Lord of the Flies By William Golding: Summary and Analysis (2023)

Enter a captivating world where the thin veneer of civilisation gives way to the primal instincts that lurk within. Lord of the Flies (1954), the timeless classic by William Golding, transports readers to a deserted island where a group of young boys must navigate the challenges of survival, power dynamics, and the unravelling of societal order. With its chilling portrayal of human nature and thought-provoking exploration of the darkness that resides in us all, Lord of the Flies continues to captivate readers and serve as a haunting allegory for the fragility of civilisation. Explore the novel's themes, characters, and enduring impact on literature.

Lord of the Flies meaning

Lord of the Flies explores the inherent struggle between civilisation and savagery and examines the nature of evil. It delves into the idea that when societal order collapses, individuals are capable of committing unspeakable acts.

The title 'Lord of the Flies' is a literal translation of Beelzebub, a name often associated with the devil in the Christian tradition. The 'Lord of the Flies' in the novel is represented by a pig's head on a stick, which becomes a symbol of the evil and chaos that the boys themselves create. The 'Lord of the Flies' speaks to one of the boys, prophesying that they will descend into savagery and chaos, and essentially predicts the horrific events that unfold.

Lord of the Flies summary

Lord of the Flies is set during an unspecified war and follows a group of young boys who find themselves stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. Initially, they attempt to establish order and govern themselves. However, as their time on the island progresses, they descend into chaos and violence, revealing the darker aspects of human nature.

After a British aeroplane crashes on a remote Pacific island, a group of boys, mainly in their middle childhood, find themselves the sole survivors. The fair-haired Ralph and the intellectual Piggy discover a conch shell, which Ralph uses to assemble the boys and establish order. Ralph is elected as their leader, and they formulate three primary goals: to have fun, to survive, and to maintain a smoke signal for potential rescue.

However, as time passes, the semblance of order begins to disintegrate. Most of the boys become idle, ignoring Ralph's attempts to improve their circumstances. Paranoia about a mythical creature called the 'beast' engulfs them, leading to a breakdown in rationality. Ralph's efforts to convince them of the beast's non-existence are in vain, while Jack gains popularity by promising to hunt and kill it. The boys' focus shifts away from survival, and tensions rise.

Jack's desire for power and his tribe's detachment from the rest of the boys cause further division. They hunt pigs and neglect their duty to maintain the signal fire. The chance of rescue slips away when a ship fails to notice their smoke signal. Ralph confronts Jack about this failure, but his authority is undermined by the other boys. Feeling disillusioned, Ralph contemplates giving up his leadership, but is convinced otherwise by Piggy.

One night, during an aerial battle near the island, a fighter pilot ejects from his plane and lands, dead, with his parachute tangled in a tree. Sam and Eric, mistaking the corpse for the beast, alert the others. Ralph, Jack, and another boy, Roger, investigate the body but mistake it for the real creature. Jack attempts to sway the boys against Ralph but initially fails. Undeterred, Jack departs to form his own tribe, gradually attracting the majority of the boys.

Fig. 1 - The boys in Lord of the Flies are initially innocent schoolchildren. However, they succumb to their primal instincts over time on the uninhabited island.

Simon, who often seeks solitude in the forest, encounters an offering made by Jack's tribe: a pig's head on a stick, known as the "Lord of the Flies". In a hallucinatory conversation with the head, Simon discovers the truth: there is no external beast, but the true beast exists within themselves. The boys have lost their moral compass. Simon rushes to share this revelation but tragically becomes the victim of their fear and violence, beaten to death by the frenzied boys, including Ralph and Piggy.

Jack and his tribe steal Piggy's glasses, the only means of starting a fire, further solidifying their rebellion. They raid Ralph's camp, leaving him with only Sam and Eric as companions. Ralph, determined to confront Jack and retrieve the glasses, journeys to Castle Rock. However, he is rejected by most of the boys and witnesses the brutal death of Piggy, followed by the destruction of the conch shell, a symbol of order and civilisation. Ralph manages to escape, while Sam and Eric are coerced into joining Jack's tribe.

Desperate and pursued, Ralph confronts Sam and Eric in secret, learning of Jack's plan to hunt him down. The next morning, Jack's tribe ignites a fire that spreads through the forest. Ralph narrowly evades capture, enduring a relentless chase. Eventually, he stumbles and collapses in front of a uniformed naval officer who has arrived to investigate the smoke. Ralph, Jack, and the other boys break into tears, realising the loss of their innocence. The officer, witnessing their savage behaviour, reflects on the impact of war and civilisation's fragility before departing the island, leaving the boys to grapple with the aftermath of their experiences.

Lord of the Flies ending

In the final chapters, Ralph, the original leader of the boys and the symbol of order and civilisation becomes a hunted outcast. Jack, who represents savagery and uncontrolled impulses, has successfully led most of the boys away from Ralph's control and into a more primitive and violent lifestyle.

