Over the next two weeks you will be reading and writing about Lord of the Flies by William Golding. This classic book will be difficult to forget once you have read it. Golding's purpose in this novel is to explore human nature in a raw and unhindered environment. He chooses his subjects to be children so that they are unbound by the codes and boundaries of society.
Golding's purpose in writing the book, in his own words, was, "an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature." This is exactly what you will be looking for while reading the book. This time around we will focus on larger themes rather than the usual comprehension questions I ask. I have hinted to the themes below and you will all be responsible for answering the following questions. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way!
Enjoy this thought provoking book!
What time in history is the book set? How does this contrast to what is happening on the island?
What do Ralph and Piggy represent?
What does the conch represent? What is it replaced with?
What do the boys think the beast is? What does Simon know the beast is?
Is Simon a Christ figure in the story? What does his hiding place represent?
What do Jack and Roger represent?
What changes in the boys when they paint their faces? Why does this change take place?
What is the irony of their rescue?
Did you like or dislike the book? How did it compare to other books we have read so far, especially Heart of Darkness?
Clarification - Samneric are the twins, Sam and Eric:)
6 comments:
What do Ralph and Piggy represent?
The reason behind all the madness that is happening on the island. they are the only ones that are are attempting to keep order.
What does the conch represent? What is it replaced with?
It represents order. It is the only item holding the boys together, but it doesn't even do that for long. At first the boys respect the conch, but eventually most of them lose their respect and do not obey the rules that the conch represents.
What do the boys think the beast is? What does Simon know the beast is?
They think it's a murderous monster who will kill them with sharp teeth and large claws. but Simon knows its just a dead parachuter, and eventually dies because of this knowledge.
Is Simon a Christ figure in the story? What does his hiding place represent?
I don't think that he is a Christ figure. Sure, he died unjustly, but his death did not cause a drastic change in any of the boys. I'm not sure what his hiding place might represent... it's just his place where he can get away from the other boys.
What do Jack and Roger represent?
I'm not sure... I think they might represent they slow decay of society without a solid form of government.
What changes in the boys when they paint their faces? Why does this change take place?
Since their faces are painted, they feel more courageous. they are less embarrassed and more outgoing in social situations because the paint covers their faces. I think they started painting their faces in order to cover they way they might really be feeling.
What is the irony of their rescue?
they are rescued in the middle of a bloodthirsty hunt for Ralph.
Did you like or dislike the book? How did it compare to other books we have read so far, especially Heart of Darkness?
I really hated this book, to put it bluntly. I can see the representation going on, but i grew very annoyed with the kid's childish antics. i suppose it got a little more exciting towards the end, but it still is nothing compared to books like Picture of Dorian Gray (my favorite book).
What time in history is the book set? How does this contrast to what is happening on the island? It appears to take place sometime around the end of World War II. On page 40, Ralph talks about their plane being shot down. On page 11 Piggy mentioned the atom bomb which was released in 1945. Basically while the world was involved in war, the island was undefiled by warfare and human habitation. This changed after the arrival of the boys, but before it had been uninhabited and completely isolated.
What do Ralph and Piggy represent? They represent teamwork and fairness. Ralph and Piggy understand the need for the continued existence of a fire as their only chance of being rescued. Their focus is more on practical things, like building shelters, and maintaining a fire. Their form of governing is like a democracy whereas Jack’s was more like a dictatorship.
What does the conch represent? What is it replaced with? The conch represents free speech. It also helped to maintain order when the boys held general assemblies. The conch helped the meetings from being chaotic, by preventing them from all speaking at the same time. The conch was replaced by Jack. He started his own band of hunters which was separate from Ralph’s group.
What do the boys think the beast is? What does Simon know the beast is? The boy’s think the beast is some creature that can fly around without leaving footprints. Only Simon had the courage to go during the day and figure out the true identity of the “beast.” Upon arriving at the mountaintop, he discovered it was nothing more than a dead pilot from the dogfight which had taken place over the sea. The corpse freaked out the boys because his head would lift and sink to his chest whenever the parachute caught the air.
Is Simon a Christ figure in the story? What does his hiding place represent? Simon does appear a little like a Christ like figure in the story. His bright eyes and calm demeanor made him different than the others. He had a kind of inner calm which nobody else had-even Ralph. His hiding placed was a place for him to escape the madness and give him time to think. One part of the story I thought was interesting was his conversation with the Lord of the Flies, or the dead pig head covered in flies. It reminded me of when Jesus was in the desert being tempted by Satan.
What do Jack and Roger represent? Jack and Roger represent brutality and evil. They care little for others, and do whatever they want.
What changes in the boys when they paint their faces? Why does this change take place? It appeared that when the boys painted their faces, they became savages, and not their normal selves. The evil that had always hovered beneath the surface was brought to bear by the paint. The facial paint brought out the bad in them. Jack initiated the face paint as an aide to help them creep up on pigs. Soon it became a tribal tradition of savagery and usually resulted in the spilling of blood.
