PlotOverview

InthenovelTheLordoftheFliesagroupof
englishboysplanecrashlandsontoanisland
wheretherearenoadultsurvivorsandhavenoone
butthemselvestosurvive.Theydecidethatgiven
theirsituationtheyshouldgovernthemselvesina
similarwayliketheyhadgrownupwith.Inthe
beginningofthenoveltheboyselectaleaderoutof
theirbunch,Ralph.Ralphhasmanyleadership
skillsthatcomeintoplayasthestoryunfolds.He
hasPiggy,thesmartestandmostincapableof
physicalactivitiesalongsidehimaidinghimwhen
necessary.HeandRalphstumbleuponaconch
shellinthebeginningofthestory,whichbecomesa
symbolicobjectusedinthisnovel.Theconchis
usedinthisnovelasamethodofcommunication
forsomeonetousetocallouttothegroupor
whomeverheldtheconchhadtheauthorityto
speak.Ralph,beingelectedleaderoftheboysputs
Jackinchargeofhuntingforthegroupwhichlater
spiralsoutofcontrol.Jackhungersforpowerand
growsenvyforthatofwhatRalphcontrols.Ralph
wantstobeleadertokeeporderandcivilized
behaviorwhereasJackhungersforpowerand
controljusttohaveitbuthasnointentionofbeing
civilizedwhendoingit.Jackformshisownlittle
groupandcamprivaledagainstRalphbecausehe
doesnotlikethewaythingsarehandledaboutwith
Ralphandwouldprefertogoaboutthingsinhis
ownway.Earlieroninthestorytheboysuse
PiggysGlassestostartafirebyusingthelense.
ThisbecomessomethingthatJackwantstouseto
benefithimself,sinceRalphandhimhavebeenin
differentgroups,JackraidsRalph'scamptoget
Piggysglasses.

AbouttheAuthor

WilliamGoldingwasbornonJune19,1911.Born
inhisgrandmother'shouseinEngland,hegrewup
withhismother,fatherandelderbrother.Goldingis
wellknownforhisnovel,TheLordoftheFlies
amongotherssuchas,TheInheritors,Pincher
Martin,FreeFall,TheSpire,etc.TheLordofthe
Flies,waspublishedin1954.Goldingstarted
workingonhisnovelin1950.Hisexperiencein
WorldWarIIchangedhisperceptionofhumanity
andhowoneanotheraretreated.Thisisoneidea
ofwhatmighthaveinfluencedhisideasforhis
novel,sincethecharactersarecategorizingone
anotherashavingacertainpartintheirgroup.A
contributingfactortoGolding'snovelishisgeneral
experiencebeinginawar,seeingashowhesaw
andexperiencedeverythingfirsthand,hewasable
touseeverythinghewasexposedtoandinterpretit
inhisnovelinadifferentway.Thetimeperiod
influencedthewaythecharacterswouldspeakand
thecontextofthestory.

NovelNotes

Lordoftheflies

WilliamGolding

RachelBriano

12/21/15

EssentialQuotes

HistoricalContext

Theundoubtedlittluns,thoseagedaboutsix,leda
quitedistinct,andatthesametimeintense,lifeof
theirown...Theycriedfortheirmothersmuchless
oftenthanmighthavebeenexpectedtheywere
verybrownandfilthilydirty(59).

In1941GoldingenlistedintheRoyalNavyandwas
Thefireisthemostimportantthingontheisland.
involvedintheattackofNormandy.Goldings
experienceinWorldWarIIinfluencedhisthoughts Howcanweeverberescuedexceptbyluck,ifwe
dontkeepafiregoing?Isafiretoomuchforusto
abouthumanity.Goldingbeganwritingnovelsand
make?(81).
continuedacareerinteachingafterthewar.His

firstnovelpublishedwasTheLordoftheFlies,

whichwasalsoahugesuccessandbestseller.His
experienceinWorldWarIIinfluencedthestory's
workscited:
Golding,William.
LordoftheFlies
.New
plotinawaythatthecharactersandeventswerea York:CowardMcCann,1962.Print
reflectionofhisexperienceinthewar.

