The central message of Lord of the Flies is that human beings do not naturally possess a moral nature. All individuals have the potential for evil within them, and their moral principles are merely superficial. However, it is crucial for individuals to uphold their moral integrity in order to behave ethically, maintain societal order, and prevent societal collapse. Society serves as the unifying force that binds everyone together.
The absence of rules and structure highlights the evil within individuals, causing them to forget ideals, values, and moral principles. In the absence of society’s strict regulations, chaos and savagery prevail. The book also explores several secondary themes, including the tendency for individuals to misuse power when it is unearned, degrade others to bolster their own security, and succumb to fear of the unknown, leading to either insight or hysteria. All these themes are depicted through symbolism.
A group of young boys crash-land on a deserted island where the current seems to flow in reverse. This island serves as a small-scale representation of the world, suggesting that civilization and its people might be regressing. Young boys were likely selected as they would have had less exposure to societal influence, allowing their unique traits to shine through.
Piggy and Ralph are the first characters introduced in the story. They are approximately twelve years old. Ralph, who is described as physically appealing and resembling a boxer, carries a name of Anglo-Saxon origin that signifies wisdom and guidance. Both Ralph and Piggy symbolize the battle for structure and democratic principles. Ralph embodies the concepts of law, order, organized society, and moral uprightness. He possesses a clear understanding of ethical standards and consistently creates practical rules for the boys to abide by.
Piggy, who is shorter, fat, wears glasses, and has asthma, goes by the nickname Piggy without anyone bothering to learn his real name. His nickname reflects both his physical resemblance to wild pigs on the island and his intellectual abilities. Despite lacking social skills, Piggy demonstrates clear-sightedness and intelligence. He actively promotes peace and clings to civilized behavior. While he avoids strenuous physical labor, Piggy’s most valuable contribution to survival on the island comes from his glasses, which are essential for starting signal and cooking fires.
Together, the two boys discover a conch shell that comes to symbolize democracy, order, and authority. Ralph uses it to gather any other individuals on the island. Shortly after, a group forms consisting of both older and younger boys. The older boys, known as bigguns, are approximately twelve years old, while the younger ones, referred to as littluns, are around five or six years old. The conch is immediately recognized as a symbol of respect and is used to summon meetings. Additionally, this is when we are introduced to the remaining main characters.
Jack Merridew is the leader of the boy’s choir. His name means “one who supplants” reflecting his use of force, and it is derived from Hebrew. He will come to represent savagery, anarchy, and anger. He is about the same age as Ralph. Simon is a bit younger than Jack and Ralph, but he is still a biggun. He represents pure goodness, and he is seen as a “Christ” figure. He has a positive outlook of being trapped on the island, he believes they will be rescued. His name comes from the Hebrew word meaning “listener” which is quite accurate, as he will be the one to listen to the beast, and know what the beast is.
Roger, unlike Simon, represents the complete opposite. His name has Germanic roots and signifies “spear.” He derives pleasure from inflicting pain on both pigs and his fellow boys, making him a sadist. Regarded as reminiscent of Satan, he is notorious for being the first to intentionally murder one of their group, namely Piggy.
Sam and Eric, twins, symbolize dependence and togetherness, as they are inseparable. They are later referred to as Samneric. Although initially loyal to Ralph, they eventually succumb to Jack’s influence and betray Ralph by revealing his hiding place. This signifies the ultimate downfall of order and society. The remaining characters, known as littluns, have a minor role and are often identified as a collective.
Everyone agrees on appointing a leader after conducting a vote. Ralph emerges as the chosen leader due to his admirable attributes. Jack, feeling disappointed for not being elected, is consoled by Ralph who assigns him the responsibility of leading the choir as hunters. This decision brings joy to Jack.
