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Novel/Drama Data Sheet

Pledge:

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

Originally published in Great Britain by Faber and Faber, Ltd. in 1954

Allegory; Adventure

Setting: Deserted Island somewhere in the tropics

Opening Line: “The boy with the fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon.”

Significance: The opening line is introducing the main protagonist, Ralph, and is beginning to reveal the plot and setting of the rest of the story. It allows the reader to make the inference that the boy is just a

child.

Closing Line: “He turned away to give them time to pull themselves together; and waited, allowing his eyes to rest on the trim of the cruiser in the distance.”

Significance: The abhorrence of the navy officer and the knowledge of what all those boys have gone through. Trying to establish order within disorder, trying to balance civilization with savagery and the loss of all their innocence. He turns away in shame of how the boys had succumbed to acting like savage beasts.

Plot Summary:

1. Ralph and Piggy are introduced to each other and the reader learns that they and other school boys were on a transport plane that was shot down in the midst of a war. No adults survived and the boys are left to themselves. Ralph finds a conch shell floating in the lagoon and Piggy shows him how to use it so it could summon any of the other survivors.

2. With all that survived, the boys try to elect a leader for them to establish some type of order through all the disorder. The choir boys obviously all vote for Jack, but the vote is unanimous and Ralph is elected. To keep peace, Ralph asks Jack to be the leader of the hunting group. Jack hunted down a pig ready to kill it, but backs out last minute and makes the promise that he will not hesitate to kill again.

3. The boys collect wood to build a fire on the central mountain as a rescue signal. They use the lenses of Piggy’s glasses to light the fire, but it dies out in the futile attempt. Jack volunteers his group of hunters to kindle the fire and make sure it keeps burning. Through befuddling attempts to keep the fire going, the boys set the forest on fire and one of the smallest boys goes ‘missing’.

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4. Ralph’s attempts to create order seem futile as many of the boys are playing instead of working and nothing is getting done. Huts aren’t being built and the hunters aren’t bringing back any meat. Ralph and Jack create even more tension between them by Ralph prompting that Jack’s using his hunting as an excuse to build huts. The boys reach a settlement, but the hard feelings remain.

5. The Lord of the Flies comes before Simon and reveals that the ‘beast’ lives within every boy on the island and is an exact, physical being.

6. Simon is brutally killed when trying to approach and tell the other boys about what the Lord of the Flies had told him.

7. Jack obtains more followers for his tribe, leaving Ralph and Piggy by themselves. Jack’s tribe falls straight into disorder and savagery having sacrificed the sow and shunning any type of morality and order. Jack now assumes a leadership that is unchallenged by others. Jack and his hunters steal Piggy’s glasses in hopes to create fire.

8. Jack and Ralph face off against each other in hopes of either returning or destroying order and surviving. The conch shell, which was the premise of order, gets destroyed that foreshadows even more chaos.

9. Roger rolls a boulder down the side of the mountain which hits Piggy and knocks him off the mountain side to his death. Ralph manages to dodge both the boulder and Jack’s spear and escapes into the jungle. Sam and Eric are forced to turn against by Jack’s tribe in hopes to draw him out and kill him.

10. Ralph hides in the jungle hoping to stay out of the view of Jack and his prowlers. Sam and Eric give him food and in anger Jack tortures them to find out where Ralph is hiding. With no avail, Jack sets the jungle on fire in hopes of smoking Ralph out. He stumbles out onto the beach where he is met by a navy officer and rescue.

Memorable/Important Quotes:

1. “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.” (p.62)

Significance: Roger feels the urge to break free from rules and social order. The savage instinct to dominate is beginning to take over and the ‘beast’ is starting to make its’ presence know.

2. “His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink.” (p.70)

Significance: Jack’s primal instincts start to over power and take over all order that he used to follow and know. His first kill is thrilling to him, and just like animals, once you get the taste of blood you

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have to kill again. Jack is more focused on survival in the long run, rather than survival till they get recued off the island.

3. “What I mean is…maybe it’s only us.” (p.89)

Significance: With talk of the ‘beast’ all the other boys are focusing on a specific animal or ghost. Simon however explains that maybe it’s one of the boys. Simon is first to encounter the entity of the beast and doesn’t realize himself how true his words are.

4. “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast….Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!...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?” (p.143)

Significance: The Lord of the Flies defines itself as the beast and makes its’ presence known to Simon. The entity confirms Simon’s theory of the beast being the boys themselves and whereupon telling the rest of the boys, they savagely kill Simon.

5. “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.” (p.202)

Significance: Even though Ralph and boys are being rescued off the island, Ralph weeps for the brutal, primitive instincts that came out when order and civilization were taken away. The savage behavior and blood lust for others, leading to death of bother Simon and Piggy, the darkness and chaos that lurk inside all human beings.

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Symbols/ Recurring Motifs:

1. Piggy’s Glasses

Significance: Signify intelligence, and a higher hierarchy in society. The glasses are also what enable the boys to create fire. To create fire means to create strength and power.

2. The Beast

Significance: Signifies the savage instincts that are within everyone. Once order and rule are removed, the savage tendencies come out and the ‘beast’ prevails. It’s the actions of the boys that bring the beast alive.

Character’s Name Role/Importance in the Story Adjectives to describe

Ralph Main Character; Protagonist. He is initially the leader of the group of boys in the beginning and has very strong work ethic and morals and doesn’t have any desire to succumb to savagery. He focuses on civilization, order and law. He’s the “work before play” type of character.

Moral, committed, strong-willed, civilization-driven, natural-civil leader.

Piggy Ralph’s ‘second-in-command’; use of his glasses to start the signal fire, the intellectual of the group.

Inventive, scientific, rational, chronic complainer

Simon A natural goodness character treats everyone kindly, naturally deep rooted

Quiet, perceptive, good natured

Jack Another main character; Antagonist. Obtains blood lust for hunting and goes on a power jag of brutality and dominance.

Cruel, Savage, arrogant, barbaric, immoral

Roger Jack’s right-hand man, aggressive towards the younger boys and tortures them, murders Piggy

Merciless, reprehensible, immoral

Sam and Eric Twins that associated with Ralph and his acts of trying to achieve order, eventually fall to Jack’s tyranny, but provide food for Ralph when Jack tried to smoke him out of the jungle.

Loyal to each other, eager, sympathetic, motivated.

The Lord of the Flies Given to the Sow’s head that Jack decapitated, it’s an entity that signifies primitive instincts and barbaric natures of the boys.

Cruel, savage, impious

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3. Conch Shell

Significance: It symbolizes order and civilization that helps govern the boys during meetings and gives the power of speech. It’s a symbol of power and status. When the shell breaks, it symbolizes the degradation and plight of civilization and law.

4. Signal Fire

Significance: The fire was originally used to signal to ships and boats to be rescued. It becomes more important as it signifies their last hold of civilization. The fire eventually burns the jungle and the smoke represents chaos ruling over order, primal instincts over morality.

Theme:

The loss of innocence in children through personal experience in what chaos and disorder create.