lord of the flies jack analysis essay

Lord of the Flies

William golding, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on William Golding's Lord of the Flies . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Lord of the Flies: Introduction

Lord of the flies: plot summary, lord of the flies: detailed summary & analysis, lord of the flies: themes, lord of the flies: quotes, lord of the flies: characters, lord of the flies: symbols, lord of the flies: theme wheel, brief biography of william golding.

Historical Context of Lord of the Flies

Other books related to lord of the flies.

• Full Title: Lord of the Flies
• Where Written: England
• When Published: 1954
• Literary Period: Post-war fiction
• Genre: Allegorical novel / Adventure novel
• Setting: A deserted tropical island in the middle of a nuclear world war
• Climax: Piggy's death
• Point of View: Third person omniscient

Extra Credit for Lord of the Flies

Beelzebub. The phrase "lord of the flies" is a translation of the Greek "Beelzebub," a devil mentioned in the New Testament. In the Bible, Beelzebub sometimes seems to be Satan himself, and at other times seems to be Satan's most powerful lieutenant.

Coral Island. William Golding based several of the main ideas in Lord of the Flies on Coral Island (1858), a somewhat obscure novel by Robert Ballantyne, a 19th-century British novelist. In Coral Island , three English boys create an idyllic society after being shipwrecked on a deserted island. They battle wild hogs, typhoons, hostile island visitors, and eventually Pirates on the South Seas.

Jack Character Analysis in Lord of the Flies Essay Example

In William Golding’s novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ Jack is a central character .through jack’s experiences Golding highlights the key themes of civilisation and savagery. Golding’s novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ following a young group of English school boys who crashed onto a tropical island while evaluating a war zone. They become convinced of a beast on the island and the novel explore how the boys lose their civilisation and turn into primal savages.

Golding establishes Jack as a character who the theme of civilisation is highlighted through his experience of wanting to be chief. At the beginning of the novel the boys come together and decide they need a chief jack believes that he should be in charge. ’I ought to be chief’ when we first meet jack we see he is leading a group of choir boys.He is presented formally still in his uniform. Due to Jacks authority and leadership over the boys they too are in uniform. This shows jack believe in power and order as he has made himself the leader of the boys even though they are not in their usual society. This introduces the theme of civilisation as the boys are acting as they would in regular setting, following Jacks orders .It also shows jack is power hunger, jumping at the first chance to have more control. ‘I’m chapter chorister…head boy…sing a C sharp’ Golding uses a list to emphasise all the reasons jack believe he should lead the boys .Jack believes he is the best for the role as he is the most qualified this links into the theme of civilisation as in society jack was picked to lead due to his abilities showing that jack still believes in the values of civilisation. The theme of civilisation is shown again through jack’s reaction to losing the vote. ’He started up...and sits down again.’ This shows a crack in Jacks civilisation. Jack was going to fight the decision but instead composed himself and sat back down this shows that civilisation still has a strong hold on Jack as the acted in a civilised way instead of allowing a savage outburst.

Golding introduces the theme of savagery through Jacks obsessive over hunting. After Ralph is elected chief he allows Jack authority over the choir and allows him to designate a job to his group. ‘Hunters’ is what Jack chooses to select which is uncharacteristic for the boy. This introduces the theme of savagery as Jack makes the conscious choose to choose a role in which he is to slaughter creatures for food. This is the start of Jack violent savage impulses being presented. Although Jack is still somewhat civilised even after this chose, he choose the job for a group he gets to control showing he still believes in order and functions as he would have to in society. The savagery escalates further through Jack’s experience hunting a big. ‘Thought he might kill it.’ The use of might by Golding shows that Jack hasn’t been engulfed by this savage thoughts. On the other hand it shows Jack is slowly falling into those savage urges as the thought of killing/butchering something is at the front of his mind. ‘I cut the pig’s throat’ this shows Jack losing the majority of this civilisation as he brutally cuts the throat of a pig and brags to the others. This links into the theme of savagery as Jack has escalated from thinking about killing to actually acting out his violent needs.

Golding creates a particular experience in which the theme of savagery is highlighted through Jacks desire to kill Ralph. Jack savage urges escalate to him hunting Ralph. ‘Heave!’ is that Jack yells at the other savages to do as they push a bolder higher. Jack intends to crush Ralph and is making the others help. This shows the theme of savagery as Jack has went from killing pigs to hunts Ralph. Showing a drastic incline in Jacks savage behaviour. ‘Smoke!’ After Jack realise he can’t crash Ralph he decides to burn down the entire jungle. This could be seen as a metaphor for Jack losing his civilisation. Just as savagery consumed and took over jack’s civilisation so too did the fire spreading across the island.

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Themes and Analysis

Lord of the flies, by william golding.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a powerful novel. It's filled with interesting themes, thoughtful symbols, and a particular style of writing that has made it a classic of British literature.

Article written by Lee-James Bovey

P.G.C.E degree.

Several key themes are prevalent throughout the book. It is sometimes referred to as a “book of ideas” and these ideas are explored as the plot unfolds.

Lord of the Flies Themes

The impact of humankind on nature.

