Plot of Lord of the Flies

William Golding... Golding’s first and most successful novel, Lord of the Flies, was published in England in 1954 but its popularity was not established until five years later when it appeared in paperback.

William Golding... This book was followed by a series of other novels, each concerned in one way or another with the theme of man’s capacity for evil” The Inheritors, Free Fall and The Brass Butterfly.

Theme of Lord of the Flies…. The theme of Lord of the Flies is that man is inherently evil and needs the structure of civilization (laws and order) to control him.

A not too brief synopsis... British schoolboys are stranded on an uninhabited island during a nuclear war. Ralph meets Piggy, a fat, bespectacled boy, and together they find a conch shell which Ralph uses as a trumpet.

A not too brief synopsis... In response to the sound, other boys appear, some very small, none older than twelve, and finally a group dressed in choir robes and led by jack Merridew.

A not too brief synopsis... Realizing that there are not adults, the boys attempt to organize their own society. Ralph is elected chief and Jack is given control of the choir who become his “hunters.”

A not too brief synopsis... The division of labor is agreed upon: Jack and his group will become hunters; Ralph, aided by Simon, Piggy and the twins Samneric, will build huts and carry water

A not too brief synopsis... Ralph and Piggy criticize Jack who responds by breaking Piggy’s glasses with a blow, then boasts about the pig his hunters have slain.

A not too brief synopsis... As the novel progress, fear becomes a part of island life for the boys. One of the fears is that there is an unexplained “beast” on the island.

A not too brief synopsis... Laced with such fears, the power struggle between the two boys grows. The boys become more and more fascinated with their savage side.

A not too brief synopsis... By the end of the novel, the boys are offering sacrifices to the beast, Piggy and Simon are killed, and Ralph is being hunted by the group he once lead.

Information about Lord of the Flies

Themes The most obvious of the themes is man's need for civilization. Contrary to the belief that man is innocent and society evil, the story shows that laws and rules, policemen and schools are necessary to keep the darker side of human nature in line. When these institutions and concepts slip away or are ignored, human beings revert to a more primitive part of their nature.

Themes 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, this loss of innocence by coming to terms with reality is necessary if humanity is to survive.

Themes Fear of the unknown on the island revolves around the boys' terror of the beast. The recognition that no real beast exists, that there is only the power of fear, is one of the deepest meanings of the story.

They’re the real thing Golding establishes a sense of reality by his descriptions of the boys and by 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, tow-headed, 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 ‘littluns” suck their thumbs, eat sloppily, etc., while the older ones rolling about the sand, stand on their heads, and swim.

...They’re the real thing Even their unkindness to Piggy is credible for children often display a “natural cruelty to anyone they consider different or inferior.

Life among the savages Nor does their metamorphosis from ordinary schoolboys into bloodthirsty savages seem unlikely, for Golding has taken the descent one step at a time.

Characters as symbols Ralph=common sense, and responsibility Jack=immediate gratification and irresponsible authority Piggy=ineffective intellectualism Simon=mystic, Religious side of man. Understands good and evil but no communication. Samneric=incapable of acting independently. They represent loss of identity through fear of the beast.

Characters as symbols Dead parachutist= the “sign,” evil developing on the island Each of the characters represents a part of man.

...Characters as symbols We all have good, evil, common sense, intelligence, a sense of nature within us.

Objects as symbols Conch shell Lord of the Flies law and order. The shell looses authority as anarchy grows. The conch fades in color and power. It’s power is broken with the “fall of piggy.” Lord of the Flies Refers to the head of the pig which Jack has left as an offering to the “beast.” Literal translation of the “Beelzebub,” prince of demons. Symbolizes man’s capacity for evil

Objects as symbols Huts Fire represent 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 it for hope; Jack for cooking. It is Jack’s group that allows the fire (hope) to go out

Objects as symbols Piggy’s glasses Night and Darkness They 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 and Darkness an archetypal symbol of evil, “the powers of darkness.” The boys would have recognized the chutist in the daylight, as would they have Simon. The beast is more real at night

Objects as symbols Stick sharpened on both ends Face paint Represents how much evil has taken the boys over. First it was used to offer the beast the pig sacrifice; next to offer it Ralph’s. Face paint The paint helps the boys hide from their own consciences, turning them into anonymous savages who are freed from the restraints of “civilized” behavior.

Jack Jack, chief representative of evil in the novel, is too inhibited by society’s teachings to teachings to slay the piglet the first day, he later progresses to exhilaration in his first kill.

…Jack Eventually he comes to kill for the sheer thrill of slaughter rather than the need for meat, and this becomes the motive for hunting.

Ralph Ralph is a tall, blond twelve year old, establishes himself as the leader of the boys when he blows the conch shell to call the first assembly. Throughout the story, he struggles to maintain order and is forced to compete with Jack for respect.

Lord of the Flies in LOST Character similarities Symbolism similarities The Future of LOST

Jack Jack is a character found both in LotF and Lost. These characters don’t really care about getting of the island. They care about what happens on the island, and the initial payoff of their actions. Characters that embody Jack from LotF: Locke Ben Sawyer shows signs of being a Jack Juliet? – She isn’t really a leader though…

Ralph Ralph is the leader of the group at the beginning of LotF. He is the “good guy” of the group. These characters are more focused on getting off the island. They are responsible and focused on the long term. Characters on Lost that embody Ralph: Jack Sayid Kate – wants off the island, and is willing to follow direction to get there. She isn’t really one of the leaders for the most part.

Piggy Piggy is the logical character. The character that is made fun of, but always has the most logical and simple ideas. The person that wants to help, but isn’t always helpful. Characters that embody Piggy: Hurley 

Simon Simon is sacrificed to the Beast. He is the one who seems to understand the concept of the island the most, but can’t seem to communicate this knowledge. Characters that embody Simon: Eko Miles Daniel Walt Richard

Samneric Samneric are the twins that are always together. They are considered one person. Characters that embody Samneric: Sun and Jin are initially thought of as one person. Paulo and Nikki Kate – she always associates with one of the men, she wants to keep the peace, and she can get along with everybody.

The Dead Parachutist An equivalent on the island of Lost would be all of the random crashes that take place. Neither of these islands are completely lost, but have been found is some way by people crashing on them.

Conch Shell Law and Order – Keeps from having anarchy. The best law and order shown on Lost could be the guns and who has control of the guns. Example when Sawyer hides them. He then has the power.

Lord of the Flies A pig head that talks to Simon. On Lost this could be Jacob and all the dead people that Jacob talks through. The pig head is not actually talking to Simon, but it is real to him all the same. What does that mean for our lovely Jacob?

Other Symbols LotF vs. Lost Civilization: Huts and Fire vs. Food and the Dharma Initiative Logic and ability to think: Piggy’s glasses vs. ? Evil: Night and Darkness vs. Night and Darkness Loss of civilization: Face paint and sticks vs. the jungle, guns, technology.

Minor Characters The Choir: These are the boys that follow Jack. The younguns: These characters are for the most part not named. They are similar to our survivors that we never learn their names. Each of these play an important role in the civilization of society, and more importantly to the power of Jack and Ralph.

So where does that leave Lost? The boys in LotF are saved at the end of the story. Ironically by the smoke that Ralph wants to keep going. Will our Lost characters be saved just as easily? Probably not…