English Literature books summary

early in the novel. Michaelis asks Connie to marry him, but she decides

not to, realizing that he is like all other intellectuals: a slave to

success, a purveyor of vain ideas and empty words, passionless.

Hilda Reid - Connie's older sister by two years, the daughter of Sir

Malcolm. Hilda shared Connie's cultured upbringing and intellectual

education. She remains unliberated by the raw sensuality that changed

Connie's life. She disdains Connie's lover, Mellors, as a member of the

lower classes, but in the end she helps Connie to leave Clifford.

Sir Malcolm Reid - The father of Connie and Hilda. He is an acclaimed

painter, an aesthete and unabashed sensualist who despises Clifford for his

weakness and impotence, and who immediately warms to Mellors.

Tommy Dukes - One of Clifford's contemporaries, Tommy Dukes is a

brigadier general in the British Army and a clever and progressive

intellectual. Lawrence intimates, however, that Dukes is a representative

of all intellectuals: all talk and no action. Dukes speaks of the

importance of sensuality, but he himself is incapable of sensuality and

uninterested in sex.

Charles May, Hammond, Berry - Young intellectuals who visit Wragby, and

who, along with Tommy Dukes and Clifford, participate in the socially

progressive but ultimately meaningless discussions about love and sex.

Duncan Forbes - An artist friend of Connie and Hilda. Forbes paints

abstract canvases, a form of art both Mellors and D.H. Lawrence seem to

despise. He once loved Connie, and Connie originally claims to be pregnant

with his child.

Bertha Coutts - Although Bertha never actually appears in the novel, her

presence is felt. She is Mellors' wife, separated from him but not

divorced. Their marriage faltered because of their sexual incompatibility:

she was too rapacious, not tender enough. She returns at the end of the

novel to spread rumors about Mellors' infidelity to her, and helps get him

fired from his position as gamekeeper. As the novel concludes, Mellors is

in the process of divorcing her.

Squire Winter - A relative of Clifford. He is a firm believer in the old

privileges of the aristocracy.

Daniele, Giovanni - Venetian gondoliers in the service of Hilda and

Connie. Giovanni hopes that the women will pay him to sleep with them; he

is disappointed. Daniele reminds Connie of Mellors: he is attractive, a

"real man." Context

Lord of the Flies by W.Golding

William Gerald Golding was born in September of 1911 in the city of

Cornwall, England. Growing up in the life of luxury, Golding soon realized

that he was very talented at his school studies. He attended both the

prestigious colleges of Malboro and Oxford, studying both natural science

and English. Despite his father’s protests, Golding eventually decided to

devote his career to literature, where he became one of the most famous

English novelists ever. Soon World War II started, compelling Golding to

enlist in the Navy. It was war where Golding lost the idea that men are

inherently good. After witnessing the evil of war, both from men of the

enemy and his own side, Golding lost the belief that humans have an

innocent nature. Even children he learned are inherently evil, thus

foreshadowing his future and most famous novel, Lord of the Flies. In later

years, Golding received many noteworthy awards for his contribution to

English and world literature. Finally in 1983, he was awarded the Nobel

prize for his literary merits. Golding’s other interests include Greek

literature, music and history. Yet William G. Golding will be remembered

mostly for his great contributions to modern literature.

Chapter One: The Sound of the Shell:

The novel begins in the aftermath of a plane crash in the Pacific

Ocean during an unnamed war in which a group of English schoolboys are

isolated on what they assume to be an island under no adult supervision.

The pilot died in the crash and the plane has been swept to sea by a storm.

Among the survivors are a young, fair-haired boy of twelve named Ralph and

a pudgy boy referred to only by the derisive nickname from school that he

dislikes: Piggy. Piggy insists that he can neither run nor swim well

because of his asthma. Ralph insists that his father, a commander in the

Navy, will come and rescue them. Both of Piggy's parents had already died.

Piggy doubts that anybody will find them, and suggests that the boys should

gather together. Ralph finds a conch shell, which Piggy tells him will make

a loud noise. When Ralph blows the conch, several children make their way

to Ralph and Piggy. There were several small children around six years old

and a party of boys marching in step, dressed in eccentric clothing: black

cloaks and black caps. One of the boys, Jack Merridew, leads the group,

which he addresses as his choir. Piggy suggests that everyone state their

names, and Jack insists on being called Merridew, for Jack is a kid's name.

