Please don't feel like you have to use any of these changes! Most of the "corrections" I've made are spelling/tense agreement/grammar and the rest is only suggestion to make it flow more smoothly. I also took paragraph liberties where I thought you might have had them. If you need any other help, or I don't make any sense, feel free to just ask!


Lord of The Flies
is a classic novel written by the late William Golding. Lord of the Flies targets the influence of society on humans and how in the right situations humans will go into survival mode just to survive (consider not repeating the word survive here). Taking place in the mid 1900s, Lord of the Flies (consider changing to "this novel" or similar) targets the two very strong themes; loss of innocence and good versus evil. These themes become present as the book progresses.

The loss of innocence is first mentioned in chapter one when Jack hesitates while killing the pig, "I was choosing a place," said Jack. "I was just waiting for a moment to decide where to stab him." (pg 31) This quote is important because Jack does not want to kill, he still has his innocence. Jack eventually loses his innocence as the book progresses, as do many of the other characters.

"Softly, surrounded by a fringe of inquisitive bright creatures, itself a sliver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon's dead body moved out toward the open sea." (pg 154) Another (removed great here) example of loss of innocence, illustrated here in chapter nine, is the murder of Simon. The boys have such a strong thirst to kill that they do not even realize it is Simon until he floats away in the ocean. They lose all reason (consider a word like "rationality" or similar here), and (removed lose) their innocence when they are lowered to killing not out of necessity, but just for the kill.

Another main theme is good verses evil. This theme is first displayed in chapter two when the boys try to flush out the pigs by setting the island on fire, but instead of accomplishing this, they kill the littlun with the birthmark. "That littlun that had a mark on his face - where is - he now? I tell you I don't see him" (p. 46). The littlun is dead, but everyone acts like he was never there with the exception of Piggy. In chapter five Simon talks about the beast and said, "What I mean is . . . Maybe it's only us . . ." (p. 89). He says this after the littlun thought that there was a beast on the island. This quote is important because it shows that the boys want to believe that there is a beast and there is darkness on the island, but really the darkness is them.

The conch plays an important role in the book because it acts as a form of (removed "their") government, and if the boys disobey it they are faced with punishment. The conch also symbolizes loss of innocence in a way because the only innocence left on the island towards the end of the book is Piggy's. Piggy (removed "in a way") is the protector of the conch, and (removed "he") is the only one that believes in it when he dies. This forces him into the role of protector of the innocence, which then dies along with him. When Roger pushes the rock he is aiming at Piggy and kills him with it, he also smashes the conch and destroys all order on the island.

The fire is a symbol of safety, is used to attract passing ships that may be able to rescue them. The fire is also the boys connection to civilization and when the fire burns low or goes out the boys lose the desire to be rescued and accept their lives as savages on the island. The irony of the fire is that Jack's tribe is trying to kill Ralph but instead of killing him the fire attracts a ship to rescue the boys. "We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Having a war or something?" (pg 201) This is significant because the officer thinks that the boys are playing a big game, he does not really think that there was a war between Jack's tribe and Ralph.

The Glasses are a symbol of intelligence and power because Piggy is the smartest and most rational boy in the group. He thinks before he acts, but does not just think for himself. He takes into consideration the whole group even the littluns. The symbol of the glasses is clear from the beginning of the book when Jack used his glasses to start the fire. " his specs- use them as burning glasses!"(pg 40) The glasses are important because if the boys did not have the glasses then they would not have the fire and so would not have been able to get off the island.

The darkness is a symbol of evil and the fear inside every boy, the fear of killing, and the fear of the beast. The darkness also symbolizes the savagery inside of every boy. This is shown on page 198 with the line "The savage stopped fifteen yards away and uttered his cry." This is important because it shows that the boys are trying to commit the ultimate evil-killing another human being.

The Lord of the Flies is a symbol of Satan, it tells Simon that evil lies within every human. The Lord of the Flies "talked" to Simon and told him "I'm warning you. I'm going to get angry. D' you see? You are not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on the island? So don't try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else-"( pg 144) (Look over this quote in the book again and make sure you've quoted it correctly, something seems off to me) This quote is important because the Lord of the Flies is telling him that he's going to get killed or something bad is going to happen to him.

The Island is a symbol of destroying civilization because the boys have lost all meaning of civilization. It is also a symbol of a new beginning or ending for some people like Simon and Piggy who both lose their lives while on the island. Jack gets to find another part of himself, a more savage and wild part. Ralph does not change as much as Jack and keeps the same set of morals throughout the novel, while Jack's morals change from not wanting to kill to killing whatever walks past him. He believed in that everyone was to serve him. (not sure what you're saying with this last sentence, maybe re-word?) The island, in a way, is the beginning of the end. "He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering sobs of grief the seemed to wrench his whole body." (pg 202) This quote is important because Ralph has just realized that he's getting off the island and that the nightmare is all over, he can now forget his past.

I would add one more paragraph as a closing to tie the whole essay together.


Last Edited By: Footfoot Apr 2 09 4:54 AM. Edited 1 times.