What is the irony of their rescue? When it looked like Ralph was about to be caught, he looked up into the face of a marine. By setting the island on fire, the smoke had caught the attention of the marines out at sea. They came to inspect and discovered a bunch of British boys that looked like savages.
Did you like or dislike the book? How did it compare to other books we have read so far, especially Heart of Darkness? This has been my favorite book so far. I liked it because of the adventure and unknown island these boys faced. The writing was very down to earth and easy to understand. It was much better than Heart of Darkness in my opinion. In the Heart of Darkness, the writing was difficult to follow and overall very confusing.
1. What time in history is the book set? How does this contrast to what is happening on the island?
1950. The book didn’t get as many readers because that time was known as a complacent era.
2. What do Ralph and Piggy represent?
The voice of humanity and the attempt at fairness.
3. What does the conch represent? What is it replaced with?
It represents democracy and union.
4. What do the boys think the beast is? What does Simon know the beast is?
The boys think it’s a nightmare or illusion. Simon knows that the beast exists and believes it to be evil.
5. Is Simon a Christ figure in the story? What does his hiding place represent?
In one point of view, yes because of the way he dies. He is mercilessly killed by savages.
6. What do Jack and Roger represent?
They represent the executioners, and the people who have no conscience.
7. What changes in the boys when they paint their faces? Why does this change take place?
They then throw off all they have known about society and become savages. They were driven to insanity.
8. What is the irony of their rescue?
The person sent to rescue them first dies and the kids believe that he is the beast and the ones that actually do save them are thinking it’s not as important when in fact it was way more seirious then they thought.
9. Did you like or dislike the book? How did it compare to other books we have read so far, especially Heart of Darkness?
I thought it was a good book though not at all pleasant. What it did extremely well was show true human nature unbound.
Great job on the questions Kevin. I really like your point about how Simon's death does not result in anyone changing their behavior, and therefore he is not a Christ figure. I think this is a very good viewpoint, because for someone to represent Christ, there should be change in people's behavior as a result of their interaction with that person. But at the same time, most people rejected Christ during his life, and still do today. Simon tried to warn the boys about the beast, just as Christ warned us of our sin. The beast represents the sinful nature of the boys. The destruction they cause is far greater than any destruction a beast could perpetrate.
Simon knows that the only beast on the island is the beast inside each of the boys. That is why he climbs the mountain to see the "beast" he knows he will not find.
The conch does represent order and civilization, but is sadly replaced by the pig skull on the stick. I hope you noticed the decline of the importance of the conch just as the pigs skull appeared.
One way to think about their rescue is that while Ralph is being hunted, the ship that rescues them will be hunting the Japanese. And so why the adult world is viewed as civilized and orderly, the opposite is true. World War II is raging, and while the boys are acting like "savages" the rest of the world is too. It is viewed differently though because they are fighting with ships, planes, and tanks in nice uniforms. Do you see the irony now?
I understand your frustration with the boys. I too got frustrated with them. It would have been so easy to keep the fire going and to build shelters if they had worked together, but it would have meant doing what is right, and human nature finds that impossible. Do you think the author did a good job proving his point about human nature? Did he accomplish what he set out to do? I would like to know your thoughts!
Daniel, really fantastic work on the questions! You correctly pointed out that the island was peaceful and isolated from WWII before the boys were stranded there.
Great observation about Ralph desiring a democratic process of governance, whereas Jack chose to rule as a dictator. Very true indeed and we can see how a democracy means people have to desire to do good in order for it to work. It fell apart because the boys were too young and foolish to work together. Democracy takes work by all those involved to make it successful.
Love your observations about Simon. He is very different than all the other boys, and I like the parallel you draw between Simon and the pig head and Jesus and Satan. Well done!
You are right about the boys evil nature coming out when they painted their faces. By being in disguise, they could be their true selves without consequences. It is an interesting part of humanity that they way we dress can help us feel a certain way. Putting on a uniform, police, pilot, military or otherwise can bring out certain attributes. They find that students who wear uniforms to school perform better academically and socially than those who do not. It is an interesting part of our nature that what we wear can change how we act. They way Golding describes the paint changing the boys is very true.
I'm really glad you enjoyed this book! I know when I was young I dreamed of living on an island without any adults:) So it is a fun adventure story, yet with a sobering message. Looking forward to reading your essay!
Tyler, good job noticing what the book is about, "human nature unbound" as you put it. Well stated!
The book is set during World War II. It was purposely set during this time to show that on a larger scale our world is just like the events that happen on the island. The boys think of the adult world as civilized, we think of it that way as well. Yet they are deep in the middle of a brutal war that spans the world. The events on the island are a microcosm of the events of the world. There is that word again, microcosm, I hope you looked it up!:)
Simon knows that the beast is the evil that is inside the boys and for that matter, all human beings. He realizes the inherent fallen nature of mankind and fears that instead of the imagined "beast". He is right, in the end the boys kill him, not any beast.
Simon's hiding place is where he goes to feel safe. It represents security and solitude.
Read what I wrote about their rescue in my response to Daniel's answers, I think it will make things more clear. Great job on the questions!! I'm looking forward to what you have to say in your essay!
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