1. What would happen if we took away the school rules?
No class
No consequences
No authority

2. Are people naturally good or evil?
Consider babies.
Consider war.
Consider our natural inclinations (Are we inclined to be good or are we taught to “be good”?)

4. About William Golding British novelist
Born on September 19, 1911, died 1993
Studied Science and English at Oxford
Fought in Royal Navy during WWII
Participated in invasion of Normandy on D-Day
At war’s end, returned to teaching and writing
Earned the Nobel Prize in Literature

5. The World Golding Knew WWII 1939- 1945
The fall of France to Nazi Germany in 1940
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

6. Events of WWII 1939- Britain joined France in war against Nazi Germany
1940- Fall of France
1940- Fascist Italy joins the Axis with Germany
1941- Japan attacks Pearl Harbor causing USA to declare war on Japan and enter the war
1944- D-Day Normandy Landings
1945- Bombing of Dresden
1945- European victory celebrated
1945- Atomic Bomb dropped in Hiroshima immediately killing 60-80,000 people (final death toll 135,000 people)

7. 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

8. Inspiration
Golding once allowed his class of boys total freedom in a debate, but had to intervene as mayhem soon broke out
Experiences in war
Critical response to Coral Island by R.M. Ballanytyne
Philosophical questions about human nature

9. Philosophical Influence
John Hobbes
English Philosopher:
Man is by nature selfishly individualistic
Man constantly at war with other men
Fear of violent death is sole motivation to create civilizations
Men need to be controlled by absolute sovereignty to avoid brutish behavior

10. Facts About the Novel Rejected 21 times before it was published
It was his first novel- published in 1954
Not successful until the early 1960’s
On the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of

11. Story Synopsis Set in mid 1940’s when Europe was engulfed in war.
A plane carrying British school boys is mistaken for a military craft and shot down.
Only the boys survive the crash and try to form a society and govern themselves.

12. Golding’s Message
“The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.”
--William Golding

13. As a child, Golding had witnessed WWI, which was referred to as “the war to end all wars”
HOWEVER,
22 years later Britain was again involved in
ANOTHER WAR
to end all wars, which caused more devastation than was imaginable

14. Through LOTF, Golding is making the statement that we cannot escape our savage, violent tendencies…

15. …and without social order, we devolve into a state of chaos

16. Themes Survival Power/leadership styles Civilization vs. Savagery
Loss of Innocence
Human nature
Duality of man
Nature Vs. Nurture
Good Vs. Evil

17. Allusions Allusions are references to other works of Literature
Use of the names Ralph and Jack as the main characters from The Coral Island.
Simon from the Bible “Simon called Peter”, Peter was the other boy’s name in The Coral Island
Mention of Coral Island and Treasure Island
Numerous biblical allusions throughout

18. Title Translation “Beelzebub” a Hebrew word for LUCIFER
However, the literal translation of “Beelzebub”
into English is LORD OF THE FLIES

19. TERMS to REMEMBER
Microcosm = A small world that represents the world at large
Edenic = Eden like, paradise like, a setting that has not yet been spoiled by man

25. Golding’s Literary Technique
Heavy use of symbolism
Irony
Abundant imagery and sensory detail
Figurative Language
Simile
Metaphor
Personification

26. LOTF Symbols (Objects, characters, figures, or colors that represent ideas or concepts)
Piggy’s Glasses = The last surviving evidence of the lawful, structured world
Conch Shell = New democracy on the island
Snake = Evil…reference to the serpent in the garden of Eden

27. Important Images
The Beast = The imaginary evil that is projected onto the island by the boys’ paranoia
Lord of the Flies = A pig’s head on a stick that becomes the physical acceptance of evil on the island

28. Character Analysis
Ralph ~ Main character described as “fair haired,” having “broad shoulders…[like a] boxer’s,” and has a face that “proclaims no devil”
Committed to civilization and morality
Translation = GOOD

29. Character Analysis
Piggy \ Described as “fat,” “intellectual,” asthmatic, and needs glasses
Represents scientific, rational side of civilization, and social order

30. Character Analysis
Jack ~ Described as having red hair, wears black with a snake clasp, ugly
Cruel and manipulative
Represents our savage instincts played out
EVIL

31. Character Analysis
Simon ~ Described as a skinny, vivid little boy, who “meditates;” and he faints, which some cultures have believed is a sign of connecting with the spiritual world
Seems to be connected with nature, and he has an innate, spiritual goodness

32. Character Analysis Roger ~ “Silent” and sadistic
Targets the “littluns”
The only one to premeditate murder
Kills without conscience
Pure evil

33. Character Analysis Sam and Eric (Samneric) ~ Twins
Described as barely having enough skin to cover both, bullet-headed, and they finish each other’s sentences
Represent the tug-of-war within us to remain good

34. Character Analysis “Littluns” ~ The younger kids
Represent the common folk, who easily follow the lead of others into savagery when there is no enforced structure in society

35. 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

36. 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

37. Source of Inspiration to Musicians
Musicians 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”

38. Words that are difficult in CH 1
Creepers – vines that creep along the ground
Scar – the “wound” that the plane crash has made in the jungle/in the vegetation