Lord of the Flies PDF

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Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Lord of the Flies When Published: 1954 INTR INTRODUCTION ODUCTION Literary Period: Post-war fiction BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM GOLDING Genre: Allegorical novel / Adventure novel William Golding's parents brought him up to be a scientist. But Setting: A deserted tropical island in the middle of a nuclear he always had an interest in reading and writing, and at Oxford world war University he shifted from the sciences to literature. Golding Climax: Piggy's death fought in World War II, and was involved in the D-Day landing Point of View: Third person omniscient at Normandy. His experience in the war greatly influenced his views of human nature. After the war, he began writing novels EXTRA CREDIT in addition to teaching. Lord of the Flies was Golding's first novel, Beelzebub. The phrase "lord of the flies" is a translation of the published in 1954, and was a critically acclaimed bestseller in Greek "Beelzebub," a devil mentioned in the New Testament. In both England and the United States. Though Golding never the Bible, Beelzebub sometimes seems to be Satan himself, and again achieved the same commercial success, he continued to at other times seems to be Satan's most powerful lieutenant. write and went on to publish many more novels, including The Scorpion God (1971), Darkness Visible (1979), and Fire Down Coral Island. William Golding based several of the main ideas in Below (1989). He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1983 Lord of the Flies on Coral Island (1858), a somewhat obscure and died in 1993. novel by Robert Ballantyne, a 19th-century British novelist. In Coral Island, three English boys create an idyllic society after HISTORICAL CONTEXT being shipwrecked on a deserted island. They battle wild hogs, World War II influenced the themes and setting of Lord of the typhoons, hostile island visitors, and eventually Pirates on the Flies. The war changed the way people in general and William South Seas. Golding in particular viewed the world. World War I was for many years called the War to End All Wars. World War II proved that idea wrong and created a new sense that people PL PLO OT SUMMARY are inherently warlike, power hungry, and savage. While the A group of English schoolboys are marooned on a jungle island world war raging in Lord of the Flies is not World War II, it can be with no adults after their plane is shot down in the middle of a viewed as Golding's version of World War III. Only a few brief war. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy find a conch shell. Ralph references to the war outside the boys' island appear in the blows into it like a horn, and all the boys on the island assemble. novel, but references to an atom bomb blowing up an airport At the assembly, a boy named Jack mocks Piggy for being fat and the "Reds" make it clear that the war involves nuclear and runs against Ralph to become chief of the group. Ralph weapons and places capitalist allies including the British against wins the election, and declares Jack the leader of the group's the communist "Reds." hunters. Soon after, Ralph, Jack, and another boy named Simon explore the island and discover wild pigs. RELATED LITERARY WORKS At a second assembly, the boys set up rules to govern Adventure stories such as Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family themselves. The first rule is that whoever wants to speak at an Robinson depict people who are stranded on deserted islands assembly must hold the conch. At the meeting, one young boy transforming and civilizing nature. Lord of the Flies subverts the claims he saw a "beastie" in the jungle, but Ralph dismisses it as genre. It shows boys stranded on an island who try to civilize just the product of a nightmare. Ralph then suggests that they nature, but instead descend into savagery. While other build a signal fire at the top of a mountain so any passing ships adventure novels support the idea that man is inherently will see its smoke and rescue them. The boys use Piggy's civilized, Lord of the Flies uses the genre to suggest exactly the glasses to light the fire, but they're careless, and accidentally opposite. set part of the forest on fire. The boy who saw the beastie vanishes during the fire and is never seen again. KEY FACTS Time passes. Tensions rise. Ralph becomes frustrated when no Full Title: Lord of the Flies one helps him build shelters. Lots of boys goof off, while Jack obsesses about hunting and takes every opportunity to mock Where Written: England Piggy, who is smart but weak. Simon, meanwhile, often wanders ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 1  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com off into the forest to meditate. The rivalry between Ralph and rescued. He insists on planning and following the rules, and is Jack erupts when Jack forces the boys who were supposed to able to prioritize the needs of the group above his own selfish watch the signal fire come hunting with him. They kill their first desires. For example, Ralph builds the huts even though he pig, but a ship passes while the signal fire is out, which causes a dislikes the work, in contrast to the other boys who go off to tremendous argument between Ralph and Jack. play whenever they dislike doing important tasks. Ralph feels Ralph calls an assembly hoping to set things right. But the the exhilaration of hunting and killing, but he always manages meeting soon becomes chaotic as several younger boys talk to suppress savage feelings. Ralph symbolizes law, government, about the beast. Now even the bigger boys are fearful. That and civil society. night, after a distant airplane battle, a dead parachutist lands on Piggy – The smartest boy on the island. Due to his obesity and the mountaintop next to the signal fire. The boys on duty at the asthma, Piggy is also the weakest of the biguns. Piggy believes fire think it's the beast. Soon Ralph and Jack lead an expedition passionately in civilization, law, and reasoning through to search the island for the beast. While searching, they find a problems, but he seldom does any work because of his obesity rock outcropping that would make a great fort, but no beast. and his nonstop craving for food. Piggy also has a tendency to Tempers between the two boys soon flare up, and they climb lecture and criticize. His condescension infuriates the other the mountain in the dark to prove their courage. They spot the boys and inspires them to single him out, ridicule him, and even shadowy parachutist and think he's the beast. physically abuse him. Piggy symbolizes science and rationality. The next morning, Jack challenges Ralph's authority at an Jack – The head boy of his chorus back in civilization, Jack assembly. Ralph wins, but Jack leaves the group, and most of becomes the leader of the hunters on the island. Jack loves the older boys join him. Jack's tribe paint their faces, hunt, and power. Laws and rules interest him only because they give him kill a pig. They then leave its head as an offering to the beast. the chance to punish the other boys and express his dominance Simon comes upon the head, and sees that it's the Lord of the over them. He loves to hunt and kill because it gives him a Flies—the beast within all men. While Jack invites everyone to chance to dominate nature. Jack gets angry whenever he come to a feast, Simon climbs the mountain and sees the doesn't get his way: he believes a proper leader issues orders parachutist. When Simon returns to tell everyone the truth and is obeyed. By the end of the novel he becomes exactly that about the "beast," however, the boys at the feast have become a sort of leader, wielding power only for his own whim and frenzied mob, acting out a ritual killing of a pig. The mob thinks benefit. Jack symbolizes the human love of dominance and power. Simon is the beast and kills him. Simon – A dreamy, dark haired boy, prone to fainting spells and Jack's tribe moves to the rock fort. They steal Piggy's glasses to occasional fits. Simon is the only member of Jack's chorus who make fire. Ralph and his last allies, Piggy and the twins named doesn't become a hunter. The most generous of the biguns, Samneric, go to get the glasses back. Jack's tribe captures the Simon helps Ralph build the shelters not out of a sense of duty, twins, and a boy named Roger rolls a boulder from the fort that but because he wants to. Simon is also the most insightful and smashes the conch and kills Piggy. The next day the tribe hunts in many ways the bravest of the boys. Only Simon recognizes Ralph, setting fire to the forest as they do. He evades them as that the boys carry the beast within themselves; only Simon best he can, and becomes a kind of animal that thinks only of suggests that they confront the "beast" by climbing the survival and escape. Eventually the boys corner Ralph on the mountain; and only Simon is unafraid when alone in the jungle. beach where they first set up their society when they crash Some critics have called Simon a symbol of Jesus Christ, but his landed on the island. But the burning jungle has attracted a symbolic role is actually more general. With his fits and spiritual British Naval ship, and an officer is standing on the shore. The insights, he stands for the mystics, prophets, and priests of all boys stop, stunned, and stare at the man. He jokingly asks if the religions who confront and reveal the darkest aspects of human boys are playing at war, and whether there were any casualties. nature. When Ralph says yes, the officer