Lord of the Flies William Golding

Lord of the Flies Essential Questions Does every human being have a dark side? Are humans inherently good or evil? What does it mean to be civilized? Rules of government – democracy vs. dictatorship? What type of government works best? Why? What are the outcomes when evil is an influence?

William Golding (1911-1993) Born in Cornwall, UK Studied anthropology, archaeology, literature in college Became a school teacher (1935-1961) Entered the navy during WWII; participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983

Historical Perspective WWI – the “Great War” or the “War to end all wars” Can we ever have peace? WWII – the advent of the atom bomb – power to destroy the world? Britain feared an invasion and evacuated children to other countries 1940- A German U-Boat torpedoed a British ship carrying children, killing the boys, thus suspending the oversees evacuation program

On Writing Lord of the Flies “It was simply what seemed sensible for me to write after the war when everyone was thanking God they weren’t Nazis. I’d seen enough to realize that every single one of us could be Nazis.” --William Golding

Lord of the Flies Published in 1954 Rejected 21 times before being published! On the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. Written partially in response to The Coral Island, a story of how people supposedly ascend in their goodness on an island. Human nature Duality of man Nature Vs. Nurture Good Vs. Evil

Lord of the Flies Title Setting Plot Main characters “Beelzebub” a Hebrew word for LUCIFER However, the literal translation of “Beelzebub” into English is LORD OF THE FLIES Setting A tiny coral island in the South Pacific during a war when the atomic bomb may have (and most likely has) been used. This world becomes their ‘microcosm’, which is definitely one of your symbols! Plot A group of young boys is stranded on an island and they must negotiate the social issues of cooperation and self-government The outside world is consumed with war Main characters Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon, Sam ‘n Eric

You might hurt your brain…. …If you over think this story. Don’t think about all adults dying and all children alive. Don’t think about how no child was hurt in the crash. Don’t think about how all the children are spread uninjured on the island after the crash.

Some Symbols The island The conch Piggy’s glasses The fire The “beastie” The “littluns” The pig The names of the boys

Some Themes Civilization vs. Savagery Humanity needs civilization. Contrary to the belief that man is innocent and society evil, the story shows that laws/rules/structure/society are necessary to keep the darker side of human nature in line. When these concepts slip away or are ignored, human beings revert to a more primitive part of their nature.

More Themes Evil (the beast in the novel) is within man himself. Golding implies that evil is not created but is ingrained within us all. Loss of innocence is needed in order to see reality and for humanity to survive. Age is not directly related to innocence…young can be corrupt/structure can save.

Definition of Motifs Motif is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work. In a literary work, a motif can be seen as an image, sound, action or other figures that have a symbolic significance and contributes toward the development of theme. Motif and theme are linked in a literary work but there is a difference between them. In a literary piece, a motif is a recurrent image, idea or a symbol that develops or explains a theme while a theme is a central idea or message.

Definition of Motifs Continued Sometimes, examples of motif are mistakenly identified as examples of symbols. Symbols are images, ideas, sounds or words that represent something else and help to understand an idea or a thing. Motifs, on the other hand, are images, ideas, sounds or words that help to explain the central idea of a literary work i.e. theme. Moreover, a symbol may appear once or twice in a literary work, whereas a motif is a recurring element.

Motifs in LotF Biblical allusions Nature as dark and full of death/destruction

Allegory A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one For example in LotF: The island represents the whole world. Ralph's conch-led Parliament represents democratic government.

Basic Philosophies to Consider While Reading Humans are inherently evil; society establishes government to curb evil instincts “We all saw a hell of a lot in the war that can’t be accounted for except on the basis of original evil” Humans are inherently good; humans are born good and are corrupted by society Humans are inherently neutral; our experiences determine the balance between good and evil Which do you agree/disagree with now? Choose the one with the closet alignment to your own ideas.

Lord of the Flies in Pop Culture In Hook, Robin Williams compares Lost Boys to savages in LOTF The Simpsons episode “Das Bus” is a parody Inspiration for the anime series Infinite Ryvius Mel Gibson’s 2006 movie Apocalypto has a similar ending. T.V. shows Survivor and Lost are said to have been inspired from LOTF 2006 movie Unaccompanied Minors makes reference to LOTF

Popular Culture Cont. Stephen King uses the name “Castle Rock” (from the novel) as the name of a town in his books. He also makes reference to LOTF in the novels The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Cujo and Hearts in Atlantis Orson Scott Card makes reference in his novel, Ender’s Shadow. Degrassi: The Next Generation, Danny Phantom, The Daily Show all mention the novel

Source of Inspiration to Musicians Musicians U2, Iron Maiden, Gatsby’s American Dream, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, A.F.I., and Danielle Dax have all recorded songs about the novel. Titles such as: “Where the Flies Are” “Touch Piggy’s Eyes” “Lord of the Flies” “Piggy “Fable” “Boy” “Shadows and Tall Trees”

Sources Cited http://www.william-golding.co.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Golding