Lord of the Flies
By William Golding
Study Guide
Key Ideas:
1. The title of the novel, Lord of the Flies, refers literally to the translation of the word Beelzebub, which can mean: the devil, Satan, or chief devil. When the head of a pig is impaled on a stick and begins to attract flies, the boys refer to it as the Lord of the flies. It represents the devil in form, though throughout the book, Golding shows how evil is present in all of us and within the boys themselves.
2. In the beginning the mood is one of joy and freedom as the boys discover an island paradise without adults. The mood, however, slowly turns to one of darkness and fear, as everything breaks up. At the end, there is no authority or discipline, only savagery, evil, death, and destruction.
3. From beginning to end, Golding has structured Lord of the Flies around the ideas of man's fallen nature and his basic inhumanity to his fellow man. The novel begins with a group of boys who have tried to escape the ravages and savagery of a nuclear war. They crash on an island, a beautiful, tropical paradise. The boys are delighted to be there, away from adults and rules. But they quickly turn their freedom into a nightmare, reverting from civilized to primitive; in the process they become savages and two boys are killed.
4. The symbolic outcome of the story is tragic. The boys revert to a base state of evil and savagery. They ignore the rational advice of Ralph and Piggy and begin to relish brutality, killing Simon and Piggy in the process. Through the outcome, Golding says that mankind often reverts to evil and savagery when placed in a natural, uncivilized environment.
SYMBOLISM
The novel is full of colorful symbolism. Some of the symbols are interpreted below:
The Island - It represents a Garden of Eden, then after the boys arrive, it represents the corrupt nature of mankind.
Piggy's eyeglasses - represents wisdom and knowledge.
The conch shell - represents civilization and authority. It is also a symbol of democracy.
The Signal fire - represents hope and salvation; rescue.
The death of Piggy and the destruction of the conch - represents the absolute breakdown of society and reason.
The pig's head on the spear - represents evil/Satan/darkness.
Lord of the Flies page 2
LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS:
Ralph
Jack Merridew
Piggy
Simon
USE OF LITERARY DEVICES:
Dramatic Irony
Jack says, “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages.”
Hyperbole
“They walked along, two continents of experience and feeling…”
Foreshadowing
Simon says twice to Ralph, “You’ll get back all right.”
Personification
“Authority sat on his shoulder and chattered in his ear…”
“The sun gazed down like an angry eye.”
Simile
“The sun gazed down like an angry eye.”
Alliteration
“…hopeless fear on flying feet rushing through the forest.”
Metaphor
“He…became fear: hopeless fear…”
Lord of the Flies page 3
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER:
● This story is written from the all-knowing narrator, third person point of view.
● The setting of the story is an uninhabited island in the South Pacific.
● The fire on the mountain is a means of signaling to passing ships. It also symbolizes civilization.
● Piggy contributes to the signal fire by allowing his glasses to be used as a fire starter.
● Jack and Ralph are at odds because they have different goals. Jack feels hunting for meat is the most important thing and Ralph wants to provide shelter for the boys and plan a rescue.
● Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are in conflict with the rest of the boys because they are the voices of reason trying to re-establish a society that will result in their working together to be saved.
● The beast from the air is a dead pilot that has landed on the island. His parachute is caught in the trees and flaps in the wind creating the illusion of a living breathing creature.
● Simon hallucinates that the pig’s head is speaking to him.
● Simon climbs the mountain, sees the beast for what it is and returns to the group to tell them. The hunters are dancing and chanting around the pig’s head and when Simon stumbles out of the forest, they mistake him for the beast and kill him in a frenzy of spears, claws, and teeth.
● Piggy is the next boy to die. Roger pushes a large rock and knocks Piggy over the side of the cliff. The conch shell is crushed as well signifying the end of law and order.
● Ralph realizes that he is in danger and hides in the underbrush. The boys set fire to the underbrush to draw Ralph out and set fire to the entire island.
● The boys are rescued by a naval officer that was attracted to the island by the smoke.
Be prepared to discuss one of the following:
● The three beasts and what they appear to be as well as the source of the real beast.
● The progression of savagery of Jack and the hunters.
● The natural condition of man: are we inherently good or evil?
