Themes and characterisationLord of the Flies

Adapted fromhttp://www.monmouth.com/~literature/LOTF/index.htm#powerpoint

They’re the real thing

Golding’s characters are easily recognized as real characters through:

his descriptions of the boys by the language of their conversations with

each other their ordinary physical attributes and

mannerisms. The group includes a variety of physical types:

short, tall, dark, light, freckled, tow-headed, etc.

...They’re the real thing

To stress the universality of their later actions, Golding takes great pains to present the boys as normal. The ‘littluns” suck their thumbs, eat sloppily, etc., while the older ones roll about on the sand, stand on their heads and swim.

...They’re the real thing

Even their unkindness to Piggy is credible for children often display a “natural cruelty” to anyone they consider different or inferior.

Themes – civilization vs savagery

Mankind needs civilization. Contrary to the belief that man is innocent

and society evil, the story shows that laws and rules, policemen and schools, are necessary to keep the darker side of human nature in line. When these institutions and concepts slip away or are ignored, human beings revert to a more primitive part of their nature.

Life among the savages

The change in the boys from ordinary schoolboys into bloodthirsty savages is believable because of the realistic character construction and Golding’s plot which takes the descent into savagery one step at a time.

Themes – evil is in all

Evil is within man himself.

Golding uses characters such as Roger and Jack to show how easy it is to succumb to the quick reward but longtime suffering related to evil.

Theme – evil cont

Golding also suggests that evil is not limited by age. Any person of any age is capable of making decisions that impact negatively on others.

Themes - Fear

Golding explains fear of the unknown often leads people to act in ways that are evil.

Fear is symbolized through the beast – that no real beast exists, only the fear of what might be out there.

Themes – Fear cont

It is often easier to ignore or rationalize fears than confront them eg. fear of what happened to the little boy with the mark on his face. The boys refuse to confront what happened to the child, thereby actually increasing their fear of the unknown rather then explaining one element of it.

Themes - Power

Battle for power also helps to destroy the society – suggestion that power for the good of the people is much weaker than the power of absolute ruler.

Not all people can handle power, and anyone left in power for too long will act for themselves first and others later.

Themes – the outsider

There are always outsiders within society. These people are an easy target for the ‘insiders”.

Peer group pressure leads people to act in ways which they know are morally, socially, personally wrong.

Characters as symbols

Ralph=common sense, and responsibility

Jack=immediate gratification and irresponsible authority

Piggy=ineffective intellectualism

Simon=mystic, Religious side of man. Understands good and evil but no communication.

Samneric=incapable of acting independently. They represent loss of identity through fear of the beast.

Characters as symbols

Dead parachutist= the “sign,” evil developing on the island

Each of the characters represents a part of man.

...Characters as symbols

We all have good, evil, common sense, intelligence, a sense of nature within us.

Objects as symbols

Conch shell law and order. The

shell looses authority as anarchy grows. The conch fades in color and power. Its power is broken with the “fall of Piggy.”

Lord of the Flies Refers to the head of

the pig which Jack has left as an offering to the “beast.” Literal translation of the “Beelzebub,” prince of demons. Symbolizes man’s capacity for evil

Objects as symbols

Huts represent the desire

to preserve civilization; when Jack gains power they move into caves like the animals they have become.

Fire its use divides

civilization from savagery. Ralph uses it for hope; Jack for cooking. It is Jack’s group that allows the fire (hope) to go out

Objects as symbols

Piggy’s glasses They signify man’s

ability to perceive, to think. That thought can be misused for destructive purpose is shown when Piggy’s glasses are used to smoke Ralph out.

Night and Darkness an archetypal symbol

of evil, “the powers of darkness.” The boys would have recognized the chutist in the daylight, as would they have Simon. The beast is more real at night

Objects as symbols

Face paint The paint helps the

boys hide from their own consciences, turning them into anonymous savages who are freed from the restraints of “civilized” behavior.

Stick sharpened on both ends

Represents how much evil has taken the boys over. First it was used to offer the beast the pig sacrifice; next to offer it Ralph’s.

Jack

Jack, chief representative of evil in the novel, is too inhibited by society’s teachings to teachings to slay the piglet the first day, he later progresses to exhilaration in his first kill.

…Jack

Eventually he comes to kill for the sheer thrill of slaughter rather than the need for meat, and this becomes the motive for hunting.

Ralph

Ralph is a tall, blond twelve year old, establishes himself as the leader of the boys when he blows the conch shell to call the first assembly. Throughout the story, he struggles to maintain order and is forced to compete with Jack for respect.

Dynamic character

A dynamic character is one who undergoes a change during the story because he learns a truth or comes to a realization about himself.

Ralph is such a character.

A. His initial character

1. Enjoys the absence of adults on the island

2. Popular3. Indifferent to Piggy4. Enjoys the island5. Likes Jack6. Trusts others7. Refuses to accept

the beast.

B. What changes him

1. Decay of order2. Insistence on rules3. Need for intelligence4. Brutal behavior

revealed5. Savagery in Jack6. Betrayed by all7. Savagery in himself

and other

C. Character change

1. Wishes adults were present on the island

2. An outcast3. Appreciates and misses

Piggy4. Hates the island5. Fears Jack6. Trusts no one7. Knows the beast is

within