Background
represent the common folk, who easily follow the lead of others into savagery when there is no enforced structure in society
littluns
this character represents the law-abiding hard-working citizen who works for the good of the group and has faith that everything will turn out alright in the end if the proper rules are obeyed by everyone
ralph
the excuse that many boys use for living as hunting savages, instead of civilized English citizens; it serves as a mask that allows the boys to become someone they are not
face paint
represents law and order; it is what keeps the boys together, and once it is forgotten and lost the boys begin to go savage
Conch shell
they are the last to remain loyal to Ralph and they represent the tug-of-war within us to remain good
Sam and Eric
symbolizes the power of evil and the evilness in the boys (and in humanity); it is called what it is because it translates to Beelzebub (name of the devil in the Bible); connected with the symbol of a pig; it is a symbolic dramatization of human evil
Lord of the Flies
represents the boys' inner demons; they are constantly fearing this, but in reality it lives inside each of them
the beast
a symbol of hope; it was made because the boys had hopes of rescue, and when it kept going out, the boy's hope seemed to diminish as well; it kept Jack's choir boys/hunters in check, and when they rejected Ralph, they began to go savage.
The Signal Fire
this character represents the mystic, spiritual leader or philosopher who functions on a higher plane than the rest of society; he simply "knows" things- but is unable to communicate his knowledge to the others
Simon
the younger boys who are among those marooned on the island. They are in the younger ages, about 6 and below. They have not yet transitioned into the older group which has its adventures with the older boys who become more savage as the novel goes on and Jack leads them
Littluns
illustrates the line of aggression which becomes more and more dominant in the course of events; thus, it is a symbol of Jack's leadership
pigs
this character stands for the intellectual who tries to solve problems with logic and reason; because he is considered to be "different" by the others, they do not listen to him
Piggy
symbolizes the end of adult supervision; Simon has a special connection with this thing when he climbs the mountain to determine if this thing is still alive
the parachutist
they symbolize the voice of reason and logic among the boys; a symbol of intelligence and education; notice how Piggy defends these even more than the conch; Piggy uses these to find solutions to the boys' problems
piggy's specs
this character represents the destructive forces in society; ruthless and evil, he plays on the fears of the group to gain power over them; rather than help the group, he uses their fears against them
jack
where the plane crashed; it symbolizes destruction; time spent on the island also leaves a ____; the boys destroy themselves and others leaving internal _____.
the scar
symbolizes "isolation" and serves as the perfect backdrop for the frailties of human nature which eventually surface
the island