To Kill a Mockingbird 50th Anniversary
Showing posts with label LOTF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LOTF. Show all posts
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
LOTF chapter by chapter summary
Lord of the Flies Chapter Summaries
This chapter summary of Lord of the Flies is intended as a review or preview of the novel. It is not intended as a substitute for reading.
Chapter 1: The Sound of the Shell - A plane evacuating British boys has been shot down in the Pacific. The boys had been ejected safely from the plane and have landed on a remote island. With no adult supervision, they attempt to establish order and a plan for survival. They elect a chief (Ralph) and he selects Jack Merridew, a militant choir bully, to rule over the choir, who become hunters. We also meet Piggy in chapter 1. Piggy is fat, suffers from asthma, and has no social skills. He immediately becomes the target of the other boys who make fun of him.
Piggy finds a conch shell and shows Ralph how to blow it. The sound of the shell calls the boys together for assemblies and to discuss important matters. At each assembly, the boy holding the conch is the only one allowed to speak. At the assembly, Jack, Simon, and Ralph decide to explore the island. They confirm their suspicions that they are on an island. Towards the end of chapter 1, the three explorers find a trapped pig. The pig gets away.
Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain - The three boys return from their exploration and call an assembly. One of the littleuns mentions a snake thing, a beastie, which sends fear throughout the group. They debate its existence and determine the littluns were having nightmares. Ralph decides they need to make a fire on the mountain as a rescue signal. They use Piggy's glasses to light the fire. The fire rages out of control. One of the littleuns dies in the conflagration (a fancy word for large fire). Piggy and Jack argue.
Chapter 3: Huts on the Beach - Jack is obsessed with hunting pigs although he has yet to catch one. Ralph and Simon work on the huts. Everyone else plays. Jack has become savage in his quest for blood. Ralph and Jack argue. Simon wanders off, helps the littluns get fruit, and continues to an isolated location.
Chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long Hair - Roger and Maurice bully the littluns on the beach. They are still, however, held back by rules they learned in civilization. Jack paints his face for hunting. His mask liberates him from the rules of civilization. He leads the boys on a hunting expedition. As Jack and the hunters are out, a ship passes by. Ralph realizes the hunters have let the fire go out. He races to the top, but is unable to light it in time. Jack and the hunters return with a pig. Ralph and Jack argue. Jack punches Piggy in the gut. One of Piggy's lenses break from his glasses. The boys cook the pig and have a feast. Ralph announces a meeting.
Chapter 5: Beast From Water - Ralph tries to set things in order. He reestablishes rules regarding the fire and where to go to the bathroom. The subject of the beast is brought up. Jack argues the island is too small for a beast. One of the boys claims the beast comes from the sea. The boys argue. Simon suggests that they are the beast. They all make fun of him. The arguing continues. Jack storms away from the meeting with his hunters, who make horrific sounds in the darkness. Piggy begs Ralph to call them back with the conch. He longs for grown ups to make things right.
Chapter 6: Beast from Air - A plane is shot down high above as the children sleep. A dead parachutist lands on the island, stuck in the rocks and trees. Samneric see the dead parachutist and mistake it for the beast. The boys hunt for the beast. They can't find it. Jack thinks he's found a good fort from which to throw rocks at people. After not finding the beast, Ralph notices the fire has gone out. None of the others, especially Jack, seem to care.
Chapter 7: Shadow and Tall Trees - The hunt for the beast continues. The boys come across a pig run and Ralph sticks a boar in the nose with a spear. The boar escapes. The boys act out a pig hunt with Robert playing the part of the pig. Even Ralph enjoys the spectacle. The quest for the beast continues until evening. Jack, Ralph, and Roger agree to scale the mountain. The three boys see the dead parachutist who they mistake for the beast and run away as fast as they can.
Chapter 8: Gift for the Darkness - Jack calls a meeting, insults Ralph, and asks for Ralph to no longer be chief. Nobody else agrees. Jack, embarassed, leaves the tribe and goes into the forest. The assembly continues. Simon suggests they go up the mountain. Piggy suggests they build the fire on the beach since the beast is on the mountain. The boys gather wood. The littluns sing and dance. Roger, Bill, Maurice, and other biguns escape into the woods, following Jack. Simon has also disappeared into his secret spot.
