Transcript Lord of the Flies - Madeira City Schools

Lord of the Flies
by William Golding
Historical Background
 Published in 1954; takes place during WWII
 British boys being sent to the countryside because of threat
of atomic bomb being dropped on cities
 Their plane crashes on a deserted island; no adults survive,
so they have to establish a “society” on their own
 As you read, ask yourself: Why is the setting so important?
 Golding said after WWII: “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.”
Psychological Background
 Sigmund Freud = psychoanalyst, published during
Golding’s lifetime
 Developed a theory of human nature that
influenced Golding’s writing
 Defined “id,” “ego,” and “superego” (all parts of
our inner natures)
ID
 Impulsive instincts
 No thought of “the best way” or “the right way”
 Wants instant gratification, no concern for
consequences
 A newborn only has id; as we get older, it’s still
there, but (hopefully!) we learn to control it
 E.g. I want that candy, so I’ll just take it from the
store.
EGO
 Decision-making aspect
 Balances desires (id) with realistic expectations of
the world
 May delay gratification if that’s the most realistic
way to achieve the ultimate goal
 Not concerned with morals, just wants to find the
best way to achieve the goal
 E.g. I want this candy, but society will punish me if I
just take it, and then I won’t get it in the end. The
best way to get it is to pay for it.
SUPEREGO
 Conscience; concerned with moral right vs. wrong
 Whereas the ego is concerned with setting realistic
goals, the superego sets moralistic goals
 Allows you to feel pride when you make the “right”
decision and guilt when you do something “wrong”
 E.g. I want this candy, but it’s not morally right to
steal. The right thing to do is to pay for it.
Psyche in LotF
 As you read, pay attention to which characters rely
on their superego (moral decisions), which only
consider their ego (reasonable decisions), and which
act on their id (instincts)
 Golding said: “The theme is an attempt to trace the
defects of society back to the defects of human
nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must
depend on the ethical nature of the individual and
not on any political system however apparently
logical or respectable.”
Literary Devices
Allegory
 An allegory is a genre of writing in which the
people, objects, and events in the story hold a
specific symbolic meaning
 In other words, the novel as a whole represents
something else
 Focus is not on literal plot or characters but on what
they represent in the real world
LotF as an Allegory
 Literal interpretation:
 Plane full of boys crashes on an island; as they try to
survive, many conflicts arise
 Allegorical interpretation:
 The boys represent humankind; the struggles they
go through represent universal religious, political,
and social issues
Religious Allegory
 As you read, ask yourself:
 How does Simon represent a Christ figure?
 How does Jack represent the devil?
 How does Ralph represent the average man,
struggling between good and evil?
Political Allegory
 As you read, ask yourself:
 What countries and/or leaders from WWII do Jack,
Ralph, and Piggy represent?
 How can you tell?
Social Allegory
 As you read, ask yourself:
 If the boys represent all of mankind, what is
Golding saying about society and/or human
nature?
 (Hint: It’s a very pessimistic view!)
Symbolism
 Pay attention to the following symbols and figure
out what they represent as the novel progresses:
 The conch shell
 Piggy’s glasses
 The beast
 Fire
 The lord of the flies
What’s in a name?
 Hebrew word, “baal-zevuv” (Greek translation =
“Beelzeboub”) means “chief devil” (Satan)
 English meaning: “lord of the flies” (promotes decay and
destruction, like the devil)
 “Ralph” means “counsel”
 “Jack” means “one who deceives” or “one who takes over”
 “Piggy” is a nickname, but we think of pigs, who are very
intelligent
 “Simon” means “listener”
 “Roger” means “spear”
Mountain
Simon’s
Hideaway
Castle
Rock
*Lord of
the Flies*
Scar
Bathing
Hole
Pig
Fire