Exploring Modern Texts: Section A: Lord of the Flies 45 minutes (30 marks)

Literature Key Skills Show an understanding of the message/meaning of a text Identify the key themes/ideas Identify key features of language and structure: language- similes, metaphors, personification, alliteration, imagery, word choice etc Structure- Repetition, sentence structure, sentence length, enjambment, foreshadowing, dramatic irony etc Explain the effect on the reader Compare texts (conflict poetry only)

Meaning Examiners report: “What some candidates find difficult is to link a comment on a feature of the writing with how it relates to what the writer is actually saying.” Mark Scheme: AO2: Explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation of ideas themes and settings Meaning

Themes The fall of man Man’s savage nature Violence

Themes cont. Friendship Obedience/peer pressure Democracy vs. Dictatorship

Symbols The conch The fire Piggy’s glasses The Beast War Paint The island A symbol is something that represents something else, either by association or by resemblance.

Symbols The Conch- It represents order and civilisation. It also symbolises democracy as it enables anyone to have a voice at the meetings. The conch soon becomes a meaningless symbol as there is no system of society to give it meaning. As the boys move further into savagery the conch is increasingly ignored until it is eventually destroyed, symbolising the end of civilisation. Piggy’s glasses- They represent clarity and foresight. They are a symbol of civilisation as well as a method of supporting the vulnerable like Piggy. They are also the key link to the civilised world in that they produce the fire which is the boys’ only hope of rescue. The worsening condition of the glasses can be linked to the descent into savagery and superstition that occurs on the island. Face paint- The face paint represents the descent into savagery. The boys become separated from their civilised selves through the anonymity of the paint and this allows them to engage in savage actions. It is also linked to superstition and a more primal way of life. War paint is also clearly linked to violence and conflict.

Symbols cont. The Beast- It represents their own fears and the growing violence and evil which is taking hold of them. The beast starts off as a ‘beastie’, something dreamed up by the littluns, but it soon takes hold of all the boys to the point where eventually Jack and his crew leave it a sacrifice as if it were some sort of God. The beast is also described as a snake like thing, linking it to Satan in the Garden of Eden in Genesis, the cause of Man’s fall. However, instead of the devil, in Golding’s story, it is Man’s own savage nature that results in the fall of the boys and the transformation of the island from a paradise at the start to a flaming inferno (hell) at the end. Fire- In one sense fire represents civilisation. It provides warmth and allows the meat to be cooked. It is also the boys’ only hope of getting home. On the other hand fire can be seen as destructive and savage. The boys set fire to a large part of the island at the start, and the end of the book Jack’s tribe start a huge fire, destroying the island (ironically this is what gets them rescued). Fire, like the boys, can be both good and evil, used for civilisation or for savagery. The changing use of fire in the novel shows the change in the boys.

Characters Ralph- Ralph is the one who blows the conch and is therefore associated with this symbol of order and authority. Ralph wants things to go well on the island and realises the most important thing is to be rescued. Throughout the book we see Ralph’s loss of innocence and growing awareness of the dark nature of man. Ralph symbolises a desire for civilisation and democracy, he believes in good but is not able to stop things from falling apart, nor is he completely immune to the powerful temptation of savagery. Jack- Jack more than any other character shows the descent from civilisation to savagery. In contrast to the first meeting where he claims that rules are vital, he rejects them and starts his own tribe. Jack’s tribe are only concerned with pleasure seeking and the violent rewards of hunting, and jack sets himself up as a sort of God or idol. Jack can be seen as a symbol of man’s inherent savagery and the dangerous possibilities of dictatorship. The fact that most of the boys choose to follow Jack over Ralph points to the idea that the violent, primal elements of man’s nature, if allowed to run free, are more dominant than the logical, compassionate side (symbolised by Ralph, Piggy and Simon).

Character cont. Piggy- Piggy is the ultimate outsider. He is overweight, wears glasses and suffers from asthma. He is also from a lower-class background. Piggy is routinely teased by the rest of the group which reflects their primal instinct to target the weak and vulnerable in society. Piggy is actually the clearest sighted of them all. He maintains the need for rules and values the conch above all others. Piggy represents logic and clear- sightedness however he also represents the weaker elements of society that are protected by the rules of civilisation. In Piggy’s death Golding shows us that without that protection, the weaker elements would be destroyed by the brutality of the dominant. It also points to the fact that without civilisation the qualities that Piggy represents (logic, intellect, compassion) are not valued. Simon- Simon represents goodness and is presented as a sort of saviour, saint- like figure. He is the only one of the elder boys to care about the welfare of the littluns. Simon is the only boy who is in harmony with the island. He is also the only one who truly understands what the Beast is. The other boys mock Simon and think him strange and even mad, showing that his essential goodness and clarity of vision are not valued. In his ironic treatment of Simon’s death (he is mistaken for the beast as he attempts to warn the others that the beast does not exist) Golding shows the end of goodness on the island as his dead body floats out to sea surrounded by a halo of light we can see the disappearance of innocence on the island.

Characters cont. Roger- Roger’s actions at the beginning of the novel when he throws stones at the younger boys (but leaves an invisible line that he will not cross) represents savagery and cruelty controlled by the rules of civilisation. This is contrasted to the next time we see Roger throwing stones; when he levers the giant boulder onto Piggy, killing him. Roger, no longer constrained by the rules of society has performed a purely evil act. Roger, perhaps more than anyone else in the novel, embodies the terrifyingly dark possibilities of the human soul. The Littleuns- The Littleuns represent “the masses”. The population in general. They are easily scared and easily entertained and their main concerns are with basic needs (food, shelter, warmth etc) The Littleuns are protected by altruism (Simon) and civilisation (Piggy and Ralph). Dictators like Jack rule through fear and don’t care about the needs of the masses.

Approaching the paper 3 Steps to success: 1.Analyse the question 2.Plan 3.Write your essay!

Analysing the Question How does Golding present Piggy as ‘a true, wise friend’? What do you think the importance of Jack in Lord of the Flies and how does Golding represent him? ‘Lord of the Flies is a terrifying novel’ How far do you agree with this statement? What methods does Golding use to lead you to your view? How does Golding present violence in Lord of the Flies?

Plan Intro: Address the question. Brief summary of what you will cover. Link the question to the meaning/message of the text. Main body: 3-5 key points linked to the question PEED paragraphs Conclusion: Summarise points and answer the question.

Planning an essay Essay title: How does Golding present violence in Lord of the Flies? (30 marks)

Task: Plan an essay How does Golding present Piggy as ‘a true, wise friend’? What do you think the importance of Jack in Lord of the Flies and how does Golding represent him? ‘Lord of the Flies is a terrifying novel’ How far do you agree with this statement? What methods does Golding use to lead you to your view?

PEED/PEEA Format Point: One way (key idea/theme in the question) is presented by Golding in Lord of the Flies is… Example: Evidence for this is “…” Explain: This shows… Develop/analyse: The words “…” are effective because… Golding is trying to suggest… The effect on the reader is…

Task: Choose one section from essay plan you have produced and write a PEED paragraph on it

Show an understanding of the message/meaning of a text Identify the key themes/ideas Identify key features of language and structure: Language- similes, metaphors, personification, alliteration, imagery, word choice etc. Structure- Repetition, sentence structure, sentence length, enjambment, foreshadowing, dramatic irony etc. Explain the effect on the reader Set yourself a target: In order to get the grade I want in the exam I must work to improve…