Lord of the Flies

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Lord of the Flies

• William Goldings Masterpiece

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Author and Context

• William Golding was born on September 19, 1911 in
  England
• 1940 Golding joined the Royal Navy
• Participated in D-Day
• experience in WWII had a profound effect on his
  view of humanity and the evils of which it was
  capable.
• His first and greatest success came with Lord of
  the Flies (1954)

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Summary

• Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of
  English schoolboys marooned on a tropical island
  after their plane is shot down during a war.
• its exploration of the idea of human evil is at
  least partly based on Goldings experience with
  the real-life violence and brutality of World War
  II.
• Free from the rules and structures of
  civilization and society, the boys on the island
  in Lord of the Flies descend into savagery.
• In his portrayal of the small world of the
  island, Golding paints a broader portrait of the
  fundamental human struggle between the civilizing
  instinctthe impulse to obey rules, behave
  morally, and act lawfullyand the savage
  instinctthe impulse to seek brute power over
  others, act selfishly, scorn moral rules, and
  indulge in violence.
• Island is a microcosm of society, politics, and
  human psychology

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FEAR AND CHAOS
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Ralph

• Ralph is the most charismatic of the group. He is
  initially chosen as leader due to his many
  positive qualities. He maintains a conflict with
  Jack throughout the entire novel, attempting to
  keep order whereas Jack isn't concerned with it.
  Ralph and Piggy together represent the struggle
  for order and democracy.

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Piggy

• Piggy is a short and overweight boy who wears
  glasses and represents order and democracy.He
  tries very hard to cling to civilization, and
  tries his best to keep peace. While probably the
  smartest boy on the island, he lacks any social
  skills whatsoever, and has trouble communicating
  or fitting in with the others. His glasses are a
  very important part of the book, as they are used
  over and over to start fires. Piggy's constant
  polishing of them shows his desire for
  clear-sightedness and civilization.

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Jack

• Jack is about Ralph's age, with a skinnier build
  and red hair. From the very beginning, he seems
  to harbor emotions of anger and savagery. At
  first, he is the leader of his choir group, who
  become hunters as the book progresses. He
  eventually overtakes Ralph as chief/leader.

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Simon

• Simon is younger than the three previous boys,
  but older than other littluns. He is very good
  and pure, and has the most positive outlook.Simon
  often travels into his tranquil spot in the
  jungle, but also tries to help out when it is
  needed. He meets up with a pig's head skewered on
  a stick which leads him to an epileptic episode.

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Themes

• society holds everyone together, and without
  specific societal conditions, our ideals, values,
  and the basic concept of right and wrong are
  lost.
• People will abuse power when it's not earned.
• When given a chance, people often single out
  another to degrade to improve their own security.
  
• Inner savagery can only be suppressed for so
  long before it breaks out, given the right
  situation.
• The fear of the unknown can be a powerful force,
  which can turn you to either insight or hysteria.
  

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Allegory

• A work of fiction carrying two levels of meaning
• - 1) a surface plot/narrative (literal)
• - 2) symbolic/metaphorical meaning in which
  everything in story symbolizes something greater

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A Freudian AllegoryRalph, Jack, and Piggy

• Id
• The part of the personality reflecting
  unorganized, instinctual impulses. If unbridled,
  it seeks immediate gratification of primitive
  needs.
• Ego
• The part of the personality corresponding most
  nearly to the perceived self, the controlling
  self that holds back the impulsiveness of the id
  in the effort to delay gratification until it can
  be found in socially approved ways.
• Superego
• The part of the personality corresponding most
  nearly to conscience, controlling through moral
  scruples rather than by way of social expediency.
  The superego is said to be an uncompromising and
  punishing conscience.
• Unconscious
• Memories, impulses and desires that are not
  available to consciousness. According to the
  psychoanalytic theories of Freud, painful
  memories and wishes are sometimes repressed
  that is, diverted to the unconscious where they
  continue to influence our actions even though we
  are not aware of them.

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Social Influence

• 1. Compliance
• The person at whom the influence is directed (the
  target) publicly conforms to the wishes of the
  influencing source but does not change his or her
  private beliefs or attitudes. (The child eats the
  spinach but continues to dislike it.)
• 2. Internalization
• The target changes his or her beliefs, attitudes,
  or behaviors because of a genuine belief in the
  validity of the position advocated by the
  influencing source. (A middle-aged man gives up
  smoking after reading and believing the
  surgeon general's warnings that smoking causes
  cancer.)
• 3. Identification
• The target changes his or her beliefs, attitudes,
  or behaviors in order to resemble an influencing
  source that is respected or admired. (A high
  school girl takes up smoking in order to be like
  a group of older girls she admires.)
• Deindividuation sense of self diminished when
  in a crowd (mob mentality)

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Political Allegory

• The world was divided into two camps, the free
  world and the Soviet Union, much like the camps
  of Ralph and Jack. In addition, the postwar Cold
  War Era suffered from fears of atomic
  destruction.  Lord of the Flies shows the world
  at the brink of atomic destruction.  The novel
  serves as a warning to the leaders of the world.

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Continued

• Possible allegory of the beginning formation and
  execution of political party and social order.

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Religious Allegory

• Garden of Eden  It was a perfect island with
  good food, good weather, and good water.  The
  beastie is the snake in the Garden that lures
  (tricks) the others to refuse their duty. The
  parachutist and Piggy represent the fall of
  mankind.  Jack and Ralph are very much like Cain
  and Able. Simon is a Christ figure who sacrifices
  himself to save them.