LOTF Symbols

Question 1

Face Paint

Answer 1

present throughout the novel, representing how people assume different personalities by hiding their insecurities. In the beginning of Lord of the Flies, the concealment of the face paint represents how Jack disguises his insecurities. It also represents savagery, as Jack becomes a savage hunter and continues to wear the paint. Face paint also has tribal meaning. The face paint gave Jack power and enabled him to become a dictator.

Question 2

LOTF

Answer 2

evil/devil/beast

Question 3

Conch

Answer 3

civilization; symbolizes the sense of order throughout the novel (once the conch is broken, law and order is completely removed); it also represents Ralph’s power, and when the conch is destroyed, all order (civilization) is lost and Ralph’s power is finally lost

Question 4

The Plane

Answer 4

The plane crashing shows the boys’ descending from the high morals of civilization to savagery, as exhibited by Jack. When the plane crashes, the destruction of the island begins, especially with the two forest fires that occur throughout the book.

Question 5

Butterflies

Answer 5

The butterflies symbolize the loss of hope and innocence as the boys leave behind Simon. It could also represent the loss of hope to be saved by adults.

Question 6

The island

Answer 6

The island is apart from civilization and is a free, safe start for the boys. Due to their inability to get off the island, it also becomes a prison. The forest fires symbolize the hellish aspect of the island.

Question 7

The Huts (boys’ shelters)

Answer 7

This symbol represents civilization. → A sense of protection for the boys → keeping the boys safe from the unknown outside dangers
Only Simon, Piggy, and Ralph were willing to build the huts, symbolizing them clinging on to civilization and the other boys pulling away from it.

Question 8

Signal Fire

Answer 8

Hope that somebody will find the boys. A sign of attempting to rejoin civilization, however, it loses importance over time due to the boys becoming more savage and losing all sense of civilization; at the beginning, they attempt to keep the signal fire going, but towards the end they abandon it, showing that they’re completely savage now

Question 9

Clothing

Answer 9

The absence of clothes represents savagery, while the presence of them represents civility, as well as authority, such as with the choir boys.

Question 10

Piggy’s Glasses

Answer 10

instinct to survive and rescue; Jack snatches the glasses off Piggy’s face to create the fire, despite Piggy’s protestations, and his dependence upon them. The glasses represents clarity and once Piggy’s glasses are gone there is no more clarity to keep moving forward.

Question 11

The Scar

Answer 11

The scar foreshadows the final destruction of the island, which happens due to the boys’ increasing savagery throughout the book.

Question 12

The Beast

Answer 12

represents the fear that grows within the boys throughout the story. Soon, this fear drives them to commit savage, horrible acts, such as killing Simon.

Question 13

Piggy

Answer 13

the last of humanity that hasn’t turned savage; represents intellectual and scientific aspect of society - when he is killed the last of sanity is lost

Question 14

Simon

Answer 14

Represents the ethicality and morality of uncorrupted human nature; goodness, saintliness

Question 15

Ralph

Answer 15

civilization and democracy; values order

Question 16

Jack

Answer 16

Savagery, the loss of humanity, dictatorship

Question 17

Roger

Answer 17

basically a sociopath that kills piggy

Question 18

Creepers

Answer 18

Rather than “vines” or another similar term, they were specifically “creepers”, giving off an underlying sense of latent danger on the island, apart from them being physical obstacles.

Question 19

The Blackness

Answer 19

indicates how the evil desires of the boys have started to take control of their mentality and represents the loss of their moral compass of sorts as Simon is absorbed by the darkness.