Lord of the Flies Spiro

The Lord of the Flies says that every society has a mixture of good and bad; in fact, it is impossible for a society to exist without both.

Synopsis Kids deserted on island No adults Try to establish society Some break off to start tribe Kids become increasingly violent/savage Saved in the end at height of savagery

Themes Civil vs. Savage Chaos vs. Order Good vs. Evil

Civil vs. Savage Symbols: Pig hunting Dance ritual Huts Rocks Face Paint Jack was “liberated from the shame of self consciousness” by using the face paint (64).

Chaos vs. Order Symbols: Conch Fire Piggy’s glasses Meetings “The thing we need is an assembly” (78).

Good vs. Evil Symbols: The Lord of the Flies Jack vs. Ralph The Beast “What I mean is…maybe [the beast’s] only us” (89).

Characters Four main characters: Ralph Jack Simon Piggy

Puts needs of group ahead of own Represents order, civility, and good. Ralph Good leader Puts needs of group ahead of own Represents order, civility, and good. “I’d like to put on war-paint and be a savage, But we must keep the fire going” (142).

Jack Tyrannical leader Selfish Represents evil Together with Ralph, shows the two extremes of leadership. The point is that a society needs both to be successful. “His mind was crowded with memories…knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life…” (98).

Simon Helps all of the kids Common sense Represents innocence Shows that innocence and common sense is underrated in society. “Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest…passed them back down [to the littluns]” (56).

Piggy Intelligent, but lazy Socially inept Represents intelligence and technology Shows that technology alone helps society, but is not an integral part of it. “Life…is scientific, that’s what it is” (84).

Conclusion Society will always have: Chaos and Order Good and Evil Civility and Savagery Society can try to mask true human nature, but it will never go away. “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill” (143).