Introduction
Check out William Golding's Lord of the Flies Video SparkNote: Quick and easy Lord of the Flies synopsis, analysis, and discussion of major characters and themes in the novel. For more Lord of the Flies resources, go to www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/.
Content
Lord of the Flies is about savagery, a group of schoolboys ends up on a desert island without adults.
After their plane crashes, they tried to govern themselves and to maintain order and civility, but they ultimately fail, descending into violence and brutality at the beginning of the book, Ralph and piggy me on a desert island in the Pacific.
They were on a plane with a group of boys who are being evacuated from England because of a war, but the plane was attacked and crashed on the island while they were in the air.
They heard that an atomic bomb exploded in England.
So we know that a nuclear war is taking place.
They find a conch shell and Ralph blows into it like a trumpet.
The sound calls all the other boys who are on the plane out of the jungle.
No adults have survived the crash.
Just boys between the ages of 6 and 12 Ralph is the oldest and biggest boy in the island and he's 12.
Eventually, a whole choir comes out of the jungle led by a boy named Jack, the boys decide to vote for a chief.
And they all pick Ralph he's, beautiful and seems like a natural leader, especially since he called them with the cog Jack is not happy about being voted down, though, in fact, he's humiliated Ralph likes him and wants to be friends.
So he says, Jackson charge of the choir.
And the choir will be hunters.
Ralph takes Simon and Jack up to the top of the mountain.
And they find out that they're on an island.
They also find out there are pigs on the island that they can hunt.
So the first one they see gets away Ralph calls another assembly with the conch.
He tells everyone that they're on an island and they're alone.
No one knows where they are, but it's, a good Island with food and water and pigs that they can hunt.
He makes a rule that when they have meetings, the person holding the conch gets to speak, and the becomes an important symbol in the book, representing civilization.
In order, unfortunately, the positive picture Ralph tries to paint gets somewhat spoiled.
When one of the youngest boys is given the conch.
He asked what Ralph is going to do about the snake thing or beastie that the boy thinks is on the island.
Ralph says, there is no beastie, but Jack says, the hunt for it.
When they go hunting.
This moment is really the root of all the problems in the book because this fear of a beast doesn't go away.
The boys can either deal with it Ralph's way, which is to conquer the fear through reason saying there isn't a beast or Jack's way, which is to say, we're part of a tribe, we're hunters together, we're strong enough to hunt and kill the Beast Rao says that they need to light a small fire on the mountain to make smoke.
So if a ship passes they'll be rescued before he can organize anything the boys rush off to the top of the mountain and make a huge bonfire.
They use piggy spectacles to light it.
The fire gets out of control and burns a big patch of jungle, including what they would have used as firewood piggy accuses, the boys of acting like kids, rebuking them for being out of control.
He points out that the boy with the mulberry birthmark was playing down where the jungle fire started.
And now he's disappeared.
No one ever sees him, again, Jack spends his time hunting for pigs.
And even after the other hunters get tired and drift off to swim in play.
He keeps hunting, though he doesn't catch anything Ralph organizes, the other boys into building shelters, but everyone except Simon drifts off to play in Swim - leaving Ralph to struggle with the last shelter, Jack and Ralph get into an argument because both of them are trying to do something important both are frustrated and not getting enough help.
And neither can make the other understand.
They agree that the shelters are important because the younger kids are all afraid of the beasts.
And the shelters are like a home that will make them less scared.
A boy named Roger follows the little one named Henry off down the beach and starts throwing rocks at him, he's making sure not to hit Henry, but it's clear that the idea of hurting or even killing Henry is exciting to Roger.
So now we see another problem on the island, at least one of the boys is a sociopath by nature.
And since there are no adults to enforce rules, it's only a matter of time or circ*mstances before Roger realizes he can kill Jack figures out a way to paint his face, because he thinks the pigs are running away from him, because they see his pink face in the bushes.
