Ralph therefore feels like the boys do not have the same incentive to get rescued as he does and becomes naturally cross at the boys.
3)
Dossier: Piggy
Name: Piggy
Age: 12 approximately
Physical Description: Wears big thick glasses, is in quite poor health (his as-mar), very fat and round, fine brown hair, freckles and with a “piggish” type face.
Personality: He likes intellectuals who discuss matters of interest and have concern for one another. He dislikes people who are rude and do not listen to others (JACK – “Piggy was so full of delight on Jacks departure, so full of pride on his contribution to the good of society, which he helped to fetch wood.”)
Beliefs: A democratic society in general.
Other: He is always left to baby sit the littluns when the boys go off on adventures, told by Ralph that he "isn't good for this sort of thing." Obviously made fun of in school, he often feels left out and isolated early on in the story although increasingly as Jack and Ralph drift apart, Piggy's voice of reason and insight come to fill the gap, and he and Ralph become good friends.
Dossier: Ralph
Name: Ralph
Age: 12 approx.
Physical Description: attractive young boy, thinly built, his mouth and eyes reflected his skin and represented no evil. His skin is dark, tanned with fine brown hair – A boy whom looks like a leader - Golding – His body described as 'golden'.
Personality: Establishes a mock-democratic government for the group in order for them to be rescued, and to maintain peace and order. Also likes intellects (Piggy) and jobs being completed for the good of society. Dislikes include: Jack, arrogance and not following orders atoll.
Other: Ralph is the one boy at the close of the novel who is not a hunter. Having been pursued ruthlessly by Jack and his tribe, Ralph begins weeping on the beach before his grown-up rescuers. The naval officer shows disapproval at the destructive state of things on the island, which Ralph laments that he had done everything he could do to be a good leader.
Dossier: Simon
Name: Simon
Age: 13 – 15
Physical Attributes: He is a small skinny boy along with a small chin “and eyes so bright they had been deceived as wicked”. A long mop of black hair concealed most of his forehead and ears. His feet were bare and his skin colour was dark which glistened by his sweat.
Personality: When he is given orders he does what is needed (shown when Ralph and Simon build shelters for everyone). He was very quiet and yet there was something about him as though he was always suggesting something. He is also kind and thoughtful in thinking.
Beliefs: Represents natural human goodness.
Dossier: Jack
Name: Jack Merridew
Age: 15 – 16
Physical Description: Tall, thin, and bony...his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was...freckled, and ugly without silliness' (Chapter 1 pg. 19). His eyes were bright blue and turned to anger if necessary.
Personality: Likes; being in charge (power), being important, telling others what to do, build up a colt??? Dislikes; People telling him what to do, people saying he’s wrong, people like Piggy (intellectuals).
Beliefs: Only when Simon faints does he show sympathy, to create his own number of hunters.
Other: It is Jack who leads the boys' turn to savagery, or at least gives it a certain order.
4)
The Conch Shell - The conch shell is the first important discovery Piggy and Ralph make on the island, and they use it to summon the boys together after they are separated by the crash. As a result, the conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order. It is used to govern the boys' meetings: the boy who holds the shell is given the right to speak, making the shell more than a symbol; it is an actual vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power. As the island civilization erodes and savagery begins to dominate the boys, the conch shell loses its power and influence among them. Ralph clutches it desperately when he talks about his role in murdering Simon. Later, he is taunted and pelted with stones when he attempts to blow it in Jack's camp at Castle Rock. When Roger kills Piggy with the boulder, the conch shell is crushed, signifying the complete demise of the civilized instinct among almost all the boys on the island.
Piggy's Glasses - Piggy is the most intelligent, rational boy in the group, and his glasses represent the power of science and intellectual endeavour in society. This is most clearly demonstrated when Piggy's glasses are used to make fire by intensifying sunlight with their lenses. Thus, when Jack's hunters raid Ralph's camp and steal the glasses, the savages have taken the power to make fire, and Ralph's civilization is left helpless.
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 symbol for the boys' connection to civilization. As long as the fire is well maintained, the boys exhibit a desire to return to society, but when the fire burns low or goes out, the boys lose sight of their desire to be rescued, having accepted their savage lives on the island. The signal fire thus functions as a kind of measuring stick by which the strength of the civilized instinct on the island can be judged. Ironically, at the end of the novel, it is a fire that finally summons a ship to the island, but not the signal fire: it is the fire of savagery—the forest fire Jack starts as part of his quest to hunt and kill Ralph.
5)
The hunters lose their Identity primarily when “play was good and life so full that hope was not necessary and therefore forgotten.” They start to get caught up in this ‘frenzy’ of hunting and as they kill more and more. There desires take over – for killing and even sexual desires “right up her ass!” This soon leads to power corrupting and eventually wanting more control over the island itself.
6)
a) Lord of the Flies: This is the name given to the inner beast, to which only Simon ever actually speaks. As Simon's waits for the beast's arrival near the bloody sow's head on the stake (buzzing with flies), The Lord of the Flies speaks to him, warning him not to get in its way or else he shall be killed by the boys. The Lord of the Flies name comes from the sow's head and the countless flies buzzing about it, which soon move from the sow's head to swarm around the head of Simon as the Lord of the Flies tells him, "I'm a part of you." It is quite ironic that in biblical terms the term means a demon of Hell and cohort of Satan.
b) The Lord of the Flies came into being by civilization and savagery. One is devoted to values that promote ordered society and the other is devoted to values that threaten ordered society. When ‘evil’ comes onto the island the Lord of the Flies has now come down on the boys and society has changed.
