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Lord of the flies characters analysis essay
Lord of the flies characters analysis essay
Analysis of characters in lord of flies
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The title Lord of the flies is very meaningful in respect to the novel. First, the word Devil is a Hebrew translation of the novel’s titled Lord of the Flies in which the Devil represents the dark and evil of the underworld. This idea of darkness and evil is seen throughout the novel as we see the boys use their survival skills. An example of this is when we first meet the boys they seem well behaved British boys, but as their need for survival strengths we realize these boys may not be as good as we thought. As the story develops and the kids begin to sense that there is a beast on the island they are able to expose their inner Devil. This inner Devil that the boys’ possess caused them to perform tasks that they would never do if they were …show more content…
not given this dire situation. The boys even call the pig’s head the lord of the flies which comes to represent metaphorically them as followers as the decaying head entices many flies so does the evilness that caused its death. 2. Genre, literary movement, style, historical information, biographical information about the author (address information that contributes to your understanding of the work): The genre of this novel would have to be fiction because it is not based on an actual event. However, the story was written during the World War II period about a plane being shot down and crash landing on an uninhabited island which could have happened during the war by the enemy. The author of this story is from British decent. His mother was an advocate for women’s rights while his father was a schoolmaster and attended Oxford University. The family home was a 14th century house right next door to a cemetery. 3. Brief synopsis of conflicts: One of the most important conflicts in this story is an external conflict which is also known as a man vs. man conflict. This conflict is between Ralph and Jack because Ralph is first to be chosen to be the leader because of his intelligence and being able to make good decisions. However Jack, the oldest of the boys disagrees with this since he's so used to being in charge. This causes conflict between them since Jack will not follow the rules because he thinks he does not have to which in turn angers Ralph. This power play between Ralph and Jack causes a lot of tension which eventually worsens, causing them to split into two different tribes The next important conflict is known as an internal conflict or a man vs. himself conflict. There is another conflict between Ralph and Jack in which Ralph is fighting within himself to figure out what is right for the group. As the story develops the reader see Ralph struggling to make a decision that will please all the members of the tribe and retain the group as a whole. On the other hand, Jack is conflicted with himself for having to kill animals which are a new concept for him. Although, it is apparent at the beginning that Jack is uncomfortable in killing an animal, but by the conclusion of the story he becomes comfortable with not only killing animals but humans too. Another important conflict is known as an external conflict known as man vs nature. Not only did the boys survive the plane crash now they have to survive on the island with only each other. They must face all the challenges the island has to offer them. Also, finding new ways to get food, water and shelter and facing diverse weather conditions. Not only having to survive the island they have to survive being with each other 4. Main setting(s) and the significance: The setting of this story is on an uninhabited island during the 1950s. This is very significant since planes were often shot out of the air in World War II and the pilot would end up on an uninhabited island. In turn, the island is significant because if they had landed in a place that was inhabited by people the boys would not have to learn to survive on their own. The isolation of the island meant the boys needed to find ways to survive without the help of their parents or any other adult. Finally, the mountain on the island is significant because this is where the signal fire was held which gave them hope that they would be rescued. Point of view: The point of view is in the third person, but the reader is able to know the thoughts of a few of the characters.
