Let's have a vote" Ralph

brought up democratically and want to be fair

None of the boys could give a good reason for this

Shows democracy can be flawed, children don't think about their actions

"We could use this to call the others"

Sign of intelligence links back to Piggy, common theme throughout

[Jack's] face was white under the freckles

he begins hesitant to kill animals and doesn't want to

"I ought to be chief because I'm chapter chorister and head boy" Jack

he has a good reason to be chief, no one will listen to him

Asking names and frowning to remember them

Piggy has respect for everyone, innocent and pure

The boy who controlled them

Jack's control and authority over the hunters is clear at his first description

The Beastie came in the dark

children are scared of the dark and it shows how this will stay a mystery and control the children

"If there was a snake, we'd hunt and kill it" Jack

reassuring the littluns, immediate reaction is to hunt

"But there isn't a beastie!" Ralph

he won't make up fantasies just to make people happy, refuses to believe it

"Piggy! Have you got any matches?" Ralph

from the start they rely on Piggy, even though they won't give him any credit

Ralph spoke first crimson in the face + Jack blushed too

neither want to admit they don't know, see it as a sign of weakness and lack of leadership

"You and your fire!" Jack + "All you can talk about is pig,pig,pig" Ralph

contracting interest provides disagreements

"Except me and my hunters-" Jack

doesn't want to be blamed for a lack of success, feels he is separate from the rest of the group

Simon found them the fruit they could not reach

caring, supportive of littluns, perfect

the forest and he were very still

Jack has improved at hunting and time has passed

Finding that something he said had made Ralph smile, he rejoiced

Piggy doesn't always understand why but he is happy that other people like him, wants to feel wanted

"Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood." Hunters

no mercy, chanting as if a celebration

Yet there was a space round Henry [...] where he dare not throw

different to Piggy later on, helps to show initial innocence

Piggy held out his hands for the conch but Ralph shook his head

In times under pressure, Ralph doesn't want to be seen as Piggy's friend, he highly values himself

"Fear can't hurt you any more than a dream." Ralph

shows he knows there is no point in worrying, signs of frustration beginning to show

"Bollocks to the rules! We're strong - we hunt! If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down! We'll close in and beat and beat and beat" Jack

Only likes rules when they benefit him. beat repeated to show violence and determination. if = reassures littluns

"If I blow the conch and they don't come back, we've had it" Ralph

Scared his power is gone, worried they won't come back to him

"Who are you anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do?" Jack

questioning Ralph's leadership, feels Ralph shouldn't be above him

"Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill" LOTF

Simon was right the whole time

"You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" LotF

Simon knew the whole time, the beast is part of their savagery

"That was murder" Ralph

shocked at what the island has resorted to, can't believe what has happened, needs reassuring

"Didn't you see what we- what they did?" Ralph

doesn't want to be associated with killing Simon

His face blocked out in white and red

Jack hides behind his mask all the time now. In nature red is dangerous. White represents the purity he has blocked out

Exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist

the conch was broken, any hope of society has broken

The breaking of the conch and the deaths of Piggy and Simon lay over the island like a vapour

Comparing the conch to death, shows everything Ralph has lost

Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.

he suddenly realises everything that he has lost