c) Simon conversers with the pig head because he is the one who understands what the pig head is coming to. He realises it is evil after the head says “Aren’t you just a silly little boy?” Simon clearly tries to ignore the interrogation speaking to him and says virtually nothing. From that point on Simon realises that the beast is in all of them and collapses rolling into the pig’s head.
d) The conversation to Simon is I believe about changing his ways and turning into evil if possible “I’m warning you. I’m going to get waxy. D’you see? You’re not wanted. Understand?” The pigs head knows that Simon is its only threat in wanting to turn good into society and says “Where going to have fun”… “Don’t you mess it up…” If Simon does not change into the evilness that most of the boys are getting possessed by – he will end up dead, which is exactly what happens.
e) The weather was dark and there was a sense of dullness in the air. It reflects what is happening to Simon when he makes his way to the feast, he starts acting less secure and starts to question what is actually happening on the island. The weather has a dramatic affect on the boys, they want to go home and further more it is the turning point into savagery as Jack breaks up and society is heading to its downfall. “Power lay in the brown swell of his forearms: authority sat on his shoulder and chattered in his ear like an ape”.
7) RALPH DIARY ENTRY 1:
I arrived on this island with my fellow friend ‘Piggy’ and what was to seem quite a good place to have a functional society with no grown-ups to tell us anything of the sort.
I blew this thing called a conch explained to me by the cockney ‘Piggy’. It had a great low frequency sound which ended up calling boys from all over the island; they and I were greatly pleased for performing an act of leadership. Soon afterwards a group of choir boys dressed in black clothes appeared up on the beach where we held a meeting, one of them was the obvious leader named Jack. Jack and I sort out a vote on who should become chief of this new island paradise and I was elected naturally with the exception of Jack’s choir boys. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Jack had taken this matter quite disapprovingly, so as a good Englishmen would do I gave him the choir group to be governed by him. They would become hunters that would supply us with food. After the matter of voting who would be chief was sorted out we decided to do some exploring, Piggy wanted to come to but was not wanted so Jack and I made him stay back to look after the littluns (children).
The island was very dense with all kinds of plantations growing everywhere it was also hard and rocky. The beach was surrounded by sea which then lead to dark blue and not a single grown man or woman in sight.
I returned with many thoughts and issues in my head. We needed to be rescued and to be rescued we needed a plan. I quickly realised that the boy called Piggy was also a determined intellect that had thoughts in his head. He raised the issue to me that a smoke signal was need on top of a big mountain. So all of the biguns (adults) went up the mountain enthusiastically to create a great smoke signal, in which was for us to become rescued.
RALPH DIARY ENTRY 2:
They have become savages. Jacks lot have gone mad. I do not know what to do and Piggy, Samneric and I all need help though there is none in sight. Civilization has become ruined and Simon is dead and word of this beast is spreading.
I know we cannot fix this situation. Jack has become brutal and has taken power through force and ignorance. They have set up camp at castle rock. Piggy and I have arranged that we will travel there tonight in search of answers, though I am aware that it is a faint possibility.
There is an evil force on this island, and yet there is quietness. We need help, if only adults were here… they’d understand. Tis no good, it looks like we must become savages or die here.
JACK DIARY ENTRY 1:
I am disappointed on my involvement on the island. I clearly should’ve been chief, but this Ralph person doesn’t seem to be too bad…
My group of hunters have been unfortunate with no kills yet, but we’ll get them. I think Ralph doesn’t know how to run the place that well. He’s like Piggy, however I don’t wanna talk to dem – they might get upset and do something…
Not enough gets done here. The littluns just play all day in the beach and throw sand at each other. We need a chief like me… a hard one, that doesn’t allow this sort of behaviour. They should be told to do there jobs and shut-up, otherwise they do nothing and just want to live off our hard work.
I don’t like some of the boys here, especially that Piggy. That fat ogre… I’d like to give him some stick… O’well I got get back to do some hunting, using war paints so I can get the bastards…
JACK DIARY ENTRY: 2
At last things have been put to good uses. We have formed our own camp outside of Ralph’s – serves him right for standing up to Piggy and not being a proper leader…
Tonight we will toast my victory and the goodness of the tribe. Finally thing’s are lookin up and I don’t wanna see Ralph and dem lot Eva again… unless they join us… or else they’ll cop one.
Me and Roger have plans for this island and where gonna hunt with spears and hold ceremonies and dances. The island finally seems to have got order and it’s gonna stay dat way forever.
8)?
9) (On back.)
10)
The Most powerful character in the novel I believe is Roger. Although he does not say a great deal and character is not mentioned that much, he still has a vital impact on the novel and outlines the key allegorically.
Once again, The overriding theme of the novel 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 on the one hand; and the instinct to gratify one's immediate desires, act violently to obtain supremacy over others, and enforce one's will on the other. These two instincts may be called "the instinct of civilization" and "the instinct of savagery," as one is devoted to values that promote ordered society and the other is devoted to values that threaten ordered society.
The conflict might also be expressed as order vs. chaos, reason vs. impulse, law vs. anarchy, or in any number of other ways, including the more generalized good vs. evil. Throughout the novel, the instinct of civilization is associated with goodness, while the instinct of savagery is associated with evil – In this case Roger represents evil.
Roger is a character almost like the Lord of the Flies – He represents all evil in human being’s whether it may be power or corruption. Roger has outlined the significance in the way human being’s react and their focus towards the way in which human being’s lose there moral principals. Indications from Golding have lead to the conclusion that Roger represents brutality and bloodlust at their most extreme.
Golding, however, writes that the children all have innate evil and savagery within themselves. Civilisation, in other words, can mitigate but never wipe out the innate evil that exists within all human being’s.
By Fergus Waterson
© WatersonEnterprises™ 2003
