Lord of the Flies William Golding.

Lord of the Flies William Golding

Context The context of a text are the factors surrounding it that help us to understand it, the background events which help to explain something.

Rules Think about who or what rules and governs your life and how this affects you. Complete the table on the next slide to show three of society’s rules, who enforces them and how they affect you.

Rule 1 Rule 2 Rule 3 Rule Who created it? Who enforces it? How is it enforced? Advantages Disadvantages

“That is really what the book is about: if you don’t have rules, that is to say, if you don’t have laws, then your lost, your finished, your gone.” William Golding

Would you be ‘lost’ without the rules that you have considered? Why?
To what extent do rules help society to survive?

Answer the following questions as honestly as you can.
No Grown ups! Think about a time that you and your peers were in a situation where there was no adult supervision. Answer the following questions as honestly as you can.

How did the atmosphere change?
How did your peers act differently? Were the rules still obeyed? Were new rules developed? Did certain people take charge? Did some people still want to follow the rules? What happened to these people? What happened to the people who broke the rules?

Decisions and Influences
Who influences your decision making? 1) Think about who or what influences you when you have an important decision to make. They might be friends, family teachers or other authority figures. They might also be advertisements, celebrities etc. Don’t forget that your decision making can be influenced both positively and negatively.

Who influences your decision making? 2) Now think about something specific that you need to make a major decision about. Consider who or what might influence this decision and note down something they might say to influence your choice.

Decision: Who might influence my decision What they might say

Decisions and Influences. Now think about how you influence the people around you. 1) How do you have a positive influence on people? 2)In what areas might you be a negative influence?

Leadership Consider the qualities and skills required to be a good leader. Complete the following table.

Quality or skill required to be a good leader
Why this is necessary

Leadership Now consider the following points imagining that you are the leader of a group. What would you do if…?

Someone questions your authority?
Someone tries to compete against you as the leader? People are picking on one of the members of the group you lead? Everyone in your group has been threatened and is scared (including you) and they are looking to you for guidance?

To further understand the context of Lord of the Flies you need some background on the writer himself and his experiences during World War Two. It's also useful to do some thinking about the 'desert island' as it has appeared in earlier stories.

William Golding was born in 1911
William Golding was born in After leaving Oxford University, he worked as an actor, producer and writer, and then as a teacher in a boy's public school. During World War 2 Golding was lieutenant in the Royal Navy, in command of a small rocket ship. While carrying out his duties he ordered the destruction of German ships and submarines and he shelled German troops from sea during the D-Day landings.

Golding was horrified by what war revealed about people's capacity to harm their fellow humans. He was appalled by what happened in the Nazi concentration camps, and by the way the Japanese mistreated their prisoners. He was appalled too by the consequences of the British and American mass bombing against civilians - and even by what he himself did as a naval officer.

During the war the British justified all the destruction they wrought on the grounds that they had 'right' on their side, but Golding came to question this smug assumption. He gradually learned to see all human nature as savage and unforgiving: he knew that even the 'goodies' can become 'baddies'.

World War 2 ended in The United Nations was set up after the war to try to ensure that a global conflict never happened again, but in 1954, when Lord of the Flies was published, the threat of a nuclear war was still very real. It was entirely plausible to the novel's original audience that an atom bomb really could destroy civilisation.

Desert Islands Most imaginary desert islands are peaceful paradises where the shipwrecked traveller manages to continue living pretty much as before - think of Robinson Crusoe or Desert Island Discs!

Desert Islands In a book called Coral Island by RM Ballantyne, published in 1857, 100 years before Golding's book, three young British boys are shipwrecked on a desert island and have to survive without any adults. Brave and resourceful, they thoroughly enjoy their experience and there is never a hint of trouble. As one of the characters, Peterkin, says, There was indeed no note of discord whatever in that symphony we played together on that sweet coral island.

From his experience as a teacher, Golding knew that the idyllic life of Coral Island could never exist in real life. So, he set out to write a novel that showed his ideas about the darker side of human nature starting from the same basis: boys stranded on a desert island, away from all civilising influences. Lord of the Flies was the result.

‘One day I was sitting on one side of the fireplace and my wife was sitting on the other, and I suddenly said to her, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to write a story about some boys on a desert island showing how they would really behave, being boys and not little saints as they usually are in children’s books.’’ ‘I had vividly in my mind two pictures. One is the picture of the little boy who discovers that he is actually on a coral island and is so delighted that he stood on his head! The other picture was of this same little boy crying, crying his heart out, because he discovered what actually went on, what people in society were like when you don’t have law…Because the little boy knew what was inside people and what would come out…’

Word Meaning Metaphor Paradise Atomic war Civilisation Savage Protagonist Antagonist Conflict Anarchy

Word Meaning Symbolism Moral Order Barbaric Democracy Dictatorship Allegory Ritual Moral Message

In groups of four, complete the following:
1. You and 100 other students have survived a plane crash that has killed all of the adults and completely destroyed the plane so that there is nothing salvageable from it. Make a priority list, starting with the most important tasks, of what should be done. You must have at least FIVE tasks on your list.

In groups of four, complete the following:
2. Develop a list basic rules for the survivors of the crash. 3. Make a list of consequences that would be invoked against any who break your rules. You should have a variety of consequences that escalate with the severity and/or frequency of breaking the rules. 4. Identify the purpose of your consequence.

Reading! Try to make notes as you go along.
If we stop and discuss a part then highlight it and write notes in your book. Write chapter summaries at the end of each chapter. If you miss a chapter then you must catch up and get notes from someone else.

Chapter 1 The Sound of the Shell
Make sure you have a summary of this chapter. It can be a flow diagram, mindmap, storyboard or list of bullet points.

Chapter One: Key Points
Piggy is physically disadvantaged: short, fat, has asthma and is very short sighted. Ralph in contrast is tall, fair, agile. Notice the heat on island – the first force to create a change in the boys’ behaviour. Notice that the fruit has given the boys diarrhoea – one of many hints that the island may not be the paradise it first appears.

Piggy possesses many of the qualities needed for a leader – logic, reasoning, understanding of organisation and the group – yet is totally unsuited to this role because of his other qualities and background. Ralph finds the conch but it is Piggy who suggests a practical use. The first time the conch is blown, it signifies the birth of civilised order on the island.

The choir wear a black uniform and their military discipline, led by Jack, is very striking.
Jack seems to represent a strong, totalitarian leader who is imposing his will on others. He is a natural leader, but the boys choose Ralph and Jack is humiliated. Jack wears the uniform of head chorister – black and red are traditionally associated with evil, magic, the devil and are associated with Jack throughout the novel. Remember – Jack has red hair.