is shocked and disappointed Roger – A quiet, brooding member of Jack's chorus. Roger is at that English boys would act in such a manner. Ralph starts to first little more than a mystery, a quiet, intense boy who seems cry, and soon the other boys start crying too. The officer, to hide himself from the other boys. But as the trappings of uncomfortable, looks away toward his warship. civilization begin to recede on the island, Roger begins to reveal himself, first by throwing rocks at littleuns (and purposely CHARA CHARACTERS CTERS missing), then by killing a pig more viciously than necessary, then by rolling a boulder down on Piggy, then by torturing MAJOR CHARACTERS Samneric, and finally by sharpening a stick on which he plans to stake Ralph's head, just as he earlier staked a pig's head. While Ralph – The largest and most physically powerful boy on the Jack loves power, Roger loves to cause pain. He symbolizes island. Despite his size and strength, Ralph shows no signs of mankind's sadistic instincts, the suppressed desire to hurt others. wanting to dominate others and is preoccupied with being ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 2  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Samneric – The identical twins Sam and Eric who do everything CIVILIZATION together. They so closely resemble each other that the other Although Golding argues that people are boys use just one name to refer to both of them. The twins fundamentally savage, drawn toward pleasure and prove to be less influenced by fear of the beast or Jack than any violence, human beings have successfully managed of the other boys (except Ralph and Piggy), perhaps because as to create thriving civilizations for thousands of years. So that twins they're less alone than any of the other boys. disproves Golding's theory about human nature being savage, right? Wrong. The famous psychologist Sigmund Freud argued MINOR CHARACTERS that without the innate human capacity to repress desire, Phil – A littleun who says he saw the beast, though the "beast" civilization would not exist. In Lord of the Flies, Golding makes a turns out to be Simon coming back from the jungle. similar argument. He depicts civilization as a veil that through Percival W Wememys ys Madison – A littleun who states his name, its rules and laws masks the evil within every individual. So even address, and telephone number whenever he talks to someone while civilizations thrive, they are merely hiding the beast. They older, and who says the beast comes from the sea. have not destroyed it. The Lord of the Flies is a chronicle of civilization giving way to British Na Naval val Officer – An officer on a warship of the British Navy. He believes wholeheartedly that Britain is superior to all the savagery within human nature, as boys shaped by the other civilizations. supremely civilized British society become savages guided only by fear, superstition, and desire. And even before the boys Henry – A littleun at whom Roger throws rocks. become fully savage under Jack, Golding shows hints of the Maurice – A bigun. savage beast within society by showing Piggy's love of food, the Robert – A bigun. way the boys laugh when Jack mocks Piggy, and all the boys' irrational fear of the "beast." And as the boys on the island shed Bill – A bigun. civilization for savagery, the adults of the supposedly "civilized" world outside the island are engaged in a savage and brutal worldwide nuclear war. THEMES In LitCharts literature guides, each theme gets its own color- SAVAGERY AND THE "BEAST" coded icon. These icons make it easy to track where the themes The "beast" is a symbol Golding uses to represent occur most prominently throughout the work. If you don't have the savage impulses lying deep within every human a color printer, you can still use the icons to track themes in being. Civilization exists to suppress the beast. By black and white. keeping the natural human desire for power and violence to a minimum, civilization forces people to act responsibly and HUMAN NATURE rationally, as boys like Piggy and Ralph do in Lord in the Flies. William Golding once said that in writing Lord of the Savagery arises when civilization stops suppressing the beast: Flies he aimed to trace society's flaws back to their it's the beast unleashed. Savages not only acknowledge the source in human nature. By leaving a group of beast, they thrive on it and worship it like a god. As Jack and his English schoolboys to fend for themselves on a remote jungle tribe become savages, they begin to believe the beast exists island, Golding creates a kind of human nature laboratory in physically—they even leave it offerings to win its favor to order to examine what happens when the constraints of ensure their protection. Civilization forces people to hide from civilization vanish and raw human nature takes over. In Lord of their darkest impulses, to suppress them. Savages surrender to the Flies, Golding argues that human nature, free from the their darkest impulses, which they attribute to the demands of constraints of society, draws people away from reason toward gods who require their obedience. savagery. The makeshift civilization the boys form in Lord of the Flies SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION collapses under the weight of their innate savagery: rather than Most of the boys on the island either hide behind follow rules and work hard, they pursue fun, succumb to fear, civilization, denying the beast's existence, or and fall to violence. Golding's underlying argument is that succumb to the beast's power by embracing human beings are savage by nature, and are moved by primal savagery. But in Lord of the Flies, Golding presents an urges toward selfishness, brutality, and dominance over others. alternative to civilized suppression and beastly savagery. This is Though the boys think the beast lives in the jungle, Golding a life of religion and spiritual truth-seeking, in which men look makes it clear that it lurks only in their hearts. into their own hearts, accept that there is a beast within, and face it squarely. ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 3  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Simon occupies this role in Lord of the Flies, and in doing so he THE CONCH SHELL symbolizes all the great spiritual and religious men, from Jesus to Buddha to nameless mystics and shamans, who have sought The conch shell symbolizes the rule of law and to help other men accept and face the terrible fact that the civilization. It's used to call assemblies and as a kind beast they fear is themselves. Of all the boys, only Simon fights of microphone that grants the right to speak to whomever through his own fear to discover that the "beast" at the holds it during assembly. mountaintop is just a dead man. But when Simon returns with the news that there's no real beast, only the beast within, the PIGGY'S GLASSES other boys kill him. Not just the savages, not just the civilized boys—all the boys kill Simon, because all of the boys lack the By allowing the boys to create fire, the first courage Simon displayed in facing the beast. necessity of civilization, Piggy's glasses represent science and technology, mankind's power to transform and remake their environment to best suit its needs. THE WEAK AND THE STRONG Within the larger battle of civilization and savagery ravaging the boys's community on the island, Lord FIRE of the Flies also depicts in great detail the Fire is a complicated symbol in Lord of the Flies. Like relationships and power dynamics between the boys. In the glasses that create it, fire represents particular, the novel shows how boys fight to belong and be technology. Yet like the atomic bombs destroying the world respected by the other boys. The main way in which the boys around the boys' island, fire is a technology that threatens seek this belonging and respect is to appear strong and destruction if it gets out of control. Fire also symbolizes the powerful. And in order to appear strong and powerful, boys boys' connection to human civilization: their signal fire gives give in to the savage instinct to ignore, pick on, mock, or even them hope of rescue. physically abuse boys who are weaker than them. Over and over, Lord of the Flies shows instances where a boy who feels vulnerable will save himself by picking on a weaker boy. ADULTS Adults symbolize civilization and social order to the boys. But to the reader, the world war raging SYMBOLS outside the island makes it clear that the adult "civilization" is as savage as the boys' "civilization" on the island. Symbols appear in blue text throughout the Summary and Analysis sections of this LitChart. THE SCAR THE ISLAND A rip in the forest caused by the crash landing of the boys' plane on the island. The scar symbolizes The tropical island, with its bountiful food and that man, and his savage nature, destroys paradise merely by untouched beauty, symbolizes paradise. It is like a entering it. Garden of Eden in which the boys can try to create the perfect society from scratch. THE OCEAN THE LORD OF THE FLIES (THE BEAST) The ocean symbolizes the unconscious, the thoughts and desires buried deep within all The "Lord of the Flies," or the beast, inhabits the humans. severed pig head that Jack's hunters stake into the ground and leave as an offering. Simon recognizes that the Lord of the Flies is the savage monster buried in everyone. When the QUO QUOTES TES Lord of Flies tells Simon "we are going to have fun on this island," it means they're going to indulge every want and desire, Note: all page numbers for the quotes below refer to the without regard to the rules of civilization. The name "Lord of Penguin Books edition of Lord of the Flies published in 2003. the Flies" is a reference to the name of the Biblical devil Beelzebub, so on one level, "the beast" is a kind of savage supernatural figure, but mostly it symbolizes the evil and violence that potentially exists in the heart of every human. ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 4  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Chapter 1 Quotes Related Characters: Piggy (speaker), Ralph "Aren't there any grownups at all?" "I don't think so." Related Themes: The fair boy said this solemnly; but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him. In the middle of the scar he Related Symbols: stood on his head and grinned at the reversed fat boy. "No grownups!" Page Number: 16 Explanation and Analysis Related Characters: Ralph, Piggy (speaker) In this passage, Piggy and Ralph find a strange object, a large Related Themes: sea shell called a conch. Ralph is immediately attracted to the conch because of its beautiful, patterned shape. Related Symbols: Although he doesn't quite seem to know what to do with the shell, Piggy suggests using it to "call" other children on the Page Number: 8 island--Ralph can blow into the shell to make a loud sound. The conch is one of the most famous symbols in the novel, Explanation and Analysis and it's worth discussing a little here. One could say that the The premise of the novel is that a group of young boys has conch is a symbol of civilization at its best and most orderly: been marooned on a island. Their plane has seemingly the conch is an almost religious symbol, designed to unite crash-landed nearby, and every adult has been killed in the people together and make them respect one another. It's wreck. Right away, the boys are delighted by the absence of also worth noting that Piggy, not Ralph, is the one who first adults, whom they associate with order, discipline, and considers using the shell to call the other boys, and yet punishment (as any British schoolboy might). Notice that Piggy wants Ralph to blow the shell. Piggy, we could say, is Ralph, the boy with the fair hair, is at first solemn, thenhappy the intellectual advisor--wise, intelligent, but not really a about the absence of adults. Ralph has a natural instinct to leader. Ralph, on the other hand, is the principled leader-- feel sympathy and compassion for the dead and the not particularly brilliant, but smart enough to listen to his wounded. But because he's also a child, Ralph's sympathy is advisors. quickly replaced with delight. The quotation is important because it sets up the plot of the book: a group of boys on an island, without any grownups Chapter 2 Quotes around. On a more metaphorical level, Golding intends his "He says he saw the beastie, the snake-thing, and will it scenario to be a metaphor for human society--a society in come back tonight?" which people are free to do as they please. In short, Golding "But there isn't a beastie!" wants to ask us, What would unlimited human freedom look "He says in the morning it turned into them things like ropes in like? The fact that Golding chooses children for his the trees and hung in the branches. He says will it come back microcosmic view of human society suggests that he sees again tonight?" children as really being no different from adults--equally "But there isn't a beastie!" foolish, equally destructive, equally clueless about how to There was no laughter at all now and more grave watching. be good. Or perhaps Golding is trying to make a more Ralph pushed both hands through his hair and looked at the complicated point by choosing to write a dark, sinister novel little boy in mixed amusement and exasperation. about children and society: if even children (pure, innocent children) are capable of falling into murder and bloodshed, then what hope do adults have? Related Characters: Ralph, Piggy (speaker) Related Themes: "We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They'll Related Symbols: come when they hear us—" He beamed at Ralph. Page Number: 36 "That was what you meant, didn't you? That's why you got the conch out of the water." Explanation and Analysis ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 5  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com In this passage, one of the small boys who's been trapped on destruction and chaos. Ralph and his peers on the island the island asks Ralph--who's just been elected the leader of have the potential to use fire for good--to make a smoke the island--what he's going to do about the "beastie." The signal--or to use it to destroy each other and the entire small boy--probably no more than 5 or 6 years old--is island. It remains to be seen how the group will use fire, but terrified of the beastie, and wants Ralph to fight it. the boys' overly enthusiastic, mob-like attitude doesn't It's important to note a few things. First, the passage sets a bode well. clear contrast between order and civilization, symbolized by Ralph and his conch, and anarchy, symbolized by the fear of the vague, formless beastie. For the time being, the boys Chapter 4 Quotes either don't believe the beastie exists (Ralph, the rationalist, Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at dismisses it altogether), or they think of it as an external Henry — threw it to miss. The stone, that token of thing--a literal monster to be avoided or slain. As we'll see preposterous time, bounded five yards to Henry's right and fell later on, however the beastie is actually a more abstract, in the water. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to psychological opponent. throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six Finally, it's interesting to note that the little boy isn't yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible speaking directly--he's actually using Piggy as a yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting correspondent when addressing Ralph. Piggy, the child was the protection of parents and school and policemen intellectual of the group, is something of a spokesman for and the law. society's problems: it's his job to listen to the "little guy" and plead his case before the authorities (i.e., Ralph). Related Characters: Roger, Henry Related Themes: Ralph waved the conch. "Shut up! Wait! Listen!" Related Symbols: He went on in the silence, borne on in his triumph. "There's another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship Page Number: 62 comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make Explanation and Analysis smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire." "A fire! Make a fire!" In this scene, we meet a boy named Roger, who becomes one of the novel's antagonists. Here Roger picks up a handful of stones and begins throwing them--he's just Related Characters: Ralph (speaker) blowing off steam; in short, being a kid. Roger then notices a younger boy named Henry. Although Roger is throwing Related Themes: stones and trying to scare or intimidate Henry, he's careful not to actually hit Henry.As Golding makes clear, Roger Related Symbols: doesn't try to hit Henry because he's been well-trained by civilization: all of society is built on the idea that people are Page Number: 38 supposedto not be able to hurt each other with impunity. Explanation and Analysis It's important to note that Golding never once mentions Here, Ralph--newly elected the leader of the boys-- Roger'snatural inclination to be respectful and kind. While proposes a solution to the boys' most important problem. some people argue that humans are naturally good and Trapped on the island, the boys need a way to escape. Thus, loving, Golding suggests just the opposite. As he sees it, the Ralph proposes building a large fire that can send out a only thing than can keep human destructiveness in check is smoke signal, visible for miles in every direction. civilization: precisely the combination of "parents and school and policemen" that the passage mentions. Notice that while every one of the boys seems enthusiastic about building the fire, most seem more interested in the fire itself than in using it be rescued. Fire itself is a complex symbol of both order and chaos. Fire is the quintessential "Kill the pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood!" human invention (see the legend of Prometheus, for instance), but it's also the quintessential symbol of ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 6  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Related Characters: Jack (speaker) who in reality enjoy leadership because it allows them to control others. (It's worth remembering that Jack was a Related Themes: prefect at his school in England--it's easy to imagine him sadistically disciplining other students and enjoying every Page Number: 69 minute of it.) Explanation and Analysis In this passage, the boys on the island unite together as they Chapter 5 Quotes hunt for food. Although the purpose of the hunt is very straightforward--kill a pig so that the boys have food to What I mean is... Maybe it's only us... eat--something happens during the course of the hunt. The boys seem to unite together in their pursuit of the pig: they Related Characters: Simon (speaker) become one mind, one body--a mob. The passage is important because it exemplifies the Related Themes: distinction between the Dionysian and Apollonian states of mind (ideas from the philosophy of Nietzsche, and based on Related Symbols: the Ancient Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus). Ralph wants to live in an Apollonian society--a society of order, rules, and Page