Lord of the Flies – Characters and Symbols

Objectives:- To review key moments in the novel which represent the

boys’ descent into savagery- To revise the main characteristics and representations of

the key characters

11xy1Lord of the Flies - Revision

Key Point

The chapters of the novel are all symbolically titled, and, themselves, signal the boys’ descent into savagery. It can be helpful to reference these in the exam, should a question on this theme come up.

Descent into Savagery

- On the handouts that you will be given, several key events concerned with varying degrees of descent into savagery are given.- Choose the 10 most important ones and cut/ stick into your exercise books in order 1 = least savage, 10 = most savage.-This will form a ready made essay, should this question come up in the exam.

-You need to think carefully about your reasons for grouping them in this order – work in pairs to discuss ideas.

Descent into Savagery – The Main Events

1. The boy with the birthmark talks about the ‘beastie’2. Jack paints his face and does a war dance3. A ship passes the island, but the fire’s out4. Jack challenges Ralph’s authority and goes off alone, soon joined by the other boys5. Jack and his gang kill a pig and put the head on a ‘stick sharpened at both ends’

Descent into Savagery – The Main Events

Remember that

the maximum

age of

the boys is 12

Appearance

BackgroundRelationships with others

Character

Tall, blonde hair, athletic.

Confident,seems to be agood leader.

Father a Naval officer.Piggy and others look up to

him, friendly with Jack.

Ralph profile

Ralph – Key Points

Does he represent the good in mankind? He is the epitome of the stereotyped protagonist –tall, fair-

skinned, blonde hair, blue-eyed (ironically Aryan featured). He and Jack are binary oppositions of one another. Elected leader, but not forceful enough to maintain the

position. An idealist and a dreamer – it is Piggy who does all of the

thinking for him.

Appearance

BackgroundRelationships with others

Character

Fat, asthmaticand short-sighted.

Orphan, liveswith aunt.Different accentto others.

Intelligent and sensible –teaches Ralph how to blow the conch, suggestsmaking a listof names.

Fears Jack, is taunted by others because of nickname.

Piggy profile

Piggy – Key Points

o Piggy is the stereotypical ‘victim’ in the novel – overweight, fat, asthmatic and short-sighted. His presence initially makes the other boys either wince or make fun of him.

o He is represented as being of a lower class than the other boys, and consequently speaks and acts differently.

o Ironically, he is the boy who speaks the most sense – he is intelligent, thoughtful and able to reason and hypothesize.

o He is a paternal figure who looks after and supports the little’uns.

o He becomes a wise counselor who supports Ralph’s attempts at democratic, parliamentary rule.

o He increasingly finds himself at odds with Jack, a person who he instinctively fears and loathes

o Note how sight is metaphorically and literally associated with Piggy.

Appearance

BackgroundRelationships with others

Character

Leader of thechoirboys.

Thin, red hairand freckles, meanexpression.

Dominates the choir. LikesRalph but takes an immediatedislike to Piggy.

Bossy and rude – ordersthe choir about.

Jack profile

Jack – Key Points

Is he meant to represent the worst in people? His physical appearance serves as a warning sign – the

flame red hair, the pale face that blanches with displeasure. He is used to taking up a leadership position – first leader of

the choir, he becomes leader of the hunters. Jack is a spontaneous individual who wants instant

gratification for his desires. He doesn’t think through the consequences of his actions

(as Ralph does), but puts himself first at all times. He is amoral and only enforces the sense of justice that he

feels is right.

Appearance

BackgroundRelationships with others

CharacterKind and helpful. Introverted –doesn’t like to speak in assemblies. Likes nature.

Loyal towards Piggy and Ralph.Looked on as strange by the other boys.

Small, physicallyfrail, black hair and bright eyes.

Simon profile

Choirboy.

Simon – Key Points

He is a dark, mystical who the other boys find ‘odd’ or ‘queer’.

He goes barefoot and is an isolated figure – Golding deliberately makes Simon a Christ-like figure, the analogy is not coincidental.

He is helpful and cooperative, and the only boy to help Ralph build the shelters.

It is interesting that he is one of the three boys who initially explores the island (with Jack and Ralph – would we overtly notice that he’s there?)

He has a marked physical weakness in that he appears to suffer from epilepsy (also associated with prophetic qualities).

He has a high level of intuitive intelligence and this allows him to confront the boys’ fears about the ‘beast’

Appearance

BackgroundRelationships with others

Character

Roger profile

Is a choirboy.

Quiet and secretive.

Cruel – enjoyspicking on thelittluns.

Black hair, gloomy face.

Allied with Jack.

Roger – Key Points

He is mysterious, secretive, slight and furtive. His name literally means ‘famous with a spear’ He is a sadist who delights in inflicting pain – he is

unnecessarily cruel in the sow killing incident. Is he the logical extension of Jack’s character? He prepares the stick ‘sharpened at both ends’ to mount

Ralph’s head.

Setting and AtmosphereThe setting for the novel is a traditional paradise island – an Eden-like Utopia upon first glance – it is interesting that this is soon superseded by the ‘darkness of man’s heart’, causing the island to become a Dystopian prison – reflected in the description.The island is initially unspoilt by man – it is important that the passenger jet makes the first ‘scar’ across its surface (the corruption of mankind).

Setting and Atmosphere - ContrastsThe lagoon – warm and safe VS The cold open seaThe mountain – high place where rescue can be seen, provides truth and clarity VS The Castle Rock – a jumbled mix up with a dark cave in the centre. The origin of the destructive fire.The beach – a safe place, the location of meetings, familiar, tame VS The jungle – wild and unknown – the ‘beast’ originates from here.

WeatherThis is highlighted in importance during major scenes.Note that when Simon is murdered there is a tumultuous thunderstorm outside.Golding uses day and night to emphasise the feelings of the characters – binary oppositions.

Style – How Golding Communicates His Story

The story itself is a deceptively simple analogy.For style, you should consider how Golding manipulates the following:

- Vocabulary, the words, the use of colour- Syntax – the length and structure of sentences – note how

this is different for each character. Does this change when the action is speeded up?

- Imagery – use of simile metaphor, personification – why does Golding use these techniques? How do they enhance atmosphere?

Finding the Deeper Message

Lord of the Flies undoubtedly has a deeper moral message. Consider, with a partner, the following questions:- Apart from Jack and Percival, why are the other characters not given surnames?

- Why do no girls or adults survive the crash?- Why is the passenger tube dragged out to sea once it has

ejected the boys – could it have provided food/ shelter?- Why is the island so isolated in the sense that so few ships

pass by?- If it is isolated, how do two fighter planes come to be

fighting over it to allow the parachutist to land on the island?- Where do the pigs come from?- Why is Piggy the only one with glasses and the only one to

go to public school?

Symbolism – using things or people to represent ideas

- Often symbols found in LOTF can be traced back to the Bible or Greek mythology- In Greek mythology FIRE is a symbol of KNOWLEDGE- Both fire and knowledge can HELP and HARM- ‘The Beast’ – physically the head of the sow, the name ‘Lord of the Flies’ translated into Hebrew is ‘Beelzebub’, another term for the devil.

The Beast – A Symbol that Evolves Gradually

1. Chapter 1: Initially the choir are likened to an animal as they come across the sand

2. Chapter 2: The fire is compared to a ‘snake’. The snake is the devil in the GOE, but fire also represents knowledge – is this Golding saying the knowledge is a double edged sword?

3. Chapter 5: Beast from Water – the boys complain that they think there is a beast in the sea

The Beast – A symbol that evolves gradually…

4. Chapter 6: Beast from Air – the dead parachutist lands on the island, taking over the place where their rescue fire is – a symbol of their aspirations.5. Chapter 7: The boys set off up the mountain to try to find the beast – note that Simon absents himself from this because he knows he’s going to have a ‘fainting fit’. Had he been there, they would have discovered the truth.

The Beast – A Symbol that Evolves Gradually

6. Chapter 8: The killing of the pregnant sow – the murder of the future. Simon has his hallucinatory fit.

Other Symbols

The Conch – Democracy and democratic freedomThe Huts – CivilizationFire – Hope/ Rescue

Golding does not provide a map for his readers to show us what the island is like. We learn about the setting as the boys move about the island exploring their new surroundings.

Draw your own map of the island, adding on all the significant places so far. You will be able to add to this map as we read the novel.

Setting