On one level, Jack’s red hair suggests a short and fiery temper
On one level, Jack’s red hair suggests a short and fiery temper. At a deeper level, the colour suggests blood, hell or the devil. Think about how Golding contrasts Jack’s appearance with Ralph. Think about Golding’s first introduction of the choir: ‘something dark was fumbling along’. It first appears as a dark creature or beast… Unlike Jack, Ralph, as leader, feels the need to compromise and openly explains that he needs time to think – could these be signs of weakness in his leadership?

Piggy is excluded from the ‘explorers’ as they search the island
Piggy is excluded from the ‘explorers’ as they search the island. He may well have slowed them down, but why should he have been included? Jack is still a product of civilisation. He is unable to kill the pig. What holds him back?

Chapter 2 Fire on the Mountain
Ralph’s natural inclination is towards order and democracy. The conch becomes a visible symbol of authority and to show who has the right to speak. The boys still feel the island is wonderful and they reference a number of children’s books.

These children’s books describe ‘British’ virtues and we see this in the immediate attempt to bring democracy to the island. But, unlike other writers who present such virtues as being permanent and unchanging – regardless of what situation the characters are put in, Golding wants to reveal how easily savagery can take over from order. Ralph is in no doubt that the grownups will rescue them.

Ralph thinks the boys can have fun while they wait
Ralph thinks the boys can have fun while they wait. Piggy is the only character who has different priorities. Piggy is not afraid to speak out, even though what he has to say is unpopular. The ‘beast’ first appears in this chapter and appears to be only a small child’s nightmare. We also begin to see the effect of fear on civilisation: rational argument (Ralph) can never remove it.

Traditionally fire symbolises power and hope as well as fear and desreuction.
Fire can be seen as empowering man and control of it is what separates us from animals. Fire brings warmth and comfort, but equally can destroy everything in its path. Piggy is both wise and vulnerable. He hates irresponsible behaviour.

Piggy is helpless and terrified when Jack takes his glasses, in case Jack doesn’t give it back.
Piggy is completely dependent upon his glasses, and therefore the goodwill of those who borrow them. Jack denies Piggy the right to speak. In contrast, Ralph enforces the rules by allowing him to speak because he has the conch. Is Jack showing the signs of being a dictator? Does Ralph believe in democracy?

Jack seems to say one thing and do another…
The fire gets completely out of control and destroys a large patch of the island – we realise that already the boys presence on the island is a destructive one. Piggy represents the power of ‘conscience’ – he is the only one who realises how out of control the boys are and how they are not as organised as they would like to believe.

Piggy is the only one to notice a littlun is missing.
Think about why Piggy is so adult for his age… Ralph’s attitude towards Piggy is now changing – we think more about this at the end of Chapter Four. We see the first death on the island, resulting directly from the actions of the boys.

The first death is important in discussing what went wrong on the island. Who is responsible?
Half the boys get to their feet and run off, Jack among them, and Jack calls on the other boys to follow them. Jack plays a part, but it would be wrong to blame him totally for the hysteria: this first loss of innocence involves the boys as group.

How does Ralph attempt to establish order and authority?
Chapter 2 Questions How does Ralph attempt to establish order and authority? What is the general attitude of the boys to their situation? Show, using evidence from the passage how Piggy’s realistic view of their dilemma becomes more obvious. The concept of the beast is first introduced in this chapter. What is the significance of ‘the snake’ and ‘the beasties’? How does a) Ralph respond b) Jack respond? The conflict of authority between Ralph and Jack arises over the beast and the fire. How does Jack assert his authority? What does the uncontrollable fire symbolise? What do the boys realise at the end of the chapter? How are things different now for the boys compared to how they were at the beginning of the chapter? Extension - Choose a character and find quotes that reveal things about them.

Chapter 3 Huts on the Beach When Jack is alone hunting he is startled by a harsh cry that ‘seemed to come out of the abyss of ages’. This moment highlights the gap that exists between modern civilisation and past ages, when primitive man had to survive. On his return, Jack tries to explain the primitive feeling for the hunt that is growing inside him – Golding describes it as a ‘madness’ in his eyes

Think about all the words and phrases Golding uses to descibe Jack’s movements changing from those of a boy’s to a primal hunter. Jack’s transformation into a savage contrasts with the other boys attempts to maintain a civilised society. However, the failure of the huts indicates that their society has many weaknesses. The boys are incapable of even providing adequate shelters for themselves.

Jack, Ralph and Simon discuss the littluns’ nightmares and their intense fear at night – it is not only the youngest ones who feel it. Jack admits to sensing something fearful when he is alone in the jungle – like he is the one who is being hunted. The beast is not a physical thing – what could Golding be suggesting Jack is sensing?

We notice the gap between Jack and Ralph widening as they come close to fighting over huts and hunting. We learn more about Simon in this chapter. Remember that the novel is an allegory – start thinking about what a character like Simon may represent. He helps his fellow humans. Think about the butterflies when Simon finds his secret place in the forest.

Think about how beautiful and fragile butterflies are
Think about how beautiful and fragile butterflies are. Think also about the fact that they do not live very long. Simon is at one with the natural world at the end of the chapter. Both Simon and Jack go into the jungle alone: Jack is pleased when the other boys follow him, but Simon wants to make sure that he is alone and unseen.

Painted Faces and Long Hair
Chapter 4 Painted Faces and Long Hair The lagoon is a symbol of safety and a place of illusions. It contrasts with the sea on the other side of the island. Piggy is the only boy to be able to scientifically explain what the optical illusions are. Civilised time – represented by watches – has been replaced by nature’s time and nature’s ‘rhythms’.

Piggy wants to build a sundial – think about why he should want to do this.
Percival is a pathetic character – think about what he represents in terms of what the children have lost. The generic title of ‘littluns’ to describe the youngest children highlights how their individuality is diminishing. They are younger than the others and so have had less time to learn (be conditioned to) the ways of society. Do the older boys neglect the littluns? Should they stop them from eating unripe fruit?

In the daylight the littluns build sandcastles and cities - think about the contrast with how the children behave at night. Golding is starting to reveal Roger’s hidden, sadistic tendencies. Think about why they are starting to reveal themselves. Think about how Henry enjoys exercising control over the small creatures at the sea’s edge. Think about how this behaviour is mirrored in Roger’s treatment of Henry as he throws stones. Think about what Golding is saying about the nature of humankind.