Number: 89 individuality. Jack, however, wants to embrace the Explanation and Analysis Dionysian--to live in a world of brutality, chaos, and mob mentality. The hunt for the pig can certainly be interpreted In this section, we meet Simon, a shy, young boy who either as an Apollonian event (an event with a clear purpose: nonetheless seems preternaturally wise (and a kind of find food) or a Dionysian event (an event designed to build Christ-figure, as we later see). Simon and the other boys on unity and encourage the boys to embrace violence). Here, the island are talking, once again, about the beast--the though, the Dionysian side of the hunt seems to be winning. mysterious monster that supposedly endangers the boys' lives. While most of the boys believe that the beast is an external object, Simon suggests that it's actually a product of the boys' imagination. His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on It's important to understand what Simon means. Simon isn't the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living saying that the boys are hallucinating or imagining the thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long beast. Rather, he's suggesting that the greatest dangers on satisfying drink. the island (the greatest source of violence and destruction) isn't a beast at all--it's the boys themselves. From what we've already seen, Simon has a point: the boys kill animals, Related Characters: Jack hurt each other, set the trees on fire, and generally destroy everything in their path. The boys exemplify man's capacity Related Themes: to destroy, and to enjoy destruction--and this is the real "beast" that Simon alludes to. Page Number: 70 Explanation and Analysis In this passage, Golding offers us a window into Jack's inner Chapter 8 Quotes thoughts. Jack is a violent, bullying boy, who seems to savor The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified any opportunity to dominate other people. In this passage, squealing became a high-pitched scream. Then Jack found the we learn that Jack enjoys hunting the pig--not because he throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow wants to eat, but because he enjoys the feeling of collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon dominating another being and taking away its life. her. Jack's thoughts might seem violent or brutal, and yet they're an undeniable part of what it means to be a human Related Characters: Jack being. In other words, Jack exemplifies the dangers of civilization. There will always be people like Jack leading Related Themes: society: people who pretend to be calm, rational leaders, but ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 7  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Page Number: 135 themselves--a strong desire to hurt and kill. This desire, which is uniquely human, yet suppressed within most of Explanation and Analysis human society, is precisely what the pig's head embodies. In this passage, Jack engages in another hunt--one that's The paradox of this passage is that although the Beast depicted in heavily sexualized language. Jack and his insists that it's not a material thing at all, it is a material thing followers pursue a pig, but not just any pig--a sow (i.e., a in the passage--it's a head on a stick. It would be a huge female pig). By any rational measure, it's a bad idea for Jack mistake to take the passage too literally. Simon is horrified to kill a sow--if the boys want to eat, then they should let the by the sight of the pig's head, but he understands that the sow live to give birth to more pigs. But of course, Jack and head itself is only a form that the Beast takes in his his followers aren't entirely concerned with eating, or any imagination. In reality, the Beast has no form whatsoever-- other practical issue for that matter. They want to savor the it's the "heart of darkness" that lies inside all human beings. feeling of murder. Jack's killing is presented as a sexual act: he thrusts a phallic spear into the female pig, followed by a burst of bodily Chapter 12 Quotes fluids, and finally, a tired, heavy "fulfillment." Golding, a What did it mean? A stick sharpened at both ends. What Freudian, associates sex and aggression: they're two sides was there in that? of the same savage, brutal, yet quintessentially human coin. In short, the scene exemplifies everything irrational and Related Characters: Ralph (speaker) violent about human nature--everything that Ralph is trying, unsuccessfully, to eliminate from his island society. Related Themes: Page Number: 191 There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the Explanation and Analysis Beast... Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!... You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, At the end of the novel, Ralph prepares to be hunted down close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are the by Jack and his gang of boys. Shortly before he's to be way they are? hunted, Ralph crosses paths with Samneric, who have been forced to join Jack, but don't respect him at all. Samneric tell Ralph that Jack is sharpening a stick at both ends. Although Related Characters: Simon Ralph has no idea what this means, it's suggested that Jack is planning to cut off Ralph's head and "sacrifice" it to the Related Themes: Beast, much as he did with the pig earlier in the novel. Related Symbols: As the passage suggests, Jack's society is a dark mirror- image of the one Ralph founded at the beginning of the Page Number: 143 novel. Where Ralph's society was based on reason, free speech, and practicality, Jack's society is based on murder, Explanation and Analysis brutality, and bloodshed. And yet both societies "work" in In this dreamlike scene, Simon hallucinates an encounter the same way: they're organized around a central figure with "the Beast." At first, Simon notices the sight of a pig's (Ralph, Jack), who's armed with a barrage of symbols (for head on a stick, covered in flies. As he falls into a trance Ralph, the conch; for Jack, the pig's head and Ralph's head). state, Simon finds himself talking to the pig's head. The head As Jack sees it, there is no right or wrong in the world. His claims that it is the Beast to which the other boys have been society is based on one thing: power. Jack will hunt down alluding all along. Strangely, the Beast claims that it was Ralph and kill him to cement his power and create a new foolish for the other boys to believe that it was an external symbol of his power. object, one that could be hunted and killed. The passage confirms what Simon had already suspected-- the supposed "beast" isn't a living animal at all; it's the collective spirit of the boys' violence and brutality, the potential for evil and savagery that lives inside all humans. Jack and his followers have discovered something within ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 8  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the bloodthirsty murderers, savoring murder and violence of all other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle kinds. The evidence of their barbarism is visible of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph everywhere--their island itself is in ruins, burning to ashes wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and by fire. the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. Confronted with the misery of his situation, Ralph has no choice but to cry. He can see very clearly what has gone Related Characters: Ralph, Piggy wrong: Piggy has been killed; his peers have tried to murder him, etc. But Ralph goes further, weeping for the general Related Themes: savagery of humankind. The quotation is important, then, because Golding uses it to make explicit what he'd Related Symbols: previously implied: the children's experiences on the island are a metaphor for humanity itself. If innocent, "pure" Page Number: 202 children, left to their own devices, are capable of murdering each other, then humanity as a whole is hopelessly Explanation and Analysis destructive, too. The fact that children are capable of such In the final chapter of Lord of the Flies, the boys are faced destruction suggests that there is always innate evil in the with a surprising rescue. Confronted with a grown-up for human soul--the only thing that can save the human race the first time in weeks, the boys suddenly realize how far from its own "heart of darkness" is civilization, grounded in they've fallen. In no time at all, the boys have become reason, law, and respect. ©2019 LitCharts LLC v.006 www.LitCharts.com Page 9  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com SUMMARY AND ANAL ANALYSIS YSIS The color-coded icons under each analysis entry make it easy to track where the themes occur most prominently throughout the work. Each icon corresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart. CHAPTER 1 An English schoolboy of about twelve years old explores a The boys are nameless. Names are a product of society, which the jungle. A second boy soon joins the first. The first boy is tall, boys have now left. The island is a paradise not just because it's lush handsome, and athletic. The second is fat and wears glasses. and beautiful, but also because it's a blank slate on which the The boys discuss what happened and how they got to the supposedly innocent boys can build something new. jungle. They're fairly sure the plane they were in was shot down and crash landed on an island, and that all the adults on the plane were killed. They wonder if any of the other schoolboys on the flight survived. The fat boy asks the tall boy his name. The tall