This is evident from the first chapter when the plane crashing leaves what Golding describes as a “scar” across the island. This idea is explored further in the early chapters the boys light a fire that escapes their control and yet further diminishes what might be considered an unspoiled island. Some interpret the island almost as a Garden of Eden with the children giving in to temptation by slaughtering the animals there. The final chapter furthers the destruction of nature by mankind as the whole island appears to have been ruined thanks to the effects of the boy’s presence on the island.

Civilization versus savagery

This can be seen throughout as the boys struggle with being removed from organized society. To begin with, they cope well. They construct a form of government represented by the conch that theoretically draws them together and gives them all a voice. As they break away from society this adherence to the rules they have constructed is evident. Golding’s ideas of what savagery is might be outdated and rooted in colonial stereotypes but they are evident for all to see as the boys use masks to dehumanize themselves and their increasing obsession with hunting leads to an increasingly animalistic nature.

Nature of humanity

Perhaps the biggest underlying theme is the idea of the true nature of mankind. Golding explores the idea that mankind is innately evil and that it is only the contrast between society and civilization that prevents that nature from being prevalent. Of course, this overlooks that civilization is a human construct and if all men’s biggest motivation were their inner evil, then that construct would never have existed. Golding’s views largely spring from his role in the navy where he was witness to the atrocities of war but are also informed by his work as a teacher.

Analysis of Key Moments in Lord of the Flies

There are many key moments in ‘ Lord of the Flies ‘ that highlight the boy’s descent into savagery.

• Blowing the conch – this introduces us to the conch which acts as a symbol of society and civilization throughout the novel. It is both the device that brings the children together and in theory the object which allows them all to have a say and therefore run a democratic society.
• The fire gets out of control – This shows the effects that the boys are already having on the island. It also demonstrates how lost the boys are without adults there to guide them as they lose one of the boys and nobody even knows his name.
• Jack fails to kill the pig/Roger throws stones – both of these events show how the boys are currently constrained by the expectations of society. We see as time passes these restraints are lifted and that firstly, Jack can kill a pig and finally, and perhaps more dramatically, Roger is not only okay with hitting somebody with a stone but taking their life with one.
• The hunters put on masks – By covering up their faces, they seem to become free from the constraints of society. It is if it liberates them from humanity and allows them to act on more primal, animalistic urges.
• Sam and Eric find “the beast” – When Sam and Eric feel they have discovered the beast it sets a ripple of panic throughout. This fear sways the boys towards Jack’s leadership as he continues to manipulate the situation to his advantage. If not for this then Simon might never be murdered.
• Creating of the Lord of the Flies – Successfully killing the pig is itself an iconic moment but then leaving a pigs head on a pole is both a gruesome image (one worthy of the book’s title) and also plays a pivotal role in Simon’s story arc.
• Simon’s death – Simon is the one character who never seems to succumb to primal urges and therefore his death if looked at symbolically could be seen as the death of hope for boys.
• Piggy’s death – Piggy’s character represents order and reason. With his death, any chance of resolving the issues between Jack and Ralph vanishes. The conch being smashed at the same time is also symbolic and represents the complete destruction of society.
• The rescue – This is not the happy ending that one might expect with all the boys crying due to their loss of innocence. There is an irony as well as the boys will not be rescued and taken to a Utopia but rather to a civilization plagued by a war that mirrors the war zone they have just left.

Style, Literary Devices, and Tone in Lord of the Flies

Throughout this novel, Golding’s style is straightforward and easy to read. There are no lengthy passages nor does he choose particularly poetic words to describe the events. His writing is powerful without these stylistic devices. The same can be said for his use of literary devices. When used, they are direct. For example, the use of symbolism (see below) and metaphor is very thoughtful but not hard to interpret.

William Golding also employs an aloof or distant tone throughout the book. This reflects the way that the boys treat one another.

Symbols in Lord of the Flies

The conch shell.

The conch shell is one of the major symbols of this novel. It’s used from the beginning of the novel to call the boys together for meetings on the beach. It’s a symbol of civilization and government. But, as the boys lose touch with their civilized sides, the conch shell is discarded.

The Signal Fire

The signal fire is a very important symbol in the novel. It’s first lit on the mountain and then later on the beach with the intent of attracting the attention of passion ships. The fire is maintained diligently at first but as the book progresses and the boys slip farther from civilization, their concentration on the fire wanes. They eventually lose their desire to be rescued. Therefore, as one is making their way through the book, gauging the boys’ concentration on the fire is a great way to understand how “civilized” they are.

The beast is an imaginary creature who frightens the boys. It stands in for their savage instincts and is eventually revealed to be a personification of their dark impulses. It’s only through the boy’s behaviour that the beast exists at all.

What are three themes in Lord of the Flies ?

Three themes in ‘ Lord of the Flies ‘ are civilization vs. savagery, the impact of humankind on nature, and the nature of humanity.

What is the main message of the Lord of the Flies ?

The main message is that if left without rules, society devolves and loses its grasp on what is the morally right thing to do. this is even the case with kids.

How does Ralph lose his innocence in Lord of the Flies ?

He loses his innocence when he witnesses the deaths of Simon and Piggy. These losses in addition to the broader darkness of the island change him.

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About Lee-James Bovey

Lee-James, a.k.a. LJ, has been a Book Analysis team member since it was first created. During the day, he's an English Teacher. During the night, he provides in-depth analysis and summary of books.

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Analysis of the Jack Character from Lord of the Flies

  Lord of the Flies by the British author, William Golding, is a compelling dystopian novel that explores the inherently evil nature of human beings and their fascination with power. The novel was published in 1954, reflecting the impacts of the Second World War on humanity. The author’s perspective on life and worldview significantly changed after World War II. The lasting impacts of the war on the political and social orders of the world influenced the setting and the primary message of Lord of the Flies . The war exposed the sense that humans are savage and power-hungry, explaining why they are mostly drawn to wars. Golding utilizes a group of young boys of varied ages stranded in a jungle to explain the troubles that arise when everyone wants to govern themselves. The main conflict is between the self-proclaimed leader, Jack, who is determined to control the group, and Ralph, whose main concern is the group’s safety. Through Jack’s character, the author efficiently illustrates what happens when limitations of civilization are unavailable, and human nature takes control. Jack evolves from a civilized schoolboy to a power-hungry savage that cares less about his actions and other people’s welfare. Through Jack’s character transformation, Golding effectively explores the nature of human beings, savagery, and civilization.

Human Nature

Jack’s viciousness and desire for control efficiently explore the inherently evil nature of human beings. The story creates and explores a community that tests human nature in the absence of the constraints of the rules that normally govern society. Golding shows a transformation from civilization to complete chaos when human nature takes over reason. The boys are left in an uninhabited jungle to fend for themselves and, most importantly, create a rule of law to govern themselves. This vacuum of governorship creates the opportunity for Jack to illustrate the flaws of human nature when given power (Spitz, 1970). Piggy informs the group leader, Ralph, that Simon claims to have seen a beast in the jungle. Ralph asks, “He says he saw the beastie, the snake-thing, and it will come back tonight?” Piggy replies, “But there isn’t a beastie!” (Golding, 1954). Jack’s group believes there is a beast that inhabits the pig head that they stake into the ground as an offering. The beast is a supernatural figure that symbolizes the inherently evil nature of humans because it represents a savage monster present in everyone (Jurošević-Kozomara, 2018). The potential for evil and violence exists in the heart of humans, and that is why Jack seizes the opportunity to disrupt Ralph’s leadership for his selfish gains.

Savagery and Civilization

Civilization is the crucial aspect of humanity that keeps in check the potential of evil. Jack does not recognize that he is blinded by his obsession with power and control over others. Prior to their unexpected landing in the uninhabited jungle, Jack was a leader of the chorus group. However, in this new environment with no civilization, Jack enjoys the control and influence he has gained (Chavan, 2013). He only enjoys the rules and laws because he can issue orders and punish those who disobey him. When his group goes out to hunt, Jack commands, “Kill the pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood!” to exert his dominance and control. (Golding, 1954). Golding reiterates the feeling of domination that Jack’s group felt after killing the pig. He states, “His (Jack) mind was crowded with memories; knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it.” (Golding, 1954). Chavan (2013) points out that this ascendancy demonstrates the nature of human beings when given the opportunity in the absence of civilization. Jack mirrors the human inclination toward power and dominance and the result of wielding power for one’s own fancy and benefit (Jurošević-Kozomara, 2018). Jack’s outlook and perception of leadership change from a dutiful follower to a leader who believes in dominance. His love for hunting and killing animals in the wild can be attributed to his desire to dominate nature and other people.

Jack’s character is a reflection of humanity’s pursuit of imposing their view, perception, and rule onto others. Jack easily gets frustrated when he does not get things going his way. His defiance of Ralph’s orders results from his anger and frustration of not imposing his view on the group. Simon recognizes that the beast lives within everyone’s heart and tries to tell jack’s tribe. He states, “What I mean is…Maybe it’s only us..,” implying that the potential of violence lies within all human hearts (Golding, 1954). Jack’s group views Simon as the beast as he challenges their viewpoint, getting him killed. According to Jurošević-Kozomara (2018), this savagery portrayed by Jack illustrates the vicious impulses lying deep within every individual, suppressed by civilization. Ralph’s leadership is cultured conversely to Jack’s authority and demand for submission. The lack of civilization forces Jack’s darkest impulses as a savage to sprout in the disguise of demanding obedience.

Evidently, Jack’s character in Lord of the Flies efficiently explores the innate evil nature of humanity and the impacts of a lack of civilization in society. Jack’s desire for commanding and oppressive power illustrates how humans surrender to their darkest impulses when given the opportunity to impose their rule on other people. Civilization clearly forces humans to suppress the savagery and the potential for violence that lies deep in the heart of every human being.

