1. Lord of the Flies 1954 Introduction and Background

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

3. L.O.T.F Author William Golding Born in Britain 1911-1993

4. In the decade before LOTF was published, Britain had been involved in two wars: WWII Korean War

5. 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

6. Through LOTF, Golding is making the statement that we cannot escape our savage, violent tendencies… Through LOTF, Golding aimed to “trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature”.

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

8. 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

9. 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 1990-2000.

10. 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

11. Important Images The Beast = The imaginary evil that is projected onto the island by the boys ’ paranoia Christian imagery: Christ figure; original sin Lord of the Flies = A pig ’ s head on a stick that becomes the physical acceptance of evil on the island Falling=parachutist, mankind’s figurative “fall”

12. A TERM to REMEMBER Microcosm = A small world that represents the world at large The Island: represents society as a whole, and the boys represent different forces in society

13. Let’s Meet the Boys!

14. 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 Name means “counsel”

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

16. Character Analysis Jack ~ Described as having red hair, wears black with a snake clasp, ugly Cruel and manipulative Represents brute force and irrationality Name means, “one who usurps”

17. 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 Name means “he who has heard (the word of God)”

18. Character Analysis Roger ~ Quiet… too quiet… Sadistic “Executioner” Psychopathic Purely evil Name means “spear”

19. 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 well-intentioned general public who play by the rules of whoever is in charge and are easily intimidated

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

21. 6/28/201621 The Noble Savage In his early writing, Rousseau contended that man is essentially good, a "noble savage" when in the "state of nature" (the state of all the other animals, and the condition man was in before the creation of civilization and society), and that good people are made unhappy and corrupted by their experiences in society.

22. 6/28/201622 Nature vs. Nurture The nature versus nurture debates concern the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature“), versus personal experiences ("nurture") in determining or causing individual differences in physical and behavioral traits.

23. 6/28/201623 “Tabula Rasa” The view that humans acquire all or almost all their behavioral traits from "nurture" is known as tabula rasa (Latin -"blank slate").