Once he puts on the paint, though he feels liberated from any self-consciousness.
He does a war dance and rounds up the rest of the hunters telling them they'll form a line to trap one of the pigs Jack does manage to kill a pig.
But while he and the hunters are hunting, they let the signal fire burn out down at the beach Ralph see smoke far off from a ship.
But by the time he and Simon and piggy run up to the mountains where the fire was it's too late, and the ship disappearing Ralph confronts Jack about this failure.
And while Jack gets respect from the other boys for getting the meat he's humiliated, again, Jack can't do anything to Ralph, but he smacks piggy and breaks his glasses.
Ralph calls a meeting to try to set things straight since the boys are not doing the things they said, they do like keeping the fire going or working on the shelters.
He tries to lay down some rules, but then he opens a debate.
So they can discuss why they're breaking apart as a group.
He says, it's because people are becoming frightened.
And he wants the boys to discuss why they're frightened and agree that there's no reason to be.
But instead Jack takes the conch and says, the other boys are frightened because they're sissies and crybabies, piggy, disagrees and says that they're actually afraid of each other Percival.
One of the little uns suggests that the Beast comes from the water, which terrifies everyone, someone else says, it's a ghost, and then they have a vote on ghosts.
And it turns out most of them believe in ghosts piggy yells at the other boys for being stupid and Jack tells him to shut up and fights with him over the conch.
Jack tells Ralph to shut up too saying, he's, not a good chief and to hell with all the rules.
Anyway, he says, he's not afraid of the Beast because he's strong and can hunt.
And then he leads off most of the other boys chanting and singing Ralph wants to give up being chief because he's lost all control, but piggy and Simon, tell him to stay chief because Jack would be a terrible chief.
He hates Ralph.
And he would hurt piggy that night while everyone's asleep there's, an air battle high up in the sky and a dead man in a parachute falls onto the island near the mountain, top Sam and Eric who are sleeping by the signal.
Fire, see the parachuter, but think it's, the Beast and run off to tell the others Ralph and Jack.
And the older boys go to look for the Beast in the one place, they haven't ever explored castle rock at the far end of the island.
They don't find any beasts there.
So they turn around and head for the mountain as they're on their way to the mountain.
They stopped to do some hunting and Ralph gets a taste of how fun it is afterward.
The boys do this dance where one of them pretends to be the pig and the others chant and pretend to attack him, which gets pretty violent when they finally get to the mountain it's, dark, but Jack insists.
They keep going Jack, Roger and Ralph climb up in the dark see the Beast and on interrobang to camp back at the beach Jack tries to get the other boys to vote Ralph out his chief.
But none of them do Jack leaves humiliated saying, he's, not going to play with them any longer.
He says anyone who wants to hunt can come with him the boys build a new fire on the beach instead of the mountain.
But later, many of the older boys sneak away to join Jack Jack and his hunters paint themselves with war paint and kill a sow Jack and Roger put the head on a stake that they stick in the ground Jack and his tribe, raid Ralph's group to take fire.
They invite the boys there to come to a feast and tell them they can ask to join the tribe Simon who often goes off by himself sees the head of the sow.
He has an epileptic fit.
But before he does the head says that it's, the Beast also called the Lord of the Flies.
The head laughs at him and says, the Beast is inside the boys, not something they can hunt and kill.
Then Simon passes out Simon goes to the mountain and sees what the Dead parachuter really is.
He hurries off to tell the others there's, no beasts Ralph and piggy show up at Jack's feast all the other boys, except Simon have already come there.
And most have joined Jack's tribe, Jack lets Ralph and piggy eat Jack makes all the boys do their pig hunting dance, while they chant kill the Beast cut his throat spill his blood in the middle of this Simon comes out of the forest to tell them about the man in the parachute, and the boys all kill him even Ralph, the next day, Ralph and piggy and Sam and Eric all tried to pretend that they weren't part of what happened to Simon that night Jack and his hunters raid, Ralph and piggy and Sam and Eric to steal Piggy's glasses.
