NARRATOR: The story is told by an anonymous third-person narrator who conveys the events of the novel without

commenting on the action or intruding into the story. The narrator speaks in the third person, primarily focusing on
Ralph’s point of view but following Jack and Simon in certain episodes. The narrator is omniscient and gives us access to
the characters’ inner thoughts.

THEMES
Civilization vs. Savagery

The central concern of Lord of the Flies is the conflict between two competing impulses that exist within all human
beings: the instinct to live by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands, and value the good of the group against the
instinct to gratify one’s immediate desires, act violently to obtain supremacy over others, and enforce one’s will. This
conflict might be expressed in a number of ways: civilization vs. savagery, order vs. chaos, reason vs. impulse, law vs.
anarchy.

Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel, which means that Golding conveys many of his main ideas and themes through
symbolic characters and objects. He represents the conflict between civilization and savagery in the conflict between the
novel’s two main characters: Ralph, the protagonist, who represents order and leadership; and Jack, the antagonist, who
represents savagery and the desire for power.

Golding implies that the instinct of savagery is far more primal and fundamental to the human psyche than the instinct
of civilization. Golding sees moral behavior, in many cases, as something that civilization forces upon the individual
rather than a natural expression of human individuality. When left to their own devices, Golding implies, people
naturally revert to cruelty, savagery, and barbarism. Among all the characters, only Simon seems to possess anything like
a natural, innate goodness.

Loss of Innocence

As the boys on the island progress from well-behaved, orderly children longing for rescue to cruel, bloodthirsty hunters
who have no desire to return to civilization, they naturally lose the sense of innocence that they possessed at the
beginning of the novel. But Golding does not portray this loss of innocence as something that is done to the children;
rather, it results naturally from their increasing openness to the innate evil and savagery that has always existed within
them. Golding implies that civilization can mitigate but never wipe out the innate evil that exists within all human
beings.

Struggle to build civilization

The struggle to build civilization forms the main conflict of Lord of the Flies. Ralph and Piggy believe that structure, rules,
and maintaining a signal fire are the greatest priorities, while Jack believes hunting, violence, and fun should be
prioritized over safety, protection, and planning for the future. While initially the boys, including Jack, agree to abide by
Ralph’s rules and democratic decision-making, the slow and thoughtful process of building an orderly society proves too
difficult for many of the boys. They don’t want to help build the shelters, maintain the signal fire, or take care of the
littluns. The immediate fun and visceral rewards of hunting, chanting, and dancing around the fire are more attractive
than the work of building a sustainable society.

Man’s inherent evil

The fact that the main characters in Lord of the Flies are young boys suggests the potential for evil is inherent even in
small children. Jack, for example, is initially keen for rules and civility, but becomes obsessed with hunting, frightened
and empowered by the promise of violence. Jack’s desire to control and subjugate proves more powerful than his desire
for empathy, intellect, and civilization, and Jack becomes a brutal and leader. Even Ralph and Piggy, who both strive to
maintain their sense of humanity, ultimately join in on the mass murder of Simon, momentarily surrendering to the thrill
of violence and mass hysteria. While Piggy tries to ignore their participation, Ralph is devastated when he realizes that
he is no better than Jack or Roger, and that he has a darkness inside as well.
Dangers of mob mentality

Lord of the Flies explores the dangers of mob mentality in terrifying scenes of violence and torture. Early on, the boys
sing “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood,” after a successful hunt, elevating their shared act of violence into a
celebratory chant. By coming together as a mob, the boys transform the upsetting experience of killing an animal into a
bonding ritual. Acting as one group, the boys are able to commit worse and worse crimes, deluding one another into
believing in the potential danger posed by the beast justifies their violence. Similarly, the boys use war paint to hide
their identities as individuals, and avoid personal responsibility.