Jack, a tall thin boy with an ugly, freckled complexion and flaming red

hair, insists that he be the leader because he's the head boy of his choir.

They decide to vote for chief: although Jack seems the most obvious leader

and Piggy the most obviously intelligent, Ralph has a sense of stillness

and gravity. He is elected chief, but concedes that Jack can lead his

choir, who will be hunters. Ralph decides that everyone should stay there

while three boys will find out whether they are on an island. Ralph chooses

one of the boys, Simon, while Jack insists that he comes along. When Piggy

offers to go, Jack dismisses the idea, humiliating Piggy, who is still

ashamed that Ralph revealed his hated nickname. The three boys search the

island, climbing up the mountain to survey it. On the way up, they push

down the mountain a large rock that blocks their way. When they finally

reach the top and determine that they are on an island, Ralph looks upon

everything and says "this belongs to us." The three decide that they need

food to eat, and find a piglet caught in a curtain of creepers. Jack draws

his knife, but pauses before he has a chance to stab the pig, which frees

itself and runs away. Jack could not stab the pig because of the great

violence involved, but he vows that he would show no mercy next time.

Chapter Two: Fire on the Mountain:

Ralph called another meeting that night. The sunburned children had

put on clothing once more, while the choir was more disheveled, having

abandoned their cloaks. Ralph announces that they are on an uninhabited

island, but Jack interjects and insists that they need an army to hunt the

pigs. Ralph sets the rules of order for the meeting: only the person who

has the conch shell may speak. Jack relishes having rules, and even more

so, having punishment for breaking them. Piggy reprimands Jack. He says

that nobody knows where they are and that they may be there a long time.

Ralph reassures them, telling them that the island is theirs, and until the

grown-ups come they will have fun. A small boy is about to cry; he wonders

what they will do about a snake-thing. Ralph suggests that they build a

fire on the top of the mountain, for the smoke will signal their presence.

Jack summons the boys to come build a fire, leaving only Piggy and Ralph.

Piggy shows disgust at their childish behavior as Ralph catches up and

helps them bring piles of wood to the top.

Eventually it proves too difficult for some of the smaller boys, who

lose interest and search for fruit to eat. When they gather enough wood,

Ralph and Jack wonder how to start a fire. Piggy arrives, and Jack suggests

that they use his glasses. Jack snatches them from Piggy, who can barely

see without them. Eventually they use the glasses to reflect the rays of

the sun, starting a fire. The boys are mesmerized by the fire, but it soon

burns out. Ralph insists that they have rules, and Jack agrees, since they

are English, and the English are the best at everything so must do the

right things. Ralph says they might never be saved, and Piggy claims that

he has been saying that, but nobody has listened. They get the fire going

once more. While Piggy has the conch, he loses his temper, telling the

other boys how they should have listened to his orders to build shelters

first and how a fire is a secondary consideration. Piggy worries that they

still don't know exactly how many boys there are, and mentions the snakes.

Suddenly, one of the trees catches on fire, and one of the boy screams

about snakes. Piggy thinks that one of the boys is missing.

Chapter Three: Huts on the Beach:

Jack scans the oppressively silent forest. A bird startles him as he

progresses along the trail. He raises his spear and hurls it at a group of

pigs, driving them away. He eventually comes upon Ralph near the lagoon.

Ralph complains that the boys are not working hard to build the shelters.

The little ones are hopeless, spending most of their time bathing or

eating. Jack says that Ralph is chief, so he should just order them to do

so. Ralph admits that they could call a meeting, vow to build something,

whether a hut or a submarine, start building it for five minutes then quit.

