Complete Summary and Interpretation Lord of the Flies

Summary – „Lord of the Flies” LIFE AN AND DW WORKS ORKS of Willi William am Gol Golding ding William Golding (September 19, 1911 – June 19, 1993 in Cornwall) was an author who wrote novels, short stories, plays, and essays as well as articles. After primary school he attended Brasenose College at Oxford University. Against his father’s hope that he would become a scientist, he studied English literature. His first work, a collection of poems, didn`t get much attention from the public. Thus, he decided to take a job as a teacher for English and Philosophy after graduation. The experience of teaching boys later served as an inspiration for his novel “Lord of the Flies”. During World War two, he gave up teaching to join the navy and serve in the war. In addition to “Lord of the Flies”, his first and most famous novel, Golding also wrote other successful novels such as: “Rites of Passage” and “Free Fall”. In 1983 he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Reasons for this great success are that his books can be read with pleasure and without a lot of effort. Moreover, literature critics, writers and other authors find great interest in searching for deep layers of ambiguity and complications in his works. After World War one Golding´s belief was that men are “selfish, willful, egocentric and morally irresponsible”. Additionally, he nevertheless hoped that “a change in behavior and a re-awakening of moral responsibility is possible if man is forced to see into himself”. After serving in World War two and experiencing the evil, one man can do to another, he eventually developed a more radical view on men and said: “I must say that anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head.” Evils such as cruelty, wickedness and love lessness can therefore be found in his novels. CHAPTER I – The Sound of the Shell The first chapter starts with Ralph, a fair-haired boy meeting Piggy, a shorter, chubbier kid. During their walk to the lagoon through the jungle they talk about how they ended up here. They are sure the plane they were flying with was shot down and the pilot crashlanded on an island. They are also sure that all the adults on the plane are dead and wonder if any of the other schoolboys that were on the flight are still alive. When they arrive at the lagoon Ralph immediately jumps into the water excited that there aren´t any adults on the island. He tells Piggy that his father, who is at the navy will come and rescue them, but Piggy reminds him that due to the atomic war, everyone could be dead and no one would even know they are one the island. After getting out of the water Ralph spots a conch, and Piggy explains him that it can be used to call any other survivors by blowing into the shell like a trumpet. Ralph successfully blows it and soon the other stranded boys all between 6 and 12 stream from the jungle to the platform where Ralph blew the shell. The last group of boys that arrive is the choir group with Jack as their leader. With everyone gathered up they decide that they have to vote for a chief to lead them. They choose Ralph over Jack, who is seemingly upset so Ralph decides that Jack can be in charge over the choirboys, who can be the hunters. He then decides to explore and find out if they are really on an island together with Jack and Simon, who is one of Jack´s choirboys. They confirm that they are really on an island and also find out that it´s uninhabited. On their way back, they encounter a little pig that is trapped in vines. Jack pulls out his knife to kill it but isn´t able to and the pig gets away. He assures the others that he will make it next time and they continue going back to the others on the platform. CHAPTER II – Fire on the Mountain Ralph summons the boys for another meeting and explains that they are on an uncivilized island. Since the boys have to find a way to look after themselves and organize their daily life, Ralph declares that only the one with the conch shell in his hands has the right to speak. Moreover, the boys start to understand that getting off the island will not be easy. As a young boy with a face mark mentions a snakelike beast, the group is frightened. In order to calm the group down, the older boys tell them that the little boys vision was only a nightmare. Thinking about rescue, Ralph wants them to build a signal fire on the top of the mountain. They fail to start a fire and realize that one of them, the little boy with the face mask, is missing. Interestingly, the boys, especially Ralph, follow certain patterns they know about the traditional organization of a society. Ralph and Piggy want to establish rules, organize the group, hence create a civilized society. Even this early in the book this proves to be very difficult, for instance, when the boys storm off. They simply want to have fun and play rather than think about the whole group. At the same time, Jack increasingly undermines Ralph’s authority as chief, as well as being extremely focused on hunting the pigs. Piggy, by contrast, is the smart guy because he is annoyed by how the others