Lord of the Flies

A Little Bit About The Author

• Written by William Golding in 1954

  • British novelist

  • Fought in WW1

  • Returned to teaching afterward

Inspiration

• He once allowed his class of boys total freedom in a debate, quickly stopped due to mayhem

• The Coral Island (1857)

  • Three boys were stranded on an island during WW2

    • Parody - an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre

    • Philosophical questions about the human nature, like those of Thomas Hobbes

• “The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature” - William Golding

Other Thematic Ideas

• Survival, human nature, good, innocence, leadership, civilization, power, savagery, evil, fear

• Satire - the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose or criticize individuals or humanity’s vices

Setting & Premise

• The novel takes place during an unspecified future wartime.

• A group of British schoolboys are evacuated by plane.

• The plane is shot down, and the boys are stranded on a remote, uninhabited tropical island.

• There are no adults present, forcing the boys to govern themselves.

Main Characters

• Ralph

  • Elected leader early on.

  • Represents order, civilization, and democracy.

  • Focuses on rescue and maintaining rules.

• Piggy

  • Intelligent, logical, and physically weak.

  • Represents reason, science, and intellect.

  • His glasses symbolize knowledge and technology.

• Jack Merridew

  • Leader of the choirboys (later hunters).

  • Represents savagery, power, and violence.

  • Becomes obsessed with hunting and control.

• Simon

  • Quiet, sensitive, and morally good.

  • Represents innate human goodness and truth.

• Roger

  • Cruel and sadistic.

  • Represents pure evil and brutality.

• The Littluns

  • Younger boys who are fearful and dependent.

Establishing Order (Beginning)

• Ralph finds a conch shell and uses it to call the boys together.

• The boys vote and elect Ralph as chief.

• The conch becomes a symbol of authority and the right to speak.

• Responsibilities are assigned:

  • Jack and the choirboys become hunters.

  • Others build shelters and maintain a signal fire for rescue.

• Early optimism:

  • Boys believe they can survive and govern themselves.

Rising Tension & Breakdown of Rules

• The boys struggle to keep the signal fire lit.

• Jack becomes obsessed with hunting pigs, neglecting rescue efforts.

• A ship passes the island while the fire is out → missed rescue opportunity.

• Jack and Ralph clash:

  • Ralph values rescue and order.

  • Jack values power, hunting, and fun.

• Fear grows among the boys:

  • Littluns talk about a mysterious “beast” on the island.

The Beast & Loss of Reason

• A dead parachutist from the war lands on the mountain, mistaken for the beast.

• Fear intensifies and logic collapses.

• Jack uses fear to gain control over the boys.

• Jack breaks away and forms his own tribe:

  • Focused on hunting, chanting, and violence.

  • Rejects the conch and rules.

Simon & The Lord of the Flies

• Simon discovers the truth:

  • The “beast” is not real—it is the dead parachutist.

• Earlier, Simon hallucinates a conversation with a pig’s head on a stick:

  • The pig’s head is called the “Lord of the Flies.”

  • It tells Simon the beast is inside the boys themselves.

• Symbolism:

  • The Lord of the Flies represents human evil and savagery.

Tragedy & Total Savagery

• During a violent storm, the boys perform a ritual dance.

• Simon runs to tell them the truth.

• In their frenzy, the boys mistake Simon for the beast and beat him to death.

• His death symbolizes the destruction of truth and morality.

Collapse of Civilization

• Piggy and Ralph try to restore order.

• Jack’s tribe steals Piggy’s glasses to make fire.

• Ralph and Piggy confront Jack at his camp.

• Roger rolls a boulder:

  • Piggy is killed.

  • The conch shatters, symbolizing the complete loss of order and civilization.

• Ralph becomes the only boy still loyal to civilization.

The Hunt for Ralph (Ending)

• Jack’s tribe declares Ralph an enemy.

• They hunt Ralph like an animal.

• The boys set the island on fire to flush him out.

• The fire ironically leads to rescue.

Rescue & Irony

• A naval officer arrives after seeing the smoke.

• The boys are rescued.

• The officer is shocked by their behavior.

• Ralph breaks down crying:

  • Mourns Piggy, Simon, and the loss of innocence.

• Irony:

  • The boys escaped a war only to recreate violence and savagery themselves.

Major Themes

• Civilization vs. Savagery

• Loss of Innocence

• The Nature of Evil

• Power and Fear

• The Failure of Order Without Structure

Key Symbols (Quick Review)

• Conch Shell → Order, authority, democracy

• Piggy’s Glasses → Knowledge, science, civilization

• The Signal Fire → Hope of rescue

• The Beast → Fear and inner evil

• Lord of the Flies → Humanity’s inherent darkness