preview

Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis

Good Essays

Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1911-1993) depicts a world of violence and moral desolation which is accompanied by the main characters' loss of identity. The plot shows a process of events that finally leads to death and devastation. The boys go through gradual degradation into the abyss of bestial behaviour. They take off the mask of socially organised English lads and replace it with wild nature. They go through metamorphoses as they gradually embark on a new life free from social restrictions and punishment. The transformation is particularly observed in the three major characters of the novel; Ralph, Piggy and Jack. The experiences the three boys undergo on the island expose them to the evil that lies beneath their civilised surface. The experiences affect them drastically both physically and mentally to the point where they lose their own identities. The novel opens with the group of boys stranded on a deserted island. The first two characters we encounter are Ralph and Piggy. They agree that they are marooned and decide to start exploring the place in hope of finding other survivors. Ralph realises that they are on an island and is delighted to be in a kind of paradise. He finds a lagoon on the beach separated from the island's lagoon by a wall of naturally banked sand. On beholding this sight, he immediately takes off his clothes and immerses himself in the water. The island is self-sufficient, it can help them survive. It can provide them with fruit,

Get Access