The Scorpion God (1971), and later novels, all of which explore man’s moral weakness and tendency towards evil.
Summary of Lord of the Flies
The novel tells the story of a group of British schoolboys who get stranded on an island after a plane crash. At first, they try to stay organized. Ralph becomes the leader and, with the help of Piggy, wants to keep rules, build shelters, and maintain a fire for rescue.
But Jack, who is more interested in hunting, starts to challenge Ralph’s authority. Slowly, many boys join Jack’s side, as hunting and fun seem more attractive than discipline. Fear of a “beast” spreads among them, and this fear makes them more violent and wild.
Simon, who is thoughtful and kind, realizes the “beast” is not real but only a dead parachutist. When he tries to explain, the boys mistake him for the beast and kill him in their madness. Later, Piggy is also killed when Jack’s group throws a huge rock at him.
In the end, Jack and his tribe turn completely savage and hunt Ralph. Just as they are about to kill him, a naval officer arrives and saves the boys. Seeing the officer reminds them of the civilized world they have lost, and Ralph breaks down crying.
🔑 Themes
1. Civilisation vs sevegery
2. Loss of Innocence
3. Fear and Its Power
4. Human Nature and Evil
5. Leadership and Power
6. Violence and Death
Symbols
Piggy’s Glasses Knowledge, logic, science; stolen glasses = victory of savagery over reason.
Signal Fire Hope, rescue, connection to civilization; when it goes out = loss of order.
The Beast Fear, inner evil, human savagery.
Lord of the Flies Pig’s head on a stick → symbol of evil inside humans.
The Island At first paradise, later chaos → loss of innocence.
some of the best quotes from the novel
1. "Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us." - Simon
2. "The thing is - fear can't hurt you any more than a dream." - Ralph
3. "We did everything adults would do. What went wrong?" - Piggy
4. "The greatest ideas are the simplest." - Piggy
5. "The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away." - Ralph
6. "Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!" - The Lord of
the Flies
7. "I'm scared of him. And that's why I know him. If you're scared of someone you
hate him but you can't stop thinking about him. You kid yourself he's all right really,
an' then when you see him again; it's like asthma an' you can't breathe." - Piggy
8. "The rules! You're breaking the rules!" - Jack
9. "Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall
through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy." - Narrator
1. What are the viewpoints on the idea of freedom?
Freedom means we can do anything, but sometimes people misuse it in negative ways. We should consider the situation and timing before taking any action. If our freedom harms others or infringes on their rights, we should refrain from such actions. The question then arises: what about our own freedom? A.G. Gardiner, in his essay "On the Rule of the Road," suggests that the liberty of an individual must be balanced with the needs of society to ensure social safety and order. Without this balance, individual liberty could lead to chaos and anarchy.
Liberty = Freedom
2. Does freedom make a person an anarchist?
It depends on the individual. If people are educated, mature, and capable of handling freedom responsibly, they will not become anarchists. However, if a person gains freedom unexpectedly or lacks discipline due to their upbringing, they may behave like a compressed spring—once released, they might overreact and act recklessly.
3. Write the moral of the novel in your own words.
There are two morals in any work of art—what to do and what not to do. Sometimes, art teaches us what not to do in the future.
What to do:
- Leadership from Ralph
- Long-term vision and rationality from Simon
- Return to the basics, as seen in Sam, Eric, Ralph, and Jack
- Choose a good leader and give them a chance
- Protect innocent people, as the naval officer does
- Intellectual guidance from Piggy
- Follow rules and regulations, or the consequences will be dangerous
What not to do:
- Spread rumors
- Be consumed by jealousy
- Follow the crowd blindly
- Kill innocent people
4. How would you like to end the novel?
If I had the chance to change the ending of *Lord of the Flies*, I would prevent Simon and Piggy's deaths. Simon would return to the group and reveal the truth. Jack would break down in tears, realizing his wrongdoings. I would also remove the naval officer’s entry and instead have the boys work together to build a ship, with Simon as the captain.
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