Lectures on lord of the Flies for first year, first terms 2020

Dr. Mahmoud Mekky

Lecture 1

On Lord of the Flies

Plot

Lord of the Flies was written by William Golding in 1954. When Lord of

the Flies opens, a plane carrying a group of British boys ages 6 to 12 has

crashed on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean. Oops. (Also, apparently

the world is at war. This matters.) With no adults around, the boys are left

to fend for and govern themselves. Things start out okay. The boys use a

conch shell as a talking stick, and Ralph, one of the older boys, becomes

"chief."

And then trouble begins. They're afraid of a "beast" somewhere on the

island, and then they decide to build a signal fire using the glasses of a

boy named Piggy (who is a portly fellow, and also the most loyal friend

to Ralph). But Jack, jealous of Ralph's power, decides the boys should

devote their energies to hunting food (namely pigs) instead of

maintaining the fire. The longer they're on the island, the more savage he

becomes. Meanwhile, our other key player, a wise and philosophical boy

named Simon, works with Ralph to build shelters.

Eventually, these latent conflicts become not so latent, and the boys who

are supposed to be tending the fire skip out on their duties to kill a pig.

The blood and gore of the hunt is all very exciting until they realize that,

while they were out being bloodthirsty boys, the fire went out and a ship

passed by without noticing them. Jack has also managed to punch Piggy

in the face and break one lens of his glasses. Not good.

Right about this time a dead man attached to a parachute blows in Mary-

Poppins-style to the island. The mysterious parachuting creature is

mistaken for the beast, and the boys begin a massive hunt to kill it. Only

Simon (and, let's face it, the audience) is skeptical, believing instead

they're really just afraid of themselves. He goes off into the woods to

contemplate the situation while Jack and Ralph ascend the mountain and

find the beast—but don't stick around long enough to see that it is in fact

only a dead man.

Back in the group, Jack decides Ralph shouldn't be chief anymore. He

secedes and invites whoever wants to come with him and kill things (like

more pigs, and maybe some people if they feel like it). Most of the older

kids go with him, and Simon, hiding, watches Jack and Co. hunt a pig.

This time, they slaughter a fat mother pig (in a scene described somewhat

as a rape), cut off her head, and jam it onto a stick in the ground. Nice.

Simon stares at the head, which he calls "the Lord of the Flies" as it tells

him (he's hallucinating, by the way) that it is the beast and that it is part of

him (Simon). Simon passes out, gets a bloody nose, and wakes up

covered in sweat, blood, and other generally disgusting things. Despite all

this, he decides to continue up the mountain to face the beast, i.e. dead

guy. Then he vomits and staggers down the mountain.

By now, Ralph and Piggy (both rather ravenous) are attending (with all

the other boys) a big feast/party that Jack (decorated like an idol) is

throwing. It's all a frenzied reenactment of the pig hunt until Simon, still

bloody, sweaty, and covered in puke, stumbles down into the center of

the crazed boys. He tries to tell them about the beast, but he is

unrecognizable and the boys jab at him with their spears until he's dead.

Oops. Simon's body is washed out to sea that night, and the wind carries

off the body of the dead parachuting man, while Ralph and Piggy

convince themselves they didn't take part in murdering Simon.

It's all downhill from here. Jack's crew attacks Ralph and Piggy and steals

Piggy's eyeglasses to make fire on their own. When Ralph and Piggy

decide to calmly talk it out with the "savages," Roger pushes a huge

boulder off a cliff, killing Piggy. Ralph ends up running for his life, finds

out that there's a head-on-stick future planned for him, and at last makes

it to the shore of the island where he runs into… an officer of the British

Navy. The boys are rescued from their mock war, but we're left with the

image of the Navy's "trim cruiser" from the real war of the adults.

Lecture 2

Lord of the Flies, William Golding's tale of British schoolboys stranded

on a deserted island, is nightmarish and brutal. Through its exploration of

themes including good versus evil, illusion versus reality, and chaos

versus order, Lord of the Flies raises powerful questions about the nature

of human kind.

