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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
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