• Chavan, P. (2013). Subversion of Civilization in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.  European Academic Research ,  1 (7), 1516-1526.
• Golding, W. (1954).  Lord of the Flies: Casebook Edition . Penguin.
• Jurošević-Kozomara, M. S. (2018). Civilization and savagery in William Golding’s Lord of the flies. Reči (Beograd) ,  10 (1), 156-167.
• Spitz, D. (1970). Power and Authority: An Interpretation of Golding’s” Lord of the Flies.” The Antioch Review ,  30 (1), 21-33.
• A Rose for Emily
• Animal Farm
• Death of a Salesman
• Fahrenheit 451
• Flowers for Algernon
• George Orwell's 1984
• Gothic Literature

Lord of the Flies

Introduction lord of the flies.

The novel , Lord of the Flies was written by a British writer, William Golding , who made a name in fiction writing with unique thematic strands. It was first published in 1954. The novel sheds light on the behavior of the children left stranded on a long island, who start behaving entirely different from what they have been in their schools and under the guidance of a parent or a teacher. The groups are divided as they begin to think differently for survival. They fight for individuality, rationality while continuing their playfulness after they are left with none to guide them. The novel won huge applause around the world for his enticing storytelling techniques also bestowed the writer with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.

Summary of Lord of the Flies

During a war, a British plane involved in evacuating British schoolboys crash lands on a deserted island. It is somewhere located in tropical regions. Two young boys, Ralph and Piggy, find a conch when they stroll on the seashore. Piggy, the fatter than most boys but an intellectual one, tells Ralph, the quiet one, how to blow a horn with it. He teaches him how to use it to establish his authority over the other boys. Ralph becomes the leader of the boys and appoints Jack as in charge of the food hunters with Piggy as his unassuming adviser.

Soon after the boys assemble, Ralph takes Jack and Simon with him to explore other parts of the island for the likely existence of life. When they come back, Ralph plans to light a fire to signal the authorities or rescue them about their presence. The rest of the boys continue to roam around the island to collect woods and use Piggy’s glasses to light a fire. However, instead of keeping it alive, they quickly engage themselves in their plays and soon forget about it except Piggy. It soon dawns upon them that the youngest boy is injured and dead.

As time passes, the boys start making fun of each other as well as enjoying without having any authority of the adults around them. Ralph, as the conscious leader, however, starts complaining about the direction of Piggy that the boys are not paying attention to the fire, nor or they interested in preparing huts for them. On the other hand, Jack, with his hunters, is engaged in catching a pig, though, they fail in their act. Meanwhile, Piggy points Ralph’s attention toward a passing ship that disappears on the horizon and they lament the negligence of the boys toward keeping the fire alive. The hunters, however, do not pay much attention to his complaints despite the fury of Ralph when he points their negligence at the troublemakers with Jack as their leader. In their wild frenzy of having their first catch, they ignore the leader, Ralph, and start dancing around. When Piggy rebukes Jack, he hits him, making his glasses flying away.

As hinted by Piggy earlier, Ralph immediately catches the conch and blows it to declare his authority, yet nobody pays attention, while the “littluns” are feeling neglected, expressing their fear of some ghost or beast lurking somewhere on the island. Despite the other boys’ argument that there is no such thing, the littluns do not feel safe. When the meeting is over, a parachutist from some fighting planes land on the island but is caught in the trees to rot there. When the twins, Sam and Eric, find the man hanging on the trees, they take him as a beast and spread the terror in the camp with the news. Soon the boys form a group to hunt that monster despite a difference between Jack and Ralph, the two leading boys. They, then, inform others about that parachute and the monster that they think it is, develops further differences about the leadership of Ralph. Jack alleges his fear for further removal from the authority, while the majority of the boys veto this move. Despite this defeat, Jack takes the hunters with him to part ways, while Ralph rallies others around him to light the fire, though. Ironically, most of them flee and join Jack in his hunting game.

Soon Jack takes lead and declares himself the leader of his hunters. They hunt a sow and leave its head on a stake. When Simon dreams about it, he thinks it the Lord of the Flies that is speaking to him. He soon becomes unconscious and when comes to senses he leaves for the mountains where he comes across that dead soldier hanging with his parachute. He takes it to the Lord of the Flies and runs away to tell others, creating a mess that all the boys including Ralph and Jack, who were busy enjoying the feast of the sow, consider him a monster and kill him. However, only Piggy and Ralph are conscious of what they have done, while Jack and his hunters soon realize the loss of fire and steal the glasses of Piggy to make their own. When Ralph tries to argue with Jack, he orders his hunters to chase him to kill him. Roger, his main hunter, kills Piggy with a boulder and Ralph flees for his life, seeing the conch also shattered to pieces under the boulder.

Jack, the hunters, and other boys including Ralph chasing the game soon come to an end when British officers appear on the seashore, admonishing the boys for their mess and filthy looks, while Ralph heaves a sigh of relief after seeing an adult who has saved him from the hunters.