Good vs. Evil

The central theme of Lord of the Flies is human nature: are we naturally good, naturally evil, or something else entirely? This question runs through the entire novel from beginning to end.

When the boys gather on the beach for the first time, summoned by the sound of the conch, they have not yet internalized the fact that they are now outside the normal bounds of civilization. Notably, one boy, Roger, remembers throwing stones at younger boys but deliberately missing his targets for fear of retribution by adults. The boys decide to set up a democratic society in order to maintain order. They elect Ralph as their leader and create a crude mechanism for discussion and debate, designating that anyone who holds the conch has the right to be heard. They build shelters and show concern for the youngest among them. They also play make believe and other games, exulting in their freedom from chores and rules.

Golding seems to suggest that the democratic society they create is simply another game. The rules are only as effective as their enthusiasm for the game itself. It is notable that at the beginning of the novel, all the boys assume rescue is imminent, and thus that the rules they're accustomed to following will soon be reimposed. As they come to believe that they will not be returned to civilization anytime soon, the boys abandon their game of democratic society, and their behavior becomes increasingly fearful, savage, superstitious, and violent.

Golding’s question is perhaps not whether humans are inherently good or evil, but rather whether these concepts have any true meaning. While it is tempting to see Ralph and Piggy as ‛good’ and Jack and his hunters as ‛evil,’ the truth is more complex. Without Jack’s hunters, the boys would have suffered hunger and

deprivation. Ralph, the believer in rules, lacks authority and the ability to enforce his rules, leading to disaster. Jack’s rage and violence leads to the destruction of the world. Piggy’s knowledge and book learning are proven as to be meaningless as his technology, represented by the fire-starting glasses, when they fall into the hands of boys who do not understand them.

All of these issues are mirrored subtly by the war that frames the story. Although only vaguely described, it is clear that the adults outside the island are engaged in a conflict, inviting comparisons and forcing us to consider whether the difference is merely a matter of scale.

Illusion vs. Reality

The nature of reality is explored in several ways in the novel. On the one hand, appearances seem to doom the boys to certain roles—most notably Piggy. Piggy initially expresses the dim hope that he can escape the abuse and bullying of his past through his alliance with Ralph and his usefulness as a well-read child. However, he quickly falls back into the role of the bullied ‛nerd’ and becomes reliant on Ralph’s protection.

On the other hand, many aspects of the island are not clearly perceived by the boys. Their belief in The Beast stems from their own imaginations and fears, but it quickly takes on what seems to the boys to be a physical form. In this way, The Beast becomes very real to the boys. As the belief in The Beast grows, Jack and his hunters descend into savagery. They paint their faces, changing their appearance in order to project a fearsome and frightening visage that belies their true childish nature.

More subtly, what seemed real in the beginning of the book—Ralph’s authority, the power of the conch, the assumption of rescue—slowly erodes over the course of the story, revealed to be nothing more than the rules of an imaginary game. In the end, Ralph is alone, there is no tribe, the conch is destroyed (and Piggy murdered) in the ultimate refutation of its power, and the boys abandon the signal fires, making no effort to prepare for or attract rescue.

At the terrifying climax, Ralph is hunted through the island as everything burns—and then, in a final twist of reality, this descent into horror is revealed to be unreal. Upon discovering they have in

fact been rescued, the surviving boys immediately collapse and burst into tears.

Order vs. Chaos

The civilized and reasonable behavior of the boys at the beginning of the novel is predicated on the expected return of an ultimate authority: adult rescuers. When the boys lose faith in the possibility of rescue, their orderly society collapses. In a similar way, the morality of the adult world is governed by a criminal justice system, armed forces, and spiritual codes. If these controlling factors were to be removed, the novel implies, society would quickly collapse into chaos.

Everything in the story is reduced to its power or lack thereof. Piggy’s glasses can start fires, and thus are coveted and fought over. The conch, which symbolizes order and rules, can challenge raw physical power, and so it is destroyed. Jack’s hunters can feed hungry mouths, and thus they have an outsize influence over the other boys, who quickly do as they are told despite their misgivings. Only the return of adults at the end of the novel changes this equation, bringing a more powerful force to the island and instantly reimposing the old rules.