Jack paints his face and this is a turning point for him
Jack paints his face and this is a turning point for him. Think about the language Golding uses to describe this moment – ‘liberated from shame and self-consciousness’, ‘awesome stranger’, ‘blood thirsty snarling’. The mask frees Jack from the rules of society and enables him to make his first kill. Golding also uses the painted mask as an external way to show how Jack is changing – regressing to a more primitive form.

Personal appearance is important to Jack in his lust for power
Personal appearance is important to Jack in his lust for power. In contrast, Ralph worries about his increasingly dirty and savage appearance. Piggy continues to be an outsider – even his hair doesn’t grow much, unlike the other boys. A ship – representing rescue and a return to civilisation – is sighted and lost. Piggy and Ralph continue to show their need for civilisation, as Jack moves further towards savagery.

After the first successful hunt, Jack proudly tells the others that he was the one to cut the pig’s throat yet ‘he twitched as he said it’ – what does this indicate about him? Think about the effect of the hunter’s chant on the crowd of boys – consider the idea of a mob mentality or chanting at a football match. At this moment, Jack and Ralph are far apart in relation to emotion and experience.

Jack is jubilant after his first hunting success but Ralph is in bitter despair at losing the chance of rescue. Is rescue important to Jack anymore? Throughout the novel, Piggy demonstrates that clear sight comes not only from the eyes but from the mind. Piggy sees the boys’ situation clearly. His glasses are a symbol of understanding and reason.

Jack’s first kill has released him from the civilised need to keep back his aggressive tendencies and he strikes out at Piggy, breaking his glasses. Both Ralph and Piggy have a go at Jack, but Jack only hits Piggy. Why is this? The breaking of one of the lenses of the glasses symbolises the beginning of things breaking down – the loss of civilised, reasonable behaviour on the island.

Human nature, without the restraint of civilisation, is taking over
Human nature, without the restraint of civilisation, is taking over. Remember the ‘truth’ about human nature that Golding wants his readers to understand. Jack refuses to give Piggy any meat, but Simon gives Piggy some of his. Simon’s action is kind and civilised, yet he lowers ‘his face in shame’. Why is it significant that Ralph is described as standing with his hands full of meat ‘among the ashes of the signal fire.’

Think about the fact that the hunters proudly chant about how they spilled the pigs blood.
The excuse for killing – a need for meat – is not the real reason for it. Jack likes killing for his own sake because it gives him a sense of power. Remember how Jack was so excited by the kill he felt no guilt for letting the signal fire go out. Jack and his group take up a ritual chant and Ralph decided to call a meeting ‘even if we have to go into the dark.’ Could this be one of his greatest mistakes?

Jack’s rage is described as ‘elemental and awe-inspiring’ and how ‘he looked around for understanding but found only respect.’ Understanding and reason are being replaced by more primitive emotions.

Chapter 5 Beast from the water
Ralph is the character in the novel who learns the most. In this chapter, he asks some difficult questions about appearance, perception and reality. At times, Ralph feels is unsure of even his own standards.

Sometimes he cannot think straight
Sometimes he cannot think straight. Consider how Ralph’s clarity of thought worsens as the novel progresses. Ralph recognises Piggy’s value as a thinker. He now understands it was a mistake to judge people based on their appearance and Ralph finds himself thinking more deeply than he used to. As the meeting commences, look at who chooses to sit on Ralph’s left and right.

Think about how this could relate to modern notions of left and right politics.
Ralph lectures the boys on their hygiene: they are going to the toilet in their living areas. Think about what this indicates about the state of their civilisation. Ralph is one of the few who feels that the fire is vital – why could the rest of the boys be apathetic about the fire?

Ralph is still closely connected with the adult world of order and stability.
Perhaps this is why he struggles to understand why things change, Ralph is a good leader but he is not perfect and his leadership has flaws and he makes mistakes. Think about how this enables Jack to increase his power on the island. Ralph tries to remove the littluns’ fear by talking sensibly about the best but Jack ruins this.

Jack tells the littluns that the fear is within them all and they must learn to live with it.
Jack seems to want others to believe in the beast – think about how fear could help him gain more control. Piggy has a rational argument about being afraid – yet he is quite a vulnerable character and we could expect him to be the most afraid. Piggy believes science has the answer to fear and superstition.

This illustrates ‘adult’ clear sightedness and civilised way of thinking.
Simon feels he must speak up, even though he is very self-conscious. He tries to explain that the best may be inside them. That what is wrong with humankind is the evil force within humans. Simon struggles to find a way to explain this and he is ridiculed by Jack and his group.

Much of this chapter is concerned with discussing fear and the beast
Much of this chapter is concerned with discussing fear and the beast. As darkness falls, the boys’ fear becomes more irrational. Should Ralph have called an assembly so late? Ralph fails to maintain order and think about why this is. ‘Bollocks to the rules!’ The assembly and the conch (including all it symbolises) is dismissed in this one phrase.

Jack challenges Ralph’s suitability for leadership and Ralph responds by telling him he is ‘breaking the rules’. This is a point of crisis in the novel. Ralph’s blind faith in democracy seems almost ridiculous now. Remember the context of the novel. Think about this quote from Golding himself: ‘You think that now the war is over and an evil thing destroyed, you are safe because you are naturally kind and decent. But I know why the thing rose in Germany. I know it could happen in any country. It could happen here.’

Piggy speaks of his fear – fear of people
Piggy speaks of his fear – fear of people. He knows that the bully inside of Jack could lead to danger for himself. Ralph expresses his need of a sign of the far-away, adult, civilised world to give him hope. Is this foolish? Thing about the state the adult world must be in.

Write a mini essay and include evidence from the text.
Chapters 1-5 Trace how: a) the boys and b) the mood on the island have changed since the beginning of the novel. Write a mini essay and include evidence from the text.

Chapter 6 Beast from Air Key Points
The dead parachutist is the ‘sign’ that Ralph asked for in the last chapter. The air battle and the fact that the parachutist is dead, reminds us of the state the adult world is in. Jack openly refuses to recognise the authority of the conch. The arrival of the parachutist causes SamnEric to think that the beast is actually real. Still Simon feels that the only beast is human

We are reminded of his ability to see the truth of things.
Castle Rock is an ideal place for a fortress. Think about the contrast between Jack and Ralph’s reaction to this place. Think also about how the sea changes away from the safety of the lagoon. Jack joins Ralph when he looks for the beast on Castle Rock. We are reminded that they once had a good relationship as they remember past times. However, the chapter ends with Jack leading the way.

