Lord of the Flies Group

Question:

biggdaddydrill
biggdaddydrill
Student
High School - 10th Grade

What do the flies in Lord of the Flies represent?

Does "the flies" represent how people seem to be working together, but in reality they are all on their own agenda flying in random directions??

Because when flies swarm around garbage and stuff they seem to be one unit of flies....

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Posted by biggdaddydrill on Tuesday February 17, 2009 at 7:16 PM and tagged with flies, lord of the flies, symbolism, themes.

Answers:


  1. troutmiller Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The pig's head is the Lord of the Flies.  It represents anarchy.  It's also considered Beelzebub.  The flies could be considered the followers.  Just as Jack has finally split the boys into two tribes--the fire makers and the fire takers--his tribe members are like the flies.  They follow his orders.  They work together to accomplish his goals.

    So they are working together, but they have a different agenda than the "right" one.  They are following Jack's leadership which is the "wrong" agenda.  They hover around death and decay--which is what is happening slowly on the island.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/chapter-8-summary-analysis

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    Posted by troutmiller on Wednesday February 18, 2009 at 8:59 AM

  2. codygoyack12
    codygoyack12 Student
    High School - 9th Grade

    The pig's head that was on the tree represents the lord of the flies.  

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    Posted by codygoyack12 on Wednesday February 18, 2009 at 5:19 PM