The Lord of the Flies

With all of the books that i have ever read there are only a few that i have read multiple times. For me, reading a book a second time is a true testament to the greatness of it's plot, characters, and climaxes. I have read 'The Hobbit' about three times, and Catch-22 about five times, but i have read 'The Lord of the Flies' no more than ten times. I have seen the movie and the remake multiple times as well and have had multiple discussions with various friends, family members, and strangers. The premise is excellent -- the ultimate "What if?" question of being stranded on an island. The storyline and plot are developed by true-to-life characters. The character design and interaction amongst themselves is beyond comparison and very accurate. One of the items that i usually look for in good stories is character development and interaction. Most times i try to put temperaments to the characters i am reading about. I have become a personality predator of sorts, and am constantly trying to label others so that i may understand them.

There is one unique feature to LotF: It's four main characters are depicted well in overall temperament.

Ralph... Is the natural charismatic leader. He believes in rules, and a governing body. His main objective is to keep the fire burning in hopes that someone will see it and save the boys from the island. He establishes a hierarchy and becomes used to giving orders. He also desires to build shelters, and to set up schedules for the boys to work, maintain the fire, and forage. He is a true guardian.

Jack... Is the challenger to Ralph's domination. He wants power for himself by slowly subverting the authority that is established. He lives in the here and now. He forms a para-military hunting group, out of his choir, to provide meat for the boys. He is not concerned with law and order. His main thought is that he who provides the food should be in power. He is concerned with the hunt, and his single focus is on that. Part of his ploy is to rile the others into frenzies and undermine the rules after he leaves the main troop. He steals the conch as well as piggy's glasses for his own needs and establishes his own 'tribe.' His action-minded, hunter mentality is artisan-like.

Piggy... Is the unfortunate voice of reason. It's his logic that alerts the boys that they are actually lost and that nobody else knows that they are lost-- "people know where we were, and where we were going, but nobody knows where we are now." It's his glasses that start the fire, it's his idea to use the conch shell as a method of turns for others to speak at assemblies. It's he that thinks to build shelters to live in. He suffers from asthma, wears glasses, and is fat. This unfortunate combination makes him an easy target for Jack's violence. He seems to me the archetypal rational. His unyielding loyalty and friendship to Ralp and Simon is also not matched among the others on the island.

Simon... for me is the bravest of all the boys on the island. He is the one that realizes that the 'beastie' is just a downed airforce pilot by approaching the cave and entering it. He is the curious 'outsider' in the group. He obeys the rules as much as the next one, but often goes off on his own to explore the island and eventually maps the island. He feels sorry for the killed pig, and admires the fauna, and animals on the island. He has visions of the LotF, and converses with it too. Unfortunately his 'oddness' is punished by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is killed by the group after one of Jack's frenzied hunter parties. His character is best explained by the Idealist temperament.

As i wrote earlier this book is probably my favorite fiction book, and the last time i read it, it was with the knowledge of personality and temperament.