Chapter 7 Shadows and Tall Trees Key Points
Again we see Ralph’s concern for the boys’ filthy appearance. Ralph’s state of mind is also deteriorating – he bites his nails, he day dreams, he is forgetful and he can’t get a hold of his thoughts. Think about why this is. Again, we have the contrast of ‘the other side of the island’ to their own side. Think about how the description changes. On the boys’ side there is softness, shelter and mirages. The other side is harsh and unforgiving – even the sea changes. Think about how the different sides of the island could represent the different sides to human beings: good and evil.

Ralph calls Simon ‘batty’ when Simon tries to assure Ralph he will get home.
Think about what this suggests about Ralph’s understanding of Simon. Simon speaks very softly to Ralph, ‘almost in his ear’ – like an inner voice or voice of conscience perhaps. Ralph daydreams of home. It seems Ralph’s old life was not as idyllic as we may think it was. Think about the books he used to read that promised adventure, travel and fear. However, this is the view from a normal civilised life and Ralph is very different from when he read these books.

Ralph finds himself joining and enjoying the hunt.
Consider how easily he becomes part of it. Consider also, is part in the ‘play’ hunt with Robert. Look at Golding’s language carefully here and think about what Golding is suggesting. Notice again the chant and its effect. Ralph tries to keep what is happening as only a game in his mind – a rough one, like rugby. But rugby is a game played with clear rules – play on the island develops into something different. Why? In Jack’s mock hunt, Golding shows us the evil and sadistic elements within the boys are starting to be revealed. Think about the suggestion of using a littlun.

Simon offers to go back alone through the dark jungle – think about why he is not scared to walk the island alone. It is important that Simon leaves the boys – if he had stayed, perhaps he would have helped the boys see the truth. The tension between Jack and Ralph builds as they trek across the island. We see how Ralph has learned not to undertake things in the dark. Notice how Jack tests Ralph. Roger and not Simon is there to find the beast and think about how this fact illustrates the shifting of power from Ralph to Jack.

Ralph’s leadership is deteriorating and we are reminded of his courage – but everyone runs away from the beast. Look carefully at Golding’s description of the parachutist’s body. There is a suggestion of the thing being both animal like and human. Think about the description of the dead parachutist’s face and how this could link to the masks worn by the hunters.

Leadership The struggle for leadership is a vital theme of the novel:
What are the differences between Jack and Ralph in terms of leadership?

Strengths Copy this table into your jotter;
Now list both boys’ strengths. Ralph Jack

Strengths Ralph Jack

Weaknesses Copy this table into your jotter;
Now list both boys’ weaknesses. Ralph Jack

Weaknesses Ralph Jack

Task Get into small groups (no more than 4 people per group)
Choose a character (Jack or Ralph) Write down their qualities as a leader. Find evidence from the text to support each quality. Having more than one piece of evidence will be more convincing.

Chapter 8 Gift for the darkness Key Points
Ralph is now convinced of the reality of the beast. Think about why Golding had the parachutist land by the fire. What is its presence preventing? It is Jack who takes the initiative and calls an assembly. Think carefully about how Golding describes Jack using and holding the conch. Think about Jack’s motives for calling this meeting.

Ralph’s leadership is challenged but why do you think the boys would not vote against him?
Does it show us they are afraid to speak out? Who are they afraid of? Although Ralph is a good person, it becomes clear he is not a good leader. Consider what might have happened if Jack had been chosen to lead – would things have turned out better, worse or different? Ralph tries to keep order by using rules, but people do not always keep to the rules. How would Jack and his choir have kept order?

Think about the irony in Jack’s words: ‘ I’m not going to play any longer.’
Play has been transformed from something harmless to something darker and almost uncontrollable. Yet, we feel sympathy for Jack here as well – we are reminded that these are young boys, alone and without guidance. Simon suggests they go to the top of the mountain. Why? Look at the change in Piggy and how the boys treat him now Jack has left. Piggy is very practical and has a different intelligence to Simon.

Notice how the littluns dance and sing with the excitement of the fire.
Piggy has assisted with the building of the fire and lights it himself. This is important as it shows he is no longer an outsider. Why? Simon goes to be alone in his private place in the jungle. The choir has undergone a change. Think about what they have become. Consider the significance of the black caps they continue to wear. Unlike Ralph, Jack does not need a vote – he tells the boys that he will be chief. Think about what this shows about how Jack’s tribe will be run.

Is it completely fair to think of Jack as the villain of the novel?
Was Jack to blame for the death of the littlun with the birth mark? When we come across more tragedy further on in the novel, think carefully about how much blame we can lay at Jack’s feet. Think about whether Jack’s wrongdoing is a conscious decision or because he is unable to resist his primitive urges for as long as the others.

Jack gives the boys a primitive and superstitious way of appeasing the beast. He is moving further away from being civilised. Golding’s description of the killing of the sow is vivid and uncomfortable. He uses sexual language to encourage the reader to consider how the boys lust for death, that it is a primal urge that they give in to. The hunt of the sow can be seen as the moment the boys are completely separated from their past moral values and innocence.

The pig they kill is a female with young
The pig they kill is a female with young. Think about the significance of this. Consider also, that the boys do not need to hunt to live. They hunt and kill because of a deeper, darker urge. Hope for civilised life on the island is lost in this moment. The destructive part of human nature, represented by Jack, triumphs over the controls of civilisation, represented by Ralph. Remember that Golding though evil was much more common than people like to believe.

Look carefully at Roger’s involvement of the killing of the sow
Look carefully at Roger’s involvement of the killing of the sow. Roger seems to be a character who is particularly sadistic. In a primitive celebration of killing, Jack rubs blood over Maurice’s face: a further illustration of Jack’s commitment to the savage life. By killing the sow, Jack and his tribe have symbolically killed a mother/parent figure. From this moment they are savage and brutal. Their innocence is lost. Roger calls Jack chief for the first time – do we ever hear the tribe refer to him as Jack again.

The pig’s head is stuck on a stake and left as a gift for the beast.
Simon’s strange conversation with the Lord of the Flies could represent the conflict between good and evil. Consider the fact that ‘Lord of the Flies’ is a literal translation of Beelzebub – the name of the devil in the bible. Think about the parallels to the Christian story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. The Lord of the Flies tries to persuade Simon that evil in humans is so strong that resistance is useless. Does Simon accept this?

