Lord of the Flies William Golding

Freedom is Dangerous In Lord of the Flies, it shows that freedom is dangerous because without the rules and order from adults; the boys try to keep their own civilization by choosing a chief and making it a rule to use to conch. When Jack starts to make his own group and they rebel against Piggy and Ralph, they start to realize the little bit of society and civilization they had is slipping away. Showing that without these normal everyday rules they had and followed, are gone and they realize that they can get away with anything because they are alone. This resulting in danger of the fire, death and savagery. The boys start resulting in cruelty to others and the death of 3 of the boys.

Characterization Ralph He is the one who is constantly trying of keep their society and order alive. Ralph is elected chief in the beginning of the novel, because he is the one who held the conch first. Ralph and Jack don’t get along most of the time because they are complete opposites. Ralph, who represents civilization, usually comes up with all the ideas on how to survive and keep their society. Jack, however, becomes savage, only wanting to kill the pig. This leaves Ralph and Piggy as the only two, who remain civil. In the end, after Piggy and Simon’s death, Ralph's is left alone on the beach, where then Jack tries to kill him. He is left to defend himself against the hunters as they set the forest on fire.. “Shut up,” said Ralph absently. He lifted the conch. “Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things.” “A chief! A chief!” “I ought to be chief,” said Jack with simple arrogance, “because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.” ( ) The boys impose the standards of society upon themselves, and we see how absurd it is to base any merit on the skills of their old lives. Ralph had stopped smiling and was pointing into the lagoon. Something creamy lay among the ferny weeds. “A stone.” “No. A shell.” ( ) It is Ralph, not Piggy, who both finds and identifies the shell. Piggy goes on to explain the conch’s sound to Ralph, but Ralph is the one who makes the initial discovery and takes possession. This is important, as the conch later enables Ralph (and not Piggy) to become chief.

Jack Jack is the one who represents savagery, he constantly wants to kill pigs and he tortures some of the little’ uns just for the joy of it. Jack uses wet red and white clay and makes black marks with a stick of charcoal.. He wants to camouflage himself so that the pigs won't spot him in the jungle foliage and patches of shade. Once he applies the paint Jack also becomes aware that "behind the mask" of his painted face he is free from all restraints and responsibilities, he can in effect do what he pleases.. ‘ This time the silence was complete. Ralph’s lips formed a word but no sound came. Suddenly Jack bounded out from the tribe and began screaming wildly. “See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone-” He ran forward, stooping. “I’m Chief!”’ (pg. 201) Jack has become savage and wants only to have power and control the boys. So when Ralph doesn’t join and goes against his tribe.

Piggy He is the intelligent one who is on the civilized side of the island with Ralph. Piggy is the outcast, he doesn’t get along with any of the boys except Ralph and is constantly being picked on by Jack and Roger. It seems like the boys are now treating Piggy just like an animal. He then becomes the conch’s biggest defender, always insisting on rules and order. Piggy was […] so full of pride in his contribution to the good of society […] that he helped to fetch wood. (8.118) Many of Piggys actions are motivated by his desire to fit in with the rest of the boys

Setting Beach The Beach represents the civil side of the island. The place where society still remains. The only place the conch will work for order and rules.. Castle Rock Castle rock is where all the hunters live. They represent savagery and no rules or order what so ever. ‘He picked his way to the seaward edge of the platform and stood looking down into the water. It was clear to the bottom and bright with the efflorescence of tropical weed and coral. A school of tiny, glittering fish flicked hither and thither. Ralph spoke to himself, sounding the bass strings of delight.’ (pg.7) This describes how the beach was once beautiful and safe. It is the first places the boys find on the island and where they all have met. “He heard a curious trickling sound and then a louder crepitation as if someone were unwrapping great sheets of cellophane. A stick snapped and he stifled a cough. Smoke was seeping through the branches in white and yellow wisps, the patch of blue sky over head turned to the color of a storm cloud, and then the smoke billowed round him” (pg. 216)

Symbolism The Conch The conch is a tool to build up a civilization on the island. Through the power of the conch Ralph is able to make meetings. Without the conch it would have been very difficult to get things organized and to get to know who is on the island. It is even a symbol of the group outside the choir because Ralph is the owner of the conch, a means of power.. ‘‘ We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us’ (pg. 12) This shows how the conch has power over the boys, and gives them order. As they listen to the conch, it shows they are still civilized.

The Face Paint By the use of the face painting, Jack’s change of character becomes obvious. From now on he is wearing a mask to lay down Jack’s responsibility for all the things which happen. The painting is called “war-paint” by Ralph and shows the warrior-like status of the choir group. Like soldiers, Jack’s supporters have to be obedient, respect their leader’s law, and maintain discipline and order. There is no individuality anymore, the boys are only contracted as hunters - “the boys with the stick”. Everybody has to look and to act the same way.. “Jack planned his new face He made one cheek and one eye-socket white, then rubbed red over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from the right ear to left jaw. He looked in the mere for his reflection, but his breathing troubled the mirror.” The quote means that Jack has now changed from who he first was, to slowly savage. His paint is now a mask to hide who he once was.

The Lord of the Flies The Lord of the Flies is connected with the symbol of the pig (or rather, the head of a pig). It is the prince of the devils and a symbolic dramatization of human evil. The head is called “Lord of the Flies” which is a translation of the word Beelzebub (name of the devil in the Bible). In its “speech” in front of Simon it says: “You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go?…” So it is probably Golding’s intention to emphasize the existence of evil inside man and its part in the human condition. He describes the fight between good and evil which is inside every human being. Therefore he puts Simon, the good one, and the Lord of the Flies, the evil one, together in this mystical scene. This quote is where Simon thinks the Pig head is talking to him. This shows the symbolism between good and evil. “You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?”