1. LORD of the FLIES
Humanity is defined as the quality of being humane, showing goodwill, sympathy, kindness, and concern for others

2. LORD OF THE FLIES
Everyone is capable of evil, as human beings are innately uncivil and naturally destructive.
What is your initial reaction to this statement? Please respond in a short paragraph on a piece of paper.

3. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read
Biographical Information on William Golding:
Born in England 1911 to an average middle-class family
Went to school at Oxford University
Started teaching English at an all boys prep school in 1939
Joined the British Navy and entered WWII in 1940
After war, went back to teaching until 1963 and wrote LOTF in 1954, winning Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983
Died in 1993.
Which events may have had the largest impact on his life? Which may have influenced LOTF the most?

4. 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

5. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read
The two major influences were…
Teaching at a boys prep school
and serving in WWII.
So, how did they influence him?

6. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read
While teaching at an all boys school… He observed how boys and young men acted toward each other and learned some of the psychological tendencies of boys:
Boys have a need for competition
Boys have a desire for games and play as opposed to work
Boys have a tendency to “act up” when adults are not around
Boys tend to be cruel and physically aggressive toward others

7. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read
While serving in WWII…
He saw the atrocities of war first hand, including torture, death, bloodshed, etc.
He was shocked by the horrors of Hitler’s Holocaust, torturing of P.O.W.’s by the Japanese, and by the U.S. dropping the atom bomb.

8. Major WWII Events Death and destruction abound!!!
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 world 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)
Death and destruction abound!!!

9. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read
Golding’s conclusions:
People are naturally evil, and only rules (laws) and the threat of punishment make them act civilized.
Every person is capable of evil since man is innately evil and, given the chance, most carry out their evil thoughts.

10. Modern Day Allusions Allusion- (n.) an indirect reference to something
There are many, many modern day allusions to Lord of the Flies in popular culture.
For example….

11. Survivor
MarK Burnett’s CBS island show is said to have been inspired by LOTF.

12. Sponge Bob Squarepants
The episode Club Spongebob is a spoof of LOTF.

13. Popular Music
Bands such as Taking Back Sunday, Nine Inch Nails, AFI, Iron Maiden, and Pink Floyd have written songs about or have alluded to LOTF in their music.

14. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read
Almost all novels can be divided into two groups-
Novels in which the plot is the most important aspect
-these stories require little emotional (feeling) or intellectual (thought) involvement from the reader beyond trying to find out what happens
-once the reader completes it, the book may be forgotten easily
-these stories are often read for entertainment purposes
Novels that teach us something about ourselves and our world, delivering messages and themes
-here the reader is concerned with the characters and the way they respond to situations
-the plot may appear important but more importantly it forces a reader to think about and reflect on themselves and the world
-a person can read the story more than once and be affected differently each time

15. LORD of the FLIES…before we read
LOTF fits into the second category (THEMES). While many simple readers will see it as an adventure story involving young boys on a deserted island, it is much more. We, instead, will look for clues in the text that indicate a deeper meaning. We will be aware of how characters and objects can be used to represent ideals, beliefs, and themes. This will allow us to examine our stance on humans and the world in which we live.

16. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read
One way to explore the thematic meaning of a story is through…
Symbols – anything that stands for or represents something else. Symbols point to meaning beyond what they are.
Writers often use conventional symbols for meanings. Others create their own symbols by emphasis or repetition. Each method intends to make a point, create a mood, or reinforce a theme.

17. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read
What is the meaning of these conventional symbols?
The color red

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

19. The Conch Shell Symbolizes law and order of the adult world
Piggy tries to protect it
Represents the authority the boys are so used to obeying
IT REPRESENTS strong, central leadership.

20. Piggy’s Specs
They symbolize the voice of reason and logic among the boys.
Notice how Piggy defends his glasses even more than the conch.
Piggy uses his glasses to find solutions to the boys’ problems.
What’s the most important solution the glasses find?.....

21. The Signal Fire
The smoke of the signal fire symbolizes the best hope of the boys being rescued.
To Piggy and Ralph, the fire represents the moral influence of their old life in England.
The fire mirrors how connected they are to society.

22. So….
Are you ready? Let’s read 