Think about the different ways we can interpret the ‘blackness that spread’.
Look at the phrase ‘we shall do you’ and notice how it includes Ralph and Piggy. Why do you think this is?

Chapter 9 A View to a Death Key Points
At the top of the mountain, Simon sees that the best is only a dead man – only proving that the only thing the boys really have to be scared of is themselves. Simon shows great compassion in freeing the dead parachutists from the wires that trapped him. He looks down the mountain at the camp – this moment could be symbolic of the story in the bible when Moses brings the truth from the mountain, only to find his people have become immoral and started worshiping false gods.

The building storm is a reflection of the building tension between the boys and a building towards violence. When we look back at Piggy’s reason for going to the feast, there is a bitter irony. Jack is now ‘painted and garlanded’ and ‘sitting like an idol’, linking back to the link between Simon and Moses. It is like the boys are worshiping Jack and it is clear he demands absolute obedience. Look at the tone he uses when he speaks to his tribe.

There is one moment where the boys are united – laughing at Piggy and even Ralph joins in. Again, think about what Golding wants us the feel about the boys (and human kind in general) in this moment. Think about how the laughter is almost hysterical – that the boys are all afraid of Jack. Look at how he rules by fear and intimidation – remember his has his mask painted on.

Jack gets the boys to follow him through fear and a promise of a higher standard of living – this seems to parallel history around the time the novel was set. Piggy, Ralph and Simon can not win against this tyranny. They do not realise, until too late, that Jack and his followers do not want or respect a lawful society. When Ralph’s sense and logic about the huts almost seems to begin to influence the boys, Jack puts and end to this with a primitive and ritualistic dance.

Now the words have changed to ‘Kill the beast…’.
The storm and the chant combine to create a frenzied mass of boys. Notice that Ralph and Piggy join. Notice Golding’s language here: the boys have become ‘a single organism’ – the real beast. Simon tries to tell the boys the truth even when they are tearing him apart. The boys are like a pack of savage, crazed animals.

Think about who/what is to blame for Simon’s death.
Golding presents his death from the boys point of view, allowing us to see how the storm and the chant combine to remove any rational thought. Golding refers to Simon (apart from once) as ‘the beast’ suggesting that is what the boys thought Simon was in the hysteria of the moment. At the end of the chapter the sea and the creatures within in it take Simon’s body ‘softly’. Think about how this is fitting, how Simon seemed to have an affinity with the natural world around him.

The Shell and the Glasses
Chapter 10 The Shell and the Glasses Key Points Ralph has realised what happened to Simon and calls It ‘murder’. Piggy, for all his logic and sense, cannot bring himself to think about it. Ralph laughs at the suggestion to call an assembly – think about the emotions/Ralph’s state of mind which causes this response. Piggy tries to convince Ralph that Simon’s death was an accident - he blames the storm, fear, even his poor eyesight. Samneric also realise their part in Simon’s death and they, like Piggy, cannot bring themselves to admit their guilt.

The killing of Simon was ritualistic and involved the dance – but now that word is ‘obscene’ to them all. It is clear the boys feel a deep guilt about what happened to Simon – can we say the same about Jack? Roger considers Jack as a ‘proper chief’ – think about why this is. Notice how tyrannical Jack’s regime is. Think about how we are never given a reason for the beating of Wilfred. Remember that characters and actions in the novel are symbolic of civilisation and humankind as a whole and how what we learn about Jack here could parallel events in Golding’s world.

Notice Roger’s reaction to this information, that he is described as ‘assimilating the possibilities of irresponsible authority’. What do you think Golding wants us to realise here? Jack orders the tribe to defend their new camp. Look at the language Golding uses to describe Jack and the boys in his tribe. Jack keeps the possibility of the beast alive for the boys – think about why he chooses to do this. Piggy and Ralph light a fire and the boys are showing real signs of being unable to cope with everything that is happening to them and around them. It becomes clear that Piggy is the stronger of the two.

Jack and the two savages attack Ralph and Piggy’s camp to steal the fire, and look at the language Golding uses: ‘vicious snarling’ and ‘biting’. The beast is no longer an unknown animal – it is human. The theft of Piggy’s glasses represents the final defeat of rules and order on the island. Notice that the boys only steal the glasses and not the conch – why is this?

Chapter 11 Castle Rock Key Points
Ralph, Piggy and the twins are still using the conch, but think about what it represents and why it is useless now on the island. Ralph wants the boys to try and sort out their appearance in an attempt to show that they are not savages. Think about how Ralph and the rest do not fully understand the tribe’s degeneration. Piggy is helpless without his glasses, but shows great courage in his decision to face Jack and demand what’s ‘right’.

Piggy is aware of his own limitations and this makes him stand out as being more ‘adult’ than the rest of the boys. Think about why this may contribute to the boys dislike of him. When they get to Castle Rock, there is a contrast between the savages’ appearance and Ralph’s behaviour – he tells them to ‘Stop being silly!’. We see Roger becoming aware of a ‘source of power’ and the vulnerability of the boys below him. Significantly, Piggy is now on his knees.

Ralph shows great courage when facing the tribe, but we can see that his speech will not change anything. He uses the language associated with school and school boys; however, the group are not school boys any longer, they are savages. Samneric are captured and Ralph’s temper breaks at this. He uses school boy language again, but notice the irony of the words ‘beast’ and ‘swine’. Piggy finally speaks up and Ralph joins him.

Roger experiences ‘a sense of delirious abandonment’ – he has become a savage who has no need of rational thought about his actions or fear of punishment/consequences. He becomes Jack’s sadistic and merciless henchman. The word ‘talisman’ is used to describe the conch – think about why Golding uses it. The destruction of the fragile conch symbolises how easily democracy can be overthrown.

Piggy’s body is also washed out to sea like Simon’s
Piggy’s body is also washed out to sea like Simon’s. However, this contrasts with the description of Simon’s death. It is cold, hard and impersonal. Think about what Golding wants us to think about here. The conch and Piggy are destroyed at the same time – representing the destruction of rationality. After Piggy’s murder, Ralph is unable to speak, suggesting intelligent communication has broken down. What is left is a new world, in which the most powerful form of communication is the chant. Roger is no longer restrained by civilised patterns of behaviour and it is implied that Samneric are tortured into joining Jack’s tribe. Think about what Golding means in describing Roger’s new, ‘nameless authority’.

Chapter 12 Cry of the Hunters Key Points
Ralph finally accepts the reality of life on the island. He still has fleeting moments of hope that the boys are just playing – but we can see this hope for safety and ‘normality’ is ridiculous. He thinks of his and Jack’s connection – what do you think this is? Ralph encounters the Lord of the Flies – think about how it contrast’s Simon’s.

