William Golding’s allegorical novel “Lord of the Flies” about the savagery of boys stranded on an isolated island has been enchanting and alarming readers for more than 50 years. Countless essays and papers have been written trying to interpret what Golding meant in his choice of allegory, and plenty opportunities...remain for you to write your own argumentative essay on the subject. Many have addressed matters of individualism vs. groupthink and what factors are involved in maintaining civil order in society. It is advisable to look up essay samples before constructing your outline on which to base your introduction, body and conclusion.
Lord of the Flies ends on a bleak note in order to emphasize the recurring theme throughout the novel: the idea that every human contains the beast within him/herself. By making the finale of the book so depressing, Golding illustrates the transfiguration of the boys...
English-language films, Human nature, Kills Piggy, Lord of the Flies ends, Man's Inherent Evil, Number of the Beast, Ralph, Simon, Transfiguration of the boys, William Golding
Raw human characteristics are not meant to sustain for the future, therefore innate yearns should be controlled to maximize mankind’s potential to live happily. William Golding showcases greed, savagery, and thirst for power through children in The Lord Of The Flies. Over the course of...
Despite the progression of civilization and society’s attempts to suppress man’s darker side, moral depravity proves both indestructible and inescapable; contrary to culturally embraced views of humanistic tendencies towards goodness, each individual is susceptible to his base, innate instincts. In William Golding’s Lord of the...
Andreas Wilson, Loss of Innocence, Man's Inherent Evil, Man’s darker side, Progression of civilization, Ralph, Self-consciousness, Simon, Simon’s murder, William Golding’s Lord
Imagine a group of young boys who have just crash-landed on a deserted tropical island with no adults or supervision. William Golding showed in his ground breaking novel Lord of the Flies, what may happen in just those circumstances. In his very complicated and diverse...
According to William Golding, “Man produces evil as a bee produces honey”. This quote encompasses one of the major themes of Lord of the Flies, man’s innate capacity for immorality and savagery. Throughout the novel Golding utilizes symbolism as well as the obstacles Ralph faces...
Lord of the Flies delves into the subject of ‘the darkness of man’s heart’. It explores the primitivism and savagery that comes with the human nature through the various characters and language choices. William Golding uses the concept of ‘fear of the unknown’ to show...
Royalton Ambrose once stated “Those who have true power share it, while those who hunger power abuse it.” This is clearly shown in the novels Kindred, by Octavia Butler, and Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. One of the main points portrayed by both...
Both the texts, Lord of the Flies, and Mockingjay, have the elements of struggles for power and control. The characters of each text each have their own struggle for power, and the lust and pathological need for it, ultimately is what causes the downfall of...
A balance between individuality and conformity is essential for the survival of a society. When a balance is maintained within an individual, one can effectively undermine the catastrophic consequences which may surround conformity through individualism. Moreover, acts of conformity provide the necessary facade for self-preservation....
As a Nobel Prize winner, William Golding is an outstanding contemporary novelist. His most known novels include Lord of the Flies (1954), Pincher Martin (1956), The Spire (1964) and Darkness Visible (1979). His first novel Lord of the Flies has been an important tool for...
In society, obedience is taught at an early age towards your elders and to authority. Humans are taught to follow commands that benefit them even if they lead to violence. However, as we grow up to be independent from our superiors, obedience idea of obedience...
“We did everything adults would do. What went wrong?” (Golding, Lord of the Flies). A famed quote for an even more famous book, Lord of the Flies. Written by William Golding, it can seem like a simple adventure story when just reading it. But if...
Imagine that you have been on an air crash; you land on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. You have nothing except for fear. What would you do? Fear, is not only an emotion frightens you, but it also would come along...
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, adolescence is shown as a time of confusion and horror. The actions of the boys stranded on the island consistently correspond with their fear and or confusion towards the unknown things thought to be lurking on the...
Leadership is essential in a group of people, without it people become uncivilized. A strong person does not always make the best leader however, a great example of this is in the book Lord of the Flies. Jack is the strongest boy, but only focuses...
