Terms, Definitions, and Notes Lord of the Flies Terms, Definitions, and Notes

Empathy The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another  You are able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and attempt to feel what they feel or have felt in a certain situation.

Theme 3 parts: 1. The main idea (could also be a minor idea) of a literary work 2. The fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. In L.O.T.F., there are several themes

Themes in L.O.T.F 1. Civilization vs. Savagery The central concern of L.O.T.F. is the conflict between two competing impulses that exist within all human beings: the instinct to live by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands, and value the good of the group against the instinct to gratify one’s immediate desires, act violently to obtain supremacy over others, and enforce one’s will. civilization vs. savagery, order vs. chaos, reason vs. impulse, law vs. anarchy, good vs. evil

Themes in L.O.T.F Loss of Innocence The boys on the island go from innocent, well-behaved, orderly children to bloodthirsty hunters who have no desire to return to civilization. Golding does not portray this loss of innocence as something that is done to the boys, but rather , it results naturally from their increasing openness to the innate evil and savagery that has always existed within them.

Symbolism Symbolism is the representation of one thing for another using a person, object, or idea. Just about anything can be a symbol. However, some symbols are commonly understood. Symbolism Examples: a heart is a symbol for love a dove is a symbol for peace a white cross inside a red square is a symbol for first-aid or hospital

Everyday example of symbolism: The Statue of Liberty is a symbol for freedom. The object itself does not mean freedom. However, over time, people have grown to associate this figure to mean freedom. Therefore, an image of this object could conjure images or ideas of freedom. Can you think of a symbol that you see in your every day lives?

Symbols in L.O.T.F. The Conch Shell = civilization and order Piggy and Ralph discover the shell on the beach and use it to summon the boys together after the crash Governs the boys’ meetings; whomever has the shell holds the right to speak Vessel of political legitimacy & democratic power As the island civilization erodes and the boys descend into savagery, the conch shell loses its power and influence among them. The boulder that rolls onto Piggy also crushes the conch shell, signifying the demise of the civilized instinct among the boys

Symbols in L.O.T.F. Piggys’ Glasses= Power of science & intellectual efforts in society Piggy is the most intelligent and rational boy in the group The boys use the lenses from Piggy’s glasses to focus the sunlight and start a fire. When Jack’s hunters raid the camp and steal the glasses, the savages take the power to make fire, leaving Ralph’s group helpless.

Symbols in L.O.T.F. The Signal Fire= a barometer of the boys’ connection to civilization The fire is used to on the mountain, and then later on the beach, to attract passing ships that might be able to rescue them. The fact that the boys maintain the fire is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society When the fire burns low or goes out, we realize the boys have lost sight of their desire to be rescued and have accepted their savage lives on the island The fire thus functions as a kind of measurement of the strength of the civilized instinct remaining on the island. Ironically at the end, a fire attracts a ship to the island, but not the signal fire- instead it is the fire of savagery (the fire started by Jack an his gang as part of his quest to hunt and kill Ralph.

Symbols in L.O.T.F. The Beast = the primal instinct of savagery that exists within all human beings (the savage within all of us) Only Simon reaches the realization that they fear the beast because it exists within each of them As the boys grow more savage, their belief in the beast grows stronger By the end of the novel, the boys are leaving it sacrifices and treating it as a totemic god. The boys’ behavior is what brings the beast into existence, so the more savagely the boys act, the more real the beast seems to become.

Symbols in L.O.T.F. Lord of the Flies = Lord of the Flies becomes both a physical manifestation of the beast, a symbol of the power of evil, and a kind of Satan figure who evokes the beast within each human being The Lord of the Flies is the bloody, severed sow’s head that Jack impales on a stake in the forest glade as an offering to the beast. This complicated symbol becomes the most important image in the novel when Simon confronts the sow’s head in the glade and it seems to speak to him, telling him that evil lies within every human heart and promising to have some “fun” with him. (This “fun” foreshadows Simon’s death in the following chapter.) 

Lord of the Flies –Symbol con’t. Looking at the novel in the context of biblical parallels, the Lord of the Flies recalls the devil, just as Simon recalls Jesus. In fact, the name “Lord of the Flies” is a literal translation of the name of the biblical name Beelzebub, a powerful demon in hell sometimes thought to be the devil himself.

Allegory An allegory is a complete narrative (story) which involves characters, and events that stand for an abstract idea or an event Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel, and many of its characters signify important ideas or themes. 

Allegory & L.O.T.F. Ralph represents order, leadership, and civilization. Piggy represents the scientific and intellectual aspects of civilization. Jack represents unbridled savagery and the desire for power. Simon represents natural human goodness. Roger represents brutality and bloodlust at their most extreme. 

Allegory & L.O.T.F. To the extent that the boys’ society resembles a political state, the littluns might be seen as the common people, while the older boys represent the ruling classes and political leaders. 

What to study for your exam 1. Know the characters in the novel and be able to describe them 2. Know the storyline and be able to put major events in order in which they occur in the novel 3. Be able to discuss and explain the two major themes in the novel: Civilization vs. Savagery , Loss of Innocence 4. Be able to discuss and explain the symbols in the novel and how they connect to the storyline 5. Be able to define and discuss allegory and in what way(s) the novel serves an allegory

Helpful links to refer to when studying for the exam http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/ https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/l/lord-of-the-flies/lord-of-the-flies-at-a-glance https://www.shmoop.com/lord-of-the-flies/