Lord of the Flies

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Lord of the Flies

• An introduction

2
Factsheet

• Author William Golding
• Title Lord of the Flies
• Where written England
• When published 1954
• Literary period post-war fiction
• Genre allegorical novel

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Extra Credit Fact (FYI)

• The phrase, Lord of the Flies is a translation
  of the Greek Beelzebub, a devil mentioned in
  the new Testament. In the Bible, Beelzebub
  sometimes seems to be Satan himself, and at other
  times seems to be Satans most powerful
  lieutenant.

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Characters

• NOTE Lord of the Flies is an allegory, a
  literary genre in which characters symbolize
  abstract ideas. The characters that will be
  listed in this presentation will be described and
  (if applicable) what they symbolize will be
  stated. The terms biguns and littleuns refer
  to the older and younger boys on the island. All
  of the main characters are biguns. Only a few
  littleuns, about age 10 and younger, appear as
  characters in the novel.

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• RALPH
• largest, most physically powerful boy on the
  island
• shows no signs of wanting to dominate others
• preoccupied with being rescued
• plans and follows rules
• prioritizes needs of group above his own
• hunts and kills, but suppresses his own savage
  feelings
• Symbolizes law, government, and civil society

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• PIGGY
• smartest boy on the island
• weakest of the biguns due to his weight and
  asthma
• believes passionately in civilization, law, and
  reasoning
• cravings for food interfere with his ability to
  work
• condescending to others, and is often singled
  out and ridiculed as a result
• Symbolizes science and rationality

7

• JACK
• the head boy of his chorus back in civilization
• becomes leader of the hunters
• LOVES POWER
• uses laws as a way to punish others
• loves to hunt and kill
• gets angry when he doesnt get his way
• Symbolizes the human love of dominance and
  power

8

• SIMON
• dreamy, dark-haired boy
• prone to fainting spells and occasional fits
• most generous of the biguns
• most insightful
• recognizes beast within
• suggests the boys confront the beast
• Symbolizes mystics, prophets, and priests of
  all religions who confront and reveal the darkest
  aspects of human nature

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• Roger
• quiet, brooding member of Jacks chorus
• quiet at first, but then he reveals his nature
• Roger loves to cause pain to others
• Symbolizes the suppressed desire to hurt
  others, anger, violence

10

• The Lord of the Flies
• the pig head that Jacks hunters stake into the
  ground and leave as an offering to the beast
• Simon recognizes the Lord of the Flies for what
  it symbolizes
• Symbolizes the evil in all mens souls

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• Samneric
• identical twins
• they so closely resemble each other that the
  other boys use just one name to refer to both of
  them
• not as influenced by fear of the beast or Jack

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THEMES AND IDEAS

• Human Nature
• Civilization
• Savagery and the Beast
• Spirituality and Religion
• The Weak and the Strong

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SYMBOLS

• The Island
• symbolizes The Garden of Eden in which the
  boys can create the perfect society from scratch

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• The Lord of the Flies (The Beast)
• Symbolizes the evil that lies within every
  person

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• The Conch Shell
• Symbolizes the rule of law and civilization

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Piggys glasses

• Symbolizes science and technology.
• allows the boys to create fire, the first
  necessity of civilization

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Fire

• Symbolizes like the glasses, fire represents
  technology
• it is also a technology that threatens
  destruction if it gets out of control
• also symbolizes the boys connections to human
  civilization signal fire gives hope of rescue

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Adults

• Symbolize civilization and social order
• However, the adult civilization outside of
  the island is as savage as thecivilization on
  the island

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The Scar

• (A rip in the forest caused by the crash landing
  of the plane)
• Symbolizes man, and his savage nature, destroys
  paradise merely by entering it

20
The Ocean

• Symbolizes the unconscious, the thoughts and
  desires buried deep within all humans