Major Works Data Sheet
Title: Lord of the Flies
Author: William Golding
Date of Publication:
Genre: Young – Adult Fiction
Biographical information about the author
William Golding was a British novelist that was
born on September 19, 1911 and died 1993.
He studied science and English at Oxford
University. He fought in the Royal Navy during
Historical information about period of publication
WW2 and participated in the invasion of
William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies, Normandy on D-Day. After the war ended, he
was in the Royal Navy during World War II. After returned to teaching and writing - earning a
returning from the war, he had different views Nobel Prize in Literature.
on humanity and it's capability of evil. The idea
of evil in humanity is from first-hand experiences
Golding had of human brutality and savagery Characteristics of the genre
during the war. As the boys on the island are
stranded longer and longer, their true colors Dystopian (opposite of utopia)
begin to show. Some descend into brutality and
violence in order to survive and establish their Adventure
place (Jack). While others try to use reason and
community to get by (Ralph and Piggy). This Literary Fiction
showed a real human struggle which was
observed during the war and the soldiers' fight Coming-of-age
to survive.
Plot summary
After crashing on an island devoid of adults Ralph finds himself exploring the area alongside a
boy named Piggy. Finding a conch Ralph summons the other boys scattered throughout the
island together where they attempt to establish a society. Ralph is elected leader and he
appoints another boy, Jack, to be in charge of the hunters. Ralph, Jack, and another boy Simon
explore the island leading Ralph to conclude they need a signal fire. The immediately rush to
create the fire with Piggy's glasses and burn down half the forest as it gets out of control having
likely burned a littlun to death. At first the boys enjoy the island life playing all day although Jack
becomes preoccupied with hunting and Ralph complains they should be spending time building
shelter and maintaining the signal fire. One day a ship passes by without noticing them since the
hunters let the signal fire out in order to catch a pig. When Piggy criticizes Jack he is struck
across the face and Ralph calls a meeting. He lectures the boys but it becomes evident they are
scared of a beast. A dead parachutist drops on the island and nobody notices since they are
all sleeping. When Samneric awakes they see the silhouette of the man and believe it is the beast.
After they alert the boys they set out on a hunting expedition finding nothing until Jack and
Ralph travel up the mountain. After reporting to the group Ralph is deemed a coward by Jack
and he says to elect him new leader. The group refuses and Jack storms off taking the hunters
with him. Ralph gets the remaining boys to create a signal fire on the beach but the majority of
the boys leave to join Jack before the job is done. Jack calls himself the leader of the new tribe
with rituals of killing sows and sacrificing to the beast calling a feast for people to join his tribe.
Simon finds the pig head sacrifice covered in flies and imagines it as Lord of the Flies telling him
the beast is within them. Simon finds the beast doesn't exist externally after seeing the
parachutist and goes to tell the boys. However he is killed as the boys are in the middle of a
ritual and believe he is the beast. The next day as Piggy and Ralph discuss his death Jack steals
Piggy's glasses. When Ralph and his few followers go to confront Jack chaos occurs. Samneric is
tied up, Jack and Ralph begin to fight and in the midst of it Roger releases a boulder killing Piggy
and demolishing the conch. Ralph barely escapes with his life hiding the night. The next day the
boys hunt Ralph igniting the trees to smoke him out although it ends up acting as a signal fire
and a naval officer finds the boys. They are saved but they weep for the loss of innocence and
the darkness of a man's heart.
Describe the author’s style

Examples that demonstrate style
Straightforward, gets right to the point
when explaining without long
explanations or poetic writing

Allegorical, characters and objects are
inspired by symbolic significance and
The pigs head is savagery, the conch is
civilization, and Jack is loss of innocence
the themes of the novel