Jack and his tribe, now completely devoid of any remnants of civilised behaviour, decide to hunt Ralph like an animal, intending to kill him. They set the island on fire to smoke him out of his hiding place, not considering the fact that this fire will destroy their means of survival.

Just as Ralph is about to be caught and presumably killed, a naval officer arrives on the beach. He has seen the smoke from the fire that Jack’s tribe set. The boys are suddenly jolted back into the reality of their situation: they are children who have been acting like savages. The officer is shocked and disgusted by what he sees and the realisation of what has transpired on the island.

Ralph, in particular, is hit hard by the return to civilisation. He weeps over the loss of his friend Piggy, the decline into savagery, and his loss of innocence. The officer turns his back so the boys may regain their composure, a symbol of the adult world ignoring the brutal capabilities of mankind.

The novel ends on this sobering note, illustrating the fragility of civilisation and the inherent savagery within humans when societal structures are removed.

Lord of the Flies characters

Lord of the Flies features a range of compelling characters that represent different aspects of human nature. Together, these characters and others form a microcosm of society, illustrating the complexities and conflicts inherent in human nature.

Lord of the Flies analysis

Lord of the Flies portrays the boys' descent from order to anarchy, symbolising the fragility of civilisation. The novel examines the inherent evil that can emerge when societal constraints are removed, highlighting the destructive power of fear and the struggle for power. One notable example is the character Jack, who represents primitive instincts and a desire for dominance. Golding's use of symbolism, such as the 'beast' and the conch shell, further enhances the allegorical nature of the story.

Lord of the Flies falls under several literary genres:

1. Adventure Fiction: The story unfolds around a group of boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island, providing an adventurous backdrop. The characters face various challenges, which they must overcome to survive.

2. Dystopian Fiction: As the novel progresses, the island society that the boys create deteriorates into chaos and cruelty, making it a dystopian narrative. This genre is characterised by a society that is undesirable or frightening, which is the case as the boys' island society becomes increasingly savage and violent.

3. Allegorical Fiction: The novel is also an allegory, which means it can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. The novel uses the characters to explore the inherent evil in human nature and the thin veneer of civilisation.

4. Psychological Fiction: The book explores the mental states of the boys and how their psychological conditions change with time in the absence of societal norms and regulations. It examines the dark side of the human psyche and the instinctual drive towards savagery when the constraints of civilisation are removed.

5. Speculative Fiction: Since the story doesn't take place in a real, specified location and involves a hypothetical situation (a plane full of boys crashes on a deserted island), it can also be considered a type of speculative fiction.

Lord of the Flies themes

Lord of the Flies explores themes of civilisation versus savagery, the loss of innocence, and the inherent darkness within humanity.

1. The inherent evil in human nature: The boys' descent into savagery suggests that humans are naturally inclined towards chaos and violence, challenging the idea that civilisation can suppress our baser instincts.

2. The loss of innocence: The boys, initially innocent schoolchildren, lose their innocence as they succumb to their primal instincts.

   (Video) Lord of the Flies | Chapter 1: The Sound of the Shell | William Golding

3. The power of fear: Fear, both of the unknown and of each other, drives the boys to commit horrific acts and leads to their downfall.

4. The conflict between civilisation and savagery: The struggle between Ralph (representing order, civilisation, and moral conscience) and Jack (representing savagery, desire for power, and amorality) illustrates the broader conflict between the forces of civilisation and savagery.

5. Power and Manipulation: The story examines different types of power and the ways they can be used and abused. Jack uses fear and manipulation to gain power, while Ralph relies on democracy and reason. This difference leads to a struggle for control.

Lord of the Flies quotes

Here are some well-known quotes from Lord of the Flies along with their analysis:

This quote, spoken by Simon, suggests that the real beast resides within the boys themselves. It reflects the novel's central theme that the true source of evil lies within human nature. The boys' descent into savagery and their manifestation of violent behaviour highlight this internal struggle; the 'beast' is a metaphor for the savage and violent tendencies within the boys themselves.

Ralph utters this quote as he reflects on the deteriorating state of the boys' society. This quote underscores the naivety and innocence of the boys. They initially believe that by imitating the behaviours and systems of adults, they can maintain order and civility. However, the breakdown of their society indicates the flaws within adult structures as well and suggests that the problems lie not in age or experience but in human nature itself.

Piggy's outcry highlights his commitment to order and civilised behaviour. This quote underscores the importance of rules and structure in maintaining a functioning society. It also foreshadows the increasing disregard for rules as chaos ensues and the boys succumb to their primitive instincts.

This statement, voiced by the Lord of the Flies during Simon's hallucination, challenges the boys' misguided belief that the beast is an external entity they can conquer. It signifies the notion that the beast represents the inherent darkness within each individual and cannot be eradicated by external means.

This quote comes at the end of the novel, symbolising the loss of innocence and the recognition of mankind's capacity for evil. Ralph, who has tried to maintain order and civility, finally understands the depth of the darkness within the human heart.