act. He thinks through everything very carefully. Therefore, it can be said that most of the boys’ character traits that are important later on in the novel are already establishes. Furthermore, important symbols appear here for the first time, such as the conch that now signals the right to speak. Moreover, there is the fire which is associated with rescue. Last but not least, the rumor of a beast occurs depicting the dark and fearful side of the island. CHAPTER III – Huts on the Beach At the beginning of the chapter Jack is hunting a pig, which always evades him. Angrily he walks back to the beach where he meets Ralph and Simon building huts. Ralph is upset because the huts are shaky since nobody helps him and Simon. He is also really annoyed that the boys are excited making plans, but don´t help to make the plans successful. Ralph and Jack get into a discussion, when Ralph points out that the hunters haven´t caught anything yet. But as a response Jack only says that they need meat. The dislike between the boys is growing, so they think going swimming would bring them back together. Meanwhile Simon is wandering through the jungle alone. On his way he helps some of the younger kids to get fruits. When he comes to a lonely place in the middle of the jungle he uses the time to see the beauty of nature. The steady conflict between Ralph and Jack gets verbal for the first time in the book. Since the first chapter it has been clear there is a strong dislike between them since both want to be the leader, but in this chapter, they discuss for the first time. During the discussion you can see the two different goals they have. Ralph just wants the best for the group, takes care of them and wants to be rescued as soon as possible. He also tries to build a civilization. However, Jack only thinks of the hunt and his bloodlust. He really doesn´t care about the plans that Ralph makes. The character of Simon is important in that chapter as well. He stays outside of the conflict and his kind nature is described through his helpful way. He has also got a strong connection to nature and the beauty in life and nature. The last important thing which is examined in that chapter is the childish character of the other boys when they don´t want to help but play around. CHPTER IV – Painted Faces and Long Hair By now the boys have started to get used to living on the island. They have established a hierarchy and a routine of who’s supposed to do what. The smaller and weaker boys are often teased or even bullied by the bigger guys. Half of the group playing at the beach suddenly notices a ship approaching in the distance. In order to send smoke signals as a sign of help a fire has already been lit on the mountain. They rush to see whether it is still burning. The fire has gone out because the other group, which was supposed to be watching it, has gone hunting. Ralph is furious due to the fact that they have now lost their chance of being rescued. Soon the hunters return covered in blood, happily chanting and carrying a pig. Their excitement about killing the pig is making them blind towards the resentment of their fellow group members, which causes a dispute. Jack half-heartedly apologizes but after dinner, still not quite over their excitement yet, the hunters reenact the killing of the pig until Ralph calls for an assembly. Why this chapter is significant can be illustrated on the following two examples: Roger is throwing stones at the smaller boys whilst still being cautious to not actually hit them. This means he is still held back by what was prohibited earlier on, in usual surroundings there would have been laws, school, parents or police to tell him off. At this point the civilized behavior is still stronger than the savagery but his wish to torment the littluns is the beginning of the boys detaching more and more from morals established by society. As Jack returns with the dead pig it becomes obvious that he is controlled by bloodlust and it brings him joy and pride to have made his first kill. It is a demonstration of his superiority and power over the not only the pig but also over the other boys. It does not even seem to bother him much that they have just missed a chance to be rescued, since he is still thinking about the hunt. Jack is showing no sign of civilized behavior, which is the beginning of the decline into savagery. CHAPTER VIII – Gift for the Darkness Even though it is not yet the turning point of the story, the chapter with its unexpected events proves to be important for the course of the book. The society Ralph has been trying to build up starts collapsing once the conflict between Jack and Ralph begins to escalate for the first time. Jack decides to leave Ralph as he has a feeling Ralph doubts his strength and that of his hunters. During the course of the chapter the boys switch to Jack’s camp. Jack’s tribe - the savages - is described as brutally killing a sow and impaling the dead animal’s head on a wooden stick. The beast talks to Simon and it quickly becomes clear that the beast is a figment of his imagination. For the first time the name Lord of the