Lord of the Flies - Fable

THIS WAS AN ESSAY PUBLISHED IN THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE THE HOT GATES
PP. 249-271
SUMMARY BY SEAN QUINN
 Plot Development

This was an essay written in the style of a fable, in which Golding talks about the importance
of the text in relation to other fables. He references the importance of texts such as George
Orwells Animal Farm, an allegorical fable written as an allusion to the Russian Revolution,
but instead of the original characters, Orwell used Animals, this being a common fabulist
technique. In this short text, Golding makes many references to the side-character of Simon
(a believed spiritual conversationalist) being an important figure in the shaping of the future
in the text, as he talks to the Lord or the Flies (this being the slaughtered pigs head).
Although this doesnt relate to the true story of the text, Golding does use exterior sources to
relate to many of the themes that are a part of the novel.
 Themes

Golding, through reference to Shakespeares play King Lear, provides a sense

of Irony not only in this text but his own as well. King Lear was the leader of a
Kingdom, but grew tired of it and gave the power to his daughters (two of
them took over and one did not), and thus he became the fool of the
Kingdom. This would soon lead to bloodshed, and thus due to the fools job
also being the fabulist, fabulists are never popular ~William Golding. This
statement is ironic due to Golding himself being a fabulist, this also being used
as an anecdotal view of how he saw fabulists at the time. How does Irony
relate to the text overall? It is a common theme through the use of the
choristers, they being the prim-and-proper character, lead to be the savage
group of the boys, this being ironic due to the status they have in everyday
life.
Themes

As coldly as it may seem, the use of symbols to provide an Evil

atmosphere upon the island. Golding relates another text, almost
identical in story and character use, The Coral Island, in which similar
themes occur, Loss of Innocence and Importance of Hierarchy and
Establishment of Leadership. The Coral Island was a text inspired by Lord of
the Flies. But, aside from this we can also see Themes of Regression,
through the behaviour of the boys whilst on the Island, as they, once
being respectable Englishmen, they regress into savage behaviour, unlike
The Coral Islands image of the survivors, for[Ballantynes] view of English
boys pluck and resourcefulness is optimistic, unlike Goldings view of
how survival can turn ugly through lack of ability to progress in civilisation
whilst stranded on the island.
 Character Development

Although not directly related to the story, there are some developments that help
to reveal important information about a certain character:
- Simon, a quiet and mysterious boy, appears as an independent boy for he goes
off alone to meditate. In the essay, Golding mentions the scene when Simon
spoke with the Lord of the Flies (the now known Pigs head). Even though the
Lord of the Flies thinks he is a silly little boy an ignorant silly little boy, we can
see that Simon is an important figure on the island, one who is different from every
other boy on the Island, a prophet almost. The death of Simon was evidently
shown as a sign of the Regression in the Civilisation of the Island, as the boys
thought that he was the Incarnation of the Lord of the Flies (the Beast). And now,
thus his death went unnoticed by the wild choristers, the poor misguided boy
was an important figure in the allusion to the theme of Regression.
Modern Implication

In the text, there are many morals that apply to modern day.
Commonly, we will see through themes of Regression and
Lack of Civilisation, that it is important for a hierarchy to be
established and if there is one, it is to be followed. I can be
seen also that the importance of teamwork in everyday life
can affect these themes, and so too did this appear in the
text, Teamwork was used to capture the Lord of the Flies,
was used to create the choristers savage party and was
used to attempt to kill Ralph.
Quotes

Fabulists are never popular.

Always the truth is honourable.
England imposes empire and religion on lawless breeds of men.
terrible disease of human [nature].
sometimes [history] is dignified by a pretty name.
likened to wrinkles in an aged face
of all the boys [Simon] is the only one who feels he needs to be alone
in the twentieth century, the sort of fables we must construct are not for
children on any level.
a correct structure of society would produce goodwill