Lord of the Flies

1
Lord of the Flies
Symbolism
2
The Conch Shell

• Symbolizes law and order of the adult world
• Piggy tries to protect it
• 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.
• The island society collapses in chaos!

3
Piggys Specs

• They symbolize the voice of reason and logic
  among the boys.
• Notice how Piggy defends his glasses even more
  than the conch.
• Piggy uses his glasses to find solutions to the
  boys problems.
• Whats the most important solution the glasses
  find?.....

4
The most important solution
Lighting the fire!

• This is the boys best chance of getting rescued.
• notice how Piggy is constantly cleaning his
  glasses this shows his need for clear
  sightedness.

5
Why an Island?
6
The Island

• Because an island is isolated from the rest of
  society, it was purposefully picked to be the
  landing place of the crashed plane.
• The boys have no contact with the outside world.
• They must look to one another to solve the
  problems of their own micro-society.
• The island symbolizes isolation and serves as
  the perfect backdrop for the frailties of human
  nature which eventually surface.

7
The Scar

• The scar is where the plane crashed it
  symbolizes destruction.
• Time spent on the island also leaves a scar.
• The boys destroy themselves and others leaving
  internal scars.

8
The Beast

• The beast 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.
• Who is the only boy to understand what the real
  beast is?

9
The only boy to recognize the true beast is..
Simon!
Only Simon recognizes what the real beast is,
but he is killed when he tries to tell the boys
about it.
10
The Lord of the Flies

• The severed sows head that Jack impales on a
  stake in the forest as an offering to the beast

• symbolizes the power of evil and the evilness in
  the boys
• (and in humanity)

11
Face Paint

• The face paint 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.
• The paint symbolizes the smoke screen the beast
  uses to infiltrate the boys souls.
• What masks do we wear?

12
The Signal Fire

• The smoke of the signal fire symbolizes the best
  hope of the boys being rescued.
• To Piggy and Ralph, the fire represents the moral
  influence of their old life in England.

13
The Parachute Man

• The dead body flying in the parachute symbolizes
  the end of adult supervision.
• While the law and order of the adult world is
  waning, childish chaos is growing under Jacks
  control.
• Simon has a special connection with the parachute
  man when he climbs the mountain to determine if
  the parachute man is still alive.
• Simon realizes that the man is dead, and the
  beast is still alive.

14
Ralph (the protagonist)

• Physical Descriptions
• Twelve years old
• Built like a boxer
• Blonde hair
• Character Traits
• Charismatic-
• Leader
• Logical thought
• Sense and order

15
Jack (the antagonist)

• Physical Descriptions
• Twelve years old
• Red hair
• Tall and thin
• Ugly without silliness
• Character Traits
• Persuasive
• Represents anarchy and savagery
• Develops a love for hunting

16
Piggy

• Physical Descriptions
• Short
• Overweight
• Wears glasses
• Character Traits
• Represents order and democracy
• Intellectual power and insight gained
• from observation
• Clings to civilization

17
Simon

• Physical Descriptions
• Thin and frail
• Younger than Ralph, Jack, and Piggy but older
  than the littluns.
• Character Traits
• Pure-natural goodness
• Positive outlook
• Loner and an outsider
• Peaceful-travels to tranquil spots in the jungle

18
Roger

• Physical Descriptions
• Dark hair
• Angry face
• Character Traits
• Evil
• Sadistic
• Cruel

19
Sam and Eric (Samneric)

• Physical Descriptions
• Identical twins
• Character Traits
• They do everything together
• Easily excitable
• Allies with Ralph