1. Notes on Lord of the Flies
Themes:
The Need for Social Order
Power
Vision
Fear of the Unknown
Loss of Identity
Loss of Innocence

2. Notes on Lord of the Flies
The Need for Social Order
The boys are separated from civilization
They attempt to create their own form of order and government
Without someone to enforce the rules, the boys fail to observe their own rules
The boys eventually abandon the rules of civilization
Without social order, the boys commit acts of savagery and murder

3. Notes on Lord of the Flies
Power
To Ralph, power is democratic
The conch becomes a symbol of power
To Jack, power is authoritarian
Jack treats the members of his choir cruelly
The littluns begin to exercise power of small creatures
Roger enjoys unrestrained power

4. Notes on Lord of the Flies
Vision
Mirages impair the boy’ vision
Although Piggy’s vision is poor, he can see most clearly what they need to do to survive
Piggy is blind to the reality that evil exists in the boys themselves
Simon has the clearest vision of the true nature of evil on the island
Only Simon sees the “Lord of the Flies”
Only Simon goes to the mountaintop to see the beast clearly in the daylight.

5. Notes on Lord of the Flies
Fear of the Unknown
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 littluns fear the beastie or snake-like thing that comes in the dark
The bigguns fears beasts that are still unknown
“The Beast” – Snake-like thing – the dead parachutist – The Lord of the Flies – Simon - The boys themselves

6. Notes on Lord of the Flies
Loss of Identity
The boys begin to lose their individual identities: littluns, bigguns, samneric
The choir becomes hunters
The mask allows the boys to become someone else
Jack’s followers become a savage tribe
Ralph has difficulty remember he is the leader and why rescue is important
Percival forgets his own name

7. Notes on Lord of the Flies
Loss of Innocence
Ralph’s faith in democracy is shattered
Following the rules offers no protection
Piggy’s belief in fairness is proven false
Violence takes the lives of three boys
The boys come to accept the notion that the world is not completely good

8. Notes on Lord of the Flies
The Symbol of the Shell
The shell sybolizes power and order on the island
The boy holding the shell has the floor to speak at assemblies
When the shell is shattered, any semblance of order is gone

9. Notes on Lord of the Flies
The Characters
Ralph – “counsel”
Good-natured, fair, uses common sense
Jack – “one who takes over by force”
Uses fear and threats to control the boys
Simon – “listener”
Most spiritual character, not afraid to go alone into the jungle, understands the reality of the “beast”

10. Notes on Lord of the Flies
The Characters
4. Piggy – obvious meaning
The most intelligent on the island, outcast, outsider, his death is foreshadowed by the killing of pigs on the island
5. Roger – “Spear”
the cruelest character, uses brute force at whim, dislodges the boulder that kills Piggy, represents the worst in people when there is no society to keep people in check

11. Notes on Lord of the Flies
For Consideration:
Simon as a “Christ figure”:
Simon goes alone into the jungle and confronts evil. Simon comes down from the mountain bringing news that will save the boys from their fear. Instead of listening to Simon, the other boys kill him.

12. Notes on Lord of the Flies
For Consideration:
“Lord of the Flies” – A literal translation of “Beelzebub,” a Hebrew name for the devil. The “Lord of the Flies” represents the incarnation of evil itself.

13. Notes on Lord of the Flies
For Consideration:
Natural Goodness of Man Theory:
Left to themselves, humans would live good lives, and it is the influence of civilization that corrupts people.

14. Notes on Lord of the Flies
For Consideration:
Golding has said that Lord of the Flies is “an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.” He acknowledges evil as a force that lurks within every person.