Displays the many ways humans may
respond to the situation at hand
Jack is savage, Ralph is calm, and Piggy is
rational
Memorable quotations
Significance of quotations
1. Roger gathered a handful of stones and
began to throw them. Yet there was a
space around Henry, perhaps six yards in
diameter, into which he dare not throw.
Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo
of the old life. Round the squatting child
was the protection of parents and school
and policemen and the law.
This describes Roger’s first sign of cruelty to the
littluns. At this point, civilized instinct is still
more powerful than savagery. Roger feels like
throwing stones at Henry, but his standards of
good behavior are too strong for him to give in
to.
2. “What I mean is… maybe it’s only us.”
Simon is talking about the snake – like creature
that the littluns are scared of. He is the first one
to see evil inside humanity not just outside.
3. “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only
me. And I’m the Beast… Fancy thinking
the Beast was something you could hunt
and kill… You knew, didn’t you? I’m part
of you? Close, close, close! I’m the
reason why it’s no go? Why things are
the way they are?”
This confirms Simon’s idea of the Beast being
humanity. The Beast using the boys slang
makes it appear even more evil because it uses
familiar language that the boys use.
Characters
Name
Role in story
Significance
Adjectives
Ralph
Leader of the group
Calls meetings, brings all the boys
together. Tries to build a miniature
civilization
Powerful,
confident, hard
working
Piggy
Ralph’s “lieutenant.”
Comforts the littluns
Tries to create peace and unity on the Fair, rational,
island. Provides glasses to make the Smart
fire
Simon
Shy, sensitive boy of
the group. Only boy
with a sense of
morality
Realizes the beast is inside the boys
Shy, sensitive,
insightful, kind
Jack
Becomes the leader
of the hunters
Longs for the power that Ralph has.
Represents violence and savagery.
Becomes obsessed with hunting after
first not being able to kill a pig
Cruel, dominant,
selfish, arrogant
Samneric
A pair of twins who
are always together
They’re part of the group known as
the “Bigguns.” Near the end of the
novel they fall victim into Jack’s
manipulation
Respectful,
united
Roger
Jack’s “lieutenant.”
A sadistic
Held responsible for brutalizing the
littluns, and killing Piggy with a
boulder
Hurtful, rude,
Setting
Setting: the boys are stranded on an
inhabited tropical island. Somewhere in the
Pacific in the 1950s. The island contains thick
jungle and dense undergrowth with plentiful
food. (Wild fruit and pigs)
Most of the story centers around the white
beach at the lagoon area on the island.
Symbols
The conch – used to call assemblies, brings the
boys into civilization.
Symbolizes authority
Piggy’s glasses – used to make the fire.
Symbolizes science and technology on the
island
Significance of opening scene
The significance in the beginning of the book: Ralph
is the leader and tells the boys that the only way they
will survive is if they have rules and orders. The first
priority was to build a fire so it could signal a rescue
plane. However Jack thought getting food for the
group was the better option.
They learned how to live on their own and follow and
listen to each other.
Significance of closing scene
The significance in the end of the book: the death of
some of the boys and Ralph barely making it out alive
made him realize that the island was the death of the
boy’s innocence and they could no longer consider
themselves vulnerable children.
Old AP questions
a)
Jack’s knife – used to kill the pig.
Symbolizes safety and superiority
The signal fire – brings the boys together and
shows the boys’ connection to human
civilization.
Symbolizes hope
Possible themes / Topics of discussion
a) Need for social order – without adults, the boys
The beast – scares the boys on the island.
When the boys grow more savage, their fear of
the beast grows too.
Symbolizes that evil lives inside of everybody
b)
Lord of the flies – a bloody, severed sow’s head
that Jack impales on a stake in the forest as
an offering tothe beast.
Symbolizes the evil and fear
d)
c)
e)
The island – the boys tried to make a deserted
island feel like home.
Symbolizes paradise
The scar –
symbolizes the beginning of everything bad
War paint –
Symbolizes becoming someone else,
self–conscience
f)
g)
create their own rules and create their own form
of order and government
Power – to Ralph, power is democratic. To Jack it
is authority. The conch symbolizes power
Vision – mirages impair their vision. Piggy has
poor vision, but knows what the boys need to do
to survive. Only Simon can see the beast
Fear of the unknown – boys are afraid and do
not know where they are. They all fear the beast
Loss of identity – the boys lose their identities.
The choir becomes hunters. The mask allows the
boys to become someone else. Jack’s followers
become a savage tribe. Ralph forgets the reason
why rescue is important and Percival forgets his
own name
Loss of innocence – Ralph’s faith in democracy is
shattered. Following rules offers no protection.
Piggy’s belief in fairness is proven false and
violence takes the lives of 3 boys
Symbolism of the shell – symbolizes power and
order. The one in possession of the shell has the
authority to speak. When the shell shattered, any
semblance of order is gone