LORD OF THE FLIES BY WILLIAM GOLDING

English 10H, Mr. Rodriguez

William Golding

About the Author

William Golding was born on September 19, 1911 in England.

Attended Oxford University, where he received a degree in English Literature

He joined the Royal Navy in 1940 and fought during WWII.

Lord of the Flies

LOTF Facts

Most of the characters, actions and objects in the novel symbolize larger ideas

Golding’s novel deals with the conflict between the rational mind and natural instinct

Golding believed that people were instinctively evil and society was needed to protect humans from each other.

Three Levels

The story operates on three levels: As an action/adventure story A psychological novel about people under stress

A symbolic novel about the nature of humankind and the role of civilization

Premise of the novel

The novel takes place during a fictional nuclear war in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s.

A group of British schoolboys, aged 6-12, are flown out of their country to “protect” them from the horrors of war.

However, their plane crashes, killing all the adults on board.

The boys remain stranded on the tropical island to fend for themselves…

The Island

• A microcosm of society• Greek meaning mikros kosmos or “little world”

• There is plenty of water and fresh fruit• a boring diet, but sufficient enough for survival

• No threats from man or nature on this island

• A coral reef beyond the beach either keeps the boys in or protects them from the outside world.

Themes

The need for civilization Loss of innocence Good v. Evil Coming of Age (Metamorphosis /

Maturation) Philosophical debate of man's

inherent nature

Characters

Jack Ralph Piggy Simon Roger Sam and Eric (SamnEric) The littluns

Symbols

The conch shell Piggy’s glasses (specs) The island itself The “scar” The Beast Lord of the Flies The signal fire

Focal Points Symbolism – character/object (2)

Def: a character or object that has a deeper, more abstract meaning

Imagery – juxtaposition of unlike elements (2) Allegory (1)

Def: a story that has a deeper, more abstract meaning Characterization – Christ-figure / antagonist /

protagonist / foil / intellectual / leader (2) Allusion – religious / historical (2)

Def: connection to another work or literature, religion, or history

Motivation(1) – Why a push for change of consistency?

Lotfigone

Attention, Attention. This is a message from your captain. If you are reading this, you must now know that I have perished. I leave you this letter so that you may hopefully survive. My crew has been working day and night trying to gain communication with Earth. We failed. At this point, the crew has run out of food and water. I am afraid you are next. We will all die unless you fight for our lives. This planet we have landed on is called Lotfigone. It is amazingly similar to Earth. You should have no problem settling here and starting a new life. Perhaps one day, you will be able to gain communication with Earth. Considering that the whole crew is gone at this point, your time is running short. After three days, you will run out of food, water, and fuel. You must spend today figuring out how to survive with these limited resources and planning a new society. You will be responsible for the success of this society and its survival. Each of you will choose a group of no more than five to work with and complete the task assigned. Obviously, it is in the best interests of the group for you to work in a group that best uses your unique talents, even if it does not mean working with your friends. Feel free to use any resources you find lying around this planet. Goodnight and good luck. Over and out.

In case of flight emergency, follow these guidelines to create a new society. Each task should be completed in order to create a functioning, civilized society. 

Educational System - On Lotfigone, we can correct the errors made in the American educational system. Decide at what age children should begin school, what subjects should be taught, what our educational goals should be, and how we should train our teachers. You should also consider our need for a library and how we might recover the literature we have lost by leaving earth.Constitution and Government - You must write a basic Constitution setting up the basis for our government and law. Organize a system of community government and write the basic laws by which we may live together in harmony. You should consider the Bill of Rights, the court system, and the police department. How will we deal with complex moral/social/legal issues?Map and Transportation - This new land must be explored and charted. You should design a plan for construction of our community and a system of public and private transportation. Design our homes, schools, stores, and whatever other dwellings we will need.Occupations and Currency - Many new kinds of jobs will be necessary on our new planet. Remember, we have no machines except what is aboard ship. Develop a system of currency and credit so people will be able to buy what they need. You will be presenting your “society” to your peers next class. Be ready to

defend your society and the choices you have made.