1.
Introduction
- Title: Lord of the Flies
- Author: William Golding
- Publication
Year:
1954
- Genre: Allegorical novel,
Dystopian fiction
- Setting: A deserted island in
the Pacific during an unnamed war
- Main
Idea:
The novel explores the inherent evil in human nature and the breakdown of
civilization when order collapses.
Major
Characters:
- Ralph – The novel’s
protagonist, representing leadership, civilization, and order.
- Jack
Merridew
– The main antagonist, representing savagery, power, and anarchy.
- Piggy – A smart but
physically weak boy who symbolizes intellect, reason, and scientific
thought.
- Simon – A kind, spiritual boy
who represents goodness and a Christ-like figure.
- Roger – Jack’s sadistic
follower, who enjoys cruelty and violence.
- Sam
and Eric (Samneric) – Twin boys who start as loyal to Ralph but later
succumb to Jack’s rule.
Minor
Characters:
- The
Littluns
– The younger boys on the island, representing innocence and the common
people.
- The
Boy with the Mulberry Birthmark – A littlun who first mentions the "beast"
and mysteriously disappears early in the novel.
- The
Lord of the Flies – A pig’s head on a stick, representing evil and the
primal instincts of humans.
2.
Plot Summary
Exposition
(Chapters 1-2)
- A plane crashes on a
deserted island, leaving a group of British schoolboys stranded.
- Ralph and Piggy find a conch shell, which Ralph
uses to gather the boys.
- The boys elect Ralph as leader, with Jack leading the hunters.
- They establish rules,
including keeping a signal
fire for rescue.
- A young boy mentions a “beast”, creating fear
among them.
Rising
Action (Chapters 3-6)
- The boys struggle to
maintain order; hunters (led by Jack) become more violent.
- Ralph prioritizes
rescue, while Jack prioritizes hunting.
- Fear of the beast grows after the boys
mistake a dead parachutist for a
monster.
Climax
(Chapters 7-10)
- Jack rebels, forming a separate tribe with most
boys joining him.
- Simon discovers the
"beast" is just a dead parachutist, but when he tries to tell
the others, they kill
him in a frenzy.
- Jack’s tribe steals Piggy’s glasses (to make
fire), leaving Ralph’s group powerless.
Falling
Action (Chapters 11-12)
- Ralph, Piggy, and the
few remaining boys confront Jack.
- Roger kills Piggy by rolling a
boulder on him.
- Jack’s tribe hunts Ralph
to kill him.
Resolution
(Final Chapter)
- Ralph runs for his life
but is saved when a naval
officer arrives.
- The officer sees the
boys’ savagery and is disappointed.
- The boys, now realizing
their loss of innocence, break
down in tears.
3.
Key Themes
1.
Civilization vs. Savagery
- The struggle between
the rules of society (Ralph) and primal instincts (Jack).
2.
Loss of Innocence
- The boys go from
civilized children to brutal killers.
3.
Human Nature and Evil
- Golding suggests that
evil is innate and emerges without societal restraints.
4.
Fear and Power
- Fear of the beast
drives the boys to savagery.
- Jack uses fear to
control his tribe.
4.
Symbols
- The
Conch Shell
– Order, civilization, democracy
- Piggy’s
Glasses
– Intelligence, reason, power (fire)
- The
Beast
– Fear, the primal evil inside humans
- The
Lord of the Flies (Pig’s Head) – Chaos, savagery, the Devil
- The
Island
– A microcosm of the world
5.
Character Analysis
1.
Ralph
- Symbolizes: Leadership,
civilization
- Role: The elected leader who
wants order but loses control as savagery takes over.
- Fate: Hunted by Jack’s tribe,
but saved by the naval officer.
2.
Jack
- Symbolizes: Savagery, dictatorship
- Role: Leader of the hunters,
embraces violence and rejects order.
- Fate: Takes over the island
but loses his humanity.
3.
Piggy
- Symbolizes: Intellect, logic,
reason
- Role: Ralph’s advisor,
represents rationality but is ignored.
- Fate: Killed by Roger’s
boulder.
4.
Simon
- Symbolizes: Morality, Christ-figure
- Role: The only boy who
understands the “beast” is within them.
- Fate: Killed by the boys in a
frenzy.
5.
Roger
- Symbolizes: Pure evil, cruelty
- Role: Jack’s enforcer, enjoys
harming others.
- Fate: Fully embraces
savagery, kills Piggy.
6.
Important Quotes & Analysis
1.
"The thing is – fear can't hurt you
any more than a dream."
- (Ralph, Chapter 5) →
Fear is imaginary, yet it controls them.
2.
"Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's
only us."
- (Simon, Chapter 5) →
The beast represents human evil, not a real monster.
3.
"Ralph wept for the end of
innocence, the darkness of man’s heart."
- (Final Chapter) → Loss
of innocence, recognition of human evil.
7.
Conclusion & Final Analysis
- Lord
of the Flies
is an allegory about civilization vs. savagery, showing that without
rules, humans revert to their primal instincts.
- The novel suggests that evil is not external but within
every human being.
- The ending is ironic—though
the boys are saved, they are forever changed by their descent into
savagery.
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