Lord of the Flies:

Character Metaphor, Evidence, and Analysis

Task​​:

As you complete your tracker for the novel, you will fill compile the 
evidence and analysis necessary to complete the the tasks below. 
 
1. Develop a theme statement supported by character development in 
the novel. 
2. Create 2 character metaphors for 2 of the following: 
a. Ralph, Jack, Simon, or Piggy 
i. 1 metaphor should be in the form of a poem 
ii. 1 Metaphor should be a visual image, found or 
drawn 
3. For each character, write a paragraph a brief paragraph 
a. explaining your metaphor with evidence (no quotes) 
4. For one of the two characters, write a full critical paragraph that  
a. uses evidence from the text 
b. CEA analysis 
c. Quote integration 
d. IHC structure
Purpose​​:   
 
Creating a metaphor requires critical thinking and makes the depth of your understanding 
clear to the reader and viewer (me). Supporting your choices with evidence and analysis 
enables you to practice skills necessary for critical writing. 

Necessary Elements​​:
➢ Theme statement ​as a response to the guiding thematic question of the unit:
○ How can individuals respond to the opposing impulses   
➢ between civilization and savagery that exist within human nature? 
➢ 2 character metaphors 
○ 1 poetic 
○ 1 visual
➢ At minimum, ​Two​​ brief paragraphs​​ that 
➢ clearly explain your character metaphor with reference to the text 
 
➢ 1 CEA paragraph analyzing 1 of the characters with evidence from the text
○ Evidence, CEA analysis, Quote integration, IHC

Suggested Steps​​:
➔ Select ​evidence​​ from the text that  
◆ demonstrates your character’s most prominent qualities  
➔ What theme words could be connected to this evidence? 
➔ What does your character reveal about these theme words? 
➔ Write a theme statement 
➔ Select a metaphor that
◆ Embodies the qualities of your character
◆ Embodies the theme statement
 Suggested Guides

❏ Theme statement guide 

❏ The art of integrating quotations reference handout 
❏ Integrate quotes by: 
❏ Using an attribution/dialogue marker like ‘he states’ 
followed by a comma 
❏ Introducing the quote with a complete sentence 
followed by a colon 
❏ Integrating it seamlessly into your writing 

Suggested organization

1. Theme statement 
 
2. First Character metaphor (poetic) 
a. Brief summary explaining how your character connects to your 
metaphor. 
 
3. Ihc critical paragraph on the first character 
a. CEA evidence and analysis 
 
4. Second character metaphor (visual) 
a. Brief summary explaining how your character connects to your 
metaphor. 

Examples

While i would like to see you develop a metaphor through a poem and visual, 
you have a large degree of freedom in terms of what this looks like.  
 
1. For the poem, you may  
a. replicate the structure I used in the poem below, or else you 
may develop your own poem 

Task 1: Theme Statement

In the play ​The Crucible, ​Arthur Miller demonstrates the idea that love of power 
and fear can undermine an individual’s probity; however, by demonstrating 
courage individuals can reclaim their integrity. 
 Poetic Metaphor Example: 
 
Mary Warren ​Steps you may replicate 
  
If she were anything ​Establish the general comparison 
  she’d be a balloon 
  
Not a stately hot air balloon  Describe the opposites -- 
rising majestically to soar through the  ​what the character ​is not 
  still blue skies of summer 
  
But an abandoned child’s plaything ​Develop and extend the metaphor 
a wisp of fragile plastic    ​of what the character ​is 
over-inflated with self-importance and fear 
  

string broken, 
blown pathetically to and fro 
by every puff of opinion 
  
susceptible to every pinprick 
  
finally deflating 
into a limp pile of discarded rubbish 
 
 
 
General Overview 
 
Throughout the play, fear is the defining characteristic that drives Mary Warren as a 
character. Fear of everyone bends her to the will of everyone around her in each situation that 
she finds herself within. However, the power granted by the trials temporarily gives her an 
inflated sense of importance. Consumed by her own desire to be important, Mary falsely 
accuses her fellow Salemers, sending many to their deaths with her testimony. Even when she 
eventually tries to assert her honesty by testifying against Abigail, it is under duress from John, 
and she soon throws him under the bus by accusing him of witchcraft when the trials endanger 
her own life. For this reason, I have represented Mary as an unimportant balloon, discarded by 
a child probably by choice because of how pathetic it is. Like Mary herself, the balloon has no 
agency of its own, being carried by the wind. Likewise like Mary, the balloon ends up in taters 
as a result of its lack of courage and inability to maintain a course to safety.  
 
