Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Plot Diagram
Exposition: During an atomic war, a group of boys are in an airplane that is hit by enemy fire. All of the boys were dropped out of the plane and landed on an uninhabited island. The boys gather together, making Ralph their chief and Jack the head of the hunters.
Rising Action: The boys create order on the island by having meetings and using the conch shell to give permission to speak. Order works well in the beginning until most of the boys decide they do not want to work. They want the work to be done, but they prefer to play around and hunt. Even with their differences, all of the boys are concerned about the beast that they believe is on the mountain. Jack and Ralph continue to disagree about how things should be done, so the group splits into two. During this time, Jack's group is concerned about hunting and lack of order. Ralph's group concentrates on keeping a signal fire. Jack's group kills a pigs and leaves the head on a stick in the forest glade for the beast.
Climax: The climax occurs when Simon is in the forest glade and discovers the pig's head, the Lord of the Flies. The pig's head tells him that the beast is not one thing. It is the evil that exists in all of the boys. When Simon goes back to beach to tell the boys what he has learned, he crawls out of the woods and is attacked and brutally murdered.
Falling Action: Ralph is very concerned with what is happening on the island, especially Simon's murder. The few boys that are left in Ralph's group try to keep the signal fire going, but they just cannot do it. One night when they are all asleep, boys from the other tribe come over and beat them up and steel Piggy's glasses. Without having the power to make fire using the glasses, they cannot maintain a signal fire, and hope of rescue is lost. They go over to Jack's tribe to get them back. Piggy takes the conch shell, and while they are there asking for Piggy's glasses, Ralph and Jack get into a fight. Jack takes control and ties up Sam and Eric. Then Roger pushes a big bolder down from the top of the hill. The bolder hits Piggy, smashes the the conch, and pushes Piggy off the cliff falling 40 feet. He dies and is washed out to sea. There is now one tribe against Ralph. They go on a hunt to kill Ralph. They try to flush him out by burning the island.
Resolution: When the boys burn the island, it catches the attention of a navy boat. A naval officer comes ashore and finds the boys ready to kill Ralph. The officer asks if they are in the middle of a war, and the boys answer yes. Ralph tells the officer about their time on the island, including the two murders. Ralph cries as he tells about Piggy. The officer is embarrassed and moved by the story and turns away. He gives them time to get themselves together while they wait for the boat.
Exposition: During an atomic war, a group of boys are in an airplane that is hit by enemy fire. All of the boys were dropped out of the plane and landed on an uninhabited island. The boys gather together, making Ralph their chief and Jack the head of the hunters.
Rising Action: The boys create order on the island by having meetings and using the conch shell to give permission to speak. Order works well in the beginning until most of the boys decide they do not want to work. They want the work to be done, but they prefer to play around and hunt. Even with their differences, all of the boys are concerned about the beast that they believe is on the mountain. Jack and Ralph continue to disagree about how things should be done, so the group splits into two. During this time, Jack's group is concerned about hunting and lack of order. Ralph's group concentrates on keeping a signal fire. Jack's group kills a pigs and leaves the head on a stick in the forest glade for the beast.
Climax: The climax occurs when Simon is in the forest glade and discovers the pig's head, the Lord of the Flies. The pig's head tells him that the beast is not one thing. It is the evil that exists in all of the boys. When Simon goes back to beach to tell the boys what he has learned, he crawls out of the woods and is attacked and brutally murdered.
Falling Action: Ralph is very concerned with what is happening on the island, especially Simon's murder. The few boys that are left in Ralph's group try to keep the signal fire going, but they just cannot do it. One night when they are all asleep, boys from the other tribe come over and beat them up and steel Piggy's glasses. Without having the power to make fire using the glasses, they cannot maintain a signal fire, and hope of rescue is lost. They go over to Jack's tribe to get them back. Piggy takes the conch shell, and while they are there asking for Piggy's glasses, Ralph and Jack get into a fight. Jack takes control and ties up Sam and Eric. Then Roger pushes a big bolder down from the top of the hill. The bolder hits Piggy, smashes the the conch, and pushes Piggy off the cliff falling 40 feet. He dies and is washed out to sea. There is now one tribe against Ralph. They go on a hunt to kill Ralph. They try to flush him out by burning the island.
Resolution: When the boys burn the island, it catches the attention of a navy boat. A naval officer comes ashore and finds the boys ready to kill Ralph. The officer asks if they are in the middle of a war, and the boys answer yes. Ralph tells the officer about their time on the island, including the two murders. Ralph cries as he tells about Piggy. The officer is embarrassed and moved by the story and turns away. He gives them time to get themselves together while they wait for the boat.