At the beginning of the story, Ralph decides that it is important to build a signal fire on the mountain. This fire symbolizes reason and the possibility of being rescued from their immoral situation. However, when they reach the top of the mountain, the younger children, known as the littluns, are already becoming scared of a creature they believe to be the beast. The littluns are affected the most by this fear because they have not been as influenced by society’s norms. Unfortunately, nobody pays attention to the fire and it becomes uncontrollable. Tragically, this is also where the first death occurs, taking the life of a littlun with a mulberry-colored birthmark. This out-of-control fire leaves a physical scar on the island, representing mankind’s destructive tendencies.
Jack becomes more interested in hunting and less interested in helping Ralph with the rescue effort. He develops a fascination with killing, leading to conflicts between the two boys. Eventually, Jack decides to rebel against Ralph’s rules and leaves the group, stating that he does not want to play by their rules anymore. He forms his own group called “The Savages” and they paint their faces to hide their true identities and behave as they please. As a result, Jack loses his integrity and is no longer able to protect against the beast.
Previously, Jack broke one of the lenses in Piggy’s glasses, and now he has stolen the remaining one, effectively taking away Ralph’s group’s source of fire. Without the fire, which represents hope and knowledge, Ralph is no longer guided and must rely on reminders from Piggy in order to do what is right. Jack’s actions of breaking and stealing the glasses symbolize a gradual and inevitable descent into chaos and malevolence.
Simon encounters the sight of the sow’s head impaled on a stick in the clearing. He ends up dubbing it the Lord of the Flies due to the presence of numerous flies feasting on its decaying flesh. This title, Lord of the Flies, is a translation of the Hebrew term Ba’alzevuv, which is equivalent to Beelzebub in Greek and ultimately signifies the devil. Consequently, Lord of the Flies can be seen as a representation of imminent peril, serving as a foreshadowing device for the deaths to come. In this pivotal moment, Simon perceives an auditory communication from the head itself, revealing its true identity as the embodiment of evil within each individual. While everyone acknowledges the existence of this malevolent force, Simon alone recognizes its presence within themselves.
The Savages gather to roast pig meat and perform a simulated killing. Surprisingly, Ralph and Piggy also participate. Simon emerges from the woods and enters the circle with the intention of revealing the true nature of the beast. Unfortunately, before he can do so, the others violently assault and kill him in a wild frenzy of dancing, grabbing, poking, and spearing.
Ralph realizes that Simon’s murder was not accidental, so he, Piggy, and Samneric head to Jack’s part of the island to discuss it. Jack has stationed guards to prevent unwanted visitors. Ralph confronts Jack and they engage in a stick duel. Roger initiates an attack by rolling a boulder, but Ralph notices it and avoids being hit. Unfortunately, Piggy, who relies on his glasses to see, is unable to avoid the boulder which strikes him, causing him to be thrown forty feet to his demise. Piggy’s death resulted from his moral influence on the group.
The conch, which symbolizes authority, is destroyed along with the boy who was holding it. This signifies that the authority on the island is now gone, leaving Ralph to rely solely on himself. Jack manipulates Samneric to join his faction, and together they conspire to kill Ralph. Samneric inform Ralph that Jack has ordered them to “sharpen a stick on both ends,” but Ralph is confused by the meaning behind this instruction. He confides in Samneric about his hiding spot, only for them to eventually disclose this information to Jack.
Jack intentionally sets fire to the island in order to flush out Ralph from hiding, and it is he who is responsible for all three deaths that occurred on the island. Jack methodically eliminates any opposition he encounters. This leads Ralph to acknowledge the inherent unkindness that exists within human nature.
Just as the Savages encounter Ralph and are on the verge of killing him, he coincidentally comes across a Naval officer who spotted the smoke from their fire and arrived to rescue them. It is an ironic twist that the fire originally intended for their demise ultimately ended up saving them. Despite this, all the events that unfolded in the story now fall upon the officer’s responsibility. He comes to the aid of the children who find themselves amidst a search for a person, and leads them away on his ship. In a curious parallel, he too is engaged in a hunt for someone. While he successfully saves the children, the question arises: who will save him?
