Lord of the Flies

By: William GoldingBorn: Cornwall, England 1911

Died: June 19, 1993Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature:1983

Published Lord of the Flies: 1954

The storyline is not a new one; boys stranded on an

island left to fend for themselves. That being said this is not a Disney version.

Golding uses this scenario to respond to the novel, Coral

Island ,written by RM Ballantyne in 1857. Coral Island

depicts…

A group of white, European boys, that end up on an island

and use Christianity to conquer the heathen ways of Polynesian

natives. Golding hated this novel because he felt it was racist.

LOTF is Golding’s response to the book. He even uses some of

the same character’s names. The boys in LOTF are not

depicted as gentlemen but as savages.

Rhetorical Terms:

Allegory: An extended narrative in prose in

which characters, events, and settings:

represent abstract qualities. The writer

intends a second meaning to be read

beneath the surface of the story.

The underlying meaning may be moral,

religious, political, social, or satiric.

LOTF is one big allegory! This story covers more than the basic moral to

a story novel. It addresses:

The inherent evil of man.Psychological struggle

ReligionHuman nature

The author’s feelings about war (some say). Golding was in the Navy

in WWII.

The big question!Why are humans attracted to

violence?Think about it: football, hockey,

wrestling, the multitude of horror movies. It is a constant theme in most genres of books

and movies.

Does the struggle for power go hand in hand with the violence?

A conflict is a struggle between opposing forces in

a narrative.External Conflict:

Occurs between characters or between a character and

a larger force, such as nature or society.

Internal Conflict:Occurs within a character who faces opposing ideas,

feelings, or choices.

Foreshadowing:The use or hint, or clue

to suggest a larger event that occurs later

in the work.

Genre:A type of literary work,

such as a novel or a poem; there are also subgenres, such as science fiction or sonnet, within the

larger genres.

Genre:Adventure (warfare, human

nature)Literature (pre-occupied with characterization and

symbolism)

Genre continued:Coming–of-Age (loss of

innocence)Dystopian

Allegory – What?!Could we also say Children’s

Literature?

Tone:Pessimistic, examining, and unflinching. The narration

changes between matter-of-fact to a statement of…

…the way things are and a heart wrenching rendering

of how they could be.

Golding’s Writing Style:Rich and Dark. The setting is in great detail. This is not a

Cinderella Story!

The Title:Does it represent evil and

darkness?What does a Lord usually

represent?What do flies usually

represent?

Recognizing Literary Elements and Techniques:

SuspenseSymbols

External ConflictInternal Conflict

SettingSituational Irony

Which literary element is employed when Ralph goes hunting for the beast in the

dark?

Suspense!Name some more

examples of suspense from this novel.

Which literary element is represented by Piggy’s

glasses, which stand for his ability to understand

situations clearly?

Symbol!Can you name other symbols

from this novel?

Which literary element is reflected in Ralph’s power

struggle with Jack?

External Conflict!Can you give more examples

of external conflict?

Which literary element is used to describe Simon’s

struggle with understanding why and how Ralph, Jack, and himself were dealing

with their situation in different ways?

Internal Conflict!More examples of internal

conflict?

Describe how Golding uses the literary element of

setting. Open your book to a page in rising action and read a description of the

setting.

Which literary element is employed when Simon is

killed while returning with the news that there is no

real beast?

Situational Irony!(an event occurs that directly contradicts

expectations)

Can you think/name an example of situational irony

in LOTF?Hint: To Ralph what is the most

important activity to be saved? Hint: Who burns the island as Ralph is

running for his life to be…

Themes:PrimitivityInnocence

Rules and OrderFear

PowerIdentityReligion

Wisdom and Knowledge

Theme: PrimitivityAre the boys in their

primitive actions, reverting to an inferior state of life?

Are they driven to this? Is it a natural progression of

survival of the fittest? (what other novel have we seen this theme in this year?)

Does primivity in LOTF also mean hunting, the desire for power, bloodlust, violence, sadism, and the inability to distinguish between man

and beast?

1. How does Piggy justify Simon’s death?

2. What is the most primitive, savage act

committed? (tough choice?!)

3. Whose fault is it that Simon and Piggy are killed? Difference between at fault

and being responsible for it?4. Who is the most savage character on the island?

Theme: Innocence The boys are between the ages of 6 and 12. They still live in a world of idealism but are about to abruptly leave this world and are

forced into the “real” world (adult).

Is it just an adult world that they face or a world of

untamed human nature? They not only leave behind youth but also civilization.

The novel ends with Ralph weeping for the “end of

innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”

What do you think?When Ralph talks about the “darkness of man’s heart,” is this a cop-out? Is it easier to think that man is inherently evil rather than lament the

fact that Ralph and the boys chose to be violent?

Theme: Rules and OrderGolding asserts-rules and

order are the only boundaries keeping people

from their true, violent natures.

As soon as you take those people and put them outside a system of punishments and

consequences, they will revert to primitive attitudes

and actions. Golding message is that man needs the structure provided by

civilization.

Are there any “good guys” or “bad guys” on the island? Is there good vs. bad? Or is

this just human nature?

Theme:FearThe unknown- both

external/physical and internal/intrinsic.

What is the unknown in LOTF’s?

Theme: Power=Source of violence in LOTF; agree?

The desire for power breaks down the boundaries set by rules/order., causes strife

and competition. It governs the actions of the boys.

Once achieved, power has the ability to improve or

corrupt its holder. Ralph is bettered by his position and Jack, the usurper, abuses his

power for personal gain.

Theme: IdentityPaint their faces? Does this make them feel better about

their atrocious acts?

How does their identities change?

Physical descriptions?Does it help shed their

civilized selves?

Theme: ReligionIs this a religious allegory?Simon=Christ Figure, killed

by the boys.Island=Garden of Eden?

Jack as the god, garlanded and sitting on a log as he presides over the feast.

The name Lord of the Flies itself.

The sacrifice they leave for the beast.

The pig head impaled on the stick seems to be a god-like

figure.On going, scholars argue

these points.Is Golding arguing for

Christianity and civilization?Or is it simply an adventure

with themes of human nature vs. civilization?

Theme: Wisdom and Knowledge

Some of the boys have an awareness and some are in the dark. The irony is: The

boys in the dark murder the boys with wisdom; by killing this knowledge they naively keep themselves in the dark.

Plot Analysis:Initial Situation; plane

crashed, no parents. We discover the characters and

the set-up of the island.

Conflict:Fire! No, shelter! Pig-

hunting! The island gets set on fire and oh yeah, they

miss a passing ship.

Complication:On top of all of the other

conflictsThe Beast!

Climax:Drum Roll!!!!

Simon’s DeathClimax of:

Action – MurderPsychological – talking, prophetic, and evil pig’s

headEmotional – Wow, just a

littlebit!!

Suspense:Teetering and Falling Rocks!A chase through the woods. Could the suspense also be considered a mini-climax?

Will the rock fall and will it hurt or kill a boy? Who?

Will Ralph make it out alive? Will they be saved/rescued?

Denouement(say what?)

This is the final outcome of the main dramatic

complication in a literary work.

Ralph sees the Naval Officer.

In LOTF the denouement slides so quickly into the conclusion, that it is not

necessary to separate them.(It’s the moment when we

realize Ralph is going to be OK).

Conclusion:No one is going to be OK.

After the phew moment we realize that the adult is a

Naval Officer and remember that the world is at war.

The psychological aftermath:Let us predict the assimilation

back into a civilized society for:

RalphJack

MauriceRoger

SamnericLittl‘ uns