Therefore, we witness all events without the bias of a character's thought or opinions. This detail develops the reader’s understanding of how the characters feel and why they act the way they do in the story. Finally, by portraying the story in third person the reader can understand everyone point of view instead of just one person view. 6. Characters (4-5 main or important characters): List them and describe their role(s) and significance (use t terminology ex. flat, round, dynamic, static, foil, protagonist, antagonist) The most important character in this story would have to be Ralph. Ralph had been given the leadership role, even though Jack asserted his belief that he should become the chief instead of Ralph. As soon as Ralph assumed his leadership role he decided that it was important to bring order to this group which he did by creating rules that they must follow. Though, the rules were pretty easy to follow most of the boys began to break them, causing the tribes to lose order and slowly turn into savages. By far the worst offender was Jack because he believes he should have been the leader, which caused friction between himself and Ralph. Finally, Ralph is considered a round character because we know a lot about him through his own action and words. In addition, Ralph is the protagonist in the story because he is the one that is trying to make peace …show more content…
between the boys. Since Ralph stays the same throughout the story he is considered a static character By far the darkest character in the story would be Jack. Jack is the leader of the choir and sought to become the chief of the island, but the boys did not want him to become chief. This action angered Jack and caused him not to follow the orders that were given to him by Ralph which caused pandemonium on the island. The boys started to turn into savages with no order on the island and without hope of ever being rescued. Jack became upset and anger for not being the leader that he left and created a new tribe dedicated to hunting. This new tribe ended up killing two boys and setting the island on fire which diminished their food supply. Jack is a round character because we know a lot about him throughout the story. Also, he is considered a dynamic character because of his changes throughout the story from choir leader to a complete savage. Finally, Jack is an antagonist because he is always trying to go against the rest of the group. Simon who seems to be a shy and reserved boy throughout this story is another major character in this story. By far Simon is the only person with a genuinely good heart. This is shown when everyone else left to go explore the island, but Simon stayed to help Ralph finish the shelters that would protect all the boys from the elements of the island. Simon is very intelligent; he was the only one who figures out that the beast on the island was actually just a dead man in a parachute. Simon is a flat character because we do not know a lot about his feeling because he is so reserved. He is also a static character because his good nature is seen throughout the entire story. Another character that is underestimated in this novel would be Piggy. From the very start, Piggy was bullied and harassed by the boys for looking different because he wore glasses. He was made fun of because he was overweight and had asthma, which caused him not to be able to work as hard as the other boys. However, Piggy was very intelligent which he showed by suggesting the simplest idea of moving the signal fire to the beach so the ships could easily see it. Piggy is considered a round character because we know a lot about him through his action. Piggy is also a dynamic character because he does become more vocal by the end of the story. 8. Motifs and a discussion of significance (discuss how they contribute to themes): Perhaps one of the most powerful symbols in this story is the conch which represents the sense of order. When the boys landed on this uninhabited island with no adults to show them what to do this allowed them to become savages. The conch was first used as a way to call all the boys to a meeting and the boy holding the conch had the right to speak. This symbol gave the boys a sense of order and structured that they were lacking. It was a way for the boys to still be civilized in a terrible situation, but at the end of the story the conch was destroyed turning the boys into savages. Another symbol that plays a crucial role in this story is the beast. Although this beast is not actually on the island, it does strike fear into all of the young boys on the island. The beast is a symbol in this story that represents the survival nature we all have inside of us, but all the boys seem to show they deal with a beast with thin themselves. The boy’s actions show this more savage and cruel like due to the fear of survival. 10. Memorable quotations with page citations (Cite 3-4 and discuss the significance to the work as a whole). Explain how quotation shows something (characterization, conflict, tone, imagery, irony, theme, etc.) in the work. Be specfic “For the moment the boys were closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy outside; he went very pink” (21). This quote shows the reader that Piggy wasn’t very involved in group conversations. This shows that Piggy was very much ignored by the group. By them ignoring Piggy it caused a great disadvantage to the boys because they would miss out on Piggy’s intelligent ideas. This quote is a good use of imagery by showing the reader how Piggy looks since it says that his face was pink which meant he must have been blushing a lot during his time on the island. “I was talking about smoke! Don’t you want to be rescued? All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig!” (54). This quote shows that Jack is yelling at Ralph for letting the fire go out as a passing ship goes by.
This shows Jack dominance and wanting to be the leader by taking control. This quote also shows the two different mindsets of Jack and Ralph, Jack having a more hunting and catching pigs mindset while Ralph has a more focus on getting off the island mindset. This quote reflected the tone of the story which was internal and external conflicts among the tribe and leaders. ‘“And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can’t hunt, you can’t sing”’ (91). In this quote Ralph is yelling at Jack as he let the fire go out as a ship had just passed the island in which could have saved them. This quote is significant because it shows the point when Ralph starts taking control of the island and provides some kind of order to it. This quote also shows the reader how both Ralph and Jack have different concerns when on the island. On the island, Ralph is more concerned about being rescued while Jack is just worried about hunting and catching the pigs. 11. Is there anything else important or noteworthy about this work? Literary criticism? Literary elements? Historical
significance? The most unique thing I notice while reading this book was the amazing use of symbolism. Although one piece of criticism I have is that the author would be talking about plot then go into explaining landscape. While the story had great forms of imagery, it just made the story a little hard to follow, when he would transition from plot to landscape.
