Lord of the Flies - Littluns

In any society, there would be a social hierarchy that consists of two basic groups: the leaders and the followers. In "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, the Littluns are the latter. They can be seen as a depiction of the general public which help shape the type of society which they are in. The Littluns were the younger boys who are treated as almost one character and are often dominated by the older boys. The island is a microcosm of society and on the island's social hierarchy; the Littluns represent the general public.

The Littluns symbolizes the easily influenced human nature by emotions and irrationality. The Littluns were the first one to bring up a "beastie" and were convinced that there were a "snake thing". This was merely imagination, but the Littluns were convinced that it exists, one may feel that Golding is suggesting that human beings have the tendency to succumb to irrational fears and the desire to make a virtual enemy. Jack, grabbing hold of their fear, emerges a protector and the boys, seeking safety, chooses to side with him due to the supply of meat and his hunting skills. While Ralph's insistence of making a signal fire is more effective in the long run, the Littluns don't recognize its value. As the boys were marooned on an island and detached from civilization, they lose touch with reality and are more vulnerable to the power of the dominating emotions. By choosing their leader according to their human emotions, the Littluns decide which ideology would be the dominant one on the island.

Golding writes Percival Wemys Madison as the Littluns who can at the beginning of the novel remember his name, address and telephone number. This shows that in all the boys on the island civilisation was once a part of their former lives. Yet by the end when the naval officer arrives Percival cannot even remember his name “I’m, I’m … sought for an incantation that had faded clean away”. This shows the effects of the loss of his parents and a civilised...