Lord of the Flies- Key Characters

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  • Created by: Becca
  • Created on: 06-05-13 16:15

Ralph

  • He is tepitome of the sterotypical protagonist- tall, fair skinned, blond hair, blue eyes
  • He and Jack are the opposite of each other
  • Elected leader, but not forceful enough to maintain the position
  • He is eventually reduced to the status of outcast, who must flee for his life
  • An idealist and a dreamer- it is Piggy who does all the thinking for him
  • At the end of the novel he is a disillusioned realist, who now sees the world and its inhabitants for what they really are 
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Piggy

  • He is a sterotypical 'victim' in the novel- overweight, asthmatic, short sighted. This presence initally makes the other boys either wince or make fun of him
  • He is represented as being of a lower class than the other boys and consequently speaks and acts differently
  • Ironically, he is intelligent, thoughful and able to reason and hypothesise
  • He is a paternal figure who looks after and suppots the little'uns
  • He becomes a wise councellor who supports Ralph's attempts at democratic, palimentoary rule
  • He increasingly finds himself at odds with jack, a person who he instinctively fears and loaths- it is Jack's stubordinate Roger who crushes Piggy with the boulder
  • Note how sight is metaphorically and literally associated with Piggy
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Jack

  • His physical appearance serves as a warning sign- the flame red hair, the plae face that blanches with displeasure
  • He is used to taking up a leadership position- first leader of the choir, he becomes the leader of the hunters
  • He is responcable for splitting of the group- he does this by terorising them and offering them a tempting life of hunting and plenty of meat
  • His leadership results in dictatorship, where he rules 'his' tribe with fear
  • Spontaneous individual who wants instant gratification for his desires
  • He doesnt think through the consequences of his actions 9as Ralhp does) but puts himself first at all times
  • He is a moral and only enforces the sence of justice
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Simon

  • He is dark, mystical who others find 'odd' or 'queer' 
  • He goes barefoot and is an isolated figure- adding diliberatly makes simon a christ like figure, the anology is not coincidental
  • He is helpful and cooperative and the only boy to help Ralph build the shelters
  • It is interesting that he is one of the three boys who initally explores the island
  • He has a marked physical weakness in that he appears to suffer from epilepsy
  • He has a high level of intuitive intelligence and this allows him to confront the boys fears about the 'beast'
  • An original member of the choir he is ultimately killed by the choir in a ritual frenzy
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Roger

  • He is mysterious, secretive, furtive
  • As Jack's lieutenant, he comes to think like Jack and does not question thw consequences of his actions
  • His name literally means 'famous with a spear' 
  • He is a sadist who delights in inflicting pain- he is unnecessarily crule in the sow killing incident
  • Is he the logical extension of Jack's character?
  • He prepares the stick 'sharpened at both ends' to mount Ralph's head.
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