Symbols

On a superficial level, the novel tells a story of survival in a realistic style. The process of building shelters, gathering food, and seeking rescue are recorded with a high level of detail. However, Golding develops several symbols throughout the story that slowly take on increasing weight and power in the story.

The Conch

The Conch comes to represent reason and order. In the beginning of the novel, it has the power to quiet the boys and force them to listen to wisdom. As more boys defect to Jack’s chaotic, fascist tribe, the Conch's color fades. In the end, Piggy—the only boy who still has faith in the Conch—is killed trying to protect it.

The Pig’s Head

The Lord of the Flies, as described by a hallucinating Simon, is a pig’s head on a spike being consumed by flies. The Lord of the Flies is a symbol of the increasing savagery of the boys, on display for all to see.

Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and Simon

Each of the boys represent fundamental natures. Ralph represents order. Piggy represents knowledge. Jack represents violence. Simon represents good, and is in fact the only truly selfless boy on the island, which makes his death at the hands of Ralph and the other supposedly civilized boys shocking.

Piggy’s Glasses

Piggy’s glasses are designed to provide clear vision, but they are transformed into a tool to make fire. The glasses serve as a symbol of control more powerful than the Conch. The Conch is purely symbolic, representing rules and order, while the glasses convey true physical power.

The Beast

The beast represents the unconscious, ignorant terror of the boys. As Simon thinks, "The beast is the boys." It did not exist on the island before their arrival.

Literary Device: Allegory

Lord of the Flies is written in a straightforward style. Golding eschews complex literary devices and simply tells the story in chronological order. However, the entire novel serves as a complex allegory, in which every major character represents some larger aspect of society and the world. Thus, their behavior is in many ways predetermined. Ralph represents society and order, and so he consistently attempts to organize and hold the boys to standards of behavior. Jack represents savagery and primitive fear, and so he consistently devolves to a primitive state.

Lecture 3

Lord of the Flies: Characters

Characters are integral to a narrative, whatever genre it may take. They

play an important role in the evolution of social issues, themes, and

motifs. Characters also create suspense, curiosity, and creativeness in a

story. They make up most of the story along with the setting, plot, and

situations. The number of character determines the complexity of the

story. The characters in Lord of the Flies by William Golding are mostly

children, stranded on an island. Some of the significant characters are

discussed below.

Characters in Lord of the Flies

Ralph

The first boy, who lands on the island is Ralph. Not only is he the

protagonist, but also the leader of the boys who slowly emerges out of

the forest. As Ralph is the oldest and tallest, he assumes leadership on

Piggy’s suggestion. He thinks Piggy as a creative and rational soul and

pays heed to his suggestions. Ralph becomes the leader because of his

calmness and rational thinking. He also possesses sound and strong

moral obligation to unite the boys and to save them. Ralph tries to fight

the bad influence of Jack but faces defeat. Hence, in the end, he is

forced to flee from Jack’s hunters to save his life. He ends up before the

British naval officer who saves his life from the hunters and asks him the

reason for their presence on the island.

Piggy

Despite his hefty body, awkward posture and physical deformity, Piggy is

the only sane voice among the boys. He takes care of the “littluns” and

suggests new ideas to save the boys and trusts in the leadership of

Ralph. He urges Ralph to take reins of the leadership to defy Jack’s

assertion. He recognizes the importance of being rescued and hopes to

leave the island. He also suggests using fire for rescue to save the boys.

Seeing him as a threat to his domination, Jack plans to kill Piggy to end

the rivalry. Piggy’s death is mourned as the end of rationality on the

island. Following his death, Ralph is left alone to take care of the

“littluns” and finally has to protect himself from Jack and the hunters.

Jack Merridew

The leader of the masked boys, who make up the choir, Jack Merridew is

an aggressive and cruel boy. He is a skilled manipulator who knows how

to manipulate things to dominate. He gathers all the boys in the name of

a hunting group. He soon provokes them by taking charge and leads

them against Ralph, the first leader. Seeing Piggy as an obstacle, he plans

to kill him and then use Ralph, a scapegoat. His eagerness to spread

violence ends when the naval officer arrives and saves Ralph from his

hunting party.

