Summary LOTF -quotes and themes revision notes

​THEMES:​
​Civilisation​​vs​​savagery​
​Portrayal​​-​​civilisation:​
​-​ ​Fragile​​construct​
​-​ ​Easily​​discarded​​and​​forgotten​​about​
​-​ ​Restraining​
​-​ ​Temporary​
​-​ ​Vulnerable​
​-​ ​shields​​the​​boys​​from​​the​​violence​​of​​their​​own​​instincts.​
​-​ ​Controlling​​-​​controls​​impulses,​​like​​Roger’s​​arm​​being​​“conditioned.”​
​Portrayal​​-​​savagery:​
​-​ ​Liberating​
​-​ ​Dehumanising​
​-​ ​Irresistible​
​-​ ​Inevitable​
​-​ ​Animalistic​
​-​ ​Corrupting​​-​​even​​Ralph​​and​​Piggy​​are​​drawn​​into​​violent​​acts.​
​Symbols:​
​-​ ​Ralph​​-​​civilisation​
​-​ ​Jack​​-​​savagery​
​-​ ​Civilisation:​
​-​ ​Conch​​Shell​​–​​symbol​​of​​order,​​authority,​​and​​democracy;​​fragile,​​showing​
​civilisation’s​​vulnerability.​
​-​ ​Piggy’s​​Glasses​​–​​symbol​​of​​reason,​​knowledge,​​and​​the​​power​​of​
​science/technology;​​their​​damage​​reflects​​the​​decline​​of​​rational​​civilisation.​
​-​ ​The​​Signal​​Fire​​–​​symbol​​of​​hope,​​rescue,​​and​​connection​​to​​civilisation;​​when​​it​
​burns​​out,​​civilisation’s​​grip​​is​​lost.​
​-​ ​Assemblies​​–​​symbolic​​of​​organised​​society​​and​​law,​​but​​they​​break​​down​​as​
​savagery​​takes​​over.​
​-​ ​Savagery:​
​-​ ​The​​Lord​​of​​the​​Flies​​(the​​pig’s​​head)​​–​​symbol​​of​​innate​​human​​evil,​​the​​boys’​
​descent​​into​​savagery,​​and​​the​​worship​​of​​violence.​
​-​ ​Face​​Paint/Masks​​–​​symbol​​of​​anonymity​​and​​liberation​​from​​civilisation’s​​rules,​
​allowing​​the​​boys​​to​​act​​savagely​​without​​guilt.​
​-​ ​The​​Beast​​–​​represents​​irrational​​fear​​and​​the​​projection​​of​​the​​boys’​​own​​inner​
​savagery.​
​-​ ​The​​Spear/Sticks​​–​​symbol​​of​​hunting,​​violence,​​and​​the​​shift​​from​​survival​​to​
​bloodlust.​
​Golding’s​​message:​
​-​ ​Savagery​​is​​fundamental​​aspect​​in​​human​​nature​

, -​ ​ ​ olding​​suggests​​savagery​​lies​​beneath​​civilisation,​​always​​ready​​to​​resurface.​
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​-​ ​Savagery​​is​​innately​​tempting​
​-​ ​Civilisation​​is​​fragile​
​-​ ​Civilisation​​cannot​​fully​​suppress​​human​​nature​
​-​ ​History​​is​​a​​warning​​-​​writing​​in​​the​​aftermath​​of​​WWII,​​Golding​​suggests​​that​​even​
​“civilised”​​nations​​can​​descend​​into​​brutality,​​war,​​and​​genocide​​if​​order​​breaks​​down.​
​Quotes:​
​-​ ​“The​​mask​​was​​a​​thing​​on​​its​​own,​​behind​​which​​Jack​​hid,​​liberated​​from​​shame​​and​
​self-consciousness.’​​chp4​
​-​ ​Fragile​​shining​​beauty​​of​​the​​shell​​p222​
​-​ ​"You're​​a​​beast​​and​​a​​swine​​and​​a​​bloody,​​bloody​​thief!"​​p220​
​-​ ​“There​​were​​no​​words,​​and​​no​​movements​​but​​the​​tearing​​of​​teeth​​and​​claws.”​​(Chp​​9​​–​
​Simon’s​​death)​
​-​ ​“What​​are​​we?​​Humans?​​Or​​animals?​​Or​​savages?”​

​TABLE​​FROM​​SAVE​​MY​​EXAMS​
​Character​ ​Impact​



​Ralph​ ​●​
​ tart​​=​​natural​​leader:​​he​​is​​elected​​democratically​
s
​he​​establishes​​rules​​and​​order​​among​​the​​boys​​based​​on​​the​
​expectations​​“at​​school”:​
​○​ ​Ralph​​loses​​control​​of​​the​​group​​as​​the​​boys​​give​​up​​the​​trappings​
​of​​civilisation​​and​​fall​​in​​with​​Jack’s​​tribe​​of​​face-painted​​hunters​
​○​ ​Ralph​​descends​​into​​savagery​​himself​​when​​he​​participates​​in​​the​
​murder​​of​​Simon​
​○​ ​Roger​​murders​​Piggy,​​Ralph’s​​final​​hopes​​for​​civilisation​​die​


​Simon​ ​●​
​ imon​​supports​​Ralph’s​​democratic​​society​​by​​feeding​​the​​littluns​​and​
S
​helping​​to​​build​​shelters:​
​○​ ​tries​​to​​rescue​​the​​boys​​from​​their​​own​​savage​​behaviour​​by​
​revealing​​the​​true​​nature​​of​​“the​​Beast”​
​○​ ​The​​boys​​mistake​​Simon​​for​​the​​Beast​​and​​murder​​him​​in​​a​
​frenzy,​​marking​​a​​turning​​point​​in​​the​​conflict​​between​​civilisation​
​and​​savagery​

​Piggy​ ​●​
​ iggy​​faithfully​​supports​​Ralph’s​​leadership,​
P
​introduces​​the​​conch​​as​​a​​symbol​​of​​democracy​​and​​social​​order:​
​○​ ​His​​rational,​​sensible​​suggestions​​are​​often​​rejected​​by​​the​​other​
​boys​
​○​ ​His​​eventual​​murder​​at​​the​​hands​​of​​Roger​​represents​​the​​final​
​victory​​of​​savagery​​over​​civilisation​