LordofthefliesWilliamGolding

BackgroundPlotsummaryMaincharacterThemeInthedecadebeforethenovelwaspublished,Britainhadbeeninvolvedintwowars:WorldWarIIKoreaWar

GiftfortheDarknessTheheadremainedthere,dim-eyed,grinningfaintly,bloodblackeningbetweentheteeth.Thehalf-shuteyesweredimwiththeinfinitecynicismofadultlife.

Thepileofgutswasablackbloboffliesthatbuzzedlikeasaw.Theywereblackandiridescentgreenandwithoutnumber;andinfrontofSimon,theLordoftheFlieshungonhisstickandgrinned.Someboysaretrappedonadesertislandbecauseofaplanecrash.Theyarefromamilitaryschool.Thereisapilotwiththem,thefatherofoneoftheboysbutheisinbothamentallyandphysicallyunstablecondition.Hediesandtheboyshavetosurvivebyhuntingformeatandkillingpigs.Eventuallytheyaresplitinto2tribes,Jack'stribeandRalph'stribe.RalphhasbeenelectedchiefoftheislandbutmostboysareinJack'stribewhoistheleadhunter.Jack'stribekillPiggy(thelastremainingmemberofRalph'stribe)andRalphisalone.Thereisabigchasesceneduringwhichtheboyssetfiretotheisland.Ralphrunsoutintoaclearingtodiscoveratroupeofsoldierswhosawthefireandhavecometorescuethem.PlotsummaryRalphThetwelve-year-oldEnglishboywhoiselectedleaderofthegroupofboysmaroonedontheisland.Ralphattemptstocoordinatetheboys’effortstobuildaminiaturecivilizationontheislanduntiltheycanberescued.

Ralphmayrepresentdemocracyasheisleaderbyademocraticvote,andattemptstopleasethemajority。Piggymayrepresentrationalthinkingasheislogical,butunpopular.Awhiny,intellectualboy,Piggy’sinventivenessfrequentlyleadstoinnovation,suchasthemakeshiftsundialthattheboysusetotelltime.PiggySimon

Ashy,sensitiveboyinthegroup.Simon,insomewaystheonlynaturally“good”characterontheisland,behaveskindlytowardtheyoungerboysandiswillingtoworkforthegoodoftheircommunity.Simonrepresentsakindofnaturalgoodness,asopposedtotheunbridledevilofJackandtheimposedmoralityofcivilizationrepresentedbyRalphandPiggy.

Theleaderofthehuntersbutlongsfortotalpowerandbecomesincreasinglywild,barbaric,andcruelasthenovelprogresses.Jackrepresenttotalitarianism,asopposedtothecivilizinginstinctRalphrepresents.JackSymbolsTheconchshell:OrderandpoliticallegitimacyPiggy’sglasses:thepowerofscienceandintellectualendeavorincivilizationThesignalfire:theboy’sconnectiontocivilizationThebeast:theprimalinstinctsofsavageryandevilthatexistwithinallhumanbeingsThelordofflies:thepowerofevil,thedevilThewar:theconflictbetweencivilizationandsavageryoutsidetheislandbeastsnackComefromthewaterComefromtheairTheperson‘soriginalevil

inthedepthsofheartAtanallegoricallevel,thecentralthemeistheconflictingimpulsestowardcivilization—livebyrules,peacefullyandinharmony—andtowardsthewilltopower.Differentsubjectsincludethetensionbetweengroupthinkandindividuality,betweenrationalandemotionalreactions,andbetweenmoralityandimmorality.Howtheseplayout,andhowdifferentpeoplefeeltheinfluencesofthese,formamajor