Lord of the Flies (1954) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Ralph: A 12 year old boy chosen by the other boys as a leader because of his conch shell.
• Jack Merridew: Jack, a choir boy.
• Simon: An older boy who is a friend of Ralph.
• Piggy: A chubby, intelligent, older boy who follows Ralph around. Wears glasses and gets picked on by the other boys. Gets harshly bullied but is very smart.
• Roger: A close ally of Jack. Also mean to Piggy.
• Sam and Eric (Samneric): A pair of twins closely allied with Ralph.
• Maurice: One of the older choir boys who hunts with Jack
• Robert: One of the older choir boys who hunts with jack
• Percival Wemys Madison: One of the 'littluns.'
• Henry: One of the littluns.
• Bill: A follower of Jack. Supports the bullying of Piggy.
• Johnny: One of the 'littluns.' One of the smallest boys on the island. Around 6 years old.
• The boy with the Birth Mark: One of the little 'uns.
• Samneric: is the name that is given to the twins because they do everything as one so instead or calling them Sam and Eric they call them Samneric
• Sam: Twin of Eric

Quotes edit see section history

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• “Maybe there is a beast...maybe it's only us.”

  Simon

• “Sucks to your ass-mar.”

  Ralph

• “Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law.”

• “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.”

• “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Bash him in!”

• “Life...is scientific....I know there isn't no beast...but I know there isn't no fear, either....Unless we get frightened of people.”

  Piggy

• “A stick sharpened at both ends. . .”

  Ralph

• “I painted my face--I stole up. Now you eat--all of you--and I--”

  Jack Merridew

• “This head is for the beast. It's a gift.”

  Jack Merridew

• “You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?”

  Lord of the Flies

• “"Because rules are all we've got."”

  Ralph

• “This belongs to us.”

  Ralph

• “"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!””

  Lord of the Flies

• “We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.'"”

  Jack Merridew

• “Have you got any matches”

  Lord of the Flies

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Island: main setting of the story; deserted island where children run wild after plane crash
• Castle Rock: Where Jack makes his new tribe after he splits off from Ralph.
• The Scar: The Scar is the crash site of the boy's plane. The impact has left a jagged "scar" in the landscape.
• The Beach
• The Lagoon

Organizations edit see section history

• Ralph's Tribe: A tribe run by Ralph.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Ass-mar: The slang/derogatory term Ralph uses for Piggy's Asthma.
• Littluns: The younger children on the islands. Approximately 7 years and younger.
• Beastie: A mythological creature that the boys think exist in the island. It represents the savagery coming out in the boys the longer that they are stranded on the island.
• one for his knob: A blow to a boys private part
• Biggun: Slang used to describe the older boys on the island.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

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• Dystopia: "Lord of the Flies" is characterized by being written just after the Second World War. It presents a pessimistic portrayal of the evil power over people.
• Psychology: The novel depicts mental processes in the minds of youngsters, stranded on a desert island.
• Ralph: Represents civilization on the island
• Jack Merridew: Represents savagery on the island
• The Choirboys: Represent savagery and blind obedience. They are comparable to the young Nazis.
• Conch shell: Demonstrates Ralph's form of government / power. A symbol of order as well as a tool to maintain it. The conch establishes unity (calls them to a meeting), and upholds civility (taking turns). In an early chapter, Jack dirties the conch shell with his sooty hands, a symbol that foreshadows events later in the book.
• Spear: Demonstrates Jack's form of government / power.
• Piggy: Represents adult rationality on an island populated with young boys.
• Good vs. Evil: Shows the potentional for evil in us all and the struggle we have to give into it.
• Piggy's glasses: A symbol of Piggy's clear, rational view of events on the island (views the bigger picture). When they are broken, this represents civilization and reason breaking down.
• Fire: Symbolizes societal connection, rescue or could symbolize the opposite (savagery and destruction). The fire can also symbolize knowledge or enlightenment. The boys neglect towards the fire shows they have no desire to stay civil and knowledgeabl
• Face-paint: A mask that the children wear to hide their innocence (or childhood). Feel guilt-free.
• Religious allegory: Good and evil are present throughout the book in the Garden of Eden (island). "Lord of the Flies" is a translation of the name Beelzebub, which is used synonymously with Satan. There are also many groups of three - biblical
• Butterflies: The Greek word for butterfly is psyche (represents the soul). Simon makes the connection about the truth of the human nature. When he confronts the beast, this suggests a triumph of the dark side of human (savagery) born out of fear.
• Character Symbols: Ralph: Common Sense, Piggy: Knowledge, Simon: Religion & Spirituality, Sam and Eric (Samneric): Weakness of Human Nature. Jack: Violence, Roger: Evil, Lord of the Flies: Man’s Inherent Evil. If looking at the characters through a Freudian lens than Jack is the id, Ralph is the ego, and Piggy is the superego.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. William Golding (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. Inger Hagerup (Translator)
2. Nicolai Cleve Broch (Narrator)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• BBC's Big Read (April 2003, #70)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PR6013.O35
• Dewey: 823.914

Notes for Parents edit see section history

On the Banned Book List, presumably for violence and disturbing scenes/elements. Includes some killing, also needs a lot of thought.Age apropraite for 12 and up.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Authors, A-Z › ( G ) › Golding, William
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• GCSE Bitesize: A Great site if you just want to get into more depth about the book, ot just want to have a refresher. The videos are excellent and are great to watch just to remind yourslef if you havent read the book in a while.
• Wikipedia
• Secondary Soluions: Common Core and NCTE/IRA Standards-Aligned Literature Guide for teaching Lord of the Flies

Movie Connections edit see section history

• Lord of the Flies (IMDb): 1990
• Lord of the Flies (IMDb): 1963

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Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

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Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history