Ralph tells Jack that most of his hunters spent the afternoon swimming. A

madness comes to Ralph's eyes as he admits that he might kill something

soon. Ralph insists that they need shelters more than anything. Ralph

notices that the other boys are frightened. Jack says that when he is

hunting he often feels as if he is being hunted, but admits that this is

irrational. Only Simon has been helping Ralph, but he leaves, presumably to

have a bath. Jack and Ralph go to the bathing pool, but do not find Simon

there. Simon had followed Jack and Ralph, then turned into the forest with

a sense of purpose. He is a tall, skinny boy with a coarse mop of black

hair. He walks through the acres of fruit trees and finds fruit that the

littlest boys cannot reach. He gives the boys fruit them goes along the

path into the jungle. He finds an open space and looks to see whether he is

alone. This open space contains great aromatic bushes, a bowl of heat and

light.

Chapter Four: Painted Faces and Long Hair:

The boys quickly become accustomed to the progression of the day on

the island, including the strange point at midday when the sea would rise.

Piggy discounts the midday illusions as mere mirages. The northern European

tradition of work, play and food right through the day made it possible for

the boys to adjust themselves to the new rhythm. The smaller boys were

known by the generic title of "littluns," including Percival, the smallest

boy on the island, who had stayed in a small shelter for two days and had

only recently emerged, peaked, red-eyed and miserable. The littluns spend

most of the day searching for fruit to eat, and since they choose it

indiscriminately suffer from chronic diarrhea. They cry for their mothers

less often than expected, and spend time with the older boys only during

Ralph's assemblies. They build castles in the sand. One of the biggest of

the littluns is Henry, a distant relative of the boy who disappeared. Two

other boys, Roger and Maurice, come out of the forest for a swim and kick

down the sand castles. Maurice, remembering how his mother chastised him,

feels guilty when he gets sand in Percival's eye. Henry is fascinated by

the small creatures on the beach. Roger picks up a stone to throw at Henry,

but deliberately misses him, recalling the taboos of earlier life. Jack

thinks about why he is still unsuccessful as a hunter. He thinks that the

animals see him, so he wants to find some way to camouflage himself. Jack

rubs his face with charcoal, and laughs with a bloodthirsty snarl when he

sees himself. From behind the mask Jack seems liberated from shame and self-

consciousness.

Piggy thinks about making a sundial so that they can tell time, but

Ralph dismisses the idea. The idea that Piggy is an outsider is tacitly

accepted. Ralph believes that he sees smoke along the horizon coming from a

ship, but there is not enough smoke from the mountain to signal it. Ralph

starts to run to the up the mountain, but cannot reach it in time. Their

own fire is dead. Ralph screams for the ship to come back, but it passes

without seeing them. Ralph finds that the hunters have found a pig, but

Ralph admonishes them for letting the fire go out. Jack is overjoyed by

their kill. Piggy begins to cry at their lost opportunity, and blames Jack

for letting the fire go out. The two argue, and finally Jack punches Piggy

in the stomach. Piggy's glasses fly off and break on the rocks. Jack

eventually does apologize about the fire, but Ralph resents Jack's

misbehavior. Jack considers not letting Piggy have any meat, but orders

everyone to eat. Maurice pretends to be a pig, and the hunters circle

around him, dancing and singing "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her

in." Ralph vows to call an assembly.

Chapter Five: Beast From Water:

Ralph goes to the beach because he needs a place to think and is

overcome with astonishment. He understands the weariness of life, where

everything requires improvisation. He calls a meeting near the bathing

pool, realizing that he must think and must make a decision but that he

lacks Piggy's ability to think. He begins the assembly seriously, telling

them that they are there not for making jokes or for cleverness. He reminds

them that everyone built the first shelter, which is the most sturdy, while

the third one, built only by Simon and Ralph, is unstable. He admonishes

them for not using the appropriate areas for the lavatory, and reminds them

that the fire is the most important thing on the island, for it is their

means of escape. He claims that they ought to die before they let the fire

out. He directs this at the hunters, in particular. He makes the rule that

the only place where they will have a fire is on the mountain. Ralph then

speaks on their fear. He admits that he is frightened himself, but their

fear is unfounded. Jack stands up, takes the conch, and yells at the

littluns for screaming like babies and not hunting or building or helping.