Simon

Having a deep relationship with nature, Simon can be described as an

introspective boy. He represents the spiritual aspect of the boys with

rational thinking of Piggy. Simon remains alone and does not merge with

the other boys. He is the one who suggests the beast is actually the dead

pilot but fails to express the same in clear words. He instead represents

a Christ-like figure as Golding himself has suggested at a point in the

novel.

Sam and Eric: Samneric

Although Sam and Eric are two different characters, they are twin

brothers and are identical. Their resemblance is so close that they

sometimes think and speak together. They also seem to have some

understanding of following a leader. That is why they stay loyal to Ralph

and Piggy until it the very end and also take care of the fire. Golding’s

naming them as Samneric may point to individualism and its status in a

community.

Maurice

Maurice is a tall and sturdy young boy. He is one of the best hunters. He

forces and trains the boys to learn hunting. For this, he pretends as a pig

and makes others hunt him in a fake chase. In fact, Maurice is the

representative of a mindless mob who acts on the popular issues

without considering consequences.

Percival

Percival is one of the “littluns”. He is one of the important characters

due to his innocent acts of repeating his own name and recalling his

home. When he comes to know that he may not be meeting his family

members and others, he becomes hysterical. Other older boys comfort

him. He represents the little boys who are habitual of not taking care of

themselves and are dependent on their families.

The Naval Officer

The naval officer is the only adult in the novel. However, he appears in

the end during utter the chaos and disorder. He comes face to face with

Ralph and inquires him and his pursuers what they are doing. He informs

Ralph that he has come to the island to see the cause of the fire. He then

assures the boys that he has come to take them home. It is, however,

quite strange that he has not become aware of the bloody games the

boys were playing at the time of his arrival. He thinks that they are only

showing unruly childish behavior over which he chides them. His

uniform, his weapon, and his soldierly manners remind the readers that

he is the representative of civilization and has come to restore the lost

order.

The Beast

Although the beast is not a physical character in the novel, it has two

representations at different places. If taken from the perspective what

Simon has seen, the beast is the disfigured body of the pilot. The pilot’s

parachute gets caught in the trees, and he dies. His face is hidden in the

swarm of flies. The second is the unseen animal or thing that terrifies

the boys. The boys think that the beast visits them when they are

sleeping to scare them. Although Simon has seen it, he could not explain

it to the other boys. He also realizes that the invisible beast of evil exists

in every boy. Different people use this beast for different purposes. Jack

uses it to create fear and to gather hunters to track the beast down and

save others. Simon uses it to show his spiritual side and Ralph uses it to

show and prove his leadership qualities.

Lectures on lord of the Flies for first year, second terms

20202

Dr. Mahmoud Mekky

Lecture 1

Lord of the Files' glossary

altos the boys who sing in the vocal range between tenor and soprano.

antiphonal sung or chanted in alternation.

barmy [Brit. Slang] crazy.

batty [Slang] crazy or eccentric.

bloody [Vulgar Brit. Slang] cursed; damned.

bogie an imaginary evil being or spirit; goblin.

bollocks a vulgar slang exclamation expressing anger, disbelief, etc.

bomb happy [Slang, Chiefly Brit.] crazy; insane.

bowstave here, slightly curved arc like that of a bow.

brine water full of salt.

bum [Brit. Slang] the buttocks.

caps of maintenance caps bearing a school insignia.

Coral Island Robert Ballantyne's 1857 adventure tale about three boys

shipwrecked on a Pacific island and their triumph over their

circumstances.

cordon a line or circle, as of soldiers or ships, stationed around an area to

guard it.

coverts covered or protected places; shelters.

cracked [Informal] mentally unbalanced; crazy.

crackers [Slang, Chiefly Brit.] crazy; insane.

creepers any plants whose stems put out tendrils or rootlets by which the

plants can creep along a surface as they grow.

cutter a boat carried, esp. formerly, aboard large ships to transport

personnel or supplies.