War and the future of mankind

Set during a global war, Lord of the Flies offers a view of what society might look like trying to rebuild after a large scale
manmade catastrophe. In their attempt to rebuild society, the boys cannot agree on a new order and eventually fall into
savagery. Ralph comes to realize that social order, fairness and thoughtfulness have little value in a world where basic
survival a struggle, such as after a devastating war. The paratrooper who lands on the island reminds the reader that
while the boys are struggling to survive peacefully on the island, the world at large is still at war. Even in their isolation
and youth, the boys are unable to avoid violence. In their descent into torture and murder, they mirror the warring
world around them

COMPONENTS
- Linguistic component: To know English, “Basic grammar structures”, to know de alphabet
- Cognitive component: To recognize narrative structures, to acknowledge certain figures of speech to interpret
the written text deeply, to have a wild amount of vocabulary to grasp the descriptions, to know the context
where the story is settled.
- Local component: Sow – wild pig, barmy – crazy, bloody – cursed, chastisement – punishment, do us - kill us,
queer – different, wacco – excellent.
- Sociocultural component: Give him a four penny one - hit him on the jaw, taken short – having diarrhea, round
the bend – crazy

SPEAKING
Situation: A bunch of British kids crashed in an island and they are trying to survive

Participants: Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Simon, SamandEric, Roger, the littluns, Maurice, Roger, Johnny, Percival, Henry.

Ends: To narrate the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, the conflict between two competing impulses that
exist within all human beings: the instinct to live by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands, and value the good of
the group against the instinct to gratify one’s immediate desires, act violently to obtain supremacy over others, and
enforce one’s will.

Act sequence:

1. A group of boys is stranded on a desert island, following a plane crash

2. They find a shell called a Conch and they blow it. The noise it makes brings boys from all directions.
3. They vote for chief and Ralph is elected. Ralph makes Jack leader of the choir. Jack says the choir will be hunters
4. Ralph, Jack and Simon explore the island.
5. Ralph calls a meeting to report back what they have found: they make rules
6. Small boy speaks about being frightened of a beastie or snake-thing. Ralph says is doesn't exist, Jack says they
will hunt it.
7. Ralph talks about rescue and building a fire on top of the mountain
8. They build a pile of wood, no matches, Jack uses Piggy's glasses
9. The fire gets out of control, piggy expresses how foolish they are. The little boy with the birthmark is missing
10. Jack hunts a pig but isn’t able to kill it. Ralph tries to build shelters and rescue.
 11. Simon goes off by himself to a secret place in the forest
12. They see smoke from a ship but the signal fire has gone out. The hunters return with a slaughtered pig
13. Ralph calls an assembly
14. They talk of their fears of the beast and the littluns nightmares. The assembly disintegrates and Ralph loses
control of the assembly
15. Pilot parachutes from battle and lands in the mountaintop. Body keeps moving so they think it's the beast
16. Ralph spears a boar
17. They go up the mountain and Simon goes back to join Piggy
18. Simon thinks they should climb the mountain and goes off by himself
19. Jack leaves and lots of hunters have gone to him
20. Piggy suggests building the fire near the platform
21. They kill a sow and leave the head on a stick as a sacrifice to the beast
22. Jack and his tribe steal sticks from the others fire and invite them to a feast
23. Ralph and Piggy decide to go to Jack's feast
24. Simon crawls out of the forest and they see him as the beast
25. They batter Simon to death and his body is carried out to sea
26. Jack rules Castle Rock
27. Jack's group attacks and they take Piggy's glasses
28. Ralph calls an assembly; they decide to visit Jack to get Piggy's glasses back
29. Piggy is killed
30. Ralph escapes into the forest
31. Ralph is alone and hiding and heads toward Castle Rock
32. Sam and Eric are tortured for speaking to Ralph
33. Sam and Eric reveal his hiding place
34. Jack sends rocks crashing down and set the forest on fire
35. Ralph runs to the beach
36. A naval officer is standing over him
37. All the kids start crying

Key: Violent, dark, reflexive, tragic.

Instrumentalities: Printed novel book. Metaphors, Similes, Alliteration.

Norms: The same above.

Genre: Novel, Allegory. Allegorical fiction employs specific characters, settings, and events to represent something on a
much larger scale or with much deeper meaning.

FIGURES OF SPEECH
Simile

- The breezes that on the lagoon had chased their tails like kittens were finding their way across the platform and
into the forest.
- This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch.
- the sun gazed down like an angry eye
- The rock was as large as a small motor car.

