1. Lord of the Flies

2. The Lord of the Flies
Published in 1955 when William Golding was 43.

3. Theme
Golding offered up the following as the theme of his version of the story: “The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. The whole book is symbolic in nature except…the end…(which is still) enmeshed in…the symbolic life of the children on the island.”

4. Allegory Analysis 3 forms of allegory
This novel is frequently analyzed as allegory. As you read, bear in mind that there are numerous symbols, and symbolic characters, that can be interpreted in a variety of ways, depending on the allegorical interpretation. The following are three common allegorical interpretations:
Political allegory, where each character represents some abstract idea of government
Psychological allegory, where each character represents a different aspect of the human psyche
Religious allegory, where the characters and plot take on Biblical connotations

5. Ralph Piggy Jack Roger Simon Conch Glasses Fire/smoke Beast Island
As you read, you should note how the following could be interpreted symbolically:
Ralph
Piggy
Jack
Roger
Simon
Conch
Glasses
Fire/smoke
Beast
Island
Face paint