Major Themes in Lord of the Flies

• Loss of Innocence: The loss of innocence in the novel is shown from the way the children go astray without adults. The right path is to lead a normal life, take care of the “littluns”, pay homage to the authority, and wait for the elders to come to their rescue. Ralph’s attitude toward the littluns and Samneric is of a leader and an adult having responsibility. However, when Jack parts ways with him and Piggy, it seems that they have lost the innocence, for Jack becoming a hunter is identical to savagery.
• Savageness and Society: Lord of the Flies shows savagery in the society that is part of its members as shown through Jack and hunters. The author believes that innocence is not just an integral part; savagery is also an integral part of human nature and finds ways to come out when the times are appropriate. That is why when Ralph finds an officer on the seashore, he heaves a sigh of relief, thinking that he has saved himself from the savage hunters.
• Vice against Virtue : The novel also shows vice pitted against virtue as Ralph and Piggy represent order and virtue, while Jack and his hunters represent vice or disorder. When Ralph is made to flee from the hunters, it seems that virtue has given way to vice. However, soon the officer appears, which becomes a signal of some authority that does not let virtue face defeat.
• End of Rationalism: Piggy, the supporter of Ralph and his authority, is a lone voice of rationalism who can think with a rational mind and devise ways. However, he is physically inferior to all others except “littluns.” Therefore, Jack is always wary of him that he does not let Jack stand a chance to assume leadership. When he finds Piggy, he orders his associates to roll a boulder on him, killing him on the spot. It shows the end of rationalism, a thematic strand that appears for a short time in the storyline.
• Absence of Social Norms: The pack of children on an isolated island without the presence of an adult having authority presents a real dilemma about the social traditions, norms, and their evolutions. The author proves this thematic idea of how a person. with limited intelligence. copes with the situation of dealing with other persons in the absence of social norms. Piggy is killed on the want of laws and social regulations that emerge from norms; such as the norm of blowing a conch.
• Dehumanization: The novel shows the dark side of human nature that is to live a life of the might is right and dehumanization of nature as shown by the hunting nature of Jack, while the rational side, such as Piggy, soon witnesses his end. The hunting spree of Jack and other boys without thinking an iota about their colleague is a dehumanization of nature.
• The Nature of Evil or Vice: Evil resides in human nature side by side with virtue which comes out when authority is absent. Jack shows this side of nature when he forms his pack of hunters and attacks Piggy, killing him on the spot.
• Community against Individual: community and individual are other minor themes of the novel. The would-be leader, Ralph, is left alone in the end against the whole community of the boys chasing him. It means that an individual is left alone if he does not stand on his guard.
• Progress of Civilization: Lord of the Flies is also a critique on the progress of civilization in that a pack of English boys with rational and leading minds like Piggy and Ralph respectively go to dogs without thinking as Ralph later says what the other people will say to them that British, the crown of the civilized nation, has children as such.
• Absence of Laws: The hunting expedition of Jack, killing of Piggy, and several other such incidents show that the law protects the weak. The absence of the law is similar to giving authority to a tyrant to rule a country or allowing the criminals to roam free without fear of consequences.

 Major Characters in Lord of the Flies

• Ralph: The leader and good-looking but moderately intelligent, Ralph leads the boys with Piggy as his advisor, who advises him to use the conch to establish authority. As such he proves not only the hero but also the protagonist of the novel after assuming leadership. Eventually, he loses the hold on the group to Jack and his hunters who drive almost all the boys to useless hunting, which resultantly leads them to savagery. In the end, he is left alone when Jack murders Piggy and chases Ralph to gain from him his authority, but he saves himself by running to a British officer, who just appears on the scene.
• Piggy: Piggy, though is quite weak, but a rational boy, who advises Ralph to assume the leadership, seeing in him a vision to lead. He takes care of the little boys and suggests lighting up the fire to save them from perishing on the island. However, he soon becomes the target of hunters, while Jack eyes him a likely opponent, not leaving any opportunity to either admonish, tease, or even to kill him, which he does by the end. His murder makes Ralph feel lonely when he wishes the presence of an adult and the British naval officer appears on the scene. His murder is the end of rationalism among the boys.
• Jack Merridew: The antagonist , Jack Merridew, is a powerful leader but has a vicious touch in his nature. He does not exhibit rationality or true leadership. As soon as he sees Piggy, a symbol of rational thinking among them, he becomes his staunch opponent. He forms a choir of the boys and manipulates their thinking to turn them into barbarous killers who start chasing Ralph, their own leader, after having shown their exploits in hunting a sow and dancing around it to celebrate this achievement. By the end, he assumes leadership of the savagery and hunts down Ralph, who runs away in the forest for his life.
• Simon: Simon is attached to nature and shows a spiritual aspect of life. That is why he stays alone and does not join any group, though, he stays with the group. A Christ-like figure, the author presents Simon to show how some people understand the arrival of evil but does not have the ability to confront or express it. Simon is also an example of staying neutral in times when you cannot choose.
• Samneric: They are twins. These two brothers are identical not only in nature but also in their appearances. They follow Ralph loyally but when Piggy is killed, they also lose direction, and soon they seem lost in the maze of the chase of Ralph.
• Maurice: A healthy boy, Maurice, proves a great hunter and starts training other hunters for Jack’s pack. He shows the mob mentality in blindly following the leader.
• Percival: A little boy, Percival, represents innocence, as he always needs some adult to take care of him. He becomes hysterical at times for the loss of his parents and home comfort.
• The Naval Officer: The British officer represents the authority and adulthood which stops chaos and brings order in the chaotic world. His appearance reminds the readers of the civilized western world.
• The Beast: Despite its hazy presence, the beast represents something unknown that is not only causing fear to the boys but also showing them a way to create something out of nothing. Jack uses this invisible beast for his own purpose to make others follow him.