A group of kids got stuck on an island after their plane got shot down and they all have many different personalities. Being stuck on an island usually brings out the worst of people.But, there were two characters in novel, “The Lord of The Flies” that had good morals. These two characters were Ralph and Simon. Ralph and Simon weren’t intimidated by not having any adults around, instead, they tried to bring out the best of themselves and not take part in any horseplay the rest of the boys did.
This quote is significant because it represents what Jack is and what he has done. Ralph calls Jack these names before they lose their temper and are about to fight. In this quote, Ralph has called Jack out, that he is the reason of all the misfortune that has happened on the island and that he is the beast. That he was the reason of all this savagery and that he caused the evil within the boys, he brought it on through his need for leadership and his want for hunting and killing. Ralph calls him a thief and a swine because of his behaviour towards Piggy. He stole his glasses and turned all the boys against Ralph and Piggy who were the only good people on the island. As well as for making the island a fearful place for the boys. I feel that Ralph is right in everything he has said to Jack. He created the fear on the island all because of his need to be chief. As well as turned everyone against each other at the ending of the novel.
“The duty of the youth is to challenge corruption,” Kurt Cobain once said. The Lord of the Flies tells a fictional story of a group of kids whose plane crashes on an island. Among these boys is Jack, a choirboy who is eager to hunt and create laws. However, in Lord of the Flies, the character Jack shows himself to be an arrogant tyrant because throughout the novel he acts in a way that is cruel, evil, and violent.
Mankind is innately evil. The allegorical novel, The Lord of the Flies, allows for little interpretation about human nature. William Golding depicts the idea, “evil is an inborn trait of man” (Golding). Throughout the novel the children who have crash landed on the island begin to uncover their savage nature. Although all of the children somehow succumb to a heinous behaviour, Jack, Ralph, and Roger become most noticeably corrupt. Ultimately, it becomes clear that malicious intent is intrinsic in mankind.
In “Lord of the Flies” Ralph has the goal of getting himself and the rest of the tribe off the island. His plan to execute it is by making a signal fire that a passing ship or boat will see to rescue them. Ralph realizes that maintaining order within their tribe is crucial to their survival and chance of being saved. As chief of their group, he assigns Jack the leader of the hunters. He then puts them in charge of keeping the signal fire lit. During this process, Jack and his boys get distracted from keeping it lit as they attempt to kill a pig. After a couple of hunts, Jack and his boys finally kill a pig and return in cheers. As they get back, Ralph gets mad at Jack saying “You and your blood Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home” (70). Ralph is angry with Jack because he realizes as leader that he has to make sure everyone understands their main goal, and are able to focus on that by blocking out distractions. These actions that Ralph show display why he is successful as a leader and why they accomplish the goal of getting
However, as the plot progresses, Ralph faces both internal and external conflicts; from those conflicts he greatly matures. Ralph always has the strong belief that all the children will be saved from the island sooner or later; he is so sure that he even insists that they should have fire at all times to signal. However, when the boys abandon the fire which is symbolic of Ralph’s hope of getting saved, Ralph faces an internal conflict that makes him fear about their future; perhaps they will not be rescued at all. By insisting that the children should keep the fire going, he creates an external conflict with Jack whose values are different. Jack is enjoying life as a leader of the savages, and he fears that fire will possibly end his authoritarian rule over the savages. Both conflicts are resolved when Ralph finally meets the naval officer.
When the boys first arrived on the island, their behaviour was civilized and they attempted to convince themselves that they would soon be rescued by their parents. As the days passed, the boys began to open their eyes and realized that sitting around was not going to benefit them in any way, and most importantly it would not help them survive. Because of their new unrestricted life on the island, the boys become ruthless and replaced their previous identity.
This quote shows the differences in interest between the two groups of the boys. One group, controlled by Jack, is in favor of being in control of the island and wants to play king. The other group, controlled by Ralph, wants to continue being a civilized group of people by focusing on being rescued and survival being prioritized over hunting. Jack sees the mountain as a form of leadership and power but Ralph wants to use it as a source of rescue. This exemplifies how the group is in disagreement, one group wants power and a new lifestyle as a tribe of hunting, while the other wants to be rescued and return to their homes.
