Lord of the Flies major characters

Lord of the Flies major characters

1. RALPH

   • represents order, leadership + civilisation
     • "ought to - ought to die before we let the fire out
   • perceptive
     • as novel progresses, understands that savagery lives within, inherent evil present
     • notices decline in communication/verbal ability
   • charismatic
     • power + influence secure at beginning, still shaped by society's guidelines
       • holds the conch, emblem of adult authority
   • morality imposed by society
     • "eyes that proclaimed no devil."
     • "That was murder"
   • "striving unsuccessfully to convey majesty of adult life

2. JACK

   • dominant
     • rejects Ralph's authority + imposed rules
     • manipulates their fears, instrument of power
     • "the Chief has spoken"
     • "Choir! Stand still!"
     • controls boys through violence, they embrace it
   • violent
     • longer he spends on island, surrounded by temptations of a society ruled by the strongest(physically) becomes more savage
       • "awesome stranger"
       • "the madness came into his eyes again"
       • "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood"
   • represents militarism + anarchy (no rules), represents desire/greed for power
     • "We don't need the conch any more"
     • represents demons/devil
       • "a stain in the darkness, a stain that was Jack"
         • feel powerful and exalted
           • arrogant
             • "I ought to be chief"
         • "wedded to her in lust"
     • "sat there like an idol"

3. SIMON

   • shy/silent
     • represents spiritual side of human nature + neutral force, idea of essential human goodness
       • deep affinity w/ nature
         • "water rose further and dressed Simon's coarse hair w/ brightness
   • symbol of pure goodness
     • brutal murder indicates the scarcity of that good amongst abundance of evil (sow head on stake symbolises evil)
       • "Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach"
         • feeding of the 5000, Judeo - Christian allegory
   • name means "he whom God has heard" indicates depth of spirituality
   • intelligent/introspective
     • "Maybe it is only us"

4. PIGGY

   • dependent
     • relies too heavily on power of social convection, believes upholding rules gets desirable results
     • clings to what gives him power, conch
     • "I got the conch"
   • inferior
     • nickname symbolically connects him to pigs- target of Jack and his hunter's bloodlust
     • Jack's victim, most physically vunerable
     • "fatty"/"The fat boy"
     • "Piggy was surrounded before he could back away"
   • loving/caring
     • idolises Ralph like a God, has brother like relationship w/ other boys
   • intelligent
     • represents rational world