Lord of the Flies: Character Essay Plans

RALPH: democracy and leadership

The fair boy
- ambiguous
- leads with equality and justice
- golden, attractive appearance
- repetition of phrase reinforces idea of democracy
We'll have ... hands up
- democracy
- hints at adult world
- yet adult world is intrinsically flawed
- childish
- continues to rely on civilsation, school, discipline
eager to offer something
- wants to share leadership
- kindness and sympathy
- is this an error to give Jack power?

1 of 8

true, wise friend called Piggy
- admiration of common sense and wisdom
- ironic that he still doesn't know his name
intelligence ... was traceable to Piggy
- reliance on hidden leader
- Piggy imparts knowledge on Ralph
What's your father?
- Golding captures school boy speech
- what - focus on role/job not character
That's what you meant wasn't it?
- questions show Piggy relies on Ralph and wants approval
- Piggy tries to make his ideas seem like Ralph's
- he is the source of all Ralph's ideas

2 of 8

We must make a fire
- monosyllabic, urgency of rescue
- must - complete reliance on rescue
watched the ship ravenously
- hungers for rescue
- compared to Jack's hunger for blood
- wants to be reunited with the civilised world
What? Where? Is it a ship?
- questions show excitement at thought of rescue
jerked his stockings
- conditioned by civilisation
- impulse, instinctive to keep civilsation with him
discovered dirt and decay ... disliked
- plosive, disgust
- doesn't want to be tainted by evi - wants to remain clean and pure
O God I want to go home
- complete desperation
- exclamation complete desire to go return to civilised world

3 of 8

bat's wing
- evil blinds vision
- loss of light and clarity
he isn't a proper chief / i was chief
- failure as a leader
- acceptance that Jack is taking control
worthy plaything
- sees leadership as a toy
- hints that he'll use it incorrectly
- yet still values it
never be a very good chess player
- sees leadership as a battle against an opponent
- battle of black and white pieces (perhaps good and evil)
- failure as leader
- game of manipulating pieces/people
desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering
- becomes overcome by evil
- tempted by evil desires, wants to inflict pain

4 of 8

5 of 8

flashing glasses
- symbolic of vision
- suggest intelligence
- as they are damged, civilsation is destroyed
Piggy glanced nervously into hell
- sees evil of the fire
- perhaps symbolises the evil of rescue, return to adult world of war
- prescient of the burning wreckage

6 of 8

cradled the great cream shell
- like a child
- protector of democracy, parent
- appreciation and respect
caressed the shell respectfully
- admiration of democracy
- love and adoration

7 of 8

8 of 8