dazzle paint British term for camouflage; the disguising of troops, ships,

guns, etc. to conceal them from the enemy, as by the use of paint, nets, or

leaves in patterns merging with the background.

derision contempt or ridicule.

diddle [Informal] to move back and forth jerkily or rapidly; juggle.

diffident lacking self-confidence; timid; shy.

do us here, kill us.

dun dull grayish-brown.

embroil to draw into a conflict or fight; involve in trouble.

epaulette shoulder ornament as for military uniforms.

essay to try; attempt.

funk a cowering or flinching through fear; panic.

garter an elastic band, or a fastener suspended from a band, girdle, etc.,

for holding a stocking or sock in position.

gesticulate to make or use gestures, esp. with the hands and arms, as in

adding nuances or force to one's speech, or as a substitute for speech.

Gib., Addis abbreviations for Gibraltar and Addis Ababa, respectively;

refueling stops the evacuation plane made before crashing on the island.

gibber to speak or utter rapidly and incoherently; chatter unintelligibly.

Give him a fourpenny one hit him on the jaw.

half here, considerably; very much.

Ha'porth contraction of "a halfpenny's worth," meaning a very small

amount.

head boy an honorary title given to a student who has made the best all-

around contribution to student life and maintains exemplary conduct.

Home Counties the counties nearest London.

impervious not affected by something or not feeling the effects of

something.

inimical hostile; unfriendly.

jolly [Brit. Informal] very; altogether.

lamp standard lamppost.

lavatory [Chiefly Brit.] a flush toilet.

Lecture 2

matins orig., the first of the seven canonical hours, recited between

midnight and dawn or, often, at daybreak; here, a morning church service

at which the choir sang.

mold here, loose, soft, easily worked soil.

mucking about [Slang, Chiefly Brit.] wasting time; puttering around.

myopia nearsightedness.

nuts a slang exclamation of disgust, scorn, disappointment, refusal, etc.

One for his nob a hit on his head.

pax peace, here meant as a call for a truce.

phosphorescence a continuing luminescence without noticeable heat.

pills [Vulgar Brit Slang] the testicles.

pinch [Slang] to steal.

pinnacles pointed formations; peaks, as at the tops of mountains.

plinth a course of brick or stone, often a projecting one, along the base of

a wall.

polyp any of various cnidarians, as the sea anemone or hydra, having a

mouth fringed with many small, slender tentacles bearing stinging cells at

the top of a tubelike body.

precentor a person who directs a church choir or congregation in singing.

prefect in some private schools, esp. in England, an older student with

disciplinary authority.

propititate win or regain the good will of; appease or conciliate.

queer differing from what is usual or ordinary; odd; singular; strange.

rating an enlisted man in the Navy.

rebuke to blame or scold in a sharp way; reprimand.

Reds [Slang] Communists.

round the bend [Brit. Informal] crazy; insane.

rugger [Brit. Informal] rugby.

scurfy having a condition, as dandruff, in which the skin sheds little, dry

scales.

shop here, conversation about one's work or business, esp. after hours.

smashing [Informal] outstandingly good; extraordinary.

sod you a vulgar British slang phrase showing extreme contempt.

stern sheets the space at the stern of an open boat.

stockings closefitting coverings, usually knitted, for the feet and, usually,

much of the legs.

sucks to your auntie a British slang expression of derision or contempt;

here, "forget your auntie" or "your auntie be damned."

Swallows and Amazons the first (1930) of a series of adventure books by

Arthur Ransome, about a group of children on vacation.

taken short informal phrase for having diarrhea.

talisman anything thought to have magic power; a charm.

toilet the process of dressing or grooming oneself.

torrid so hot as to be parching or oppressive; scorching.

Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel about a heroic

boy's search for buried gold and his encounter with pirates.

trebles the boys who sing the highest part in musical harmony.

truculent fierce; cruel; savage; ferocious.

ululate to howl, hoot, or wail.

wacco [Brit. Slang] excellent.

waxy [Brit. Informal] enraged.

white drill a coarse linen or cotton cloth with a diagonal weave, used for

work clothes, uniforms, etc.

windy long-winded, pompous, boastful.

wizard [Brit. Informal] excellent.