So they can make fire Ralph and piggy and Sam and Eric have one last meeting with the Conch sitting by the burned out signal.
Fire piggy holds the conch and says he wants to go and demand his glasses back since that is what's, right? They go to the Castle Rock and the boys there won't.
Let them come in Jack comes back from the jungle after hunting and has Sam and Eric seized and tied up Jack and Ralph fight.
But piggy comes up holding the conch and asked the boys whether it's better to believe in rules and agreement and getting rescued or in hunting and breaking things up while he's talking roger dislodges, the huge stone that shatters the conch and kills piggy Jack, throws his spear at Ralph, who runs away Jack and Roger prepares to torture, Sam and Eric while Jack.
And the tribe are having a feast Ralph talks to Sam and Eric who are now on Lookout.
They tell Ralph that he's going to be hunted the next day and that Roger sharpened a stake at both ends during the hunt Ralph hides in the bushes, but Sam and Eric, tell Jack where he's hiding Jack lights, the bushes on fire.
And the tribe forms a line to sweep across the island and find Ralph ultimately, Jack sets the whole island on fire and Ralph runs out to the beach where a British naval officer has just arrived investigating all the smoke Ralph tries to explain to the officer.
What happened and start sweeping the other boys weep, too for more information about the Lord of the Flies check out the Lord of the Flies spark note at sparknotes, calm.
FAQs
William Golding's 1954 novel "Lord of the Flies" tells the story of a group of young boys who find themselves alone on a deserted island. They develop rules and a system of organization, but without any adults to serve as a civilizing impulse, the children eventually become violent and brutal.
What is Golding's overall message? ›
Golding contends that human nature, when free from the constraints of society, draws people away from common sense to savagery. His fundamental arguments are that human beings are savage by nature, and are moved by urges toward brutality and dominance over others.
What was Golding's message in Lord of the Flies? ›
William Golding, 1983. "The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society 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."
What age is Lord of the Flies appropriate for? ›
This coming-of-age book by William Golding is published by Riverhead Books, a division of Penguin Group and is written for ages 13 and up.
What is the main point of Lord of the Flies? ›
The central concern of Lord of the Flies is the conflict between two competing impulses that exist within all human beings: the instinct to live by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands, and value the good of the group against the instinct to gratify one's immediate desires, act violently to obtain supremacy ...
Why is Lord of the Flies banned? ›
Lord of the Flies by William Golding was challenged in the Waterloo Iowa schools in 1992 because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled.
What are the 3 main themes in Lord of the Flies? ›
Three themes in 'Lord of the Flies' are civilization vs. savagery, the impact of humankind on nature, and the nature of humanity.
What was ironic about the ending of the Lord of the Flies? ›
Much of the irony at the end of the novel stems from Golding's portrayal of the naval officer. Although the naval officer saves Ralph, the ending of Lord of the Flies still is not particularly happy, and the moment in which the officer encounters the boys is not one of untainted joy.
What are two central themes of Golding's novel Lord of the Flies? ›
Lesson Summary
In this lesson we discussed two of the predominant themes in William Golding's Lord of the Flies. The first is the internal struggle within humans between brutal urges and the controlling aspects of civilization. The second theme is the loss of innocence.
What does the Lord of the Flies represent symbolically? ›
The Lord of the Flies is a severed pig head covered in flies. Simon hallucinates the head is talking to him and mocking him. The Lord of the Flies is symbolic of the devil. It is an evil force that wants the boys to be wild, anarchistic, and violent.
Roger, the character least able to understand the civilizing impulse, crushes the conch shell as he looses the boulder and kills Piggy, the character least able to understand the savage impulse.
What do Piggy's glasses symbolize? ›
The spectacles represent the boys' only means of obtaining fire through reflecting the sun's rays, and fire itself is symbolic of survival and rescue. Jack snatches the glasses off Piggy's face to create the fire, despite Piggy's protestations, and his dependence upon them.
Why is it called Lord of the Flies? ›
TITLE OF THE NOVEL
Lord of the Flies refers to Beelzebub, another name for the devil. He is also called the Lord of Filth and Dung. Throughout the novel, the children grow dirtier and dirtier, an outward reflection of their inner state. As their savagery and evil increases, they seek a symbol, a god to worship.
What is the trigger warning in Lord of the Flies? ›
Trigger & Content Warnings:
Racism. Blood & gore depiction. Death of a child. Death of a friend.
Is Lord of the Flies an easy read? ›
“Lord of the Flies is hard, and significantly harder [than The Outsiders], significantly more complex,” said Lemov. “Anyone who has read that book knows how hard it is. It has archaic language, it's full of allusions to different worlds, they use British English.”
How does Lord of the Flies end? ›
In the final pages of Lord of the Flies , Ralph runs through the jungle fleeing both Jack and his pack of savage boys and the fire Jack set on the mountain. Ralph emerges onto the beach and is discovered by a British Naval officer who has come ashore after seeing the burning island from his ship.
Why does Ralph cry at the end of the novel? ›
Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy. These lines from the end of Chapter 12 occur near the close of the novel, after the boys encounter the naval officer, who appears as if out of nowhere to save them.
What is the most important chapter in Lord of the Flies? ›
Simon's confrontation with the Lord of the Flies—the sow's head impaled on a stake in the forest glade—is arguably the most important scene in the novel, and one that has attracted the most attention from critics.
Is Lord of the Flies traumatizing? ›
Through the lens of trauma theory, Lord of the Flies shows the breakdown of not only the society created by the characters, but the loss of each character's normal psyche because of this breakdown.
Why is Lord of the Flies so controversial? ›
Controversy over Content
Much of the disturbing passages from Lord of the Flies involve graphic images of violence. As the boys stay on the island lengthens, Golding gradually exposes the innate, savage nature of human beings. Thus, Golding has the boys resort to hunting and killing animals.
This story never happened. An English schoolmaster, William Golding, made up this story in 1951 – his novel Lord of the Flies would sell tens of millions of copies, be translated into more than 30 languages and hailed as one of the classics of the 20th century. In hindsight, the secret to the book's success is clear.
What is the evil in Lord of the Flies? ›
The characters in Lord of the Flies can be interpreted as prototypes of human behaviour, where Ralph represents civilization and leadership, and Jack represents the savagery within the human soul. In a broader sense, we may consider Ralph as representing "good" and Jack as representing "evil".
Why does Jack paint his face? ›
Answer and Explanation: In Lord of the Flies, Jack paints his face like a mask to act as camouflage so the pigs cannot see him when he is hunting. The mask, however, gives him a new identity and allows him to separate from the rules of society.
What does Piggy symbolize in Lord of the Flies? ›
The characters in Lord of the Flies possess recognizable symbolic significance, which make them as the sort of people around us. Ralph stands for civilization and democracy; Piggy represents intellect and rationalism; Jack signifies savagery and dictatorship; Simon is the incarnation of goodness and saintliness.
Who killed Simon in Lord of the Flies? ›
In Lord of the Flies, Jack's tribe hosted a feast to entice members of Ralph's tribe to join them. Jack used the promise of protection from the beast to gain their favor. During this feast, Simon came to tell them his revelation of the beast, and the entire group of boys mistook him for the beast and beat him to death.
What is the irony of Piggy's death? ›
Piggy's death signifies the end of Ralph's fragile troop, and a victory by the forces of violence and brutality over the forces of wisdom, kindness, and civility. The death is foreshadowed in the early pages, when Piggy tells Ralph he has asthma, can't swim, needs his glasses to see, and is sick from the fruit.