Writing Style of Lord of the Flies ‎

William Golding ’s writing style in Lord of the Flies is pretty simple and straightforward. It carries great alluring subtleties, bordering a multiplicity of meanings for all types of readers. Despite its allegorical nature, the characters and objects along with the description seem quite realistic and direct. Most of the ordinary thematic strands and ideational presentations have brought a type of enticement in his style that is unique in its language and mesmerizing in its narrative .

Analysis of Literary Devices in Lord of the Flies

• Action: The main action of the novel comprises the crash landing of a British airplane having school children, who live a messy life on the island, making two groups; one wants to rescue the boys and the other intends to enjoy merrymaking. The rising action is Ralph’s struggle for order, safety, and organized life. The falling action , on the other hand, is his escape to save his life when Jack and his hunters chase him.
• Allegory : Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel that shows it shows that when the civilization or leadership is absent and there is no fear of law and authority, human nature has more inclination to fall prey to vice. Savagery has the power to take over as the beast, despite its absence, takes over the entire group of the boys and terrifies the “littluns.” It could also be an allegory that when a war is taking place between the adults, another war is between innocence and savagery.
• Antagonist : Jack Merridew is the antagonist of the novel, Lord of the Flies, because he stands against the order and civilization that Ralph and his rational friend want to bring. He rather indulges in savagery and killing whatever comes in the way of him and his hunters.
• Allusion : There are various examples of the Biblical allusions given in the novel, Lord of the Flies. Simon alludes to Jesus Christ, while the head of the pig alludes to Satan that makes human being to go astray from the true path. On the other hand, Jack is the representative of Juda and the lone island is an example of paradise.
• Conflict : There are two types of conflicts in the novel, Lord of the Flies. The first one is between man and nature as it goes on between the boys and the situation on the island where they are to live. The second is about man and man and man and self which goes on between Ralph and Jack and Ralph and his thinking.
• Characters: Lord of the Flies presents both static as well as dynamic characters. Ralph is a dynamic character , as he goes through various changes and has several issues to deal with, while Jack Merridew is also a vibrant character on account of his ambitious and unpredictable nature. Piggy, however, is a static character in that he does not witness any change in his thinking from the first day to the last. Simon, too, is a static character.
• Climax : The climax in the novel arrives when Simon sees Lord of the Flies and realizes that it is a beast but then realizes that every boy has a beast in his mind. That is why when he tries to come back and join the boys, they kill him, considering him as prey. However, when Jack engineers the killing of Piggy, this is the anticlimax of Lord of the Flies.
• Foreshadowing : There are several examples of foreshadowing in Lord of the Flies. The first example of foreshadowing in the novel occurs when the boys gather together for voting and it is voiced that there may be a beast. The ensuing argument shows that it would be there soon, even if it does not exist. The second example is of Piggy who continuously refers to his aunt which shows that he always needs somebody to depend on him. The third good example is the discovery of conch and advice of Piggy, which points out that Piggy is the supplier of ideas to Ralph, who is nothing without him.
• Hyperbole : Hyperbole or exaggeration occurs when Piggy and Ralph find the conch on the seashore and Piggy thinks that the conch will bring order and authority to Ralph that he will use with his ideas. However, it proves a pipedream for him, for how a simple conch can bring order and authority among the unruly children.
• Imagery : Imagery means to use to present an image that shows the use of sense by the readers or audiences to identity it such as Ralph is shown having landed like a cat, Jake is shown behaving as an ape, while the littluns are shown as inspects. Also, the sea is shown as a creature, while the fire is shown as a jaguar. In fact, Lord of Flies is full of natural imagery as the location and the characters demonstrate it amply.
• Metaphor : Lord of the Flies shows decent use of various metaphors . For example, i. Then the creature stepped from mirage on to clear sand, and they saw that the darkness was not all shadow but mostly clothing. (Chapter-1) ii. He was a shrimp of a boy, about six years old, and one side of his face was blotted bout by a mulberry-colored birthmark. (Chapter-1) iii. On one side the air was cool, but on the other, the fire thrust out a savage arm of heat that crinkled hair on the instant. (Chapter-2)The first metaphor shows the comparison of darkness with the clothing, the second boy with the shrimp, and the third fire with a savage creature.
• Mood : The novel, Lord of the Flies, shows a serious mood of horror and grief. Even though the start is quite interesting and entertaining, it suddenly transforms into somber and then sorrowful when the boys start making groups, hunting and finally killing each other.
• Motif : Most important motifs of the novel, Lord of the Flies, are the conch, glasses of Piggy, and the beast.
• Narrator : The novel, Lord of the Flies, uses the third person as a narrator of the story , which is also called an omniscient narrator. Here the author, William Golding is the narrator of the story.
• Personification : Personification means to attribute human acts and emotions to non-living objects. For example, i. 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. Small flames stirred at the trunk of a tree and crawled away through leaves and brushwood, dividing and increasing. (Chapter-2) ii. The flames, as though they were a kind of wildlife, crept as a jaguar creeps on its belly toward a line of birch-like saplings that fledged an outcrop of the pink rock. iii. Then the roof of leaves broke up and they halted, breathing quickly, looking at the few stars that pricked round the head of the mountain. (Chapter-7)These three examples show smoke, flame, and then roof as if they have human emotions.
• Protagonist : Ralph is the protagonist of the novel. He starts the novel and captures the interest of the readers until the last page when he flees for his life. Besides, he is the primary motivator of the order and civilization on the island.
• Paradox : Lord of the Flies shows the use of paradox in the behavior of the boys that fear is not outside but in their minds. Therefore, it is a paradox.
• Theme : A theme is a central idea that the novelist or the writer wants to stress upon. The novel, Lord of the Flies , not only shows the theme of conflict between vice and virtue, but also various other themes such as loss of innocent, value of the order, and above all the nature of man.
• Setting : The setting of the novel, Lord of the Flies, is the sea and the coastal area as well as the lonely island with thick forest.
• Simile : The novel shows great use of various similes such as; i. A rock, almost detached, standing like a fort , facing them across the green with one bold, pink bastion. (Chapter-1) ii. The breezes that on the lagoon had chased their tails like kittens were finding their way across the platform and into the forest. (Chapter-2) iii. One patch touched a tree trunk and scrambled up like a bright squirrel . (Chapter-2)The first simile compares a rock to a fort, the second breezes to kittens, and the third the patch to a squirrel.
• Symbol: Lord of the Flies shows that the symbols of the best, glasses, fire, adults, ocean, and the island.
• Irony : The novel shows irony when the boys are engaged in talking about the beast but only Simon knows it, though, he is unable to express it.

