1. Lord of the Flies William Golding Background and Analysis
Ms. Crystal Barbour

2. William Golding Born Sept 19, 1911 Cornwall, England
Attended Oxford University
Studied English Literature and philosophy
Joined Royal navy in WWII
Career as school teacher
Published Lord of the Flies in 1954

3. William Golding LOTF - His first and greatest success
After it was published, he retired from teaching and wrote full time
Awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983
Knighted in 1988
Died 1993
His books deal with darker side of human nature

4. Lord of the Flies
Novel dramatizes struggle between impulse to have order, rules, and moral behavior AND the impulse to act self-indulgently, seek power over others, and behave amorally.
Civilization/common good for society
versus
Anarchy/savagery/selfish instinct

5. Lord of the Flies Two extremes represented by: Ralph – protagonist
Bart as Jack
Two extremes represented by:
Ralph – protagonist
Jack – antagonist
Piggy represents intelligence and clear sightedness (his glasses)

6. Lord of the Flies Ralph’s name – “counsel” (Anglo-Saxon)
Jack’s name – “one who supplants” (Hebrew)
Simon’s name – “listener” (Hebrew)
Roger’s name – “spear” (Germanic)

7. Major Themes Need for civilization – basic needs of society
Fear of the unknown
Blindness and sight
Use and abuse of power
Loss of identity
Evil within human beings
Survival
Betrayal
Justice / injustice
Violence / death
Leadership

8. Symbols Conch shell – symbolizes order and authority; organization
Signal fire – symbolizes common sense and light of hope and rescue
Beast – symbolizes evil – both within and without; fear of the unknown

9. Symbolism Object/ Character Represents/Symbolizes Piggy (and Glasses)
Clear-sightedness, intelligence. The glasses’ state represents the status of social order.
Ralph, The Conch
Democracy, Order
Simon
Pure Goodness, "Christ Figure"
Roger
Evil, Satan
Jack
Savagery, Anarchy
The Island
A microcosm representing the world
The "Scar"
Man's destruction, destructive forces
The Beast
The evil residing within everyone, the dark side of human nature.
Lord of the Flies
The Devil, great danger or evil

10. Two
movie
versions