Jack tells them that there is no beast on the island. Piggy does agree

with Jack on that point, telling the kids that there is no beasts and there

is no real fear, unless they get frightened of people. A littlun, Phil,

tells how he had a nightmare and, when he awoke, how he saw something big

and horrid moving among the trees. Ralph dismisses it as nothing. Simon

admits that he was walking in the jungle at night. Percival speaks next,

and as he gives his name he recites his address and telephone number; this

reminder of home causes him to break out into tears. All of the littluns

join him. Percival claims that the beast comes out of the sea, and tells

them about squids. Simon says that maybe there is a beast, and the boys

speak about ghosts. Piggy says he does not believe in ghosts, but Jack

attempts to start a fight again. Ralph stops the fight, and asks the boys

how many of them believe in ghosts. Piggy yells at the boys, asking whether

they are humans or animals or savages. Jack threatens him again, and Ralph

intercedes once more, complaining that they are breaking the rules. When

Jack asks "who cares?" Ralph says that the rules are the only thing that

they have. Jack says that they will hunt the beast down. The assembly

breaks up as Jack leads them on a hunt. Only Ralph, Piggy and Simon remain.

Ralph says that if he blows the conch to summon them back and they refuse,

then they will become like animals and will never be rescued. He does ask

Piggy whether there are ghosts or beasts, but Piggy reassures him. Piggy

warns him that if Ralph steps down as chief Jack will do nothing but hunt,

and they will never be rescued. The three reminisce on the majesty of adult

life. The three hear Percival still sobbing his address.

Chapter Six: Beast From Air:

Ralph and Simon pick up Percival and carry him to a shelter. That

night, over the horizon, there is an aerial battle. A pilot drops from a

parachute, sweeping across the reef toward the mountain. The dead pilot

sits on the mountain-top. Early the next morning, there are noises by a

rock down the side of the mountain. The twins Sam and Eric, the two boys on

duty at the fire, awake and add kindling to the fire. Just then they spot

something at the top of the mountain and crouch in fear. They scramble down

the mountain and wake Ralph. They claim that they saw the beast. Eric tells

the boys that they saw the beast, which has teeth and claws and even

followed them. Jack calls for a hunt, but Piggy says that they should stay

there, for the beast may not come near them. When Piggy says that he has

the right to speak because of the conch, Jack says that they don't need the

conch anymore. Ralph becomes exasperated at Jack, accusing him of not

wanting to be rescued, and Jack takes a swing at him. Ralph decides that he

will go with the hunters to search for the beast, which may be around a

rocky area of the mountain. Simon, wanting to show that he is accepted,

travels with Ralph, who wishes only for solitude. Jack gets the hunters

lost on the way around the mountain. They continue along a narrow wall of

rocks that forms a bridge between parts of the island, reaching the open

sea. As some of the boys spend time rolling rocks around the bridge, Ralph

decides that it would be better to climb the mountain and rekindle the

fire, but Jack wishes to stay where they can build a fort.

Chapter Seven: Shadows and Tall Trees:

Ralph notices how long his hair is and how dirty and unclean he has

become. He had followed the hunters across the island. On this other side

of the island, the view is utterly different. The horizon is hard, clipped

blue and the sea crashes against the rocks. Simon and Ralph watch the sea,

and Simon reassures him that they will leave the island eventually. Ralph

is somewhat doubtful, but Simon says that it is simply his opinion. Roger

calls for Ralph, telling him that they need to continue hunting. A boar

appears; Jack stabs it with a spear, but the boar escapes. Jack is wounded

on his left forearm, so Simon tells him he should suck the wound. The

hunters go into a frenzy once more, chanting "kill the pig" again. Roger

and Jack talk about their chanting, and Jack says that someone should dress

up as a pig and pretend to knock him over. Robert says that Jack wants a

real pig so that he can actually kill, but Jack says that he could just use

a littlun. The boys start climbing up the mountain once more, but Ralph

realizes that they cannot leave the littluns alone with Piggy all night.

Jack mocks Ralph for his concern for Piggy. Simon says that he can go back

himself. Ralph tells Jack that there isn't enough light to go hunting for

pigs. Out of the new understanding that Piggy has given him, Ralph asks

Jack why he hates him. Jack has no answer. The boys are tired and afraid,

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