Masks
Masks are a way of hiding your true self when under different circumstances. In lord of
the flies the mask is a way of hiding the characters innocence and is a way of showing
their transformation to savagery.
quotes
significance
appearances impact
attitude
“beside the pool
his swiney body
held up a mask
that drew their
eyes and
appalled them.
He [jack] began
to dance and his
laughter became
a bloodthirsty
snarling.”
The mask Jack
wears hides the
innocence of
Jack and
reviles his inner
savage.
(golding 63)
The impact of
this mask is that
it makes Jack
feel and look
stronger.
the mask
gives Jack a
more
powerful
outlook
towards the
others on the
island. this
gives Jack a
sense of
leadership in
power
“[T]he face of
red and white
and black
swung through
the air an jigged
to wards bill. Bill
started up
laughing; then
suddenly he fell
silent and
blundered away
through the
bushes
Bill was
enthused to
have a new
look but as he
wore the mask
it quickly
overtook his
youthful
innocence.
(63)
This shows just
how strong the
masks can be.
right after the
mask was put
on Bill he was
instantly
converted to
the savages
he had
followed.
“the mask
compelled
them”
As jack was
giving an order
the mask he
was wearing
intimidated the
little ones to do
what he said
(63)
Masks
overwhelmingly
controls the
characters
Lord of The Flies Symbols: Conch
Significance
The conch mainly represents leadership and community. It was used to call all the surviving kids to the
gatherings and it was the reason Ralph was originally was selected to be chief. The conch was the way
that they took turns speaking at assemblies, which were also organized by the blowing of the conch.
When the conch is destroyed, it represents the end of civilization on the island, corrupted by savagery.
Appearances
At the beginning of the book, Piggy and Ralph discover the conch, which begins the idea of the conch as
a symbol. ‘Something creamy lay along the ferny weeds. “A stone.” “No, a shell.” Suddenly Piggy was abubble with decorous excitement, “S’right. It’s a shell! I’ve seen one like that before! On someone’s back
wall. A conch he called it.’ (Golding 13-14)
The conch was described as ‘a deep cream, touched here and there with fading pink…with a slight spiral
twist and covered with a delicate, embossed pattern.’ (Golding 14)
Ralph used it to call survivors of the crash, using its loud sound as a signal; ‘ “I bet you can hear that for
miles.” Ralph found his breath and blew a short series of blasts. Piggy exclaimed: “There’s one!”… Signs
of life were now visible on the beach.’(Golding 16)
When the kids elect a leader, the conch is seen as a symbol of a leader, leading to Ralph being chosen; ‘
“Vote for chief!” “Let’s vote.” … “Him with the shell.” “Ralph! Ralph!” “Let him be the chief with the
trumpet thing.”’ (Golding 21)
When Jack takes over, the conch is shattered, signaling the end of civilization; ‘The conch exploded into
a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.’ Which prompts Jack to prove the shift in power, “See?
See? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone.”
(Golding 185)
Attitude
At the beginning of the book, all the children respected the conch and honored it, it was a prized
possession to them. And as the book goes on, the importance and symbol of leader ship and power
lessens with each day that goes by until it gets to the point where no one values the conch because they
think it wasn’t useful anymore.
Impact
The conch is probably the most important symbol on the island, showing leadership, peace, civilization,
and a sense of hope among the children. At first it was a very big item in the island, respected by all,
because of the person who held it, Ralph. But as Jack took over the tribe, he convinced them that Ralph
wasn’t the best leader, leading to the destruction of the conch.
Fire
Significance:
- Symbolizes their rescue
- Symbolizes Piggy’s intelligence, It was his idea to build a signal fire
- Represents hope, that there is a chance that they will get rescued
- Symbolizes civilization, assigning jobs to keep the fire going
Appearances:
- “ ‘ There’s another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island
they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must
make a fire’” ( Golding 37)
- “ ‘ You got your small fire all right.’ Smoke was rising here and there among the
creepers that festooned the dead or dying trees. As they watched, a flash of fire
appeared at the root of one wisp, and then the smoke thickened.” ( Golding 43)
- “ The fire was dead. They saw that straight away; saw what they had really known
down on the beach when the smoke of home had beckoned” ( Golding 67)
- “ ‘The most important thing on the island is the smoke, and you can’t have no smoke
without a fire’ ” ( Golding 132)
- “ He heard a curious trickling sound and then a louder crepitation as if someone were
unwrapping great sheets of cellophane. A stick snapped and he stifled a cough. Smoke
was seeping through the branches in white and yellow wisps, the patch of blue sky
overhead turned to the colour of a storm cloud, and then the smoke billowed round him”
( Golding 200)
Impact:
- The fires action is to get them saved, when lit keep smoke going as a rescue signal
- Fires role changes depending on character
-Jack uses the fire to cook hunted pig
-Ralph uses it as a signal for ships, his plane to get rescued
Attitude:
- Jack, He could care less about the fire, he only wants to use it for cooking his hunted
animals. Ex. “ ‘We can light the fire again. You should have been with us, Ralph. We
had a smashing time.’ ” (Golding 69)
- Ralph, He really cares about the fire, to get off the island from the smoke signal. Ex “ ‘
I’m scared.’... ‘ Not of the beast. I mean I’m scared of that too. But nobody else
understands about the fire...’ ‘Can’t they see? Can’t they understand? Without the
smoke signal we’ll die here?’ “ ( Golding 142)
- SamnEric, They see the fire as comfort but dread the day when it burned the island.