 
Critical Paragraph 
 
 
Mary Warren’s character development demonstrates the idea that fear and the pursuit of 
power can undermine a character’s ability to achieve probity. Initially, Mary Warren’s fear for 
others prevents her from doing what she believes is morally right. Despite dancing with the 
other girls in the forest, Mary Warren tries to distinguish herself from them to avoid 
punishment, arguing that “I never done any of it, Abby. I only looked!” (19). Mary’s choice to 
shirk her own responsibility for rejecting Puritan expectations by shifting blame to her friends 
undermines her from achieving integrity. Mary is willing to lie about the dancing and attempts 
at witchcraft to avoid punishment, but in the process she undermines her ability to be honest 
and descent. However, Mary seizes the power that the trials award her, threatening John to be 
respectful to her because “Four judges and the King’s deputy sat to dinner with us but an hour 
ago. I--I would have you speak civilly to me, from this out” (60). The power that Mary gets from 
the trials enables her to assume power, which, as John notes, make a “mouse” like Mary capable 
of frightening even Elizabeth (52), who has more power in the church. Swayed by this power, 
Mary falsely accuses many villagers in Salem, sending some to their death even though she 
knows it is amoral. While still afraid, her sense of power prevents her demonstrating honesty 
and morality. Consequently, Mary Warren demonstrates a lack of character when her fear of 
Abigail causes her to turn on John and falsely accuse him of worshipping the devil: “No, I love 
God; I go your way no more. I love God, I bless God” (119). Mary’s decision to falsely accuse 
John, essentially sending him to his death prevents her from achieving probity. While she was 
demonstrating honesty and decency by testifying against Abigail, albeit under some force from 
John, she failed to maintain her courage and consequently remained corrupt. 
 
 
 
Visual Metaphor Example 
 
 

 
 
 
 
General Overview 
 
I have chosen to represent the Sultan from Aladdin through a picture of a marshmallow 
king. On a literal level, the picture is effective because the Sultan has the colour and shape of a 
slightly tanned, overstuffed marshmallow. The metaphor is even more appropriate on a 
figurative level because the Sultan is excessively rich and sweet, like a marshmallow. He is 
really kind and easily distracted, as represented by the way Jafar tricks him with toys. He is also 
easily swayed by the opinions of others, including his Daughter and Jafar. Insofar as the Sultan 
lacks the substance and fortitude of his daughter and is easily swayed by the counsel of others, 
including Jaffar, he is, like a marshmallow, an airy compliment to a dessert or meal, not a main 
course. 
 
 
 
Note:  
1. I do not expect you to make a more detailed CEA paragraph for the second metaphor. 
2. You may develop the critical paragraph for either your visual or poetic metaphor. 
 
 
 
  
 
 
Rubric 
 
 
   Excellent  Proficient  Satisfactory  Limited 
5  4  3  2 

Understanding  Analysis Shows  Analysis Shows  Analysis Shows obvious  Analysis shows 
   thorough and  considerable  understanding of each  understanding of each 
   insightful  understanding of each  character’s role, attributes,  character’s role, attributes, 
   understanding of each  character’s role,  motivation, and  motivation, and 
   character’s role,  attributes, motivation,  relationships  relationships is deficient or 
   attributes, motivation,  and relationships     absent. 
   and relationships         
            
   Understanding and       
   analysis of theme is  Understanding and  Understanding of theme is  Understanding of theme is 
   perceptive and  analysis of theme is  general but clear  absent or confusing 
   illuminating  thoughtful and       
      comprehensive      
           
   Metaphors show       
/15  creativity, originality  Metaphors show  Metaphors show some  Metaphors are superficial 
and sophistication,  creativity and originality,  original thinking,  and literal, with minimal 
connecting to a theme  connecting to a theme  connecting to a theme  meaningful connection to a 
skillfully sustained  purposefully maintained  generally maintained  theme intermittently 
throughout the analysis  throughout the analysis  throughout the analysis  present in the analysis 

Supporting Evidence  Support is precise and  Support is specific and  Support is general,  Support is irrelevant, 
   astutely chosen to  well chosen to reinforce  adequate, and  overgeneralized, lacks 
   reinforce the student’s  the student’s ideas in a  appropriately chosen but  validity, and/or is absent. 
/10  ideas in a convincing  persuasive way  occasionally may lack    
   way     persuasiveness.   
         
   

Writing Skills  Communicates ideas  Communicates ideas  Communicates ideas with  Communicates ideas with 
   with a high degree of  with considerable clarity  some clarity and  limited clarity and 
   clarity and  and effectiveness  effectiveness  effectiveness 
   effectiveness          
           
     Quotes are mostly     
   Quotes are integrated  integrated with clear  Quotes are integrated with  Quotes, if present, are rarely 
   almost perfectly  context and analysis  limited clarity some of the  integrated in a manner that 
/5  time.  is neither clear nor 
effective.