Wednesday, October 26, 2011

What did the boys eat besides meat in Lord of the Flies?

In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, a group of British school boys are stranded on an island without any adult supervision. Their main objective is to survive until adults rescue them, for which they need food. A major plot point and tool of character development is the concept of meat. The characterization of someone as a "hunter" contributes greatly to certain conflicts and themes. 


Likewise, the other food sources on the island also have symbolic associations. Many of the boys eat fruit, nuts, and the occasional crab or fish. Each of these foods is easy to gather with little to no concerted effort or organization. This contrasts sharply against the militaristic connotations of Jack's hunters. The fruit in particular contributes a degree of chaos, as it causes many of the boys, particularly the littluns, to suffer from diarrhea. 

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