Related posts:

• Lord of the Flies Quotes
• Lord of the Flies Themes
• Lord of the Flies Characters
• Lord of the Flies Symbolism
• As The Crow Flies
• Alfred Lord Tennyson
• William Golding

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Lord of the flies – sample essay..

Choose a novel in which an important theme is explored. Explain how the author develops this theme throughout the novel.

            The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel in which the theme of savagery versus civilisation is explored. Some British boys are stranded on an isolated island at the time of an imaginary nuclear war. On the island we see conflict between two main characters, Jack and Ralph, who respectively represent civilisation and savagery. This has an effect on the rest of the boys throughout the novel as they delve further and further into savagery.

             The theme of savagery versus civilisation is first introduced to us through the symbol of the conch shell which we associate with Ralph as he is the person who first uses it and becomes the elected leader of the boys. This symbolises authority amongst the boys. At the first assembly Ralph says “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak…he won’t be interrupted”. This suggests civilisation as Ralph is allowing each boy to have an equal say and opinion. If they have the conch, no matter who they are or what age they are they will be given the chance to speak and will be listened to by the rest of the boys. The boys have created the island to be a democratic place which shows a civilised side to them as they try to mimic the homes they have just left.

             Contrasting with the symbol of the conch is the symbol of the beast which comes to be associated with Jack as by the end of the novel he is almost devil worshipping it. The beast begins as a  “snake thing” but by the end of the novel it has become “the Lord of the Flies”. The first quote shows us that the beast is clearly evil. Western society considers snakes to be bad omens because it was a snake that led Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. However at this stage of the novel the beast is quite insubstantial as it is only a “thing”. As the boys fear of the beast grows so to does the beast itself until it has manifested into the devil – the ultimate and most powerful evil. He has a strong status as a Lord although it is over something pretty disgusting – the flies. The boys belief in the beast leads them to behave more like savages as they act out from their fear and they begin to loose hold of the rules, led by Jack, thus demonstrating the theme of savagery.

             One of ways Golding shows conflict between savagery and civilisation is when Jack and some of the other boys are killing the first pig. Jack chants “kill the pig, cut her throat, spill the blood”. This suggests savagery as the boys are being violent and aggressive when killing the pig and they don’t care about it. This is particularly clear through Golding’s word choice. Jack talks about cutting the pig’s throat which makes it sound like a savage action and spilling her blood which reinforces the lack of care and feeling shown towards the pug’s carcass. This shows that the boys are no longer feeling guilty about what they have done thus showing them becoming savages. 

             We can see the conflict between savagery and civilisation developing further when Piggy’s glasses are broken. We are told “Piggy cried out in terror ‘my specs!” This shows us that the boys savage natures are beginning to overule their more civilised sides. At the start of the book Jack would never have dared touch Piggy, but here he actually snaps and goes for Piggy who he despises. We can tell that Piggy is really scared as Golding chooses the words “cried” and “terror” to describe the scene. Piggy sounds like he is hurting and is genuinely terrified about what Jack might do to him and the loss of his sight. Piggy’s glasses have also come to represent intelligence on the island, with them breaking we see that the pathway to savagery is now completely open for the boys. This is the first true piece of violence between the two factions on the island and it will result in nearly all the boys becoming savages.