The hunters track down a pig and kill it. They chop off its head and offer it to the beast as a sacrifice. Flies swarm. The hunters race back to the beach to steal fire. Simon arrives at the pig's head after the hunters have left. He imagines the pig's head is speaking to him. The pig's head tells Simon he can't escape. Jack's hunters raid Ralph's camp for fire and invite the others.
Chapter 9: The View to a Death - Simon passes out and wakes up. He explores, discovers the truth about the beast, and heads immediately to the beach to tell the others. Meanwhile, all the boys have left the original camp to join Jack's hunters. Even Ralph and Piggy go. There's a dispute. It rains. Jack and his hunters begin their chant. Simon appears from the forest. They kill him. The dead parachutist is driven by the wind, over the boys, and out to sea. After the storm ceases, the boys gather around dead Simon as his body is washed out to sea.
Chapter 10: The Shell and the Glasses - Ralph, Piggy and Samneric are the only ones left in the original tribe. Ralph and Piggy express their horror over witnessing/participating in Simon's murder. Jack and his crew have taken up residence at the fort. Roger approaches and is told of one of the boys (Wilfred) being tied up and whipped. Jack and his tribe have been transformed into savages. They plot to steal fire. They raid Ralph and Piggy's camp and steal Piggy's glasses.
Chapter 11: Castle Rock - Piggy declares his intention to confront Ralph and demand his glasses back. The four boys go to castle rock, conch in hand. Ralph blows the conch at the fort entrance. Ralph and Jack spar. Ralph demands Piggy's glasses. Jack's savages tie up Samneric. Piggy tries to talk sense into the savages. Roger wedges the giant rock loose. It smashes the conch and knocks Piggy off the cliff. Jack and the others throw spears at Ralph, who runs away.
Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters - Ralph flees and returns at night to speak with Samneric who are the new guards. They warn Ralph to go away. Ralph learns the tribe will hunt him the next day like a pig. Roger is sharpening a stick at both ends. Ralph hides in a thicket. One of the twins gives away Ralph's location. They eventually fill the thicket with smoke. Ralph charges out and runs for his life. The hunters pursue. Ralph notices the island has caught fire. The hunters chase Ralph down to the beach where he finds a naval officer there to rescue them.
This chapter summary of Lord of the Flies is intended as a review or preview of the novel. It is not intended as a substitute for reading.
Chapter 1: The Sound of the Shell - A plane evacuating British boys has been shot down in the Pacific. The boys had been ejected safely from the plane and have landed on a remote island. With no adult supervision, they attempt to establish order and a plan for survival. They elect a chief (Ralph) and he selects Jack Merridew, a militant choir bully, to rule over the choir, who become hunters. We also meet Piggy in chapter 1. Piggy is fat, suffers from asthma, and has no social skills. He immediately becomes the target of the other boys who make fun of him.
Piggy finds a conch shell and shows Ralph how to blow it. The sound of the shell calls the boys together for assemblies and to discuss important matters. At each assembly, the boy holding the conch is the only one allowed to speak. At the assembly, Jack, Simon, and Ralph decide to explore the island. They confirm their suspicions that they are on an island. Towards the end of chapter 1, the three explorers find a trapped pig. The pig gets away.
Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain - The three boys return from their exploration and call an assembly. One of the littleuns mentions a snake thing, a beastie, which sends fear throughout the group. They debate its existence and determine the littluns were having nightmares. Ralph decides they need to make a fire on the mountain as a rescue signal. They use Piggy's glasses to light the fire. The fire rages out of control. One of the littleuns dies in the conflagration (a fancy word for large fire). Piggy and Jack argue.
Chapter 3: Huts on the Beach - Jack is obsessed with hunting pigs although he has yet to catch one. Ralph and Simon work on the huts. Everyone else plays. Jack has become savage in his quest for blood. Ralph and Jack argue. Simon wanders off, helps the littluns get fruit, and continues to an isolated location.
Chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long Hair - Roger and Maurice bully the littluns on the beach. They are still, however, held back by rules they learned in civilization. Jack paints his face for hunting. His mask liberates him from the rules of civilization. He leads the boys on a hunting expedition. As Jack and the hunters are out, a ship passes by. Ralph realizes the hunters have let the fire go out. He races to the top, but is unable to light it in time. Jack and the hunters return with a pig. Ralph and Jack argue. Jack punches Piggy in the gut. One of Piggy's lenses break from his glasses. The boys cook the pig and have a feast. Ralph announces a meeting.
