William Golding

 Golding is the master of symbolism.

• Nearly everything on the island serves a deeper literary
purpose:
 Piggy’s Glasses
 The Conch
 The Beast & Jack’s Mask
 The Signal Fire
 The Severed Pig’s Head
 Piggy’s Glasses- The power of science and intellect
 The Conch- Democratic power; civilization and order
 The Signal Fire- A “barometer” of the boys’ connection to
society
 The Beast- Savagery that exists within all humans
 The Severed Pig’s Head- The power of evil; Satan figure.
 Not too distant future…during a war that
involves atomic bombs
 Plane is shot down during a violent storm
 the majority of the children survive; all the
adults are killed.
 The storm washes away the plane.
• “The Scar”
 “You could see now that he
might make a boxer, as far as
width and heaviness of
shoulders went, but there was a
mildness about his mouth and
eyes that proclaimed no devil.”
 Pay close attention to his
conflicts with Jack.
 He is chosen as chief; must
maintain rules.
 Initially understands right from
wrong.
 “He was thin and bony; and his hair
was red beneath the black cap. His
face was crumpled and freckled, and
ugly without silliness. Out of this face
stares two light blue eyes, frustrated
now, and turning, or ready to turn, in
anger.”
 From the beginning, Jack hates rules.
 Only cares about having a good time
and hunting.
 Watch his character develop;
remember, he is attached to society’s
standards at the start of the novel…
 Piggy’s physique and
intelligence make him an
outcast; set up for ridicule.
• Fat, wears glasses, and suffers
from asthma. Somewhat whiny,
and physically can’t work.

 Golding is sending a specific

message about mankind
through the treatment of Piggy.
 He knows right from wrong
and will never stray from it.
 “He was a small, skinny boy, his
chin pointed, and his eyes so
bright they had deceived Ralph
into thinking him delightfully gay
and wicked.”
 Very important to several themes
in the novel.
 Introverted; doesn’t like crowds.
 Says odd things at odd times; the
other kids think he’s crazy.
 He makes the most important
discovery in the entire novel…pay
attention to Simon!
 “A slight, furtive boy whom no
one knew, who kept to himself
with an inner intensity and
secrecy…the shock of black hair,
down his nape and low on his
forehead seemed to suit his
gloomy face and made what had
seemed at first an unsociable
remoteness into something
forbidding.”
 He is sadistic; he enjoys inflicting
pain.
 He and Jack have a close
relationship, born from darkness
and anarchy.
 “They breathed together,
they grinned together, they
were chunky and vital…
their profiles were blurred
and their mouths pulled
open.”
 They are so identical that
they are given one name.
 Their loyalty is integral to
Ralph’s survival, but
everyone’s loyalty has a
limit…
 The ages of these boys are
from four to six; much
younger than the characters
already mentioned.
 They don’t play a huge role
in the book, but they do
represent society as a whole.
 The Littluns are the first to
see the “beast,” and come to
fear it.
 A number of parodies have been created based
on Golding’s novel:
• Spongebob Squarepants “Club Spongebob”
• The Simpson’s “Das Bus”
• Mark Burnett’s reality television show “Survivor.”
• “Lost” is also closely related to LOTF.