Metaphor
 - The Conch Shell - the conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. The shell
effectively governs the boys’ meetings, for the boy who holds the shell holds the right to speak. In this regard,
the shell is more than a symbol—it is an actual vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power.
- Piggy’s Glasses - his glasses represent the power of science and intellectual endeavor in society.
- The Signal Fire - The signal fire burns on the mountain, and later on the beach, to attract the notice of passing
ships that might be able to rescue the boys. As a result, the signal fire becomes a barometer of the boys’
connection to civilization. The signal fire thus functions as a kind of measurement of the strength of the civilized
instinct remaining on the island.
- The Beast - The imaginary beast that frightens all the boys stands for the primal instinct of savagery that exists
within all human beings. The more savagely the boys act, the more real the beast seems to become.
- The Lord of the Flies - the Lord of the Flies becomes both a physical manifestation of the beast, a symbol of the
power of evil, and a kind of Satan figure who evokes the beast within each human being.
- Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Simon, and Roger - Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel, and many of its characters signify
important ideas or themes. Ralph represents order, leadership, and civilization. Piggy represents the scientific
and intellectual aspects of civilization. Jack represents unbridled savagery and the desire for power. Simon
represents natural human goodness. Roger represents brutality and bloodlust at their most extreme.
- then returned as a fighter-plane

Alliteration

- a clean flag of flame flying

- Spread along, a series of short sharp cries, the sighting call.

Irony/Understatement

- The fire that was meant to kill and destroy saved them from the island.

Oxymoron

- deafening silence
- Concealing splendors of the sunlight.

Chiasmus

- Percival was mouse-colored and had not been very attractive even to his mother; Johnny was well built, with fair
hair and a natural belligerence.

SUBCATEGORIES OF DESCRPTION

PROSOPOGRAPHY

- The boy with fair hair

- school sweater
- grey shirt
- old enough, twelve years
- heaviness of shoulders
- The naked crooks of his knees were plump, caught and scratched by thorns (piggy)
- shorter than the fair boy and very fat, thick spectacles, anorak (piggy)
- breathing hard, asthma (piggy)
- The frame had made a deep, pink “V” on the bridge

ETOPEIA
 - I could swim when I was five. (Ralph)
- He’s a commander in the Navy (Ralph’s dad)
-
TOPOGRAPHY

- The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green
feathers were a hundred feet up in the air.
- the island ran true to form and the incredible pool, which clearly was only invaded by the sea at high tide, was
so deep at one end as to be dark green.

VOCABULARIO

CORAL REEF

SPEAR – VENABLO/LANZA

SOW/WILD PIG/YOUNG WILD BOAR – JABALI

WATER WELL - POZO

LOGS – TRONCOS

CLIFF – ACANTILADO

crown, an anchor and gold foliage.

LORD OF THE FLIES

Physically, the Lord of the Flies is the pig head that Jack, Roger, and the hunters mount on a sharpened stick and leave as
an offering for the beast. The head is described as dripping blood, eerily grinning, and attracting a swarm of buzzing flies.
When The Lord of the Flies “speaks” to Simon, we can assume that his voice is a hallucinatory effect of Simon’s
disintegrating mental state. The Lord of the Flies suggests to Simon that the boys will be their own undoing. Simon loses
consciousness after the episode, and is killed later that night. Later, when Roger and Jack vow to hunt and kill Ralph,
they imply that they will repeat their offering to the beast, using Ralph’s head this time. Symbolically, the Lord of the
Flies represents the evil inside each one of the boys on the island.

THE CONCH
A conch is a type of mollusk with a pink and white shell in the shape of a spiral. Once the animal inside dies, the shell can
be used as a trumpet by blowing into one end. In Lord of the Flies, the boys use a conch to call meetings and also to
designate who is speaking. In this way, the conch symbolizes democracy and free speech – anyone who is holding the
conch can speak his mind, and everyone else must listen and wait their turns for the conch. However, the fact that the
conch is easily broken, signaling the end of civil communication, symbolizes the fragility of democracy, which needs
protection by all participants in order to survive.