The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is an allegorical story where each character represents a particular political, religious, or philosophical viewpoint. The island represents the entire world, Ralph represents the democratic government, Jack represents autocracy/dictatorship, and Piggy represents the forces of rationalism, science, and intellect—which often get ignored. The Littluns represent the common society.
In Lord of the Flies, the island represents our world. It is often referred to as the “scar” in the novel. Golding described the area as “the long scar smashed into the jungle” (page 1). Golding is trying to portray the island as the world which we humans inhabit. He calls it a “scar” as he is trying to display that humans have ruined earth simply by inhabiting it. In this allegorical novel, the island (referred to as a scar) represents the destruction caused by humans on earth.
Ralph represents the democratic government. In chapter 2, he states that “[they] can’t have everyone talking at once” (page 31). He then declares that if one wants to speak, they must hold the conch. This entitles everyone to voicing their opinion. Through Ralph’s teamwork and attempts at inclusion, he is promoting a democratic life on the island. Under his leadership, he attempts to include everyone (although Piggy is often left out). Ralph, in later chapters, can be seen trying to navigate the group by attempting to make them understand what exactly carries importance (such as building a fire and shelters.) He tries to guide the group and wants to protect the littluns. Ralph represents democracy and fairness.
Jack represents autocracy/ dictatorship. He states, “I ought to be chief… because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp” (18). He also leads his choir group and uses his strength and power to command them. The boys’ situation leads to the conflict of civilization vs savagery. Where Ralph is trying to maintain civilization, Jack is more inclined to break the laws and promotes savagery. His strange desire to hunt and kill pigs, his aggressive behavior, and his attitude towards Piggy makes it apparent that he represents dictatorship.
Piggy represents the forces of rationalism and is the intellectual one who often gets ignored. In chapter 1, Ralph tells Piggy that “[he] can’t come” (page 21). Piggy is often ignored due to his appearance and power. He does not fit in with the other boys, however, he provides them with intellect and knowledge. The boys overlook his abilities and this resonates with our current world as we often ignore intellect, etc. In chapter 2, Piggy states that “If I say anything, you say shut up; but if Jack or Maurice or Simon-” (page 43). Piggy is trying to state that his opinions are always ignored, however, if someone else were to say that exact same thing as him, then their ideas will be considered wonderful. Clearly, Piggy represents the rational side.
The Littluns represent the common society that the democratic government strives to protect. They are portrayed as weak members. This is apparent when Ralph stated that they must build shelter for the littluns because “They’re frightened” (page 52). Golding described the littluns’ weakness and lack of involvement by claiming that “they cried for their mothers much less now. They obeyed the summons of the conch, partly because Ralph blew it, and he was big enough to be a link with the adult world of authority. But otherwise they seldom bothered with the biguns and their passionately emotional and corporate life was their own” (page 61). This description proves that the littluns show less involvement on this island and carry little importance, further proving to represent the common society.
Anoushka's Blog 