Alyssa Laing Mr.

Dombrosky ELA Comp 40S May 8, 2011

Themes in Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Decisions & Consequences (Ch. 1-2): At the end of the second chapter, the boys have burnt a large part of the island, and lost one of the littluns. No thought was put into how big of a fire they wanted or how they were to contain it before they acted. They were all so eager to do something productive that they gave no forethought to the potential consequences. This is an early reality check for the boys, as they realize actions without forethought can have dire and unpredictable consequences. With no adults there to supervise, the boys are suddenly shouldered with a lot more responsibility than they re accustomed to. Whether or not they will rise to the occasion and make good decisions will be interesting to see. Priorities (Ch. 3-4): Ralph and Jack are both very dominant characters whose priorities are very different. Ralph is logical, his main priority is to get everyone rescued, which means keeping the signal fire burning. Jack is different, his main priority is to have fun and to conquer the challenges of the island. This manifests in his hunting, where he develops a bloodlust that dictates his priorities. Because of the polarity in their priorities, they are slowly losing the ability to work together. A ship passes near the island, but because not everyone s priority was to keep the signal fire going, it burnt out and they missed their chance for rescue. Those who were supposed to be watching the fire had been hunting instead. What the boys choose as their priorities will dictate how quickly, and if, they ll be rescued. Illusion of Adult Organization (Ch. 5-6): Throughout the novel, the boys mention a few times how much better adults would be at handling themselves on the island. Ralph, Simon and Piggy are having a conversation about how they wish there was someone to take authority, because then everything would be alright for them. Grown-ups know things, said Piggy. They ain t afraid of the dark. They d meet and have tea and discuss. Then things ud be all right The three boys stood in the darkness, striving to convey the majesty of adult life They wouldn t quarrel If only they could get a message to us, cried Ralph desperately. If only they could send us something grown-up a sign or something. Page 117

Alyssa Laing

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LOTF Themes May 8, 2011

That night after they have this discussion, the corpse of a soldier from the war the grown-ups are in floats down to the island. The boys asked for a sign from the grown-ups, and this is what they got. Yet this is also the moment when the real message of the allegory hits home, when we can ask ourselves that chilling question, But who will rescue the grown-ups? - undefined. "Lord of the Flies Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory." Schmoop. undefined. Schmoop University, Inc.. 8 May 2011.<http://www.shmoop.com/lord-of-the-flies/symbolism-imagery.html> Mankind s Essential Illness (Ch. 7-8): Ralph calls a meeting, determined to end the nonsense of the Beast. Increasingly the boys have been suffering fear for this thing that goes through many manifestations throughout the book. The boys are talking about whether or not they believe in the Beast, when Simon says something very important: What I mean is maybe it s only us. essential illness. Page 111 Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind s

Then in the eighth chapter, Simon has a significant chapter with the Lord of the Flies, the pig s head on a stick that was left as a sacrifice to the Beast: Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! said the head 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? - The Beast, page 177 In these chapters, the author makes very clear to us that the Beast is the evil rooted in every human. The boys manifest this fear into things outside of themselves, when really, as Simon said it s only us, meaning they themselves are who they should watch out for. Once Simon fully realizes what the Beast I, he sees that only with that full knowledge can you begin to free yourself from that evil. The beast was harmless and horrible; and the new must reach the others as soon as possible. Simon s knowledge, Page 181

Mob Mentality (Ch. 9-10) As the story progresses, the hunters become more and more intense and ritualistic. They even create a game simulating the hunt so they can relive the suspense and victory. The boys are very into this game around the fire when Simon stumbles out of the forest. He wants to explain to them the truth behind the Beast, but in their excitement they mistake Simon for the Beast and brutally murder him. Had it been one or two boys that encountered Simon, there s no way things would have happened the way they had. They would have made sure what it was first, and stayed rational. Though there is strength in numbers, the anonymity of the group liberated the boys to act without forethought. They became swept up in the excitement of being part of a common cause, and because of this they commit a horrific act.

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The End of Innocence (Ch. 11-12): Throughout the novel, Piggy and the Conch are not often far from each other. The Conch represents order and civility, things that Piggy needs, and so it s a security blanket for him. Piggy himself is a symbol of child-like innocence in the book. He refuses to take part in things that go against his conscience, and does not get the thrill from hunting that the rest of the boys do. In the early fire that burnt the island, he did not participate, though involuntarily his glasses were used to start the fire. When the biguns go off to hunt the Beast, Piggy instead decides to stay back with the littluns. At this point in the story, there are two groups: Ralph, Piggy and Samneric and everyone else who are led by Jack. Jack s group is completely savage and dead-set on either turning the other boys to their side, or getting rid of them. Roger kills Piggy and breaks the Conch at the same time, and with this final act, a symbolic barrier has been broken. No more is there the voice of civility and innocence except for Ralph, and at this point the final battle to kill Ralph begins. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. - Page 248

Alyssa Laing

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