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English I: Lord of the Flies
Static and Dynamic Characters

Static Character: A character in a literary work who does not change during the course of the story.
Dynamic Character: A character who changes during the course of a literary work. The changes dynamic characters undergo affect their attitudes and beliefs.

Directions: Looking back over the first five chapters of Lord of the Flies, find at least one quotation in each chapter that gives an indication of that character’s personality or beliefs.
After comparing the quotations, decide if this character appears to be changing (dynamic) or is staying the same (static).

Chapter
Ralph
Jack
Piggy
Simon
One

Static
“I climbed a rock, and I think this is an island.”
Static
“Then we’ll have to look after ourselves.”
Dynamic
“about being called Piggy. I said I didn’t care as long as they didn’t call me Piggy; an’ I said not to tell and then you went an’ said staright out—“
Static
“Like candles. Candle bushes. Candle buds.”
Two

Dynamic
“So you see, we need hunters to get us meat. And another thing. There aren’t any grownups. We shall have to look after ourselves.
Static
“we’ll have rules! Lots of rules! Then when someone breaks ‘em-”

Dynamic
“Let him have the conch! Let him have it!”
Static
“We used his specs, he helped that way.”
Three

Dynamic
“And I work all day with nothing but Simon and you come back and don’t even notice the huts!”
Static
“Rescue? Yes of course! All the same, I’d like to catch a pig first-”
Dynamic
“People don’t help much.”
Static
“you’re chief. You tell ‘em off.”
Four

Dynamic
“I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk. But you can’t even build huts-then you go off hunting and let out the fire-”
Static
“I cut the pigs throat”
Dynamic
“You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might hve gone home!”
Static
“Ralph! Ralph!”
Five

Dynamic
“You hunter! You can laugh! But I