Ex “Thought of the first fire... He did not like to remember it, and looked away at the
mountain top. Warmth radiated now, an beat pleasantly on them.” (Golding 98)
PIGGY'S GLASSES
Significance: Piggy's glasses symbolize common sense, intelligence,
fire and strategy.
They represent civilization. After they break, we see the dark side
of civilization.
Appearance:
"Piggy took off his damaged glasses and cleaned the remaining
lens" (Golding 103).
"You could have had fire whenever you wanted. But you didn't.
You came sneaking up like a thief and stole Piggy's glasses"
(Golding 181).
"His specs-use them as burning glasses" (Golding 40)
"Piggy came with it in shorts and shirts, cautiously out of the
forest with the evening sunlight gleaming from his glasses"
(Golding 39)
Impact: The glasses symbolize Piggy's timeline.
*Glasses begin as an item of Piggy.
*After they become a source of survival (used to make fire)
*At the end, Jack takes Piggy's glasses which leads to Piggy's death.
Glasses show the ordered side of humanity.
The breaking of the glasses represents the breaking of the last tie
to humanity that the boys have
Glasses symbolize Piggy's ability to see both literally and
figuratively
Attitude: Piggy still cleans his glasses even after one lens is broken.
The boys don't care that Piggy can't see. They still take his glasses
to make fire (survival)
The boys make funny of Piggy because of his appearance and
because he wears glasses even though Piggy's glasses are crucial to
all the boys' survival on the island.
Darkness
Significance: Darkness represents a blind and fearful time for the boys. It is a place to hide but also
vulnerable place. Not knowing what was around them made their fear grow.
Appearances:
“Now the sunlight had lifted clear of the open space and withdrawn from the sky. Darkness poured out,
submerging the ways between the trees till they were dim and strange as the bottom of the sea”
(Goulding, 56)
“Ralph stood up, feeling curiously defenseless with the darkness pressing in.” (167)
“Might it not be possible to walk boldly into the fort, say -- 'I've got pax,' laugh lightly and sleep among
the others? Pretend they were still boys, schoolboys who had said 'Sir, yes, Sir' --and worn caps?
Daylight might have answered yes; but darkness and the horrors of death said no” (191)
“He knelt among the shadows and felt his isolation bitterly. They were savages it was true; but they
were human, and the ambushing fears of the deep night were coming on.” (191)
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart” (207)
Impact:
Darkness takes on many forms. The literal form of darkness is what they initially fear. The unknown of
what is lurking in the darkness sparks the fear of a “beast”. After that we begin to see darkness taking on
new shapes. Some of the boys begin straying from what is right and follow the temptation of the
darkness within them. Another form is what they are running from. The fear of savagery and the “beast”
have them constantly trying to find a safe place away from all that would hurt them, all that is dark.
Attitude:
At first they are scared of the dark, simply because it is a natural instinct for children. Later, however,
their fear o darkness turns into fear of the unknown. They are faced with a fight or flight situation. Those
who are blinded by pride and savagery fight. Those who are logical but fearful run.
Symbols: The Lord of The Flies
1) Significance
The lord of the flies represents that the beast is truly inside all of the boys and that as the
more savage they become the more their belief in the beast increases
2) Appearance
At first the pigs head was supposed to be an offering for the beast (a gift) “This head is
for the beast. A gift” (Golding 140)
“Jack found ther throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands.” (138)
This is when Jack cuts off the pigs head (The creation of the Lord of the Flies)
“There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And Im the Beast.” (146) “You knew this
didn’t you? I’m part o you?”(147) this proves as simon had predicted earlier that the
Beast is inside the boys.
“Licking his bruised knuckles and looking at the bare stick while the skull lay in two
pieces.” (190) Ralph after first seeing the LOTF feels angry as if it was omehow
responsible for all that occurred.
3)Impact
The Lord of the Flies represents the fear in the boys. IN the novel the only one that
recognizes this is Simon but is unable to tell anyone due to his death.
“Kill the Beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!” (156).
“We’ve seen the Beast with our own eyes. No – we weren’t asleep” (101).
4)Attitude
At first they fear it as they realize what it is and it doesn’t change because through the
whole story they fear it and in the end when they realize it symbolizes the Beast the fear
for it does not change.