Flies appears, which is supposed to represent the sow’s head. As a result, Simon loses consciousness. This scene is one of the last scenes in which Simon is still alive before this very knowledge of the beast is going to kill him. CHAPTER IX – A view for a Death "A View to a death" is about Simon who goes to the top of the mountain and meets the alleged monster. However, it turns out to be just a dead soldier whose parachute moves in the wind, causing the body to move as well. Simon therefore detaches the parachute from the soldier and the monster no longer exists. At the same time, Ralph's group has gone to eat with the hunters on the beach. Jack wants Ralph's group to join him there. When Simon returns to tell the others that there is no monster, the others think he is the monster and kill him in their frenzy. His body is dragged into the sea by a wave. This chapter is very crucial for the whole book, because Simon would actually solve a big problem or the fear of the boys and clarify that there is no monster. But because the boys are in such a state of extreme intoxication, they do not understand and listen to him, but simply stab him like animals. CHAPTER X – The Shell and the Glasses It´s the morning after Simon`s death; only Ralph, Piggy, the twins and some littluns are left, the others allied with Jack. Ralph and Piggy meet on the beach, they are contemplative, weak and absolutely mortified about their role in the murder of Simon. Piggy can`t handle the thought of blood on his hands, so he tries to assure Ralph that it was an accident, while Ralph hysterically and frightened repeats that they are also responsible for Simon´s death. Jack´s party settled at the Castle Rock, with him as the chief. He is torturing a boy named Wilfred, who has been tied up for several hours. Jack persuades the boys that Ralph´s party is evil and dangerous. They don´t feel sorry about Simon´s death in any way, instead they are relieved because they still believe that he was the beast. Although they claim that Simon was the monster, Jack explains that the beast still exists in a different shape. They go hunting again; because of that Jack, Maurice and Roger are planning to go to Ralph´s camp the next morning to take fire. At Ralph´s camp the boys are dreaming about having a TV, radio or boat, while trying to light a fire. In exhaustion the boys again remember that these wishes are useless, because the only thing that could save them is that their smoke will be noticed by a ship, finally they decide to always light the fire in the morning and go to sleep. They are awakened by sudden noises near the shelters. It is Jack and his hunters, they are calling out for Piggy, when the hunters suddenly attack the boys. Ralph and the others are injured and don´t understand why they are attacked, but Piggy knows why; his glasses are stolen, and so is their fire, the only chance to be rescued. In this chapter “The shell and the glasses” the whole attempt of establishing a society fails completely, Jack is largely the chief of the island. With his controlling way of reigning, he is manipulating the boys and making them as addicted and used to killing, hunting and torturing as he is. All the schoolboys show their evil side and what they are capable of. With the attack on the camp the next and final fights/deaths are instigated. The shell and the glasses, which is also the title of chapter 10, has a huge impact on the whole novel, the shell was the sign of society and structure and the glasses were a sign of hope and rescue. But in this chapter these two important objects now lose their significance by being neglected by Jack’s tribe. CHAPTER XI – Castle Rock After an unexpected attack from Jack and his companionship, Ralph, Piggy and Samneric have to notice that they haven’t got any fire left nor do they have the possibility to light up a new fire because they have stolen Piggy’s glasses, who wants Ralph to call an assembly. Ralph blows the conch as loud as he blew it on the day of their arrival and some littluns come to join the assembly. Ralph gives the conch to Piggy and he talks about the loss of his glasses and about the evil things happening on the island. He also speaks about Simon being murdered and the manslaughter they’d committed on the boy with the birthmark who probably died in the flames. The four of them decide to go to Castle Rock with spears to protect themselves. As they arrive at Castle Rock, Roger asks „Who goes there?“ and some of the savages position themselves with spears in front of the entrance so that the four of them aren’t able to enter. Ralph blows the conch and says that he wants to call an assembly. Roger starts throwing stones at the twins and „some source of power begins to pulse in Roger’s body“. Finally Jack returns from his hunting trip and asks Ralph what he wanted from him and Ralph provokes a fight with Jack by calling him a thief. Piggy tells Ralph that he mustn’t forget to ask for his specs and to discuss about the fire. Jack’s not willing to discuss with Ralph and gives the order to „grab them [the twins]!