Ralph smashes the skull but he cannot destroy the evil the skull symbolises.
Ralph realises he is an outcast, and now joins Piggy and Simon. Samneric represent oppressed people, whose only safety lies in joining the stronger group. Did they really have any other choice if they wanted to survive? Samneric tell Ralph about the plan to hunt him down like a pig. Think about how this hunt reveals the depths to which the boys have sunk. Notice Roger’s part in their torture. He seems worse that even Jack. It is Roger who has ‘sharpened a stick at both ends’ in preparation for killing Ralph. Think about when this stick was last used.

Look at the imagery used to describe Ralph during the final hunt.
Ralph uses animal tactics to survive the hunt. The echo of a game is mildly ironic here. Ralph finally realises the significance of the stick Roger has sharpened. Will the savages only kill him when they find him – think about what they did to the first pig’s head. What will happen to the rest of his body…? How far have the boys fallen…? What has Ralph learned about people and human nature compared the start of the novel? Does he still think Simon was ‘batty’?

The images of war remind is of the society the boys will return to after an atomic war.
The officer restores a form of civilised law and order. The island society has produced tyranny and chaos, and the officer’s reaction to Ralph is one of ‘wary astonishment’. Is this a straightforward happy ending? Why do you think Golding has chosen to end the novel this way? Notice the irony in what the officer says – he has no concept of what has been really happening on the island. The appearance of the officer also serves to remind us about the fact the savages are children.

Why do you think Ralph claims leadership of the boys at the end of the novel? Why does Jack not contradict him? Piggy’s glasses hang at Jack’s waist – a reminder of him and the tribe’s loss of reason. Like the boys at the start of the novel, the officer thinks that being civilised and reasonable comes naturally to people. By the end of the novel, fire has destroyed the island and Golding implies that an atomic war may have destroyed a lot of the world. The boys are no more evil, destructive or irresponsible than the adults have been. The burning wreckage of the island represents the loss of innocence. The fire is an image of hell, from which the boys emerge completely changed.

Has Golding ever actually shown the boys as innocent?
Seeing the novel as being allegorical, Ralph’s tears could be caused by the recognition of the fallen nature of humankind. Ralph can no longer see the world as secure, because he has gained knowledge of the evil which lurks in ‘the darkness of man’s heart.’ Why is the officer embarrassed by Ralph’s tears? Why does Golding present a warship as the final image? What does this imply about the world the boys are about to return to?

‘The darkness of man’s heart’ is a reference to Heart of Darkness, a short novel by Joseph Conrad, set in the African jungle and dealing with the force of evil, especially within people. What do you think the ‘darkness’ is which Golding believes in the heart of all humankind?

Symbolism A kind of image; that is a word or phrase referring to a concrete object, scene, action or character which also has some further significance associated with it.

Symbolism Object/Character Represents Piggy (and Glasses)
Ralph The Conch Simon Roger Jack The Island The “Scar” The Beast Lord of the Flies

Symbolism Object/Character Represents Piggy (and Glasses)
Clear-sightedness, intelligence. Their 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

Character When the boys first gather on the island they appear a very varied group, yet by the end they all seem very similar. So, what happens to them to cause this transformation? Character video

Team Work You are going to work in groups (or teams) to study a character. You will produce a page or poster of notes that everyone else will then use. Each group will look at one character.

Divide these tasks amongst the group.
Make notes on: Your character’s physical appearance. What do they look like? Why is this significant? Key quotations (with page numbers) How does your character develop? Divide these tasks amongst the group.

What kind of character is Ralph?
How do you know this? Find at least 3 key quotes that describe Ralph’s character.

He has an attractive appearance, which suggests that he has an attractive character too. "You could see he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness in the shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil." He is sensible: it was Ralph's idea to have a chief, establish rules and build a signal fire so they can be rescued. He speaks wisely. He is a good leader. He knows that it's important to keep Jack on his side and speaks to Piggy with the directness of genuine leadership. "There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size and attractive appearance." Later on he feels the weight of being chief as a personal hell - but he doesn't give up.

He wants to hang on to civilised values
He wants to hang on to civilised values. When he realises that their lives are full of dirt and decay, he feels a "convulsion of the mind". In the discussions about the beast, he feels "the understandable and lawful world... slipping away". Yet even Ralph sometimes gets carried away with the hunt. Ralph starts the game where they pretend Robert is a pig: "The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering". Later on, he becomes part of the 'dance' that kills Simon. Near the end, he breaks the pig's skull on the stick with a sick fear and rage. Ralph finally becomes an outcast. He tells himself this is "Cos I had some sense".

What kind of character is Jack?
How do you know this? Find at least 3 key quotes that describe Jack’s character.

He has red hair and is tall, thin and bony
He has red hair and is tall, thin and bony. "His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness". His fiery hair and his ugly appearance give us clues to his hot-headed, unpleasant character. "Out of this face stared two blue eyes, frustrated now, and turning, or ready to turn to anger." He is proud and arrogant. He can't kill the first pig he sees because of "the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood". Yet he quickly puts aside any doubts.

Jack paints on a mask to help him hunt better
Jack paints on a mask to help him hunt better. The paint gives him a liberation into savagery: he is able to do savage things now he looks more like a savage. He commits the first act of violence towards another boy on the island when he thumps Piggy. "His voice was vicious". He gets gradually more violent towards other boys: he has no thought for Piggy when he steals his glasses and later he ties up and beats Wilfred.

Although Jack says near the start: "We're not savages", it's soon clear he doesn't care about the rules or being civilised: "Bollocks to the rules! We're strong - we hunt!" He rejects the order that had been established on the island: "We don't need the conch any more". At the end, he has no remorse for Piggy's death. He declares himself Chief. He has lost the name Jack, which suggests he has lost all.

What kind of character is Roger?
How do you know this? Find at least 3 key quotes that describe Roger’s character.

When he is first seen, he is described as "slight" and "furtive"
When he is first seen, he is described as "slight" and "furtive". "The shock of black hair, down his nape and low on his forehead, seemed to suit his gloomy face and make what had seemed at first unsociable remoteness in to something foreboding." He is a loner and uncommunicative by nature: he "kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy." He is cruel. He deliberately spoils the littluns' games. Later, he relishes sharpening a stick at both ends with which to kill Ralph.

