Simon, Chapter 5

aybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us.

Sources: Biography.com, Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Guardian, TedEd, The Washington Post

Copyright © 2016 Course Hero, Inc.

When a plane crash leaves a group of British schoolboys stranded on a desert island, they celebrate in the absence of adult supervision. However, as time passes, the boys descend into evil, and those who seek civilization are hunted. The novel is a coming-of-age tale and a look into the potential darkness that lies within everyone.

A Descent into Evil

SYMBOLS

Uncontrolled Fire

Represents the chaosand evil that consumes the boys

Conch Shell

Used to bring the group together; represents order

Pig’s Head

The Lord of the Flies; embodies the evil inside each person

War Paint

Adopted by Jack’s followers; represents embracing violence

Piggy’s Glasses

Used to start the signal fire; symbolize reason

An English schoolmaster and teacher, Golding wrote Lord of the Flies while on the job. He was moved by his early life and experiences in World War II to write about human depravity—a prominent theme in the novel and his other books, including The Spire.

WILLIAM GOLDING1911–93

Author

RalphInitial leader of the group; strives to create a sense

of civilization

PiggyWise and rational but incapable of leading

SimonKind and shy boy;

represents goodness and religion

JackLeader of a breakaway group; becomes more savage as time passes

RogerViolent boy; becomes

progressively more evil without adult

supervision

Main Characters

Opposes FriendMurders

Sam & EricTwins; loyal to Ralph

Civilized Boys Violent Boys

Lord of the Fliesby the Numbers

Times Lord of the Flies was rejected by publishers

~20Year Lord of the Flies fell out of print due to lackluster sales—one year after it was published

1955

Years Golding spent on a ship in the Royal Navy

~6Female characters in the novel

0

Civilization vs. Savagery

Themes

Nature of Evil

The boys' descent into evil demonstrates the human capacity

for inhumanity.

Loss of Innocence

The boys arrive on the island as innocent schoolchildren but

devolve into something sinister.

Ralph and his crew represent civilization and rules; Jack and his

crew dissolve into savage behavior.

William Golding 1954 English

Novel

Author Year Published Original Language

Lord of the Flies

Allegory