Lord of the Flies
By: William Golding
Allegory
Chapter Summary
Refers to when Piggy finds the shell and Ralph blows it to call the boys to him.
Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain
Refers to when they first start a fire atop a mountain to have a chance at rescue.
Chapter 3: Huts on the Beach
Ralph and Simon help to build huts for shelter but everyone else is not contributing.
Chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long Hair
Jack begins to paint him and his hunters' faces. The boys' hair is also growing longer.
Chapter 5: Beast from Water
The boys find out and begin to believe that the beast is hiding in the ocean during the day.
Chapter 6: Beast from the Air
A dead parachutist floats down and is positioned to where the boys mistake him for the beast.
Chapter 7: Shadows and Small Trees
The shadows represent the boys' growing fear and the tall trees are what cause that fear.
Chapter 8: Gift for the Darkness
The gift for the darkness is the Lord of the Flies which is an offering to the so called beast.
Chapter 9: A View to a Death
The boys viewed both the parachutist and Simon wrong. They mistook them for the beast and Simon payed with his life.
Chapter 10: The Shell and the Glasses
The shell represents authority and it becomes weaker and more fragile. The glasses represent reason and they break and are stolen as well.
Chapter 11: Castle Rock
Ralph and Piggy decide to travel to the place of Jack's clan called Castle Rock. Piggy dies in the end.
Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters
Ralph is hunted but when they are rescued all of the boys including the hunters break down and cry.
Characters
- Ralph- Original leader and is protagonist. Represents order, civilization, and leadership.
- Jack- Main antagonist. Takes over Ralph's role as leadership and is a hunter. Represents thirst for power and savagery.
- Simon- Sort of a Christ figure. Represents goodness and saintliness.
- Piggy- Ralph's right hand man. Represents rationalism and intelligence.
- Maurice- One of the hunters who helps Jack and torments the littluns.
- Roger- Very violent and evil character who torments others. Represents sadism, or hurting or killing people for enjoyment.
- Littluns- They cause certain problems for the biguns such as bringing forth the thought of the beast. They represent innocence.
- Sam and Eric- Switch sides throughout the story to avoid confrontation. Represent civilized people who follow the rules for whoever is in charge at the time.
- Henry- Gets stones thrown at him by Roger. He represents unknowing innocence when Roger is throwing stones at him he doesn't cry or know the evil in Roger's heart.
- Percival- Cries at night while thinking about the beast. He represents the terror of innocence when confronted by outside or unknown forces.
- British Officer- Shows up at the end to rescue the boys off the island. He represents the civilization that the boys have so needed this whole time.
Symbols
- Conch shell- authority
- clothing- rules, order, and democracy
- hair and face paint- didn't just make people look like something else, but also become something else
- Piggy's eyeglasses- reason
- Lord of the Flies- represents a Satan figure or beast
- Creepers- represent the troubles the boys will face in oncoming challenges
- imagery of wounds- represents the boys bringing of destruction on the island
- the pig hunts- symbolize man's capacity for destruction and violence
- huts- represent the law and order that Ralph hope he can bring on the island
- jungle- nature's balance and control without man's interference
- the mountain- at the beginning it represents hope for rescue but it then becomes an ominous sign when Jack's group takes it over.
Biblical Motifs
Themes
1. Civilization vs. Savagery- Ralph and Jack
2. Experience vs. Innocence- Biguns and the Littluns
3. Wisdom vs. Knowledge- Simon and Piggy
4. Physical (human nature) vs. Spiritual (Simon)- Jack and the other ones overcome Simon
5. Nature of Violence- All people have some violence in them that can be unleashed in situations.
6. Nature of Fear- When people are afraid they will go to others who can protect them.