1. Introduction and Background
Lord of the Flies 1954
Introduction and Background

2. 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.

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

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

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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

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

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

11. What should you come to understand by the end of this unit?
People’s baser instincts are often stronger than their nobler ones in creating human societies.
The defects in society are related to the defects in human nature.
Novelists often use their fiction to make statements about their personal or political beliefs.

12. 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

13. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
claimed that the state of nature is brutish condition without law or morality, and that there are good men only as a result of society's presence.

14. “The Social Contract”
Man realizes that he can be more successful facing threats/danger by joining up with other men.
This is an agreement to join together with rules as to how they should treat each other, get along with one another and help each other based on this contract.

15. The Noble Savage
Rousseau believed that man is essentially good when in nature but that the creation of civilization and society makes good people unhappy and are then corrupted by their experiences in society.
Therefore society is artificial/fake and corrupt

16. Nature vs. Nurture Nature = innate qualities (born this way), genetics
Nurture = personal experiences, environment, culture, way you are raised
The debate that asks whether people are who because of nature or nurture

17. “Tabula Rasa” Latin for blank slate or clean slate
Tabula Rasa is the idea of “Nurture” and that people are not born a certain way but that people become who they are because of everything around them, parents, friends, religion, location, beliefs, status/wealth in society, etc.

18. Allusions
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

19. 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

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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. Do Not Write these down

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

26. 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

27. 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

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

29. 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
The last to remain loyal to Ralph
Represent the tug-of-war
within us to remain good

30. 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