Preview

Lord Of The Flies Theme

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1298 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Lord Of The Flies Theme
1. The plot of the story still revolves around the mysterious abandoned island in the middle of nowhere. The kids don’t have any way of getting off the island until Jack and Piggy suggest the idea of a smoke signal to signal any approaching air or sea vessels. Now Jack is trying to pursue a loose runt or pig on the island that he will kill. He fails at the task and abandoned his position in the society they have created. When he comes back from the jungle, he sees Simon and Ralph establishing huts around the sea shore for them to live under. Ralph at this point is very disappointed in all the boys because only he and Simon are contributing in trying to build the huts. The others are just fooling off somewhere else on the island. …show more content…
The theme of the story is still based upon survival because nothing within the story contributed in solving their ongoing problem. Although, their problem would have been resolved if Jack (the antagonist of the story) and his band of hunters (the choir boys) would have stayed on the mountain and kept a close eye on the fire instead of hunting down a pig. Their carelessness cost them the opportunity to get back home when they saw a ship past by the horizon. But none the less, another theme arose in the middle of the story. Trust and respect is very important to one another especially in their situation. It ties in with the external conflict. Their trust in one another and their understanding/ communication skills are the most important part in having a mutual agreement and understanding with each …show more content…
A) I think that the situation will get worse than ever before because all the characters in the story are pulling strings at each other that should never be pulled.
Q) If you were in Ralph’s position right now, what you do to the rest of the boys that were misbehaving?
A) If I were in Ralph’s position as the somewhat “leader” of all the kids, I would force them back into staying on their responsibilities because without anyone following the rules or doing their jobs, there would not be any progress in solving the problem.
8. Opalescence - Having a milky appearance
“ Toward noon, as the floods of light fell more nearly to the perpendicular, the stark colors of the morning were smoothed in pearl and opalescence; and the heat – as though the impending sun’s height gave it momentum – became a blow that they ducked, running to the shade and lying there, perhaps even sleeping (Golding 58).”
Blatant – very loud or very noisy
“The glittering sea rose up, moved apart in planes of blatant impossibility; the coral reef and the few stunted palms that clung to the more elevated parts would float up to the sky, would quiver, and be plucked apart, run like raindrops on a wire or be repeated as in an odd succession of mirrors (Golding

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Ralph was the only civil guy left in the end. Although savagery came sometimes to him, he managed to stay civilized for the most part, even though the others became more savage. He is a reasonable leader, but lacks the experience and the knowledge to lead. Jack is an example of a leader, as he can easily get the bigger, more knowledgeable boys to go with him, while Ralph ends up with Simon, Piggy, and the litte’uns.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If Ralph would have been stricter to the boys on the Island, then he probably would have kept their loyalty out of fear, which is the same way that Jack kept the loyalty of his tribe at the end of the book.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph’s leadership ability is revealed from the very first time he encounters Piggy on the island, until the end when he has no one left to lead. One clear example of Ralph’s leadership occurred at the beginning of the novel when elected leader by the group. After being elected, Ralph immediately delegates power as shown in the quote “I’m chief then. The circle of boys broke into applause… The choir belongs to you of course. They could be the army or hunters” (William Golding 23). Another display of Ralph's leadership occurs when Ralph discovers the unlit fire shortly after seeing a ship pass in the distance. Realizing this lapse, Ralph uses his leadership to crack down on some of the lazy hunters and reiterates that the signal fire should be their first priority. In order to maintain order on the island, Ralph use his leadership position and ability to set up a list of rules that the boys on the island should follow, for instance bringing order to meetings by requiring all to remain quiet except for the boy holding the conch. Without the strong leadership skills shown by Ralph, the boys of the island might not have survived. David Bender talks about Ralph's leadership skills when he states “He is everything a leader should be, handsome with fair hair, good build and a natural ability to command” (David Bender 32). This quote furthers my position that Ralph exhibited…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are several instances in the story where Ralph, the leader, goes against the majority. Ralph tries to put thought behind the things he does, much like Piggy. Piggy showed this maturity when he said “Acting like a crowd of kids!” and “What do they think they’re going to do on that mountain?”(Golding 38). Piggy said all of this in disgust because he, much like Ralph, thinks differently than the rest of the characters. Throughout the story Ralph was found trying to appease Jack, in one situation Jack had struck Piggy to vent his anger and Ralph replied “That was dirty trick”(72) but did not punish Jack . Ralph allowed Jack to hunt with the choir, his appointed hunters. Jack failed his task of keeping the fire going and Ralph further appeased…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph is the elected leader of the group. He continues throughout the whole book to try to keep the order in the book. He first understands that he needs to set up a structure of rules to allow for the group of boys to remain civilized. The first great leadership skill that Ralph has is that he compromises. Ralph is a compromiser. The smartest compromises makes is that he instead of having Jack be upset about not being elected leader he makes Jack be the leader of the hunters. This would allow Jack and Ralph to have a good relationship until the middle of the book where having Jack be the head hunter would cause a split in the…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first event that proves that the boys’ society is changing for the worst is when the hunters let the signal fire burn out. When Jack decides that he needs all his hunters’ help in catching the pig, no one is left to watch the fire. This is very significant because during this time, a ship passes the island. First of all, the fire represents the connection that the boys have with civilization; as long as the fire is burning, there is hope for rescue. Therefore, the hope for rescue and the connection to civilization are both lost when the fire dies. With both of these things gone, the society that the boys first strive for begins to slowly slip away. Secondly, when the hunters fail to do their job of keeping the fire going, this makes Ralph very upset. Ralph knows how important the fire is in terms of getting rescued and he yells at Jack, “There was…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph's Leadership

