Novel Background Info: LORD OF THE FLIES Yes, you should take notes on this. Put it in your notes section.

Essential Questions: Why do people revolt? Are people inherently good or inherently evil? What is the human capacity for violence? What is a society? Do we need rules to live? Is conflict or struggle necessary for personal growth?

William Golding Born in England in 1911 His parents wanted him to be a scientist But he revolted (or rebelled) against that mindset at Oxford and became an English major instead (woo-hoo!) 

After college… Golding joined the navy Worked his way up to lieutenant Very involved in WWII Sunk a German battleship Was involved with D-Day War taught him about the evil that humans were capable of; this became a theme in much of his writing.

After the war Golding wrote Lord of the Flies (LOTF) in 1954. It was originally called Strangers Within Won the Nobel Prize in 1983 Died in 1993

About Lord of the Flies LOTF was written as a contradiction to a book called The Coral Island, which was an idyllic (peaceful, perfect) tale about shipwrecked boys Not just a simple adventure story Creates “test” societies where humans are out of the ‘norms’ to show characters ethical qualities (how good of a person/ how bad of a person) Analyzes human nature Should look familiar: Essential Question—are humans innately good or evil?

Loaded with symbolism—virtually everything in LOTF is a symbol As you read, ask yourself “What could this represent? Don’t worry, we’ll have much more discussion about this Golding explores ‘primal atavism’. A reappearance of characteristics of some remote ancestor that have been absent in intervening generations

Overview Because of devastating war in England, children are being exported so that there are some British survivors. While on the plane, it crashes and the young boys end up on a tropical island with no adults surviving.

Paints a picture of basic human struggle As the boys on the island surround and react to their new freedom, Golding explores the ways humans respond to stress, change, and tension Paints a picture of basic human struggle Civilizing instinct: impulse to obey rules, behave morally, and act lawfully VS. Savage instinct: impulse to seek brute power over others, act selfishly, scorn moral rules, and indulge in violence

Agree or Disagree? “Lord of the Flies is a thought-provoking novel authored by William Golding in 1954. The book describes in detail the horrific exploits of a band of young children who make a striking transition from civilized to barbaric. Lord of the Flies commands a pessimistic outlook that seems to show that man is inherently tied to society, and without it, we would likely return to savagery”

Psychology Time The book deals with repressed issues in all of our minds Freud: a famous philosopher who taught that the human mind was a battlefield for our instincts. The Id: instinctual needs and desires The Ego: the conscious, rational mind The Superego: the sense of conscience and morality

Try our new terms Match the part of the mind (id, ego, superego) that would act in each scenario listed below: Sticking up for someone Eating Going to church Doing math Staying awake in class Deciding whether or not to cheat on a test

Literary Terms Theme: Moral: In LOTF, the defects of society are a result of defects in human nature Moral: In LOTF, the moral is that the quality of the society depends on the ethical nature of the individuals

Pop Culture Trivia Like “Macbeth” and TKAM, there are TONS of pop culture references in this book that you will understand once we read it. Mentioned on: LOST CSI Simpsons Spongebob Seinfeld Hook Lizzie McGuire Different songs by the following artists: Iron Maiden, Nine Inch Nails, Bad Religion, and more. “I’ve got the conch” “Sucks to”

Props that we need: Conch shell Specs or spectacles (glasses)