Lord of the flies door William Golding

Lord of Flies
A. General information

1) Lord of the Flies. 1st publication 1954. Edition: 1995. 225 pages. ]
2) Autor:
The author of this book is Willem Golding. Golding was born in 1911. He was a teacher of English and Philosophy. 'Lord of the Flies' is his first novel. In 1983 Golding was awarded the nobel prize for literature. Golding's later novels have been more highly appreciated by the critics than Lord of the Flies, but they never achieved the same popularity among the public. His later novels continue the same basic theme: the darkness in the hart of man. Other novels of Golding are: The Inheritors, Pincher Martin and The Paper Men. He also wrote poems and essays.
3) The setting:

The whole story takes place on an unidentified tropical island in the South Pacific during a war. The setting on the island is important because it isolates the characters from outside contacts. They have no contact with any adults, so they must take care of themselves. I think the story is set the twentieth century.
4) The plot:
A group of young boys end up through an accident a tropical island. They must care of themselves, because there are no adults. But the boys got in trouble with each other and even two people have been killed! In the end a navel man saved the boys.
5) Characters:
Ralph: Ralph is the main character, from whose point of view most of the story is told. He is a boy of good will who has a sense of responsibility, he believes in democracy. In the beginning the boys chose him as their leader. Ralph is an innocent boy, he can hardly imagine that others have different values than he has. Ralph misses the civilised life more than anyone else. He misses his books and the order of the adult world.. When things begin to wrong Ralph suffers from stress and begins to break down. He becomes nervous, his memory gets worse and he forgets what he is talking about, during a sentence.

Piggy: Piggy has the rational ability that Ralph misses. He is a major character. He is the most intelligent of all the boys, but he also has qualities that make him unacceptable to the other boys. Even Ralph laughs at him and doesn't always take him seriously. Some of his handicaps are physical: asthma, he is fat, and doesn't have athletic ability. Other handicaps are social: he is lower middle-class (he speaks Cockney). He also cries a lot and often quotes his auntie or other grown-ups. He has no sense of humour, but he is constantly laughed at. He has a strong sense of justice and fair play: he recognises the conch as a symbol of order and he believes in its power longer than anyone else. In the end Piggy is murdered by the group of Jack.

Jack: Jack quickly becomes a primitive hunter on the island who follows only his instincts. He realises there is an evil power on the island, but thinks of it as the beast and not as something from within himself. Jack is the boss of choir boys and has a strong influence on them. He is very violent. Jack wants a lot of rules, but not for the order, but for the fact that the boys can be punished if they break the rules. Jack loses his goodness during the story.

Simon: Simon is a silent epileptic boy. He is a good boy who works hard and who has plenty courage: he volunteers to cross the island alone and later he climbs the mountain alone to search the beast. He's a solitary boy, others think of him as a bit crazy and Simon himself doesn't feel at ease with the others. He often needs to be by himself in his secret hiding place. He is the only choir boy who doesn't join Jack's group. Simon's role is that of a prophet: he tells Ralph he will get home all right and he understands what the real source of the evil on the island is. He knows that the beast is not something the boys can hunt and kill, but is part of them. When they discussed the beast Simon says 'maybe it's just us', but he can't express himself and cannot get his message through to them. He suggests they climb the mountain to meat the beast. Eventually he does so and finds out the beast is only a dead man in a parachute. When he wants to tell it the others the take him for the beast and they kill him.

Roger: Roger is a sadist who gets his satisfaction in hurting people and forces his power upon them. In the beginning he is still hold back by the rules of behaviour he has been taught. When he throws stones at Henry he is careful not to hit him. Hunting brings out his real nature. Than you can see that he is very arrogant and violent.


Sam and Eric: The twins are happy fun loving who work hard and stay loyal to Ralph as long as they can. They belong together so completely that their names are made one: 'Samneric'. They are also regarded as one person in the dividing of tasks; the two of them have to do the same work as all the others have to do alone. They even talk as one, the two of them making one sentence. Sam and Eric are minor characters.
6) The theme:
I think that the theme of this story is that there is and there always will be some kind of evil in every human being. And this evil will reveal it self easier when there is no authority anymore to watch over you.
The author did a great job telling what he means with this theme. At the beginning everything goes rather well and it looks like things are going to be organized very clearly. But after some time people want to make their own decisions and don’t like the things their leader is saying. People start to hate each other for stupid reasons. People want be different then others. People want to have more power over and then others. People want to have the feeling that they can decide about everything even about life and death. People will do almost everything to get these things no matter what. That is what the author is trying to tell. That there will always be people like that on earth.

My personal opinion:

1) I especially like Piggy, because he has a very strong sense of justice. He looks like a very dumb and scared boy, but he is very intelligent. I think Piggy is a very sweet boy who has a heart for other people. I think he looks funny, because he is fat and he wears glasses. It is also funny that he started over and over with quoting his aunt and telling Ralph about his asthma.
Example:
The fat boy (Piggy..) stood by him, breathing hard.
’My auntie told me not to run,’ he explained, ‘on account of my asthma.’
’Ass-mar?’
’That’s right. Can’t catch me breath. I was the only boy in our school what had asthma,’ said the fat boy with a touch of pride. ‘And I’ve been wearing specs since I was three.’ (page 3)
2) I really dislike Jack, because he is very violent. Sometimes he seems an animal, because he even killed people and he makes a lot of people very afraid. He is also very arrogant and he wants that everybody listens to him!
Example:

