Summary Lord Of The Flies Essays - English-language Films

Summary: Lord of the Flies Introduction Lord Of The Flies, by William Golding, focused on the development and deterioration of a miniature society of boys isolated on a small tropical island. The story centred around individuals representing different aspects of children and their personalities. Beginning with a child-like innocence, the novel brought forth many of the sinister characteristics of human nature as the use of violence became more frequent and progressed into an ultimate pinnacle. The violence provided a sense of realism in that the author did not try to hide the factual harshness of the world by covering it with a false softness. The text was very descriptive of the setting and the physical and mental appearance of the protagonists and antagonists. The style of writing being sometimes simple-minded and not fully aware of "the outside world" suited the characters' ages. The book dealt with our true nature as revealed by the freedom from the disciplinary boundaries of modern society. Chapter 1 The description of the lead character in the beginning of the story, was that of a light-coloured boy who was soon given the name Ralph. Ralph seemed a typical kid. His fair appearance and size made him likeable and gave him an inner-strength of self-confidence. His interaction with Piggy showed that he was not ill-natured. Although he laughed at Piggy's name, it was not with real malice for he had ridiculed his external appearance. Piggy's rather unique attributes had made him an outcast of the mainstream of boys at his age, and his lack of self-esteem reflected that. He too seemed good-natured as he behaved in a polite fashion. The fact that Piggy was knowledgable and well-educated was made apparent by his air of responsibility. The conch was presented as a symbol of authority and order. It summoned all the boys from the island to the assembly, and it gave its holder the right to speak. It also set Ralph apart from the bigger boys and helped him to be leader. The clothing worn by the boys made them seem more civilized, and the inappropriateness of such garments made them very much out of place. The uniformed Jack and his choir were seen as a superior power. Being more proper, the uniforms created an isolated unity for the choir. The force of Jack's authority over his choir and his malicious and arrogant personality dwarfed Piggy. Ralph's attempt to defend Piggy being called fatty resulted in more embarrassment for Piggy. The childish laughters formed a bond among the boys and made Piggy what he had always been, an outcast. At their first meeting, all the boys were introduced by their first names. The complicated and serious formalities with their last names were left out to suit their age groups and perhaps to provide a sense of unity among the boys. Jack's insistence on being called Merridew showed his desire to be superior among the boys. His defeat after the vote for chief was taken uneasily at first (hinted by the imagery of a red facial expression), but after being offered the command of his choir, he accepted his status. Among the boys in the choir, Roger was first seen as a shy and quiet boy, while Simon was introduced as pleasant-mannered and happy. Ralph, Simon and Jack's exploration of the island allowed the reader to examine the innocent and playful nature of a small group of boys. Their playful attitude was clearly evident as they were energetic and enthusiastic towards their new environment. They interpretation of their surroundings were truthful and simple. Their first encounter of the pig ended with Jack hesitating to stab the pig. This demonstrated Jack's inexperience as a killer, as compared to what he would become later in the book. Chapter 2 Already, the smaller boys could be seen segregated from the bigger ones. In some instances (in meetings for example), the older boys were like the more powerful and decisive adults while the smaller boys were depicted as the more playful and less responsible children. The little boy's story of the "snake-thing" was not taken too seriously by the older boys. As the story progresses on, it dealt less and less with the smaller boys, until near the ending, they were almost completely ignored. Ralph's leadership was well reflected by his public speaking skills. He was able to convey his thoughts clearly and fluently. Jack too seemed quite able to speak and was quite eager to do so. His suggestion to make rules showed that he wanted to assert control over the "society"