LORD of the FLIES

Annotation Instructions

DIRECTIONS: When you have finished reading Lord of the Flies, you will write about the novel in an extended analytical essay.
Therefore, as you are annotating and identifying important quoted material, it will be important for you to categorize and color-code
as you read. This will help you to retrieve important support material. The following list identifies the major areas in which you will
write. Choose a color for each of the seven areas and ANNOTATE EACH QUOTE that you highlight/underline. See below for an
example.

Characterization (Identify character attributes to support character analysis)

The Beast (Follow the transformation of the Beast and its affect on the group)
Symbolism (Identify objects and characters and what they symbolize in the text)
Individual versus Society (Identify the role/needs of individual versus the role/needs of the group)
Conflict (Identify causes of and outcomes of conflict)
Microcosm versus Macrocosm (Identify small elements that reflect or have parallels to larger
elements)
Human Nature (Identify elements that reveal Goldings view of human nature)

He waited till the platform was very still.

Things are breaking up. I dont understand why. We began
well; we were happy and then
He moved the conch gently, looking beyond them at nothing

Micro vs. Macro. Their

nascent society is starting to
fall apart which reflects the
fall of society in general.

remembering the beastie, the snake, the fire, the talk of fear.
Then people started to get frightened.
A murmur, almost a moan, rose and passed away. Jack had
stopped whittling. Ralph went on abruptly.
But thats littluns talk. Well get this straight. So the last part
the bit we can all talk about, is kind of deciding on the fear.
The hair was creeping into his eyes again.
Weve go to talk about this fear and decide theres noting in
it. Im frightened myself, sometimes; only thats nonsense! Like bogies.
Then when weve decided, we can start again and be careful with things
like the fire. A picture of three boys walking the bright beach flitted
through his mind. And be happy.

Characterization
Ralph has identified the
groups weakness
reinforcing his
democratic nature by
having the group
decide on the fear for
the greater good.

Ceremonially, Ralph laid the conch on the trunk beside him as

a sign that the speech was over. What sunlight reached them was level.
Jack stood up and took the conch.
So this is a meeting to find out whats what. Ill tell you
whats what. You littluns started all this, with the fear talk. Beasts! Where
from? Of course were frightened sometimes but we put up with being
frightened. Only Ralph says you scream in the night. What does that mean

Human Nature- Even

Ralph, our leader, isnt
immune from the basic
human fears of the unknown.

but nightmares? Anyway, you dont hunt or build or helpyoure a lot of

cry-babies and sissies. Thats what. And for the fearyoull have to put
up with that like the rest of us.
Ralph looked at Jack open-mouthed, but Jack took no notice.
The thing isfear cant hurt you any more than a dream.
There arent any beasts to be afraid of on this

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Conflict Jack, vying for

power, uses the littluns
fear as a tool to put them
in their place further
degrading Ralphs
democratic society.