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SETTING • A deserted island • In the future
Plot Summary • a plane of schoolboys from Britain is shot down over a deserted tropical island. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy, discover a conch shell on the beach, and Piggy realizes it could be used as a horn to bring the boys together. Once together the boys elect a leader and think of a way to be rescued. Throughout the novel it shows how the boys slip out of being civilized boys to savages. It shows the ups and downs from being civilized to savages.
Characters • Ralph- athletic, tall, and handsome, leader of the boys in the beginning. He wants order and peace throughout the group. • Jack- tall, thin, red hair and blue eyes. Around twelve years old. He loves power and becomes increasingly violent throughout the novel. • Simon- Black hair, skinny, very shy and tends to wander off on his own. The only one of the boys that is not afraid of the jungle. Very smart and kind and very understanding of others. • Maurice- older boy who is kind natured in the beginning then turns bad • Piggy- short, fat, and he wears glasses. He is considered an outcast by the others
Characters • Robert- older, is a hunter and enjoys inflicting pain on others • Roger- older boy very quiet turns bad and is the only boy who deliberately murders anyone • Sam and Eric- Twins blond and chunky do everything together and are very irresponsible • The Littluns- group of the youngest boys on the island aged between five to six they do not stay around the older boys
Protagonist: Ralph • Charismatic protagonist of Lord of the Flies • Ralph is the primary representative of order, civilization, and productive leadership in the novel
Antagonist: Jack • The strong-willed, egomaniacal Jack is the novel’s primary representative of the instinct of savagery, violence, and the desire for power
Theme • Civilization vs. savagery- throughout the novel there are two conflicting impulses: to live by rules peacefully or act violently and enforce one’s will. This is the main theme throughout the novel • Loss of Innocence- the children lose innocence the longer they are on the island. Golding states that the children were never innocent instead the island brought out the inner savage in each of them.
Motif • Biblical parallels- although never directly stated Lord of the Flies had many things that resembled biblical stories such as Simon being as kind as he was and going into the jungle to face he beast was like Jesus when he went forty days in the wilderness
Symbols • The conch shell- the conch was found at the beginning when the boys first arrived at the island. The conch was used to bring the boys together. It is also used as a symbol of order and civilization and whoever possesses it has power • Piggys glasses- piggy was the smartest of all the boys, his glasses were a symbol of intelligence and power of science • The signal fire- this is the fire the boys built to signal for help. The fire was a measure of how civilized the boys were.
Point of View • The narrator speaks in the third person, focusing on Ralph’s point of view but following Jack and Simon at points.
Conflicts • The boys on the island struggle with the conflicting human instincts that exist within each of them the instinct to work toward civilization and order and the instinct to turn into savagery, violence, and chaos.
Rising Action • When rumors go around that there is some sort of beast living on the island, the boys grow fearful, and the group begins to divide into two camps supporting Ralph and Jack.
Will this book be a classic? I believe this book is already a classic. Many students are required to read this novel in school. Also it is a very popular novel that many people like to read.
LIKED I liked this book because it kept you interested the whole time. It never had a dull moment and I love books that are action filled.
DISLIKE There wasn’t anything that I necessarily didn’t like. I would not recommend this book to anyone who has a weak stomach or does not like graphic images.
Works Cited • Pincher , Martin. "Lord of the Flies." Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation , 22 05 2011. Web. 30 May 2012. • Fowler, JD. "Lord of the Flies." Wild Pack. Lord of the Flies company, 2000. Web. 30 May 2012.
The End!! Allie Vaughn