Why is Simon's death ironic? ›
Simon's death presents irony in a few ways, most notably because he is coming down the mountain to prove to the other boys that the beast does not exist, then is mistaken for the beast and killed.
What are two conflicts in Lord of the Flies? ›
The fight for who will lead the island represents the clash between a peaceful democracy, as symbolized by Ralph, and a violent dictatorship, as symbolized by Jack.
What are the 2 archetypes in Lord of the Flies? ›
In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, Roger represents the character archetype shapeshifter, and Piggy as the mentor.
What is the loss of innocence in Lord of the Flies? ›
In Lord of the Flies, the loss of innocence is one of the primary literary themes. It develops steadily from the beginning to the end of the story. The stranded boys begin as schoolboys enjoying themselves while they wait on rescue but end as savage killers who have destroyed the island, eachother, and themselves.
Lord of the Flies Symbols
- The Island. The tropical island, with its bountiful food and untouched beauty, symbolizes paradise. ...
- The Lord of the Flies (the Beast) ...
- The Conch Shell. ...
- Piggy's Glasses. ...
- Fire. ...
- Adults. ...
- The Scar. ...
- The Ocean.
The creepers come to stand for larger ideas. In one sense, the creepers represent evil. Just as the pig becomes ensnared in the creepers, so too will the boys become caught in an evil sense as they drift further away from respect and civilization. In another sense, the creepers may represent obstacles.
What is the fear in Lord of the Flies? ›
Fear is ever present in Lord of the Flies. Throughout the novel we see fear of the unknown represented by the beast in the forest. We also see fear of death, especially in the final scene with Ralph, and fear of pain, such as with Sam and Eric when they are taken prisoner.
What were Piggy's last words? ›
Ralph and Piggy approach Jack's camp. Before arriving, Piggy says his last words: "Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?"
Do we ever find out Piggy's real name? ›
Piggy's real name is never revealed. Instead he is treated as though he is one of the pigs on the island - also like one of them, he is brutally killed. Piggy remains an outsider and a victim throughout the novel, though Ralph does come to respect him. There are many things that mark Piggy out as "different".
Who gets eaten in Lord of the Flies? ›
Piggy's death occurs in Chapter 11 of Lord of the Flies.
Why does Jack not give piggy meat? ›
Jack refuses to give Piggy meat because he resents his relationship with Ralph and because he sees Piggy as an outcast. By treating Piggy poorly, Jack feels a sense of power within the group of boys, for everyone seems to enjoy watching the poor boy suffer.
What do the Littluns symbolize in Lord of the Flies? ›
What are the Littluns? The littluns are the younger group of boys, contrasted by the biguns, in Lord of the Flies. They are around six years old, and they represent innocence and dependence.
What do adults symbolize in Lord of the Flies? ›
Adults symbolize civilization and social order to the boys. But to the reader, the world war raging outside the island makes it clear that the adult "civilization" is as savage as the boys' "civilization" on the island.
Who is the real beast in Lord of the Flies? ›
Simon is martyred for attempting to bring them the truth about what they believed to be the beast—the pilot—and his murder symbolizes that the true beast is, in fact, the evil inside humans.
When Jack first appears he is already in a position of authority as he is the Head Boy of his school and lead chorister. It is no wonder that he is annoyed when Ralph is elected leader above him. Jack is clearly used to getting his own way and is a bully - he uses verbal and physical violence when necessary.
Why is Lord of the Flies all male? ›
Golding himself has said he focused his book on only boys, and not only girls, for two reasons. The first was that he was once a little boy, not a little girl, and the second was that a “a group of little boys are more like scaled down society than a group of little girls will be.
Why does Jack apologize to everyone? ›
He uses the device of an apology as a tool to end the conflict with Ralph, more of an instinctive political maneuver than an expression of regret.
Why does Simon have a seizure in Lord of the Flies? ›
Simon is mesmerised by the pig's head on the stick, called the 'Lord of the Flies'. He imagines that the head speaks to him in the 'voice of a schoolmaster', and it taunts and threatens him in a terrifying and bizarre encounter, which causes Simon to pass out into a seizure.
Why is Piggy afraid? ›
Piggy fears that the boys are going to descend into savagery in Chapter 5. As the voice of logic and intellect, Piggy is ridiculed and ignored, and when he asks this legitimate question during an assembly, Jack immediate stands and calls him names, proving Piggy's concerns about savagery on a small scale.
Is Lord of the Flies a dark story? ›
Lord of the Flies explores the dark side of humanity, the savagery that underlies even the most civilized human beings. William Golding intended this novel as a tragic parody of children's adventure tales, illustrating humankind's intrinsic evil nature.
What grade level is Lord of the Flies for? ›
This book's Lexile measure is 770L and is frequently taught in the 9th and 10th grade.
Is Lord of the Flies banned? ›
"Lord of the Flies," a 1954 novel by William Golding, has been banned from schools over the years and has often been challenged. According to the American Library Association, it is the eighth-most frequently banned and challenged book in the nation.
What does Lord of the Flies symbolize in simple terms? ›
The characters in Lord of the Flies possess recognizable symbolic significance, which make them as the sort of people around us. Ralph stands for civilization and democracy; Piggy represents intellect and rationalism; Jack signifies savagery and dictatorship; Simon is the incarnation of goodness and saintliness.
What is the theme of the Lord of the Flies essay? ›
Lord of the Flies was driven by "Golding's consideration of human evil, a complex topic that involves an examination not only of human nature but also the causes, effects, and manifestations of evil.
In the final pages of Lord of the Flies , Ralph runs through the jungle fleeing both Jack and his pack of savage boys and the fire Jack set on the mountain. Ralph emerges onto the beach and is discovered by a British Naval officer who has come ashore after seeing the burning island from his ship.
What are the 3 main symbols in Lord of the Flies? ›
Symbols
- The Conch Shell. Ralph and Piggy discover the conch shell on the beach at the start of the novel and use it to summon the boys together after the crash separates them. ...
- Piggy's Glasses. ...
- The Signal Fire. ...
- The Beast. ...
- The Lord of the Flies. ...
- Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Simon, and Roger.
Piggy's death signifies the end of Ralph's fragile troop, and a victory by the forces of violence and brutality over the forces of wisdom, kindness, and civility. The death is foreshadowed in the early pages, when Piggy tells Ralph he has asthma, can't swim, needs his glasses to see, and is sick from the fruit.
What is theme the main message of the story? ›
The term theme can be defined as the underlying meaning of a story. It is the message the writer is trying to convey through the story. Often the theme of a story is a broad message about life. The theme of a story is important because a story's theme is part of the reason why the author wrote the story.
What is the most significant symbol in Lord of the Flies essay? ›
The first symbol, which is used all throughout the book, is the symbol of the Conch. The conch was a large shell which piggy had first unearthed on the island. The conch shows powers all throughout the book and always commands respect form the boys due to its importance.
What is the theme of Lord of the Flies conclusion? ›
In conclusion The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel in which the theme of savagery versus civilisation is shown. Ralph represents civilisation as he wants to enforce rules and let everyone have an equal say.
Who kills in Lord of the Flies? ›
Roger kills Piggy in Lord of the Flies.
Why do they cry at the end of Lord of the Flies? ›
Ralph cries at the end of Lord of the Flies because he has finally been rescued from the nightmare that life on the island has become. Ralph has been through a terrible ordeal, and it stands to reason that he would weep after everything he's been through.
What is the irony at the end of Lord of the Flies? ›
Much of the irony at the end of the novel stems from Golding's portrayal of the naval officer. Although the naval officer saves Ralph, the ending of Lord of the Flies still is not particularly happy, and the moment in which the officer encounters the boys is not one of untainted joy.