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One of Ralph’s various qualities that contribute to him being an honorable leader is responsibility. Towards the beginning of the book, Ralph was building huts “all day…with Simon. No one else” (50) to provide shelter for everyone.…

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A highly effective community is made up of people serving in different roles as a cohesive unit. If everyone has the same role, the community would not be as effective and productive as it is suppose to be. No one is perfect, meaning that everyone has their own strengths and weakness. For example, I am stronger in math, my strength and at times struggle in writing, my weakness. I believe that if we each use our strengths to improve on our weaknesses then, we ultimately make a community stronger as a shole. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbolism, conflict and evolution to portray Ralph as an immature young boy who develops into a civilized young man against all odds .…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph remains civil while all the other boys diverted to savagery. When Jack challenged Ralphs chief skills nobody voted for him, he ran away and started his own tribe across the island where everyone went leaving Ralph and Piggy behind. Jack and all the boys became…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lord of the Flies

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages

    4. Ralph agrees to go simply to regain his position in the eyes of the group…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph, the chosen chief, represents the only symbol of the real world and its adulthood on the island. As Ralph battles the urge to give in to savagery, he tries to keep order in the few children that still listen to him. “Ralph watched them, envious and resentful. Not till they flagged and the chant died away did he speak. I’m calling an assembly” (Golding 75). Golding does not hide the emotions of Ralph to show that he will not be deferred by these savages of his goal of getting off this island. Ralph also knows that when he returns home he will never be the same again. “This is our island. It’s a good island. Until the grownups come fetch us we’ll have fun” (35). At this moment, Ralph assumes the position of adult on the island and truly loses his childhood innocence. As savagery continues to rise, it is evident that Ralph’s rule has no effect on Roger.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The kids agreed and they choose Ralph to be in charge,But Jack get mad and even he cannot speak because the whole civilization is united.Jack had an idea of hunting a big that he saw long before when they came to the island.The island represent the entire world while strange kids represent for the society.Piggy said''We cannot go and hunt every time my be some of us my get lost or get eaten by a ghost."(Golding 6).Ralph agreed with piggy but yet Jack still think there is a simple hope for him to get so that he can rule the tribe.…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning, the boys start off civil with a leader, shelters, and rules. “ “That’s what this shells called. I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” ” The conch is a symbol of civilization. It kept order and encouraged the boys to have respect for each other. However, the boys turn to savagery. The become lazy and rebellious. Also, they start wearing war paint and lose faith in being rescued. “ “I’ve been watching the sea. There hasn’t been the trace of a ship. Perhaps we’ll never be rescued.” ” (53) this in an example of them giving up hope of a rescue ship. “ “Well, we won’t be painted, because we aren’t savages” ”(172) Ralph said this to one of the other characters. He was describing what the other in Jack’s tribe looked like and how the tribe turned into savages. In the book the boys had to choose to be civilized or be salvaged. To them if was probably choosing to have fun or be told what to do. By being on this island, they realized they didn’t have to do what they are told and any kid would have choose to be a savage instead of being…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this chapter, we see that even though the boys are on a deserted island, in the middle of the ocean and away from all of society's rules and regulations, they still feel the restraints of civilisation seeping into their consciousness. We see this when Maurice felt the unease of wrong-doing when he caused Percival to start crying with an eyeful of sand and further when Roger throws stones at Henry but as his arm was condition by a civilisation that knew nothing of him and he makes sure not to throw them within six yards. This reflects that the boys, while they may be free of the punishment that they were sure to receive for a wrong-doing in their former lives, still have societies expectations and morals drilled into their actions. We then witness the painting of Jack's face, which reflects his eagerness to let go of his former life and how the island has, in a way, possessed his thoughts. The mask that Jack paints on his own face liberates him and frees him from shame and self consciousness. The realisation of the power that a simple mask has given Jack awes and frightens us at the same time. While this is happening, out on the beach Maurice, Simon, Piggy and Ralph are dealing with a problem of their own; a ship is sailing by but the hunters have abandoned the fire to go hunting with Jack and now there is no smoke on the mountain. The boys run to the top of the mountain only to find the ship slowly disappearing and then the hunters arrive on the mountain with a pig that they caught. Jack excitedly tells his story but is interrupted by Piggy and Ralph's confrontation about the ship. Jack looses his temper and knocks Piggy's glasses off onto the rocks and breaks one lens, Piggy scrambles for his glasses but Simon, displaying exceptional kindness, hands them back to him first. Jack seems to have realised he has taken it too far and apologises but Ralph, who sees this apology as a verbal trick and feels the slight threat of Jack's leadership…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ralph Leadership Analysis

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Being a leader means effectively communicating and empathizing with others, something that Ralph is supremely capable of (Wills). He crashes on the island with the boys, therefore he knows exactly what they’re all going through. As a leader, he is able to adapt to their needs and learn from their experiences. Golding captures this in Ralph in Chapter Five when he writes, “Only decided Raph as he faced the chief’s seat, I can’t think. Not like Piggy” (78). Ralph is able to recognize the strengths of his peers while also taking notice of his own limitations. He is self-aware and willing to admit the good qualities of others and to use them to their full potential. All fine leaders, such as Ralph, possess aspects surrounding thought and compromise among their…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays