In the midst of a nuclear war, a group of British boys find themselves stranded without adult supervision on a tropical island. The group is roughly divided into the "littluns," boys around the age of six, and the "biguns," who are between the ages of ten and twelve.
Jack's exact age is not stated in the book, but he is roughly the same age as Ralph, his protagonist counterpart. Ralph is twelve years old. Like the other boys, Jack's appearance changes throughout the novel.
What are the ages of the boys in The Lord of the Flies?
The boys on the island range in ages from 6 – 12. Ralph's age is given as twelve years old, and his rival, Jack (the head boy of a choir), is around the same age. They are two of the older boys and they fall into the category of biguns. The littluns are roughly six years old.
Ralph. Ralph is among the oldest of the boys, at twelve and a few months, and has an air of strength about him. He acts as the initial leader figure and organizes the boys into some semblance of society.
A group of boys is shipwrecked on a deserted island and begin to organize their lives with the older boys in charge. Peterkin, better known as "Piggy", is one of the three oldest at around twelve years of age. Piggy has a very rational mind and is important for creating order in the boys' castaway community.
Piggy's real name is never revealed. Instead he is treated as though he is one of the pigs on the island - also like one of them, he is brutally killed. Piggy remains an outsider and a victim throughout the novel, though Ralph does come to respect him.
Three of the boys on the island die before the choir is rescued. Simon is killed by accident because the other boys mistake him for a beast. Piggy is murdered by Roger. An unnamed boy with a mulberry-colored birthmark is killed in the forest fire that is set by Jack and his compatriots during their search for Ralph.
This coming-of-age book by William Golding is published by Riverhead Books, a division of Penguin Group and is written for ages 13 and up. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Percival is one of the youngest and smallest boys on the island and is known for crying all of the time. His inexperience and childlike behaviors at the beginning of the book illustrate his naivety and innocence.
Over the last 60 years, people have objected to the book due to its brutal violence, as well as its disturbing ideas concerning human nature and how humans differ little from animals when the boundaries of society are removed.
Piggy is the intellectual with poor eyesight, a weight problem, and asthma. He is the most physically vulnerable of all the boys, despite his greater intelligence.
The real Lord of the Flies, Mano told us, began in June 1965. The protagonists were six boys – Sione, Stephen, Kolo, David, Luke and Mano – all pupils at a strict Catholic boarding school in Nuku'alofa. The oldest was 16, the youngest 13, and they had one main thing in common: they were bored witless.
Who is a better leader in Lord of the Flies? Ralph is a better leader as he works to make sure the boys get rescued. Jack is a more effective leader because he gathers support for himself quickly, but he is a poor leader because he is unconcerned with being rescued.
They were left looking at each other and the place of terror. Jack's face was white under the freckles. He noticed that he still held the knife aloft and brought his arm down replacing the blade in the sheath. Then they all three laughed ashamedly and began to climb back to the track.
Quick answer: Ralph's last name is never revealed in Lord of the Flies. The lack of last names for most characters might symbolize their disconnection from civilization and family ties. Only two boys, Jack Merridew and Percival Wemys Madison, are given last names, possibly to highlight their distinct roles.
Parents, school administrators and other critics have decried the language and violence in the novel. Bullying is rampant throughout the book—indeed, it is one of the main plot lines. Many people also think that the book promotes a pro-slavery ideology, which they note is the wrong message to teach children.
Violence & Scariness. One boy is bullied. Two characters are murdered: One is beat to death and another falls to his death after being hit by a boulder pushed by one of the other boys. The acts are described in detail.
Why does Jack hate Ralph? From the beginning, Jack, who is the head choir boy back home, thinks he should be the chief, but the other boys choose Ralph. The tension between Ralph and Jack grows because Jack has different priorities—to hunt and have fun—than Ralph, who wants to hold onto civilization and get rescued.
Only two named characters do not survive, Piggy and Simon. It is implied that a third unnamed boy died in the forest fire earlier on in the novel. So, of the seven main characters, five survive: Ralph, Jack, Sam, Eric, and Roger.
We do know that Piggy is a very highly intelligent. His IQ is probably in the genius level! I know that this doesn't make him autistic, but we do know that a lot of people on the higher end of the spectrum tend to be very intelligent. We also know that he really doesn't seem to fit in with other boys his age.
Roger sends a rock topping over the cliffs and onto Piggy, which kills Piggy and destroys the conch. Jack is not remorseful. Instead, he is further excited, and he says that he "meant that," and he tells Ralph that he no longer has a tribe.
Piggy, in his desire for friendship, makes his first mistake on the island by revealing the name given to him from former tormenters. Later during the first meeting, Jack calls him 'Fatty' but Ralph interrupts with a shout: 'His real name's Piggy! ' (23).