He becomes Jack's right hand man: they torture Samneric together to find out Ralph's hiding place. Yet he is capable of acting independently: he levers the rock that kills Piggy on his own initiative. He is an executioner. He kills Piggy and, in the final hunt, Ralph fears Roger because he "carried death in his hands".

What kind of character is Piggy?
How do you know this? Find at least 3 key quotes that describe Piggy’s character.

He has physical disadvantages because he is fat and asthmatic and is short sighted. Without his glasses, everything becomes a blur. He is very intelligent - in Chapter 1 it is his idea to make a list of names, and it is he who realises that no adult knows the boys are on the island. Later he suggests making a sundial and hats. "What intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy." Ralph recognises Piggy could think: "Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains."

At the time the novel was written most power was still in the hands of the middle and upper classes. "Piggy was an outsider, not only by accent, which did not matter, but by fat, and ass-mar, and specs, and a certain disinclination to manual labour." He is embarrassed by his nickname, and he behaves with dignity when Ralph betrays the name to the others. We never know his real name. He has the most mature attitude of any boy on the island. He scornfully sees the other boys "Acting like a crowd of kids".

Like Ralph, he believes in civilised values and clings to what creates order: " I just take the conch to say this. I can't see no more and I got to get my glasses back". When they go to the fort to confront Jack, he shouts "I got the conch!" to try to show Jack that he has a right to be heard. Piggy and the conch are destroyed together by the rock Roger levers. Thus both intelligence and the symbol of authority are dead, so we know that there is nothing left to stop Jack gaining full control. At the end, Ralph mourns the fall through the air of "the true, wise friend called Piggy".

What kind of character is Simon?
How do you know this? Find at least 3 key quotes that describe Simon’s character.

The first time we meet Simon, he is in his choir robes
The first time we meet Simon, he is in his choir robes. He faints on the beach because of the heat and Jack mocks him. We know he is delicate. He has epilepsy. He is "a skinny, vivid little boy, with a glance coming up from under a hut of straight hair that hung down, black and course". His hair hides his face, which hints to us he is secretive. He is helpful and works for the good of others; he is the only one to stick with Ralph to make the shelters. He is kind to the littluns and finds fruit for them.

The others recognise he is 'different' to them in some way
The others recognise he is 'different' to them in some way. Ralph says "He's queer. He's funny." Piggy says "He's cracked". He has "a secret place in a clearing full of flowers and butterflies", and is sufficiently at one with the jungle to walk in it alone at night. He is at one with nature and he has no fear. "He walked with an accustomed tread through the fruit trees." He seems able to prophesy - he is the first to suggest that "it wasn't a good island" and he tells Ralph, "You'll get back to where you came from".

He is the most perceptive about the beast
He is the most perceptive about the beast. He says "maybe there is a beast... What I mean is... maybe it's only us". He is the only one to see that the problems on the island stem from the boys' relationships with each other, not from an outside force. Yet nobody understands what he's trying to say. When the Lord of the Flies 'speaks' to him this idea is reiterated: the voice in Simon's head says "Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!... You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?"

He is killed just as he is about to reveal the truth
He is killed just as he is about to reveal the truth. It is ironic that he is the only one who finds out that the 'beast' was a dead parachutist, but is denied passing on the message because the group of boys think, in their frenzy, he is the beast. Simon's close relationship with nature seems to carry on even after he is dead: " The waves turned the corpse gently in the water. ... Softly, surrounded by a fringe of bright inquisitive creatures, itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon's dead body moved out towards the open sea".

What kind of characters are Sam and Eric?
How do you know this? Find at least 3 key quotes that describe their characters.

The twins gradually lost their individual names on the island and become Samneric. They depend upon each other and do everything together. "They were twins and the eye was shocked and incredulous at such cheery duplication. They breathed together, they grinned together, they were chunky and vital." They are the first to see the parachutist (while they are tending the fire at night) and think it is a beast.

They share Ralph and Piggy's dismay at the death of Simon.
They are involved in the first successful pig hunt with Jack, but more and more they grow to support Ralph. They join the fight against Jack when Jack raids the shelters at night to get Piggy's glasses. Finally, only Samneric and Piggy are left on Ralph's side. Yet they are not strong enough to withstand a lot of pressure, and ultimately reveal Ralph's hiding place to Roger and Jack. In the end evil triumphs over good.

Theme A theme is an idea that runs through a text. A text may have one theme or many. Understanding the themes makes the text more than 'just' a text. It becomes something more significant because we're encouraged to think more deeply about the story - about how it connects to real-life issues, and about what it might mean to us.

Theme The main themes that run through Lord of the Flies are: Things breaking down, War, Violence and The Island . (Also Relationships and Language) Themes video

“The boys try to construct a civilisation on the island; but it breaks down in blood and terror because the boys are suffering from the terrible disease of being human.” William Golding

The central theme in Lord of the Flies is that of things breaking down
The central theme in Lord of the Flies is that of things breaking down. This is shown in a number of ways. Violence replaces peace, friends turn into enemies, life ends in savage death. Everything degenerates.

War is a running theme in the novel, starting from plane the boys were travelling in.

The boys are on the island because the plane that was evacuating them from Britain during a fictional nuclear war was attacked. Piggy reminds Ralph: "Didn't you hear what the pilot said? About the atom bomb? They're all dead." Ralph is proud of his father - a commander in the Navy. So, the character who tries hardest to keep peace comes from a home that revolved around war.

We know that the civilisation from which they were trying to escape is being destroyed. When Roger stops himself throwing stones at the littluns, we're told: "Roger's arm was conditioned by a civilisation that knew nothing of him and was in ruins." The dead parachutist who lands on the island was gunned down during an overhead battle. Ironically, the naval officer who comes to their rescue is himself involved in the war. The boys may have been saved from life on the island, but what sort of life are they going back to?

Violence is always present
Violence is always present. It starts as a game, but grows more horrific throughout the novel.

When he first finds out Piggy's name, "Ralph danced out into the hot air of the beach and then returned as a fighter-plane, with wings swept back, and machine-gunned Piggy." pg 6 When the first pig is killed, Jack boasts, "You should have seen the blood!" p74 The ritual 'dance' revolves around violence: "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in." p79

The boys become like wild and savage animals: when Jack hunts a pig he is "ape-like"; Simon is killed by the "tearing of teeth and claws"; Ralph becomes like a hunted animal, not a boy, at the end: "He raised his spear, snarled a little, and waited." The murder of Simon is particularly horrific because it involves all the other boys - they get caught up in the frenzied chant: "The crowd ... leapt onto the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore."