Do you believe when people are born, they are born with a blank slate? An English philosopher named John Locke believed that people are born with a blank slate and we acquire ideas from our environment and the people that influence us. In the book “Lord of The Flies” by William Golding it shows us that everyone has evil inside of us and even children can do things that we will not expect they would do. Jack Merridew was a good example because he represented evil in the novel he turned savaged and let the evil inside of him take over his actions and these actions impacted other characters. Jack Merridew let his anger toward Ralph change him and also him wanting power and being the leader of them.
Upon the arrival of the boys to the island Jack immediately found himself in the center of a power struggle. Although the conflict was brief, there was still a very obvious confrontation between Jack and Ralph. Once the boys had assembled themselves there was an election to see who was to be chief. Despite the fact that Ralph was voted leader, the desire to be in command never left Jack. Jack already had some leadership skills, being head choirboy at his old school, and he continuously challenged Ralph. The greatest source of conflict between Jack and Ralph was the debate over the necessity of maintaining a fire. Ralph felt that it was necessary to keep it burning at all times while Jack believed that hunting pigs and getting meat was much more essential.
Ralph shows that he has a better understanding of the boys than Jack. He knows that the boys need some sort of order on the island in order for them to survive. He starts a simple form of government and sets a few rules for them. Even though they don’t last very long, the fact that he tried to help the group is what makes him a better leader. Ralph’s wisdom and ability to look toward the future also has an advantage over Jack. He has a sense to keep his focus on getting off the island. When the fire goes out, Ralph gets upset because the chance to be rescued was gone as well. Ralph enforces his role of leadership as he gives the boys a sense of stability of an authority figure. He keeps the boys in pretty good order at the meeting by making a rule that they can only speak if they have the conch. Ralph knows that the littleuns are afraid and they need shelter to feel more secure. They work together for a while, but as the time goes on the smaller boys want to go play. They slowly lose all their help until Simon and Ralph are the only ones left to work on them. Ralph knows that this is a necessity and keeps bringing it up at the meetings. Jack, on the other hand, is doing nothing but causing chaos.
When people are suppressed, their tolerance reaches a breaking point which can lead to lashing out or the destroying of a society. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the character Piggy snaps at Jack after he was disrespectful and not giving him the opportunity to talk when he holds the honored conch. Throughout the book, Piggy is constantly being harassed and disrespected by his peers because he was different. Piggy becomes exasperated due to the way everyone had been treating him, and it wasn't surprising when he lashed out on Jack. ISIS, an Islamic terrorist group founded in 1999 by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is another example of how suppression can only silence for so long before a stronger force rebels against it. For instance, a
This fire, their only hope of getting off the island, escaping this world, was out and there was no way for Ralph to start it. He was the only one who was sound enough to use the fire to get off, and the tribe had stolen it from him. While all this built up and eventually turned into a war, the anarchy of the world actually freed them from what they had been living. When rebellion and chaos had tried to catch order and destroy it, they started a fire, a new hope, that saved them from the island.
Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is a novel about British schoolboys, who survived on an island after the plane crash. This novel is an allegory: It is a literary work in which each character, event, or object is symbolic outside of the novel. It is allegorical in the level of society in terms of three major symbols. The conch symbolizes civilization, and helps to possess an organized law and order. Next, Jack, as the main antagonist in the novel, represents a savage in the society. Furthermore, the fire signifies the return of civilization and conflicts within the society. Thus, Lord of the Flies is an allegory for society since it represents good governance, humanity’s innate cruelty, and struggles to the return of its civilization.
In a civilized society, certain aspects of humanity must be adhered to. Qualities such as empathy, respect, compassion, and kindness are key to maintaining order. What happens in society when these qualities disintegrate, and cease to exist altogether? William Golding’s “lord of the Flies” accurately demonstrates that in the absence of humanity, civilized society quickly evolves into one of savagery. Golding shows this evolution through the steady decay of the boy’s morals, values, and laws. The evolution of savagery begins with the individual.