Characterization:
Ralph: Ralph is the golden boy in the novel. He is the immediate leader of the group. He is a round character because we know a lot about him. He is dynamic because he goes from being sure of himself as a leader to questioning himself and losing control over the others.
Jack: Jack is the leader of the hunters. He has a strong desire for absolute power and is willing to do anything to get it. He is a round character because we learn a lot about his character. He is also a dynamic character as he changes from being a civilized child to a savage leader who breaks away from the group.
Simon: Simon is originally with Jack, but actually helps Ralph achieve his goals instead. He believes this Lord of the Flies spoke to him and tells him the truth about evil. He ends up being killed as a result of discovering the pig's head. His character is round because we learn a lot about him. He is dynamic, as he changes from believing in the beast to doubting its existence to knowing the truth.
Piggy: Piggy is introduced to the reader as an overweight boy who wears glasses and has asthma. He is very intelligent and understands things that the other boys do not. These traits make him a round character. He is a static character because he remains civilized throughout the story.
Ralph: Ralph is the golden boy in the novel. He is the immediate leader of the group. He is a round character because we know a lot about him. He is dynamic because he goes from being sure of himself as a leader to questioning himself and losing control over the others.
Jack: Jack is the leader of the hunters. He has a strong desire for absolute power and is willing to do anything to get it. He is a round character because we learn a lot about his character. He is also a dynamic character as he changes from being a civilized child to a savage leader who breaks away from the group.
Simon: Simon is originally with Jack, but actually helps Ralph achieve his goals instead. He believes this Lord of the Flies spoke to him and tells him the truth about evil. He ends up being killed as a result of discovering the pig's head. His character is round because we learn a lot about him. He is dynamic, as he changes from believing in the beast to doubting its existence to knowing the truth.
Piggy: Piggy is introduced to the reader as an overweight boy who wears glasses and has asthma. He is very intelligent and understands things that the other boys do not. These traits make him a round character. He is a static character because he remains civilized throughout the story.
Picture Method
Chapter 1
Predict:
Predict:
- This book will be about a group of flies.
- There will be a jungle.
- There will be talking animals.
When I read about "the fair haired boy," I thought about young Cody Simpson.
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This is how I imagined Piggy to look like.
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This picture is showing the giant conch shell.
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Clarify:
Chapter 2
Predict:
- This book is not about a group of flies, its about boys.
- Piggy is a person, not a pig.
- suffusion= To spread through or over, as with liquid, color, or light. (The blush drained from Jack's face)
- Will they be rescued?
- Did the plane really crash?
- Are there more people hiding on the island?
- I have fair hair just like Ralph.
- I have been elected into a leadership position too just like Ralph.
- I have gone exploring on an island before just like the boys did.
Chapter 2
Predict:
- They will find more people on the island.
- They will go hunting and kill a pig.
- They will build shelter.
This picture represents the little boy who said he saw a "beastie."
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This picture shows the fire they built on top of the mountain to signal boats.
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This picture shows when they accidentally let the trees catch on fire.
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Clarify:
Questions:
Chapter 3
Predict:
- martyred- a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief
- ebullience- the quality of being cheerful and full of energy; exuberance.
- scar- an irregular elongated trench-like feature on a land surface that often exposes bedrock.
Questions:
- Is there a big snake?
- Will the whole island catch on fire?
- Where did the little kid go?
- I have seen a snake just like the little claims to have seen.
- I have glasses just like Piggy.
- I have built a bonfire just like the boys did.
Chapter 3
Predict:
- They will see a giant snake just like the kid said.
- They will be hungry for meat.
- They will kill a pig.
This represents the pig that Jack is trying catch.
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This picture is representing the shelters Ralph tried to build.
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This picture represents where Simon went and hid.
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Clarify:
Chapter 4
Predict:
- festooned- a long chain or strip of something (such as flowers or cloth) that is hung as a decoration.
- tendril- a slender threadlike appendage of a climbing plant, often growing in a spiral form, that stretches out and twines around any suitable support.
- node- a point at which lines or pathways intersect or branch; a central or connecting point.
- Will they ever catch a pig?
- Why did Simon hide in the little cabin?
- Are the green candle-buds bad?
- Like Jack, I have gone running through the woods.
- Like Ralph, I have had to try and make shelter in the woods.
- I have fought with people just like Ralph and Jack.
Chapter 4
Predict:
- They will kill a pig.
- They will feast on pig and get sick.
- Jack and Ralph will get in a fistfight.
This picture shows the smoke from a passing boat that Ralph sees.
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This picture shows the pig that Jack and the hunters caught.