."LordoftheFlies."
SparkNotes
.SparkNotes,n.d.

Web.01Jan.2016.

CharacterAnalysis

Themes

Ralph:Ralphistheprotagonistofthisnovel.Ralph
istheleaderoftheboys.Heisincommandofthe
groupinordertokeepcontrolofeveryoneand
maintaincivilizedbehavior.
Jack:JackisacharacteroppositetoRalphin
regardstomaintainingorderandcivilizedbehavior
underhiswatch.Heisrecklessandseekspower
withinthegroupofboystobecausehewantstobe
incontrol.
Piggy:Piggyisthemostvulnerablebutmost
intelligentofthegroup,heisthecharacterwhois
theleastcapableofdoingphysicalactivities.Piggy
triestotakecommandandusehisintellectto
benefitthegrouphoweverhestoorelianton
Ralphsleadershipskillsandoftenuseshimasa
voiceforwhathecannotsay.Piggyistoo
dependantontheconch,whichmakeshimfeellike
hehastheauthoritytospeak.
Roger:Rogerisaverymaliciouscharacteralmost
asevilorevenworsethanJack.Heisverycruel
andhasnoregardforanyoneelseslife.Roger
differsfromJackbecausehewantstogainpower
butnotinthesamewayasJack,hewantstogain
powertohurtothers,whereasJackwantstobethe
leaderandbeincontrol.

Amajorthemeinthisnovelissavagery.
Throughoutthisnovelthecharactersoftenbattle
betweenstayingcivilizedinanIslandwithnoadults
andsupervision,thereforeeasilylettinggooftheir
civilizedwaysandgraduallyconvertingtosavagery.
Rogerisacharacterwhoverywellrepresents
savageryinthisnovelbecausehealwaystendsto
leanontheuncivilizedwayofthingsgettingdone.
Manythingscomeintoplayinthenovelinvolving
thistypeofbehaviorsuchashowRogerkilled
Piggywithaboulderincoldblood,Rogerhashad
increasingragethroughoutthenovelthathehadto
letout.Hisattemptatlettingouthisragebegan
whenhefollowedalillunandmadesurenoone
waswatchingtothrowpebblesathim,luckilywith
anintentiontomiss.HowevernotwithPiggy,Roger
hadanintentiontohurtPiggysimplybecausehe
lovedthefeelingofhurtingothers.

Anothermajorthemeinthisnoveliscivilization,or
rulesandorder.Thisandsavageryaremain
conflictsthroughoutthenovel.Ralph,theleaderof
theboyscharacterizesthisthemebecausehe
showsleadershipandresponsibilityandtriesto
maintainorderandcivilizedbehaviorwiththeboys.
Sincecrashlandingontotheislandwithnoadults
andnoonebutthemselves,theytriedtomaketheir
ownformofgovernmentsimilartowhattheyhad
grownupwith.Theystartedoffbyelectingaleader,
Ralph,whosupervisedandtookcontroloftheboys
whenneedsanddirectedorderswhennecessary.
ThroughoutthenovelRalphtriestomaintainorder
andbalancewithinthegroupofboys.

MotifsandSymbols

Amajorsymbolinthisnovelistheconchorconch
shell.AtthebeginningofthenovelRalphandPiggy
stumbleuponaconchshellonthebeach,which
resultedinbecomingoneofthemostsignificant
representationsoforder.AswellasaidedJack,to
anextenttomaintainorderandgoverntheboys.
Theconchefficientlykeptorderwithinthegroup
andgavetheboystheauthoritytospeakwhen
holdingontoitandcommunicatewithoneanother
byblowingitfromdifferentpartsoftheisland.
Piggyisalsoamajorsymbolinthisnovelbecause
heisacharacterwhorepresentsintelligenceand
benefitsthegroupgreatly.Piggyisthemost
rationalandcalmamongalltheboys.Hisintellect
helpedaidthegroupwhennecessaryandhis
glassesalsosharedequalvaluethroughoutthe
novelbecauseoftheefficiencythelensesof
Piggy'sglassesprovidedfortheboysbystartinga
fire.