Characters & Roles
This boy is elected chief of the group at the start of the novel.
Ralph
This is the first action the boys take together to establish order after crashing on the island.
They hold an assembly and elect Ralph as chief.
This object represents democracy, order, and the right to speak; whoever holds it may address the group.
The conch shell
The novel explores the conflict between these two forces as the boys' society breaks down.
Civilization (order/rules) vs. savagery (instinct/violence)
'He's not Fatty,' cried Ralph, 'his real name's Piggy!' Identify who Ralph is defending Piggy to, and why this moment is ironic.
Ralph is correcting Jack — ironic because Ralph himself just revealed Piggy's embarrassing nickname to everyone
He is the intellectual voice of reason among the boys.
Piggy
Jack and his hunters fail to kill this animal in Chapter 1, which haunts Jack with shame.
A pig (piglet)
The boys build this on the mountaintop hoping it will bring rescue.
The signal fire
Ralph's obsession with this throughout the early chapters represents his desire for rescue and return to civilization.
The signal fire
A boy says, 'We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages.' Identify the speaker and explain why this is ironic later.
Jack says this in Chapter 2 — ironic because he later becomes the most savage boy on the island
This boy is the leader of the choir and later the hunters; he becomes increasingly savage.
Jack Merridew
In Chapter 2, the boys accidentally cause this disaster while celebrating their first fire.
A forest fire that kills the boy with the mulberry-colored birthmark
Piggy's glasses serve this important practical purpose on the island.
They are used to start fires (concentrating sunlight)
Simon's solitary moments in his secret hiding place in the forest suggest this quality that sets him apart.
Spirituality / a deep connection with nature / goodness
Ralph says, 'If I blow the conch and they don't come back, then we've had it.' What does this show about Ralph's leadership by Chapter 5?
It shows Ralph fears losing authority and that the conch's power (and civilization) is weakening
These twin boys are often treated as a single unit and help tend the signal fire.
Sam and Eric
The hunters finally kill their first pig in this chapter, causing them to miss tending the signal fire.
Chapter 4
The boys imagine this creature lurking in the forest or coming from the sea; it represents their collective fear.
The beast (the snake-thing / beastie)
Golding uses the littluns' fear of the beast to show that true evil comes from this source, not an external monster.
Within themselves / human nature (inner evil)
'Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us.' Who says this, and what is the significance?
Simon says it in Chapter 5 — it foreshadows his insight that the beast is the boys' own capacity for evil
This quiet, spiritual boy has secret visions and faints frequently; he is the most morally pure character in the novel.
Simon
In Chapter 5, Ralph calls an assembly at this specific time because he is angry about the boys' lack of discipline.
At dusk / evening (using the conch)
Jack and his hunters paint their faces with this, which allows them to shed their civilized identities.
Clay and charcoal (war paint / masks)
Piggy represents this value, which is gradually undermined by the group's descent into fear and violence.
Reason / rational thinking / science and logic
In Chapter 4, Roger throws stones near Henry but deliberately misses. What does this act symbolize?
The lingering restraint of civilization — Roger still obeys social taboos, but this will erode as savagery grows