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This picture shows Jack painting his face in a disguise.
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Clarify:
Chapter 5
Predict:
- Opalescence- having a milky iridescence
- Menaced- threatened in an especially malignant or hostile manner.
- myriad- a countless or extremely great number.
- Will there be another boat?
- Why do they always pick on Piggy?
- Are Ralph and Jack enemies?
- I have had food roasted over a fire before just like they did.
- I have broken my glasses before just like Piggy's broke.
- I have tried to build a sundial before just like Piggy wanted too.
Chapter 5
Predict:
- Ralph and Jack will get in a fistfight.
- Ralph will see another ship.
- Simon will run away.
This picture is representing the logs that the boys sat on during the meetings.
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This picture represents the boys at the meeting fighting and shouting over each other.
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This picture show Piggy and Ralph when all the other boys leave with Jack.
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Clarify:
Questions:
Chapter 6
Predict:
- rendered- cause to be or become; make
- convulsion- a sudden, violent, irregular movement of a limb or of the body
- lamentably- in an unfortunate or deplorable manner
Questions:
- Is there really a beast?
- Is Ralph still the chief?
- Is Jack now is charge?
- I have had to led a group of people who keep shouting over me just like Piggy and Ralph.
- I have been on the losing side on an argument just like Piggy.
- I have been overlooked just like Simon was.
Chapter 6
Predict:
- The boys will follow Jack now.
- Simon will run away from the group.
- The fire will go out.
This picture represents Samneric who first discover the beast on the mountain.
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This picture is representing the parachute that is the beast.
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This picture shows the cave that the boys found when they went looking for the beast.
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Clarify:
Chapter 7
Predict:
- waxy - bad tempered
- embroiled - involved deeply in an argument
- theatrical - exaggerated
- Will they move to the cave?
- Will a ship see their fire?
- Are Jack and Ralph becoming enemies?
- I have been scared of something before, just like the boys are afraid of the beast.
- I have been in a cave before.
- I have built a fire before, just like and Samneric.
Chapter 7
Predict:
- They will find the beast.
- Jack will take control of the boys.
- Ralph and the other boys will have a fight.
This picture represents the pig that Ralph hit with a spear.
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This picture shows what a pig run looks like.
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This picture represents the boys running away after they found the beast.
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Clarify:
Chapter 8
Predict:
- plume - a long, soft feather
- swathed - wrapped in many layers of fabric
- guano - excrement of seabirds and bats
- Will they find the beast?
- Will Piggy be mad about having to watch the little kids?
- Will the beast attack them?
- I have had to watch kids, just like Piggy does.
- I have climbed on a mountain before, just like the boys do.
- I like fruit, just like the boys do.
Chapter 8
Predict:
- The boys will go back for the beast.
- The fire will go out again.
- Piggy will get upset at Jack.
This picture represents when no hands went up to make Jack the new chief.
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This picture shows Simon when he said they should climb the mountain.
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This picture shows the "Lord of the Flies" which Simon finds in the glade.
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Clarify:
Chapter 9
Predict:
- rebuke - express sharp disapproval
- sodden - soaked through
- cracked - crazy or insane
- Will Simon find the beast?
- Is the pig head the Lord of the Flies?
- Is Simon going crazy?
- I have read stories before where something that should not be able to talk does talk to the character.
- I have collected wood before.
- I have eaten pig before.
Chapter 9
Predict:
- Simon will tell Ralph about the Lord of the Flies.
- Someone will go missing.
- Jack will kill another pig.
This picture shows how the boys split up into two different groups.
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This picture shows one of the foods that was at the feast that Jack held.
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This picture shows Simon after the boys murdered him.
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Clarify:
Chapter 10
Predict:
- unearthly - unnatural or mysterious in a disturbing way
- indignity - treatment that makes one feel shame
- protruded - extended beyond or above a surface
- Is Jack the new chief?
- If Jack blows the conch, will the boys go to the meeting?
- Why do they murder Simon?
- Like the boys, I have roasted something on a fire.
- We pushed Juliet out to sea in our skit last year, like Simon was pushed out to sea after his death.
- I have looked at the stars before.
Chapter 10
Predict:
- Piggy and Ralph will hind away from the others.
- Jack will kill another person.
- They will realize that the beast is nothing.
This picture represents when Jack's troop comes and beats up Ralph's troop in the middle of the night.
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This picture shows Piggy's glass, which Jack stole.
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This picture shows the couch, which Piggy thought they were trying to seal.
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Clarify:
Chapter 11
Predict:
- Torrid- very hot and dry
- Crags- steep and rugged cliffs or rock faces
- Tendril- something resembling a plant tendril, like a piece of hair
- Who is outside the shelters?
