Political Allegory LotF can be read on many levels Allegory: a story with a literal level AND a symbolic level It is an allegory of the political state of the world in the post-war period The state of the world at the end of WWII – the world was divided into 2 camps: the free world and the Soviet Union, much like the camps of Ralph and Jack The post-war Cold War Era suffered from the fears of atomic destruction

Religious Allegory It is also a religious allegory of the Garden of Eden The island is a perfect place with good food, weather, and water The “beastie” is the snake in the Garden that lures the others The parachutist and Piggy represent the fall of mankind Simon is a Christ-figure who sacrifices himself to save them

Everything they need has been provided for them – but, like Adam and Eve, there are certain rules, which they must follow These rules established for them by adults, who are the “gods” of society in which the boys have been raised The castaways sin and fall from grace They break the rules, and evil and death are the results

Simon=Christ-figure Simon is truly a good person – pleasant, helpful, loyal to Ralph when others desert him He helps in the construction of the huts, gathers fruit for the littleuns, gives his meat to Piggy

Beelzebub The name was derived from the phrase “Ba’al Zebub” which means Lord of the Flies In modern times Beelzebub is often used synonymously with the devil Literal translation is prince of demons and symbolizes man’s capacity for evil

Theme Man is inherently evil and needs the structure of civilization (laws and order) to control him.

Man needs civilization Man needs civilization. Contrary to the belief that man is innocent and society is evil, the story shows that laws and rules, policeman, and schools are necessary to keep the darker side of human nature in line. When these institutions slip away or are ignored, human beings revert to a more primitive part of their nature.

Evil (the beast) is within man himself Golding implies that the loss of innocence has little to do with age but is related to a person’s understanding of human nature. It can happen at any age, or not at all. Painful though it may be, a loss of innocence by coming to terms with reality is necessary for humanity to survive.

Theme There will always be a need for social order.

The boys are separated from civilization and attempt to create their own form of order and government. Without someone to enforce the rules, the boys fails to keep their own rules. They eventually abandon their own rules – the rules of civilization…and without social order, the boys commit acts of savagery and murder.

Theme There will always be a need for power and the desire for power can corrupt a person.

To Ralph: power is democratic The conch: a symbol of power To Jack: power is authoritarian To the Littleuns: exercise power over small creatures Roger: enjoys unrestrained power – no one stops him

Theme Fear of the unknown is real and powerful.

Fear of the unknown on the island revolves around the boys terror of the beast. The recognition that no real beast exists – there is only the power of fear – is one of the deepest themes of the novel.

The boys are afraid because they do not know where they are, why their plane crashed, or what will happen if they are not rescued. The Littleuns fear the Beastie – or snake-like thing that comes in the dark The Biguns fear beasts that are still unknown “The Beast” – Snake-like thing – the dead parachutist – the Lord of the Flies – Simon – the boys themselves…all things that are feared

Theme Loss of identity comes from traumatic events or choices that irreparably change us. We can become that which we previously were not.

The boys all begin to lose their individual identities: littleuns, biguns, samneric The choir becomes hunters The mask(s) allow the boys to become someone else entirely Jack’s followers become a savage tribe Ralph has difficulty remembering that he is the leader and why rescue is important Percival forgets his own name

These boys are…EVERYONE Golding establishes a sense of reality by his descriptions of the boys and the language of their conversations with each other. The boys have ordinary physical attributes and mannerisms of young boys. The group includes a variety of physical types: short, tall, dark, light, freckled, etc.

…they’re the real thing To stress the universality of their later actions, Golding takes great pains to present the boys as “normal.” The littleuns suck their thumbs, eat sloppily, etc. while the older ones roll in the sand, stand on their heads, etc. Even their unkindness toward Piggy is credible for children – they often display a “natural cruelty” to anyone considered different or inferior.

Characters as Symbols Jack: immediate gratification Ralph: common sense & responsibility Piggy: ineffective intellectualism Simon: religious side of man Samneric: incapable of acting independently; represent loss of identity through fear Dead Parachutist: the “sign” ~ evil developing

Objects as Symbols Conch shell: Law & order; shell loses authority as anarchy grows. The conch fades in color and power. Its power is broken with the “fall” of Piggy Lord of the Flies: refers to the head of the pig on a stake which Jack left as an offering to the “beast.”

Objects as Symbols Huts: the desire to preserve civilization (when Jack gains power, they move into caves like the animals they have become) Fire: its use divides civilization from savagery; Ralph uses for hope-Jack for cooking; Jack’s group allows the fire (hope) to go out Piggy’s glasses: signify man’s ability to perceive, to think. That thought can be misused for destructive purpose is shown when Piggy’s glasses are used to smoke Ralph out Night & Darkness: archetypal symbol of evil; the powers of darkness

Objects as Symbols Face paint: helps hide from their own conscience, turning them into anonymous savages free from the restraints of “civilized” behavior Stick (sharpened on both sides): represents how much evil has taken the boys over

Ralph Does he represent the best of humanity??? Epitome of the stereotyped protagonist: tall, blond hair, blue eyes Elected leader but not forceful enough to keep position Uses common sense, is fair and good natured Eventually reduced to outcast status Idealist and a dreamer; at end of novel he is a disillusioned realist

Jack Does he represent the worst in humanity? Physical appearance is a warning sign: flame of red hair, the pale face Used to taking leadership position (choir boys, hunters, etc) Leadership results in a dictatorship – where he rules his “tribe” with fear Spontaneous kid who wants instant gratification; doesn’t think things through or consider consequences Amoral

Simon Dark, mystical kid – the others find him “odd” Often barefoot and isolated Deliberate parallels to Christ Goes alone into the jungle and confronts “evil” High level of intuitive intelligence that allows him to confront boys about the “beast” An original member of the choir – ultimately killed by the choir in a ritual frenzy (murder? manslaughter?)

Piggy Stereotypical “victim” – overweight, asthmatic, short-sighted; easily made fun of Represented as lower class than the other boys – speaks and acts differently Speaks the most sense – intelligent, thoughtful, reasonable Paternal figure – takes care of the Littleuns Wise counselor who supports Ralph Sight is metaphorically and literally associated with Piggy

Roger Mysterious, secretive, slight, and furtive Jack’s lieutenant – comes to think like Jack and does not question the consequences of his actions Name literally means “famous with a spear” A sadist who delights in causing pain – unnecessarily cruel in the killing of the sow Prepares the stick “sharpened at both ends” to mount Ralph’s head Is he the logical extension of Jack’s character?

Notes on Setting Traditional paradise island; Eden-like Utopia BUT the “darkness of man” causes the island to be a Dystopian prison Island is originally unspoiled by man…important to note that the jet makes the first “scar” across the surface – the corruption of mankind Contrast: Lagoon (warm and safe)/Cold Open Sea Mountain (high, rescue can be seen, truth & clarity)/Castle Rock (jumbled mix with a cave in the center – where the destructive fire begins) Beach (safe, where meetings were held)/Jungle (wild and unknown)

Final Notes The story itself is deceptively simple. Style consideration: Vocabulary: words, use of color, diction Syntax: length and structure of sentence (note how this is different for each character) Imagery: uses of simile, metaphor, personification Natural Goodness of Man Theory Left to themselves, humans would live good lives, and it is the influence of civilization that corrupts people. How does this novel address that argument?