Lord of the Flies, Nobel Prize-winner William Golding’s 1954 dystopian novel, allegorizes the story of schoolboys marooned on an island to investigate mankind’s inherent savagery. The novel greatly influenced writers of horror and post-apocalyptic fiction. Read a character analysis of Ralph, plot summary, and important quotes.
Summary
Read our full plot summary and analysis of Lord of the Flies, chapter by chapter breakdowns, and more.
Characters
See a complete list of the characters in Lord of the Flies, and in-depth analyses of Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and more.
Literary Devices
Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in Lord of the Flies, from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more.
Questions & Answers
Explore our selection of frequently asked questions about Lord of the Flies and find the answers you need.
- Who is the Lord of the Flies?
- What is the conch and what does it symbolize?
- How does Simon die?
- Why does Jack start his own tribe?
- Do the boys get rescued from the island?
- Why is Ralph chosen to be the chief?
- Why does Jack think he should be the chief?
- Why are Piggy’s glasses important?
- Who is the first boy to die on the island?
- Why does Jack hate Ralph?
- What is the beast?
- What does Simon want to tell the other boys?
- How does Piggy die?
- Does Ralph survive?
- Why is the backdrop of the war important to the story?
Quotes
Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of Lord of the Flies by reading these key quotes.
Quick Quizzes
Test your knowledge of Lord of the Flies with quizzes about every section, major characters, themes, symbols, and more.
Essays
Get ready to ace your Lord of the Flies paper with our suggested essay topics, helpful essays about historical and literary context, a sample A+ student essay, and more.
Further Study
Go further in your study of Lord of the Flies with background information, movie adaptations, and links to the best resources around the web.