- Where do the other boys sleep?
- Will they get Piggy's glasses back?
- I used to wear glasses and I broke them once just like Piggy.
- I have slept outside before and heard a noise just like Ralph.
- I have slept in a tent before, which is similar to what the boys do.
Chapter 11
Predict:
- Ralph's group will go to steal back the glasses.
- This will not go over well.
- Jack will hide the glasses from Ralph.
This picture represents when Jack tied up Samneric.
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This picture represents the fire that Jack is using to cook food, not to signal help.
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This picture represents when Rodger pushed a bolder on to Piggy and killed him.
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Clarify:
Chapter 12
Predict:
- oblong - an elongated shape
- unquenchable - not able to stop thirst
- vitality - having energy; being strong and active
- Will Jack kill Ralph?
- Why are Samaneric being tied up?
- Why did they kill Piggy?
- I have been tied up before (but I was playing a game).
- I have tried to make a fire using glasses.
- I have seen people on Flight 29 Down make fire.
Chapter 12
Predict:
- Ralph will die.
- Roger will kill Samaneric.
- The boys will go to war with each other.
This picture shows the Pig's head that Ralph finds when he is hiding in the woods.
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This picture shows when Jack and the other boys set the island on fire to find Ralph.
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This picture shows when Ralph falls out of the woods and finds a Navy officer.
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Clarify:
- luminous - full of light, especially in the dark
- pinnacles - high, pointed pieces of rock
- leaden - dull, heavy, slow
- Do they realize how savage they are acting?
- Will they ever feel bad about killing each other?
- Will they survive long enough to be rescued?
- I have played hide-n-go seek in the woods, just like Ralph is hiding from Jack's tribe.
- I have heard about fires getting out of control, just like Jack catching most of the island on fire.
- I have seen movies where someone is rescued from being on a deserted island.
Themes
- Civilization vs. Savagery: Throughout the novel there is a conflict between the desire to live in an organized civilized manner governed by rules and the desire to obtain power through savage means. The boys lose sight of their civilized upbringing as they fight for their inner driven right to be at the top.
- Original Sin: The original sin in the Bible occurred when Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and ate the forbidden fruit. This resulted in a loss of peace and innocence. In Lord of the Flies, original sin occurs in Simon's glade in the forest when he discovers his peaceful haven has been corrupted by the head of the pig, indicating something evil has occurred.
- Loss of Innocence: Because they are thrown into a "world" that lacks the care of adults, the boys are forced to grow up faster than they would have otherwise. While at the beginning of the novel they relish their freedom, they soon turn to more savage and adult-like behaviors of war and power-driven desires.
Motifs
- Garden of Eden: Simon's glade in the forest on the island is a parallel to the Garden of Eden in the Bible. While once peaceful and beautiful, it is destroyed by the introduction of evil (sin).
- Objects of Power: There are several objects of power evident in the novel. The conch shell gives the power to speak to the person who has the shell in his possession. The glasses give the power to create fire. The pig's head is the power of evil that exists within each of them.
- Nature: The natural events that occur give clues to the events and mood surrounding them. Simon finds peace and tranquility in his glade in the jungle. Later in the novel, there is a terrible storm at the point that the boys kill Simon.
Symbols
- Conch Shell: The conch shell is a symbol of civilization and democratic power. It is used to bring the boys together for meetings is used to indicate who has permission to speak at the meetings. When the shell breaks, there is no longer order on the island. Chaos reigns.
- Piggy's Glasses: The glasses are a symbol of knowledge and power. They belong to Piggy, the smartest boy in the group who appears to understand things that the other boys do not. The glasses are used to start fires. When the glasses are stolen, Ralph's camp loses the power to make fire.
- Lord of the Flies: The Lord of the Flies is the head of a pig. It symbolizes the devil and the power of evil in the novel.
Tone
- Tragic: The tone is tragic in the novel due to the deaths of both Piggy and Simon.
- Pessimistic: The authors instills his pessimistic viewpoint on the reader. Whereas most people look at childhood as a time of innocence, the author shows the reader that evil, even with children, will overpower the good.
- Violent: Violence in the novel begins with the need to hunt for food. Some of the boys discover that they are indeed able to kill. This later escalates into the ability to kill humans, as is apparent in the killing of both Piggy and Simon.
Mood
- Excitement is evident to the reader at the beginning of the novel as the boys discover their freedom from the rules of adults.
- An element of fear is apparent as the story progresses, and the boys realize that everything is starting to go wrong.
- A feeling of darkness and despair continues throughout the remainder of the novel as the death and destruction continues with the lack of authority.