“ to show Ralph that he’s chief now and that everyone follows his orders. Ralph provokes Jack again by calling him „a bloody, bloody thief“ and they start fighting again. In order to find a peaceful solution to their problems, Piggy holds up the conch and delivers a speech about civilized behavior. While Piggy is speaking, Ralph hears a silent „Zup“ somewhere above them which is actually caused by the fall of a great rock which smashes the conch and kills Piggy by throwing him forty feet deep on a rock in the sea. This causes complete silence until Jack suddenly screams that the conch is now gone and that he’s chief. After Jack’s reaction, the savages are throwing their spears at Ralph so that he has to run away. In the end, Jack forces the twins to join his tribe. The main topic of chapter 11 is Piggy’s death and the destruction of the conch, which both symbolize the end of the last remains of civilization on the island. After this chapter, there won’t be any civilized behavior left and the savages hunt Ralph in a rather brutal way.) CHAPTER XII – Cry of the Hunters Ralph is now completely alone. He wanders through the woods and comes across the spiked pig skull. He destroys it and continues towards the Castle Rock, where he gets the chance to speak with the twins. Out of sympathy to Ralph they advise him to hide and tell him about Jack’s plan to hunt Ralph the next day. He hides in a thicket near the Castle Rock the next morning, but gets betrayed by the twins. So, he flees into the forest. In order to chase him out of it, Jack sets the forest on fire. Ralph has no choice but to run to the beach. There a naval officer who came, attracted by the smoke of the burning forest, finds him. With the appearance of the officer, the chase as well as the barbaric and violent behaviour of the children ends. They immediately reflect their behaviour and end up crying in each other's arms. Even though it looks like a happy ending it is not. Although the children are rescued, they can never escape the terrors of human evil they have experienced on the island, because they leave the chaos of war in their small world just to enter the much bigger chaos of war in the adult world. The twelfth chapter, together with the first, frames the story perfectly because they both begin and end abruptly. Also, special about this chapter is, that it contains the climax and the ending. The absolute escalation is the climax. The children themselves become the beast, they have feared since arriving on the island. Both, Jack and Ralf have discarded all traits of civilised behaviour and have replaced them by animalistic and instinct-driven action. Ralf is driven by his fear, while Jack is driven by his rage. Besides the point of absolute dehumanisation, there is also the scene of perfect humanity at the end, when the children fall into each other’s arms and begin to cry. RALPH VS. JACK From the start, Ralph and Jack influence the group of stranded boys the most. This puts them right into the center of the novel. Ralph’s character is the main subject of introduction and final ending of the novel and he is in fact the main protagonist of Lord of the Flies. Throughout the novel it becomes clear that Ralph represents civilization with values such as morality, compassion and culture while on the contrary, Jack displays the wild rudiments of mankind’s barbarous animal instincts, including dissoluteness, ” bloodlust”, immorality, the longing for power, brutality and egoism. Therefore, Jack becomes the antagonist to Ralph in the novel. This converse partition of roles can be observed in their perception of leadership, setting priorities as well as in their behavior towards the “littluns” and the other boys. For instance, Ralph’s goal as a chief consists of keeping a signal fire lit in order to have a chance of being rescued while Jack prioritizes hunting and on holding tribal festivals. Furthermore, Jack only accepts boys who seem useful to him as hunters whereas Ralph values also the “littluns” and builds shelters in order to protect everyone. Ralph’s and Jack’s perception of leadership differs so profoundly that Jack competes fiercely with Ralph for power since Ralph was elected to become chief. As the tension between Jack and Ralph rises more and more the group of boys splits into two tribes, one led by Jack and the other one by Ralph. Finally, Jack uses terror and the boys' fear of the beast to obtain full power. Thus, during the course of the novel, Jack redeems all boys with violent and fanatical conduct and irrational behavior which ultimately leads Jack and his tribe wanting to kill everyone who contradicts Jacks will. Consequently, the hunters murder Piggy and Simon and hunt Ralph. The phenomenon of the boys being able to adopt such fanatical behavior shows that the evil exists within every human being. Ralph, who actually represents civilized values, experiences the evil in himself too by participating in killing Simon. Nevertheless, one could say that Ralph achieves a moral victory over Jack at the end of the novel: instead of succumbing to animal instincts, he casts the Lord of the Flies to the ground and defends himself against Jack’s tribe.