Suddenly Jack bounded out form the tribe and began screaming wildly.
’See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe for you any more! The conch is gone--’
He ran forward, stooping.
’I’m Chief!’
Viciously, with full intention, he hurled his spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and flesh over Ralph’s ribs, then sheared off and fell in the water. (page 201)
Here you see what an arrogant and violent boy Jack is. This happened a few minutes after the death of Piggy. Jack is happy that Piggy is death, because he thinks that he’s the chief now.
3) There is in this book no humour. Almost everyone is scared in the beginning, because they all have an accident and there are on an inhabit island without there parents or any other grown-ups. Especially in the end the ambience becomes very cruel. Jack would make fun on the island, but most people are afraid of him, so they haven’t really fun! The only thing what was humour in the book is that Piggy over and over tells about his auntie and his
Example:
’What did you expect?’
’I didn’t expect nothing. My auntie—‘
’Sucks to your auntie!’ (blz 8)
4) The book makes me feel frightened, because you see how violent the boys are and you see boys who are killing other boys. You see people who are so frightened for the other boys and they can’t go anywhere, because they are on an island! There is no one there who can’t stop the cruel boys!
Example:

Ralph screamed, a scream of fright and anger and desperation. His legs straightened, the scream became continuous and foaming. He shot forward, burst the thicket, was in the open screaming, snarling, bloody. He swung the stake and the savage tumbled over; but there were others coming towards him, crying out. (page 221)
Can you feel the frightful ambience?
You can see that the situation was terrible, but the worst thing is that the book has a meaning! The author would show everybody that in every people hide a evil side. This story shows how bad a human-being could be. Not only adults, but also ‘sweet’ children have an evil side!
5) I mostly like the end, because first Ralph is in a very danger and frightening situation, but than he comes at the beach and he sees the naval officer. Than, he could finally cry! He could cry about everything. About the death of his wise friend Piggy, about his pain, about his terrible experience. Now it’s finally over!
6) I’ve learnt that there always will be bad people. People in strange situations could become so unbelievable stern and that would never change, because every human being have a bad side. This side can turn up when a human is in a strange situation. We all must take care that we don’t show that side!
7) I chose ‘We can work it out’. A number of the Beatles. I chose this one, because in the beginning, everybody thought we can work it out, together. There was a kind of team spirit. In this song you can read how the boys would survive, no fighting, no fussing. Sadly, it went different…

We can work it out, Beatles
Try to see it my way,
Do I have to keep on talking till I can’t go on?
While you see it your way,
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone.
We can work it out,
We can work it out.
Think of what you’re saying.
You can get it wrong and still you think that it’s alright.
Think of what I’m saying,
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night.
We can work it out,
We can work it out.
Life is very short, and there’s no time

For fussing and fighting, my friend.
I have always thought that it’s a crime,
So I will ask you once again.
Try to see it my way,
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we may fall apart before too long.
We can work it out,
We can work it out.
Life is very short, and there’s no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend.
I have always thought that it’s a crime,
So I will ask you once again.
Try to see it my way,
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we may fall apart before too long.
We can work it out,
We can work it out.



Summary

Ralph and Piggy are two boys, who come on an island due to war circumstances. Piggy is very fat and he is wearing specks with thick glasses.
They find a shell on the beach and if Ralph blows on that conch, it makes a very laud sound. Ralph blows the conch and many other children come to him. All the children choose that Ralph must be the chief. However, Jack wants to be the chief too.

Ralph says that they have to make a fire because if a boat is coming, they can be rescued. They use Piggy's glasses and the sun to make the fire. Jack and the other hunters have to keep the fire going on. Piggy sees that a little part of the island is in fire. One person is lost after that.
Ralph and Simon would build some huts on the beach, but Jack and his mates would hunt and kill a pig. Ralph get in trouble with Jack, because Ralph thinks that everyone could better make a hut for the nights. Jack doesn’t listen.
Everyone is getting dirty. Ralph has seen a ship at the horizon, but Jack forgets the fire. That night, the fire is burnt out, and that ship can not see them. Piggy is talking through everything, and Jack breaks one glass of Piggy's glasses.
The very little kid's are afraid because they think there is a beast.
From the air, a man was dropped on the island. Everyone thinks that the man is the beast. but the parachutist is a dead man (they do not know that).
Between Ralph and Jack, it does not go very well, because Jack ignores the rules. Jack walks away, but later he comes back because he has seen the beast.
The quarrel between Jack and Ralph is getting bigger.
Jack says that he is going to live on his own. A few boys are joining Jack. Jack has caught a pig, and he puts the head on a stick for the beast. Simon stays with the pig's head. After a time, Simon thinks that the head was talking to him. He calls it "the lord of the flies" because there were a lot of flies around the pig.
That evening, Jack has a party. Ralph and Piggy join it too, because of the meat. Jack and his men are dancing, and through their dance, they kill Simon, because they think that he is the beast. Jack is a sort of boss. When he says something, he gets it.

Ralph is the chief, but only Piggy and two other boys listen to him. Jack steels the specs of Piggy, and Ralph tries to get it back. Jack kills Piggy, and a spear hurts Ralph.

Jack tries to kill Ralph too, so he burns the island to kill Ralph, but Ralph could escape. On the beach is a naval officer and Ralph isn’t in danger anymore. Finally, Ralph cried for the first time. The officer says that he will get them off the island.