Chapter 5: Beast From Water - Ralph tries to set things in order. He reestablishes rules regarding the fire and where to go to the bathroom. The subject of the beast is brought up. Jack argues the island is too small for a beast. One of the boys claims the beast comes from the sea. The boys argue. Simon suggests that they are the beast. They all make fun of him. The arguing continues. Jack storms away from the meeting with his hunters, who make horrific sounds in the darkness. Piggy begs Ralph to call them back with the conch. He longs for grown ups to make things right.
Chapter 6: Beast from Air - A plane is shot down high above as the children sleep. A dead parachutist lands on the island, stuck in the rocks and trees. Samneric see the dead parachutist and mistake it for the beast. The boys hunt for the beast. They can't find it. Jack thinks he's found a good fort from which to throw rocks at people. After not finding the beast, Ralph notices the fire has gone out. None of the others, especially Jack, seem to care.
Chapter 7: Shadow and Tall Trees - The hunt for the beast continues. The boys come across a pig run and Ralph sticks a boar in the nose with a spear. The boar escapes. The boys act out a pig hunt with Robert playing the part of the pig. Even Ralph enjoys the spectacle. The quest for the beast continues until evening. Jack, Ralph, and Roger agree to scale the mountain. The three boys see the dead parachutist who they mistake for the beast and run away as fast as they can.
Chapter 8: Gift for the Darkness - Jack calls a meeting, insults Ralph, and asks for Ralph to no longer be chief. Nobody else agrees. Jack, embarassed, leaves the tribe and goes into the forest. The assembly continues. Simon suggests they go up the mountain. Piggy suggests they build the fire on the beach since the beast is on the mountain. The boys gather wood. The littluns sing and dance. Roger, Bill, Maurice, and other biguns escape into the woods, following Jack. Simon has also disappeared into his secret spot.
The hunters track down a pig and kill it. They chop off its head and offer it to the beast as a sacrifice. Flies swarm. The hunters race back to the beach to steal fire. Simon arrives at the pig's head after the hunters have left. He imagines the pig's head is speaking to him. The pig's head tells Simon he can't escape. Jack's hunters raid Ralph's camp for fire and invite the others.
Chapter 9: The View to a Death - Simon passes out and wakes up. He explores, discovers the truth about the beast, and heads immediately to the beach to tell the others. Meanwhile, all the boys have left the original camp to join Jack's hunters. Even Ralph and Piggy go. There's a dispute. It rains. Jack and his hunters begin their chant. Simon appears from the forest. They kill him. The dead parachutist is driven by the wind, over the boys, and out to sea. After the storm ceases, the boys gather around dead Simon as his body is washed out to sea.
Chapter 10: The Shell and the Glasses - Ralph, Piggy and Samneric are the only ones left in the original tribe. Ralph and Piggy express their horror over witnessing/participating in Simon's murder. Jack and his crew have taken up residence at the fort. Roger approaches and is told of one of the boys (Wilfred) being tied up and whipped. Jack and his tribe have been transformed into savages. They plot to steal fire. They raid Ralph and Piggy's camp and steal Piggy's glasses.
Chapter 11: Castle Rock - Piggy declares his intention to confront Ralph and demand his glasses back. The four boys go to castle rock, conch in hand. Ralph blows the conch at the fort entrance. Ralph and Jack spar. Ralph demands Piggy's glasses. Jack's savages tie up Samneric. Piggy tries to talk sense into the savages. Roger wedges the giant rock loose. It smashes the conch and knocks Piggy off the cliff. Jack and the others throw spears at Ralph, who runs away.
Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters - Ralph flees and returns at night to speak with Samneric who are the new guards. They warn Ralph to go away. Ralph learns the tribe will hunt him the next day like a pig. Roger is sharpening a stick at both ends. Ralph hides in a thicket. One of the twins gives away Ralph's location. They eventually fill the thicket with smoke. Ralph charges out and runs for his life. The hunters pursue. Ralph notices the island has caught fire. The hunters chase Ralph down to the beach where he finds a naval officer there to rescue them.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
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