LOTF – Characters
Simon
Key points:
- Faints in choir
- Explores island with jack and ralph
- Goes off alone in the jungle
- Guves his piece of meat to piggy
- Talks to the ‘lord of the flies’
- Discovers the dead parachutist and is killed when he tries to reveal the truth
Seen as funny by others – ‘batty’ ‘queer’ ‘funny’ ‘cracked’ – lack of vocabulary used to define him
Unable to explain the notion of evil which manifests itself in the idea of fear and the beast – has
intelligence and maturity to understand concept but lacks necessary language skills to express it
Understands the nature of the beast –‘beast was harmless and horrible’ – understands the implications
for the boys that there is nothing to fear and there’s life beyond the island
Considerable strength of mind but body is frail – ‘simon’s right temple, a pulse began to beat on his
brain’ – shows perceptiveness and individuality and also vulnerability
Can be seen as a prophet or christ-like character – helps ralph build shelters and helps littluns reach fruit
Jack
Key points:
- Decides the choir will be hunters
- Steals piggy’s glasses to make fire
- Kills a pig and creates a chant to celebrate death
- Disregards the rules
- Runs off when Ralph is re-elected as chief
- Becomes a cruel leader of his own tribe
Antagonist that represents chaos and savagery
Does not want to obey – ‘voice of one who knew his own mind’ – certain in own ideas and is not willing
to compromise
Addictive urge to kill – ‘compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up’ – represents man
the hunter and exhibits a basic, primeval instinct to hunt
Turns from hunting pigs to hunting people – ‘do our dance! Come on! Dance!’ – sets the motions the
sequences of events that lead to simon’s death
Simon
Key points:
- Faints in choir
- Explores island with jack and ralph
- Goes off alone in the jungle
- Guves his piece of meat to piggy
- Talks to the ‘lord of the flies’
- Discovers the dead parachutist and is killed when he tries to reveal the truth
Seen as funny by others – ‘batty’ ‘queer’ ‘funny’ ‘cracked’ – lack of vocabulary used to define him
Unable to explain the notion of evil which manifests itself in the idea of fear and the beast – has
intelligence and maturity to understand concept but lacks necessary language skills to express it
Understands the nature of the beast –‘beast was harmless and horrible’ – understands the implications
for the boys that there is nothing to fear and there’s life beyond the island
Considerable strength of mind but body is frail – ‘simon’s right temple, a pulse began to beat on his
brain’ – shows perceptiveness and individuality and also vulnerability
Can be seen as a prophet or christ-like character – helps ralph build shelters and helps littluns reach fruit
Jack
Key points:
- Decides the choir will be hunters
- Steals piggy’s glasses to make fire
- Kills a pig and creates a chant to celebrate death
- Disregards the rules
- Runs off when Ralph is re-elected as chief
- Becomes a cruel leader of his own tribe
Antagonist that represents chaos and savagery
Does not want to obey – ‘voice of one who knew his own mind’ – certain in own ideas and is not willing
to compromise
Addictive urge to kill – ‘compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up’ – represents man
the hunter and exhibits a basic, primeval instinct to hunt
Turns from hunting pigs to hunting people – ‘do our dance! Come on! Dance!’ – sets the motions the
sequences of events that lead to simon’s death