             A final way in which we see the theme of savagery versus civilisation being demonstrated is when Ralph sticks up for Piggy after he is attacked by Jack. Ralph says “that was a dirty trick”. This shows that Ralph is really angry at Jack for what he said and did to Piggy. He is still attempting to impose himself as leader here as he says this in an aggressive and assertive tone. This suggests there is still some glimmers of civilisation on the island at this point as there is still someone with a sense of moral goodness ready to fight for justice.

             In conclusion The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel in which the theme of savagery versus civilisation is shown. Ralph represents civilisation as he wants to enforce rules and let everyone have an equal say. Whereas Jack who represents savagery as he rules over the boys and he is not interested in what they have to say. Through the boys actions Golding shows us that we need rules and to consciously impose them to make sure society functions properly.

27 thoughts on “Lord of the Flies – sample essay.”

AWESOME thanks guys!!

This essay was really helpful and thought provoking. I noticed a comment about how this essay could improve and I understand that this essay follows Scottish Qualifications, but I just have two suggestions to improve it.

At the beginning of Paragraph 4 it states “One of ways”. I think that perhaps the author meant “One of the ways”.

Also, in Paragraph 5 the author uses “We”, it may be different in Scotland, but I learnt that in essays one does not use personal pronouns.

Other than that it was really well written <3 Thank you!

I’m sorry you didn’t find the essay any help. There are mistakes in this as it was written by a National 5 class and is an exact sample essay as written by the pupils (equivalent to GCSE) and as a result of that there are some errors. It does talk about the same thing over and over again – civilisation versus savagery – but it is supposed to as this was the focus of the essay question. When writing a critical essay you need to pick out things from the text that answer the question. You will notice that different things are picked out from the text that relate to the fight between civilisation and savagery – whether this is the symbols used in the book or the actions of some of the characters. Once this has been selected to speak about you need to lift evidence from the text to support what you are saying and then explain it to your readers. I hope this has helped you understand the point of the essay a bit better.

Ms Davidson

Is this essay meant to be for a GSCE course? I am doing an essay about it now and I’m in year 8.

This text is being used by students in a Scottish Secondary School for their National 5 English qualification. They sit their exam at the equivalent age to those studying GCSEs. It doesn’t really matter what age you are when you study the text, it’s more to do with the levels of analysis you go through whilst studying the text. This essay would be a minimum pass at National 5 in Scotland. It is written by students and is simply an example of what students could write in their exam.

Hope that’s helped, Ms Davidson

I was desperate to know what to write in the conclusion but then this conclusion gave me some help, Thank you

Thank you so much!! The points in this essay are extremely helpful and I was able to interlink them in my GCSE exam today. Very helpful source!!

You are very welcome!

I’m glad you found it useful!

Thanks so much I have this 5 paragraph essay that’s due and you helped me so much for idea wise

WOOOOW amazing thank you so much

😍😍😍😍❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

this is gold as I have to write an essay on lotf and was having troubles finding main quotes the had good techniques paired to them and this helped a lot

Is this a full mark piece ?

This would probably get 15-16 out of 20 at National 5 in the Scottish system. Hope that helps.

Glad it was useful!

Thank you so much this was so extremely helpful. You are a lifesaver!

I’m glad I found this essay because i got an A on my school essay. THANK YOU SO MUCH 🙂

I wanted conflict between ralph and jack ONLY

You can change the points and the link backs (the first and last sentence in each paragraph) to focus on the conflict between Jack and Ralph if you need to. Each symbol talked about here is either associated with Jack or Ralph. Also Jack and Ralph link to the wider theme of the book with each boy respectively representing civilisation or savagery. This essay can be used to help you structure the one you need to write.

I am writing a paragraph and i need to write about the theme, charecters/groups… i cant start the paragraph with the answers, i need an intro, what can i do for an intro, i am a bit stuck

I’m not sure I understand your question Sarah. Your paragraph seems to include an awful lot of things. What is the overall point you are trying to talk about? If you were looking at the theme of civilisation then you could start with a simple sentence saying “The Lord of the Flies explores the theme of savagery versus civilisation”. If you are focusing on a particular character then begin with “The Lord of the Flies uses one of it’s main characters Jack/Ralph to explore certain ideas within the text.” I hope this helps. Ms Davidson

This helped me soon much!I’m so happy that I got an A+!My teacher was so happy.

That’s excellent!

THANK YOU SO MUCH 🙂

I need help with that essay lotf essay why should a leader read lotf base on ralph.

Take a look at the essay based on the character Ralph. Adapt it the first sentence in each paragraph (your POINT) so that it focuses on Ralph being a good example of being a leader, or how they can learn a lesson from him doing something that shows him being a bad leader. Then adapt the final sentence (your LINK BACK) so it responds to him setting an example (or not!) for leaders.

I was reading through the comments and you mentioned that the essay would be about 15-16 marks out of 20, and was wonder what improvements could be made to get the last few marks?

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