The island slowly degrades as the story goes on, reflecting the break down of the boys' relationships.

The island is first seen as like paradise, too good to be true
The island is first seen as like paradise, too good to be true. Ralph thinks: "Here at last was the imagined but never fully realised place leaping into real life". However, the island is soon found to contain many dangers. For example, coconuts fall from the trees and just miss injuring Roger, the sun burns them, and the isolation is a curse.

Ralph reflects at the end that the island once had a "strange glamour", but becomes "scorched up like dead wood". All this echoes the Bible story of the Fall of Man, when Adam and Eve were cast out of Paradise as a punishment for disobeying God. The island becomes a burnt wasteland, as if as a punishment for all the violence committed by the boys.

Paradise to Hell We are going to discuss and note down how the island turns from paradise to hell.

In the beginning… Golding’s language builds up a picture of an island which is friendly, has possibilities, and is exciting.

Example “He patted the palm trunk softly; and, forced at last to believe in the reality of the island, laughed delightedly again and stood on his head. He turned neatly on to his feet, jumped down to the beach, knelt and swept a double armful of sand into a pile against his chest. Then he sat back and looked at the water with bright, excited eyes.” (Ralph pg 5 Chp 1)

So, Paradise is set up. Of course, the language, which Golding uses, reflects the story line, so by the end of the book Ralph is being described very differently.

Example “He could hear them crashing in the undergrowth and on the left was the hot, bright thunder of the fire. He forgot his wounds, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet, rushing through the forest towards the open beach.” (Ralph pg 222, Chp 12)

The Island The island plays an important part in the novel. We see it first as a paradise - it is a place of 'enchantment', where 'flower and fruit grew together on the same tree.' Yet it is also full of dangers.

Task The following table lists some of the things the boys find on their island, with descriptions that suggest either an island paradise - or something more frightening or sinister.

Task Paradise Hell on Earth The sea: The heat:

Paradise Hell on Earth Fruit: The lagoon: You are going to fill in quotations from the novel that describe these aspects in a positive way and a negative way.

Task Paradise Hell on Earth The sea:
"The white surf flicked the coral reef. " "...the long, grinding roar of the breakers on the beach " The heat: "The water was warmer than [Ralph's] blood and he might have been swimming in a huge bath." The heat hit him.

Paradise Hell on Earth Fruit: "Everywhere was the scent of ripeness." "They were now used to stomach-aches and a sort of chronic diarrhoea." The lagoon: "Inside [the lagoon] was peacock water, rocks and weed showing as in an aquarium." "The swell... seemed like the breathing of some stupendous creature."

Critical Essay Exam Skill Write two essays in 1 hour 30 mins
Two different genres/texts No notes, book. Unknown question Key is to know your texts

Question You will have to choose your question for your exam essay.
Choose from the correct section! PROSE! Read your question carefully and make notes/plan your essay.

Choose a novel or a short story in which two characters have a disagreement which is important to the outcome of the novel or short story. Identify the reasons for the disagreement and go on to show how the effects of the disagreement have an effect on the rest of the novel or short story.

Every question splits into 3 parts.
You must answer every part to pass your essay. Using your task split it into 3.

Choose a novel or a short story in which two characters have a disagreement which is important to the outcome of the novel or short story. Identify the reasons for the disagreement and go on to show how the effects of the disagreement have an effect on the rest of the novel or short story.

Jack wants to be chief but Ralph is elected. P19
Jack lets the fire out. The boys have different priorities. Jack = hunting Ralph = rescue P98-99 Jack splits the group into twoP118 The boys have a fight P199

Effect of the disagreement?
The boys society breaks down!

A short paragraph which should include;
Introduction A short paragraph which should include; the title of the text, the writer’s name , and a reference to the main point of the question,

Simple Introduction “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding is a novel in which two characters, Ralph and Jack, have a disagreement which is important to the outcome of the novel. The reasons for this disagreement will be discussed along with the effects on the rest of the novel.

Summary Now you can add a short summary paragraph.
Keep it brief and to the point.

Statement Textual Evidence Response Analysis

Statement – an opinion or idea about the novel/character etc
The first time that we notice disagreement between Ralph and Jack is when Ralph is elected chief.

Textual Evidence – taken from the text to prove your point or back it up.
“there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch”

Analysis – Explain how your evidence supports your statement.
Jack seems to be the obvious choice for chief and Piggy is the most intelligent but Ralph is elected because he has the conch. The conch symbolises democracy and power, when it is used to decide the leader it is a positive influence. The fact that Ralph had the conch makes him the leader and upsets Jack.

Response back to the question – where you outline what your point is and push your ideas further. It’s almost like a mini conclusion. This disagreement is important to the outcome of the novel because Ralph and Jack will continue to struggle to lead the boys.

The first time that we notice disagreement between Ralph and Jack is when Ralph is elected chief:
there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch Jack seems to be the obvious choice for chief and Piggy is the most intelligent but Ralph is elected because he has the conch. The conch symbolises democracy and power, when it is used to decide the leader it is a positive influence. The fact that Ralph had the conch makes him the leader and upsets Jack. This disagreement is important to the outcome of the novel because Ralph and Jack will continue to struggle to lead the boys.

Ending the Essay The word conclusion means two things: An ending A judgment, following logically from an argument.

The last paragraph of your essay should combine both senses of the word. It should:
Recap briefly on the main points Refer to the words of the question Sum up clearly and logically, drawing together all the threads of the argument.

Essay Feedback Easy things to fix! New line for evidence
There, They’re and Their! Capital letters.

Essay Feedback Slightly harder things to fix! Analysis
Retelling the story.

Analysis involves the deconstruction, or breaking down, of a text to reveal:
o its individually effective parts o how these parts work and how they contribute to the whole o its writer's methods used to create particular effects o the reasons why the writer wanted to create these effects.

You must avoid giving a simple description of what happens in the text (i.e. retelling its story).
Instead, focus on working out and discussing the messages 'behind' the text and aim to show how these messages are created, developed and revealed through, for example, aspects of the writer's uses of form, structure and style.

In your comment; explain how the quotation you have chosen helped you develop your overall point of view. This means showing how the text - its language, structure and style - led you to your interpretation of it. This means discussing the writer's methods, effects and purposes.

Many students fail to do this because they...
tell what the writer 'says' by giving a description or a kind of 'translation' of the writer's words into their own version ('rewriting' rather than interpreting the text).

Lord of the Flies William Golding.

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Lord of the Flies William Golding.

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