Lord of the Flies ALLEGORY

Two Governments on the Island

An allegory is a narrative, either in verse or prose, in which characters, action, and sometimes
settings represent abstract concepts apart from the literal meaning of a story. The underlying
meaning usually has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and the characters are often
personifications of abstract ideas such as charity, hope, greed, and so on.

In Chapters 8-10, two separate camps or governments are established on the island: One with Jack as chief and
the other with Ralph as chief. With this in mind, identify the type of government each camp represents. In addition,
complete the following chart, noting the differences between the two governments on the island.

Chief Ralph’s Camp Jack’s Camp

Government Type Democracy Dictatorship (Military Camp)
What benefits does  Possibility of rescue  Fun of hunt
each government offer  Shelter  Food without routine responsibility
its constituents  Rules, structure, order (upkeep w/ shelters, assigned lavatory,
(people)?  Respect for the individual (everyone coconuts full of water…)
has a voice)  Protection from the “beast”
 Logic and reason  Anonymity of the group
*Reflection/Thought *Simplicity/Orders
What it is the symbol The conch Pig’s Head: BeezelbubSatan/Evil
for each government? -OR-
Jack
“Jack, painted and garlanded, sat there
like an idol” (149).
“Power lay in the brown swell of his
forearms: authority sat on his shoulder and
chattered in his ear like an ape” (150).
Both governments  Understands it was immoral The text does not address Jack’s feelings
participate in Simon’s  Feel remorse (regret, sorrow) on the issue, implying that Simon’s death
death; in what way do (156) doesn’t bother him.
their attitudes about
this act differ?

In what way is each  Few in number  Short sighted (not

government weak?  Littluns unable to assist logical/practical)/Poor problem solving
 No meat ability
 Can’t control Jack  Unable to provide necessities like fire
 Conch has lost symbolic meaning w/out stealing
(democracy)  Leader who is power-hungry/cares
more about self
In what way is each  Priorities set  Food
government strong?  People matter (everyone has a  Numbers (all the kids)
voice)  Protection
 Leader that cares more about
others than himself.

If you were trapped on the island with the boys, which camp would you join? Why? __________________________
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