boy answers, Ralph ignores the fat boy because the boy is fat and weak. Even in Ralph. But instead of asking the fat boy's name, Ralph wanders paradise, human nature is prejudiced against weakness. off. The fat boy follows, but can barely keep up because of his asthma. When the fat boy starts eating some fruit, Ralph slips away and finds a beautiful beach. Eventually the fat boy finds Ralph and proposes they call a Piggy, the weak boy, tries to win the friendship of Ralph, the strong meeting and make a list of everyone who survived. He lets slip boy. Piggy's desperation only makes him seem more weak. that in school people called him Piggy. Ralph laughs. Piggy begs Ralph not to tell anyone. The boys keep exploring. Ralph finds a perfect swimming hole Though weak, Piggy is smarter than Ralph. He comes up with the and says his father, who's in the Navy, will come rescue them. idea for the meeting and using the conch. By blowing the conch, But Piggy is fairly certain that no one knows where they landed. Ralph and Piggy both become civilizing forces: they organize the Piggy says they have to do something. Just then, Ralph spots a boys to figure out what to do. huge conch shell. Piggy realizes they can use it as a trumpet. Piggy can't blow it himself, because of his asthma, but shows Ralph how to do it. Ralph blows, and a huge blast sounds. All the boys gather on the beach: they range in age from six to The meeting is Piggy's effort to build a "civilization," but already Jack twelve. There's one set of twins, Sam and Eric. A group of the seeks to take over by mocking Piggy. Ralph plays along, wanting to older boys are members of a choir, dressed in black. Their seem strong. Fainting spells like Simon's were once considered signs leader is Jack, a redhead who tries to take control of the of a spiritual connection to higher powers. meeting. One of the boys in the choir, Simon, faints. Jack soon tells Piggy to shut up, and calls him "Fatty." Ralph gleefully reveals that Piggy's name is "Piggy." Everyone laughs, humiliating Piggy. The boys decide to vote for a leader. Everyone in the choir As the conch-blower, Ralph symbolizes civilization. But Ralph votes for Jack, but all the other boys vote for Ralph because he realizes he must keep Jack happy: civilization makes a deal with blew the conch. To keep Jack happy, Ralph says that the choir savagery. will be hunters and Jack will lead them. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 10  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Ralph decides the boys must explore their island. He and Jack The three boys who symbolize civilization, savagery, and spirituality will both go, of course. Ralph ignores Piggy's whining pleas to all go to explore the island together. As of now, all three are united. be included, and picks Simon to be the third explorer. Ralph, Jack, and Simon have a great time exploring, and stop to push a huge boulder off a cliff, which seems to them like a great accomplishment. The boys climb to the highest peak on the island, which they Ralph claims the island for civilization. But in doing so he also call the mountain, from where they can see that they're on an claims the scar, the symbol of the savagery that exists in human uninhabited island. They also see the "scar" where the crashing nature. plane tore through the jungle. Ralph says of the island, "This belongs to us." Soon the boys head back down the mountain to the beach. On Jack's still too "civilized" to kill the pig. But the sight of the pig sparks the way, they spot a wild pig caught in vines. Jack pulls out his his savage desire to dominate anything that lives. pocket knife, but pauses before striking, and the pig escapes. Jack vows not to hesitate next time. CHAPTER 2 Back at the beach, Ralph blows the conch to call another Jack needs to be in control: he interrupts Ralph to demonstrate his meeting. Ralph announces that they're on an uninhabited importance. island. Jack interrupts to say that they still need an army in order to hunt pigs. Ralph says that without adults, they'll have to take care of The boys' first law is focused on the conch and made by Ralph. themselves. He makes a rule that whoever holds the conch at meetings gets to speak. Jack, excited, shouts out that they can make more rules and Jack likes law only because he likes to punish. punish whoever breaks them. Piggy takes the conch and says no one knows they're on the Only Piggy sees the big picture. Ralph and the other boys focus on island. Ralph agrees, but describes the island as a good place short term pleasure and fun. where they'll have fun even if they have to stay for a long time. A nervous little boy with a birthmark that covers half his face The beast's first appearance. It symbolizes the evil in human nature. steps forward. After some prodding, the boy whispers to Piggy, Jack, the symbol of savagery, says the beast doesn't exist but also and Piggy tells everyone what the boy said. He saw a "beastie," that his hunters will kill it. He uses the beast to make himself more a "snake-thing," the previous night in the woods. Ralph and the powerful. Ralph, the symbol of civilization, just denies that the beast older boys dismiss this "beastie" as just a nightmare, but the exists. younger boys seem scared. Jack grabs the conch and says there's no snake-thing. If there is, he adds, his hunters will find and kill it. Ralph also says there's no snake-thing. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 11  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Ralph says he's confident they boys will be rescued. He Fire leads to rescue, which leads back to civilization. suggests they build a fire on the mountaintop to alert rescuers. Excited by the idea of building a fire, the boys jump up and run Civilized and intelligent, Piggy prefers organized plans to short- to collect wood and bring it to the mountain top. Piggy, left sighted "fun." alone at the meeting place, disgustedly says that the other boys are acting like a bunch of kids. The boys make a pile of dead wood on the mountain. They can't Piggy's glasses symbolize technology, mankind's ability to harness figure out how start the fire until Jack grabs the glasses off nature to build tools. Here the boys use technology to help their Piggy's face. Ralph uses the glasses to focus the sun's rays on return to civilization. the wood. Piggy is terrified, nearly blind without his glasses. The fire burns out because the wood is so dry. Piggy starts to The rivalry between the savage (Jack) and intellectual (Piggy) criticize the boys, but Jack shouts him down. Simon points out intensifies. Note also Simon's generosity. that Piggy's glasses made the fire possible. Ralph says they have to keep the fire burning every day without Jack takes on keeping the boys linked to civilization.. This seems like fail. Jack volunteers himself and his hunters to do the job. a bad fit. Piggy notices that sparks from their signal fire have set the Though they know Piggy's right, the other boys still gang up on him. trees below them on fire. He argues that instead of running off The boy who saw the "beastie" was actually killed, symbolically, by to start a fire they should have first made shelters. The other the beast: the boys' savage desire to have "fun." boys shout at him again, but are disturbed. Piggy asks where the boy with the birthmark who saw the "beastie" is. No one knows. CHAPTER 3 It's weeks later. In the deep silence of the jungle, Jack tracks a Jack becomes obsessed with killing a pig, but some shred of pig and hurls his spear at it. As usual, he misses. Jack returns to civilization still holds him back. the beach, frustrated and angry. On the beach, Ralph and Simon are building huts. Ralph is Savagery confronts civilization: as Jack hunts, Ralph builds shelters. frustrated because only he and Simon are working on the huts, Note that only Simon helps Ralph build the huts. which are falling apart. He complains to Jack that everyone else is off playing or hunting. Ralph's complaint offends Jack. Ralph points out that all the The instinct toward savagery cannot be conveyed in words. hunters except Jack came back hours ago, and are now Language is a product of the civilization that Jack is abandoning. swimming and playing. Jack tries to explain his obsession with catching and killing a pig, but can't find the words. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 12  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Ralph and Jack argue whether hunting is as important as Savagery again clashes with civilization. building shelters. Ralph says they need shelters because many of the boys are Simon's sense of the island is mystical, as if it's haunted. Jack, a scared. Simon observes that it is as if the island is bad, not the hunter, feels hunted himself. But the boys have yet to figure out good island Ralph described in Chapter 2. Jack agrees. While what is haunting the island. hunting in the jungle, he says, he often feels like he's the one who's being hunted. Ralph puts the focus of the conversation back on getting Civilized Ralph builds shelters out of necessity. Civilization rescued. He mentions Jack and the hunter's responsibility for suppresses the desire to "have fun" by making people feel shame for the fire, which causes another argument. Jack claims hunting is not acting responsibly. Successful societies suppress the beast, but work. Ralph shouts that while Jack likes hunting, he's stuck never destroy it. building shelters for the good of everyone, not for pleasure. They go for a swim that just barely manages to cool down their anger. Simon slips away into the forest. He helps some of the younger Unlike the civilized Ralph, Simon enjoys building shelters. Unlike the boys gather fruit, then finds a beautiful glade hidden by creeper savage Jack, Simon is perfectly comfortable and unafraid in the vines. He sneaks inside and contemplates the island's sights jungle. and sounds in a kind of spiritual meditation. CHAPTER 4 The boys adjust to life on the island. The younger boys are now For now, the beast exists in the boys' nightmares, but it will soon called 'littleuns." The older boys are "biguns." The littleuns enter their conscious minds. generally play all day and become terrified at night. As three littleuns play in the sand, two biguns, Maurice and Though quite young, Henry shows the innate savage love of Roger, emerge from the forest. Maurice heads off to swim, but dominance and power as he enjoys controlling animals smaller than Roger stays behind. When one of the littleuns, Henry, wanders he is. off, Roger follows him. Henry plays at the edge of the ocean, happily controlling the movements of the little animals living there. Roger watches Henry from a distance, and finds some nuts Roger treats Henry as Henry treats the animals. Roger wants to go blown from a tree. After a pause, Roger throws the nuts and further, to actually hurt Henry, but civilization holds him back. then some stones at Henry, but he purposely aims to miss by a few feet. Jack emerges from the forest and calls to Roger, telling him to Jack's mask shields him from civilization's hold, stripping him of his follow. In the jungle, Jack paints his own face for hunting civilized identity, making him anonymous and free from shame. camouflage. The mask makes him feel liberated: Jack begins dancing and snarling. He gets Roger, Samneric, and some others to come hunt with him. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 13  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com On the beach, a bunch of biguns, including Ralph and Piggy, rest Jack hunts pigs to feel strong and part of a group. "Civilized" boys and talk. Soon Piggy comes up with a plan for them to build pick on Piggy for the same reason: it's human nature. sundials so they'll know the time. The other boys laugh at him: his obesity, glasses, and asthma make him an outsider. Suddenly Ralph spots smoke on the horizon—it's a ship! Savagery and civilization clash in the open for the first time. Jack Everyone looks at the mountain, but there's no smoke from chooses to hunt over tending the fire. His choice has devastating their signal fire. They run to the mountaintop and discover the consequences: a ship and the prospect of rescue pass. Jack has fire is dead and the ship has passed. Below them they see a decided that rescue (civilization) is not as important to him as procession of hunters carrying a pig on a spit and chanting, "Kill hunting (savagery), while Ralph has clearly taken the other side. the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood." The hunters come up to the mountaintop. Jack, not realizing what's happened, is triumphant after killing the pig. Furious, Ralph tells Jack about the ship. Jack responds defensively: he says he needed more hunters to circle the pig. Piggy and even some of the hunters start yelling at Jack. Jack, When he feels most vulnerable, Jack abuses a victim weaker than humiliated and angry, hits Piggy. Piggy's glasses fly off, breaking he to regain his authority. a lens. Jack mocks Piggy and everyone laughs. Eventually Jack apologizes for letting the fire die. Ralph asks The boys take sides: Ralph and Piggy favor rescue and civilization, Piggy's permission to use his glasses to light the fire. Ralph while Jack favors hunting and savagery. realizes he and Piggy have become allies. They cook the pig, but Jack refuses to give Piggy any meat. Simon is generous and not in conflict with anyone. Simon shares with Piggy. Jack and his boys begin to reenact the killing of the pig in a kind Ralph interrupts the savage ritual dance by calling a meeting, a of ritual dance. Ralph announces that he's calling an assembly symbol of civilization. and walks away. CHAPTER 5 Ralph paces the beach, planning what he'll say at the meeting Ralph is no longer blinded by Piggy's weakness. and wishing he could think as well as Piggy can. Finally, he blows the conch. Everyone gathers and listens to Ralph. He explains that the Civilization involves planning and work, not fun. It's the force that meeting is about setting things straight, not fun. He points out suppresses mankind's savage inclination to pursue short term all the things they said they'd do, but didn't: store water, build pleasures, like hunting. shelters, keep the signal fire going. He says the fire is the most important thing on the island. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 14  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Jack stands and reaches for the conch so he can talk. But Ralph Jack's actions show he still respects the rules of the boys' refuses to hand it over and Jack sits back down. civilization. Ralph observes that people are becoming afraid. He doesn't Both the civilized (Piggy) and the savage (Jack) continue to deny the know why, but he thinks they should discuss their fear to existence of the beast. overcome it. Jack takes the conch. He calls the littleun's crybabies. He says he's been all over the island, and there's no beast. Piggy agrees with Jack. A littleun named Phil stands up and says he saw the beast in the Only Simon would even consider walking into the forest alone at forest the previous night. To everyone's shock, Simon says the night. Only Simon knows there's nothing to fear. boy probably just saw him—Simon went walking in the forest that night. Another littleun stands and identifies himself as Percival Percival's only remaining connections to civilization are his name Wemys Madison. He gives his London address, and tries to give and address. Civilization is slowly receding. his telephone number, but can't remember it and begins to cry. When Percival recovers his voice, he tells the other boys that The ocean symbolizes the unconscious. So Percival's claim is the beast comes from the sea. This idea terrifies the boys. accurate. Simon takes the conch. He says maybe the boys themselves are Simon reveals the truth. But Piggy, the most civilized boy, can't the beast. Piggy thinks this idea is crazy. Many of the boys think accept it. The conflict brings the boys to a hopeless standstill. Simon's saying the beast is a ghost. Ralph holds a vote on whether the boys believe in ghosts. A majority raises their hands. Piggy grabs the conch and shouts that ghosts don't exist. He Civilized and savage blame each other for the subconscious fear asks the boys if they're humans or savages? He mentions the they both feel: that the beast lies within them. hunters letting the fire go out. Jack furiously rips the conch from him. Ralph accuses Jack of breaking the rules. Jack questions Jack breaks with civilization. Earlier, Ralph stopped a ritual dance Ralph's leadership. He says he doesn't care about the rules, by calling a meeting. Now Jack stops the meeting by starting a ritual that he'll hunt the beast and kill it. He starts a chant on the dance. beach. Everyone but Ralph, Piggy, and Simon join him. Piggy tells Ralph to blow the conch, but Ralph refuses. What if Ralph knows civilization's hold is slipping, and fears breaking it no one responded? Ralph considers stepping down as chief, but completely. Piggy realizes that doing nothing will allow Jack Piggy protests. He says everything would descend into chaos, (savagery) to prevail. and then Jack would target Piggy. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 15  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com The three boys wish adults were around to make everything To the boys, adults represent civilization. better. Ralph wishes the adults would at least send them a sign. CHAPTER 6 That night, airplanes battle in the night sky, high and far enough A sign from the adult world arrives. But it's a dead soldier, signalling away that none of the boys wake. A dead pilot from one of the that adult "civilization" also hides savagery within. destroyed planes drifts down on a parachute and lands on the mountain top next to the signal fire. Samneric are on fire duty on the mountain top, but they are The sign from the adult world is the beast. The beast has put out the asleep. When they wake in the early morning before dawn, they signal fire, which is the boys' last link to civilization. see the dead pilot in the shadows. It sits up and falls down when the wind catches the parachute, which they think are wings. They run to the beach in terror to tell the others that the beast chased them down the mountain. Ralph calls a meeting that quickly becomes heated. Jack The beast makes the boys crave a strong leader, giving Jack more questions Ralph's decisions and leadership, mocks Piggy, and weight. At the same time, most of the boys still favor rescue and claims the conch no longer matters. For an instant it seems as if civilization over savagery. Jack might take over leadership of the boys, but Ralph turns the tables and wins everyone to his side by asking if they want to be rescued or not. Ralph and the biguns agree to search the island. Piggy stays Jack follows Ralph to appear strong and undaunted in the eyes of behind to look after the littleuns. At the far tip of the island, the other boys. He can't allow Ralph to upstage him and thereby appear biguns find a rock formation Jack calls the "castle." The rock is to be the more courageous and deserving leader. accessible only by a piece of stone forty feet above the water below. They think it might be the beast's hideout. Ralph, as the leader, volunteers to search it. Jack follows behind him. The boys find no beast, but Jack is excited because the rock In Chapter 1, the boys move a boulder in fellowship. Now Jack is protects a cave and would make a terrific fort. It even has excited to use boulders to kill. boulders, which, if pushed in the right way, could roll down to crush approaching enemies. Jack and the other biguns want to stay and play at the fort, but The other boys want to "have fun," Ralph wants to rebuild Ralph says they have to go search the mountain for the beast civilization in the form of the signal fire. and relight the signal fire. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 16  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com CHAPTER 7 While resting on the hike to the mountain, Ralph wishes he The ocean symbolizes the subconscious, where the beast lurks; it could cut his hair, clip his nails, and get cleaned up. does separate Ralph from civilization. Note that Simon predicts only Remembering his past in England, he stares at the ocean and Ralph's safe return, not his own. thinks how big it is and how it separates the boys from civilization. Simon seems to read Ralph's mind, and reassures him. "You'll get back alright," he says. A while later as they head through the jungle toward the Ralph's excitement at killing the shows that even he has a savage mountain, the boys find signs of pigs. Ralph agrees that as long side to him, though it's more repressed. The ritual dance gains in as they're going in the right direction, they can hunt. Soon, they power, almost killing Robert and foreshadowing future trouble. come upon a wild boar. The boar gets away, but not before Ralph hits it in the side with a spear. Flushed with pride, Ralph reenacts the hunt with a bigun named Robert. Soon all the boys are involved, chanting "Kill the pig. Cut its throat." For a brief, moment, it seems like they might actually kill Robert. The boys finally stop and discuss how to do the dance properly. All the boys' suggestions, from drums to human sacrifice, would Maurice suggests a drum and fire. Robert says they need to use make the dance more "savage," and foreshadow more violence. a real pig next time, so they can really kill it. Jack suggests they use a littleun. All the other boys laugh. Darkness falls before they reach the mountain. Ralph realizes Only Simon understands that the beast is within. He doesn't fear that they need to send someone to tell Piggy they won't be the jungle because the beast isn't there. back that night. Everyone's too frightened to volunteer, except Simon. Jack mocks Ralph's concern for Piggy. Ralph asks Jack why he People are uncomfortable facing questions that hint at the beast hates him. The question makes all the boys nervous. within. At the base of the mountain, the boys stop for the night. But The conflict between Jack (savagery) and Ralph (civilization) for Jack questions Ralph's courage, and so Ralph agrees to climb control and power serves only the beast's benefit. Here Jack and his right then. Only Roger agrees to accompany them. Halfway up savagery prevail, luring the boys deeper into believing in the beasts' the mountain, Ralph decides it's foolish to go up in the dark. physical existence. Jack insists on going ahead as Ralph and Roger wait behind. A few minutes later Jack returns saying he saw something. The three boys climb the mountain to the peak, blinded by darkness. The wind blows. The parachutist sits up. The boys run for it. CHAPTER 8 Back on the beach, Piggy can't believe the beast is real. He asks The intellectual Piggy can't fathom the beast's existence. Ralph what they should do. Ralph isn't sure. He says the beast is considers the beast an enemy of civilization and rescue. sitting up by the signal fire as if trying to intercept their rescue. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 17  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Jack says his hunters could kill the beast. Ralph says they're By blowing the conch to call a meeting, Jack shows he's still playing just boys with sticks. Infuriated, Jack blows the conch to call a by civilization's rules. Note that Jack links himself and his boys to meeting. Ralph begins to talk but Jack says he called the the beast by calling it a hunter. meeting with the conch, so he should get to speak. Ralph lets him. Jack says they've seen the beast: it's a hunter. Next Jack accuses Ralph of belittling the hunters. He says The boys' allegiance still remains with civilization and order. They're Ralph is like Piggy and isn't a proper chief. Jack calls for a vote unwilling to surrender to savagery…so far. to remove Ralph and make Jack chief. Nobody votes for Jack. Jack storms off, humiliated and crying. He vows to form a new Jack (savagery) forms his own tribe outside civilization. Simon group, and says anyone can join him when he hunts. He (spirituality) suggests they confront the beast. Piggy (civilization) disappears into the forest. Everyone is stunned, but the strives to find a way to ignore and hide from the beast. meeting continues. Simon suggests they climb the mountain. Piggy considers the suggestion insane. He says they should just build a signal fire on the beach. The boys build the fire and the littleuns dance and sing. After A turning point: publicly the biguns are unwilling to oppose the fire, Ralph realizes that all the biguns but Samneric and civilization, but privately they choose Jack, the beast, and savagery. Piggy have disappeared. Most have gone to join Jack. Simon has wandered alone into the forest. He enters a secret Like other religious mystics, Simon fasts and meditates. glade and sits there in the sun. Though he gets thirstier and thirstier, he continues to sit. Elsewhere in the jungle, Jack declares himself chief of the boys Jack now treats the beast like a god. The other boys' fear of the who have joined him. As chief, he says he's going to get more beast increases their loyalty to Jack. Savage chiefs both fear the "biguns away from the conch." He also says that when his tribe beast and use it to gain power. hunts they'll leave some of the kill for the beast. That way, it won't bother them. Jack leads the boys into the forest. The boys track, corner, and kill a big sow (a female pig). Jack Jack and his tribe decide to attack Ralph's civilization. Their offering cuts off its head. He decides they'll raid Ralph's camp fore fire makes clear that to them the beast is now a god who demands to cook the pig, and invite everyone to a feast. Roger, sacrifice. meanwhile, sharpens a stick at both ends. They stake the pig head on the stick and leave it as an offering to the beast. Simon witnesses the killing and staking of the pig from his Simon recognizes that the offering to the beast actually is the beast. secret spot in the glade. Simon is thirsty and exhausted, and the In trying to appease the beast by sacrificing to it, Jack's tribe is pig's head seems to talk to him. It tells him to leave and go back actually making the beast more powerful. to the others. He stares at the pig's head, at the Lord of the Flies, and seems to recognize it. Jack emerges from the forest into Ralph's camp. As his The purpose of fire has changed from rescue to cooking for survival. followers steal fire from the signal fire, he invites Ralph's group to come his feast, then disappears. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 18  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Simon is on the verge of having a fit in the forest. The pig's The beast links itself to "fun" (savagery) and confirms it exists within head, the Lord of the Flies, speaks to him: "I'm the Beast … You men. The beast's threat is surprising: it says Piggy and Ralph will act knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" As Simon descends into a with Jack and his tribe to kill Simon. The beast claims both faint, the Lord of the Flies says, "We are going to have fun on civilization and savagery as allies against Simon's spiritual truth. this island!" The beast warns Simon that if he tries to interfere Jack, Roger, Maurice, Robert, Bill, Piggy, and Ralph will "do" him. CHAPTER 9 Simon wakes as a storm gathers over the island. He climbs the Simon goes to the mountaintop, a symbolic journey, and learns the mountain even though he's staggering with exhaustion. He sees truth. Like other religious figures, Simon then seeks to spread his the "beast" and realizes that it's just a dead parachutist. He enlightenment to others. untangles the cords holding the parachutist in place, and heads down the mountain to tell the others. Meanwhile, everyone but a few littleuns and Ralph and Piggy Piggy is betrayed by his stomach: he wants meat. But Piggy tries to have gone to Jack's feast. Ralph mocks the feast as a bunch of hide his savage desire for food by making up "civilized" excuses for boys "pretending" to act like a tribe. But the lure of food proves attending the feast. too much for Piggy, who suggests they go to the feast "to make sure nothing happens." Jack acts like a savage chief at the feast. His face is painted and The boys have traded freedom for the security of an all-powerful he wears a crown of leaves. Jack commands and the other boys ruler. obey him. When Ralph arrives, Jack asks the gathered boys who will join Jack claims to be beyond the conch's (civilization's) reach. He's his tribe. Ralph says that he's still chief and has the conch, but become a savage. Jack says the conch has no authority on this side of the island. It starts to rain, and Ralph laughs that Jack's tribe had no Civilization creates security by building protective shelters. Savages foresight to build shelters. In response, Jack whips the group do the same by forming mobs that allow individuals to forget their into "their dance." They form a chanting circle: "Kill the beast! fears. Both strategies involve hiding from fear, from the beast within. Cut his throat!" Roger pretends to be a pig at the center of the circle, but eventually stops. Even Ralph and Piggy press forward. The circle of boys becomes a frenzied mob. Suddenly, Simon staggers from the forest, shouting the news The Lord of the Flies' prediction comes true: all the boys murder about the dead parachutist. In their frenzied dance, though, the Simon. Like Jesus Christ, he was killed while trying to deliver the other boys think that he's the beast. They surround him, and spiritual truth. beat and claw him to death. The rain pours down. Wind lifts the parachutist and sails it toward the boys, who run screaming. Simon's body washes out to sea. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 19  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com CHAPTER 10 The next morning, Piggy and Ralph discover that every bigun The "civilized" boys can't admit their part in Simon's murder. except them and Samneric has joined Jack's tribe. Ralph tells Civilization exists to suppress and hide from the savage instincts, Piggy that the "beast" that came out of the forest was Simon, the "beast" within, that made them kill. and that they murdered him. Piggy screams that it was an accident. When Samneric show up, all four boys pretend they left the feast early, before the dance. Jack moves his tribe to Castle Rock. He orders his savages to Jack claims Simon was the Beast, but denies they actually killed it. If post a guard and beat anyone who disobeys or displeases him. they'd killed the beast, why would the tribe need him to be chief? Jack says that the thing that crawled out of the forest the previous night was the beast. But he says that they didn't kill it, because it's impossible for them to ever kill it. Jack says they'll go hunting tomorrow and have a feast. To cook The "civilized" boys stop trying to keep the signal fire burning at the meat, they'll raid Ralph's group for Piggy's glasses. night: a symbolic surrender to savagery. The savages, meanwhile, Meanwhile, Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric discover four people are willing to give up the chance at rescue completely to get the aren't enough to keep the fire going. They decide to keep it technology of Piggy's glasses to build cooking fires. burning only during the day. That night, Jack and his hunters attack while everyone is asleep. Ralph and Eric beat each other up, and Piggy protects the conch, while Jack steals Piggy's glasses. CHAPTER 11 Though only Piggy, Ralph, and Samneric remain in their group, Piggy literally holds on to civilization (the conch). His civilized Piggy tells Ralph to blow the conch to call an assembly. He does. argument based on "what's right" ignores the savage rule of They decide to go to Castle Rock. Piggy plans to ask Jack to dominance by the strong. give back his glasses because "what's right's right." Ralph, Sam, and Eric decide to carry spears, but Piggy insists on holding only the conch. At Castle Rock, Ralph blows the conch. Roger throws a rock, Civilization still has a hold on Roger. though he purposely misses the twins and the other savages remain quiet. Jack appears from the forest behind Ralph's group, followed by Civilization confronts savagery head on, but not completely: the hunters carrying a pig on a spit. Ralph calls Jack a thief. Jack boys aren't really trying to kill each other…yet. attacks him. The two boys fight, but only with the sides of the spears, and soon wear themselves out. Ralph demands that Jack return Piggy's glasses. He mentions Ralph emphasizes the importance of rescue, but Jack and his group again the importance of the signal fire. Jack's tribe has only a no longer care about rescue. They simply obey Jack. cooking fire, he points out. In response, Jack orders his hunters to surround and tie up Samneric. He says to Ralph, "See? They do what I want." ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 20  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com Ralph and Jack start to fight again, but Piggy asks to speak and Piggy makes one last appeal for civilization over savagery. Ralph relents. Piggy raises the conch and once more calls them all kids, and argues that it's better to be sensible than savage. Roger pushes a boulder from the fort. Ralph dives out of the Roger leaps into savager, destroying Intelligence and Law, in the way, but Piggy can't see without his glasses: the boulder hits form of Piggy and the conch. Only Ralph, symbol of government, him head on, and the conch explodes. The boulder pushes Piggy remains. over the cliff onto the rocks below. Blood leaks from his head, and a wave pulls his dead body into the sea. Stunned silence descends over the tribe. But suddenly Jack Jack also breaks completely free from civilization, and takes the rest screams and throws his spear at Ralph, aiming to kill. Ralph of his tribe with him. runs into the jungle, dodging as more boys throw their spears at him. The tribe brings Samneric into the fort. Jack prods them with Jack loves power, but Roger loves causing pain. Remember when he his spear to terrorize them into joining his tribe. Roger brushes threw rocks at the littleun? Now he can torture for real. past Jack, making it clear that he knows how to inflict torture. CHAPTER 12 Ralph spies on Castle Rock from a hiding place in the forest. He Jack must destroy Ralph for savagery to prevail over civilization. thinks the boys have become savages and knows Jack will try to kill him. In the jungle, Ralph comes upon the skull of a pig hung on a The Lord of the Flies is a hollow skull: its true power exists within spear staked into the ground. He punches it and the skull splits. men. Ralph returns to spy on Castle Rock. Samneric are guarding the The sharpened stick recalls the stick on which Jack's tribe staked gates. He sneaks up to them. Frightened of Jack and Roger, the pig head. The tribe plans to hunt Ralph, the last symbol of Samneric beg Ralph to leave. But first they give him meat and civilization, like a pig and stake his head as an offering to the beast. tell him the tribe will hunt him tomorrow. Roger, they say, has sharpened a stick at both ends. Ralph doesn't understand what this means. Ralph tells Samneric he's going to hide in a nearby thicket so Ralph still trusts Samneric as friends, as rational civilized people. they can misdirect the tribe. As he runs off, he hears Samneric arguing with someone. The next morning Ralph hides in the thicket. But it's soon As a civilized person, Ralph can't understand the power of torture. surrounded: Samneric have been tortured into revealing Ralph's location. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 21  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com The tribe first rolls boulders at the thicket and then tries to Technology and fire, formerly symbols of civilization, have become storm it. They can't get in, so they set the thicket on fire. Ralph tools of savagery, used to kill. breaks from the thicket and runs into the jungle. The tribe follows, spreading out behind to search for him. As the jungle burns, the tribe chases Ralph from hiding place to Hunted by the tribe like an animal, Ralph becomes an animal. hiding place. He has no time to think or plan: he can only run or hide or attack. The tribe slowly surrounds him, until Ralph is forced onto the The fire the savages use to try to kill Ralph accomplishes what the open beach, where he'll surely be killed. But in front of him signal fire couldn't—it attracts a rescue ship from civilization. stands an officer of the British Navy. The smoke from the burning jungle caught the ship's attention. The savages trickle out of the forest behind Ralph. The officer With civilization restored, Ralph regains leadership. Percival's asks who's in charge. Ralph says he is. Jack is quiet. Percival failure to recall his name shows the depth of the boys' savagery. Wemys Madison tries and fails to say his own name. The officer asks if they're having a war, and jokingly asks if The British pride themselves on being civilized. But Ralph cries they've had any casualties. He's stunned when Ralph says two. because he's learned first hand just how fragile civilization is. The officer says he would have expected more from British boys. Ralph begins to cry, thinking of Piggy. All of the other boys begin to cry as well. The officer, uncomfortable at this outpouring of emotion, turns Hypocritical civilization: the officer prefers his warship (savagery) to to look at the more comforting sight of his warship anchored facing human emotion. out at sea. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 22  Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com To cite any of the quotes from Lord of the Flies covered in the HOW T TO O CITE Quotes section of this LitChart: To cite this LitChart: MLA MLA Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. Penguin Books. 2003. Florman, Ben. "Lord of the Flies." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 22 Jul CHICA CHICAGO GO MANU MANUAL AL 2013. Web. 18 Oct 2019. Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Books. CHICA CHICAGO GO MANU MANUAL AL 2003. Florman, Ben. "Lord of the Flies." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2019. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/lord- of-the-flies. ©2019 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 23