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Lord of the Flies. A Novel by William Golding. About the Author. Born in Cornwall, England in 1911 Studied Science & English in school; became a teacher Fought in WWII (Navy) Witnessed the atrocities of war . . . The holocaust and the atomic bomb
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Lord of the Flies A Novel by William Golding
About the Author • Born in Cornwall, England in 1911 • Studied Science & English in school; became a teacher • Fought in WWII (Navy) • Witnessed the atrocities of war . . . The holocaust and the atomic bomb • Wrote Lord of the Flies when he returned from the war
About the Novel: • 12 chapters • POV: 3rd Person Omniscient Narrator • On a simple level, Lord of the Flies is an adventure story. Because of World War II, a group of schoolchildren are being transported by plane to safety. Their plane is attacked and crashes on a deserted island. The novel explores how the boys survive in such a remote, uncivilized place. • However, the novel is also rich in symbolism . . . The entire novel is symbolic in nature . . . Making this book allegorical.
Themes to consider . . . • The need for civilization • The defects of human nature • Power/abuse of power • Possibility of evil in humankind • Loss of innocence • Fear of the unknown • Mob rule/crowd mentality
Characters • SIMON: Hebrew for “listener”. Quiet and reflective, he cares for the littluns. • RALPH: means ‘consent’ or ‘agreement’. One of the oldest at 12 years, he is the leader for most of the novel. • JACK: ‘one who supplants or takes over by force’ . . . Leader of the hunters • PIGGY: Overweight, asthmatic, wears glasses • SAMNERIC: Identical twins . . . Treat as one character
HOMEWORK • Read Chapters One and Two and answer the guided questions to the best of your ability . . . • We will discuss the questions next class.