Lord of the Flies Characters: Complete Analysis

Ralph is elected chief and represents order, civilization, and democratic leadership. He prioritizes the signal fire for rescue and attempts to maintain civilized standards. Ralph struggles throughout to keep the boys focused on being rescued rather than embracing island life.

His gradual loss of authority to Jack represents civilization's fragility and how democratic leadership struggles against authoritarian appeals to base instincts.

Jack begins as choirboy but transforms into savage hunter-chief. He represents authoritarianism, violence, and humanity's savage instincts. Jack's obsession with hunting, use of face paint, and eventual rule through fear and violence show how quickly humans can embrace savagery when freed from civilization's constraints.

Piggy represents intellect, reason, and science. His glasses literally provide the fire-making technology. Despite his intelligence, he's constantly mocked for his weight, asthma, and lower-class background. His murder while holding the conch shows that reason and civilization are vulnerable to violence and cannot survive without force to protect them.

Simon is the sensitive, spiritual boy who discovers the beast is actually a dead parachutist. He represents innate human goodness and moral insight. His encounter with the Lord of the Flies (pig's head) reveals the truth: evil is within humans, not external. His murder during a savage ritual shows that goodness and truth cannot survive mob violence.