Fear, crucial for the survival of the human race, it has always been engraved in everyone from birth and used until death. In the novel The Lord of the Flies, the boys on the island are massively affected by fear, as it manipulates their decisions...
Leadership is directing a group of people to work together towards a common goal while assuring nobody’s fundamental human rights are taken away from them. While reading Lord of the Flies, many teachers and historians argue if Jack was the better leader than Ralph due...
The Light in the Dark In the midst of darkness, there is light. Light is often used as a symbol for purity and divinity. The evil of human nature often exposes the inner darkness that lies within people. Those who do not let their human...
Survival is a theme in Lord of the Files because of the way that it changes the humanity in the boys and because survival is the most important factor of survival. In the begining the boys were worried about surviving, finding out where they were....
The Darkness Between Us “I was thinking of the light. We’ll be stumbling about. . . We were going to look for the beast. . . There won’t be enough light”. In Lord of the Flies, the archetypes of light and dark serve as recurring...
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel in which the theme of savagery versus civilisation is explored. Some British boys are stranded on an isolated island at the time of an imaginary nuclear war. On the island we see conflict between...
Barbarian, Civilisation, Civilization vs Savagery, English-language films, Isolated island, Jack, Number of the Beast, Piggy’s glasses, Ralph, Seashell
Having parents that are strict on you could be a good or a bad thing.When it comes to you not being around them it shows how you’d act if they weren’t around. In the Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the boys behavior is...
Could Simon Die? It was a dark scary night. Nothing could be clearly seen. Loud thunder roared as thick drops of rain fell on the ground. Nothing could be heard but the sound of thunder. A group of agitated and aggressive boys danced with fear...
Aggressive boys, American films, Audience, Dangers of Mob Mentality, English-language films, Fear, Group behaviour, Killing of Simon, La Maison Simons, Lightning
Compassion Through Rehabilitation The boys stuck on the island in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Ishmael Beah himself in his book A Long Way Gone represent individuals that once had humanity, but got their humanity taken away due to disastrous circumstances. In Lord...
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Allegory, Boys, Civilization vs Savagery, Human Rights Watch, Ishmael Beah, KILL, Military use of children, Peter W. Singer
In the novel, ‘Lord of the Flies’, the killing of the sow is a pivotal moment whereby the boys reach a point of no return; they have lost themselves completely and are now so immersed in savagery that there is no turning back. Golding emphasises...
Natural occurrences are often portrayed in literature as accurate reflections of mankind’s actions. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the weather patterns frequently correspond to the happenings on the island. Upon the arrival of the schoolboys, the island is plagued by destruction caused by...
The Panopticon theory. Imagine there is a prison with no bars, no chains, no guards patrolling around, but there is a watchtower which can see into every cell. It has one-way glass so no one can see in, and only zigzag pathways to walk through....
As First Lady Rosalynn Carter once said, “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be,” applies to many leaders and one of them is Ralph. In Lord of...
William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies is not simply a book about outward conflict between individuals. It is, rather, a novel about one’s inner being. When the formerly-civilized British boys of Golding’s novel are stranded on a desert island and must fight for survival,...
Sylvia Plath, a confessional poet, once said, “I talk to God but the sky is empty,” (Plath 199). When one talks to God, they know He is there, but they do not see Him. They ask for help and expect it right away, which leads...
"The Lord of The Flies" became a symbolic reference to civilization and the ways how easy it is to become a savage. It speaks about will to power and the abuse that comes with more power. Depicted with the help of children and the groups, this book became a symbol for failure of our social norms. It speaks about morality and immorality, emotional impact that a person has from someone’s influence. It is also a battle between good and evil, which is often referenced in the media and literature.
Plot
During a fictional war, the plane with the middle school boys is shot down as it lands upon Pacific Ocean island. As the children are left on their own, they form two groups with one of them being led by Ralph and the other one, the choirboys, are led by Jack. As the first group represents simple students with no clear leader, the choristers are led by their already existing leader. The competition begins as the events quickly unfold to terrible things one cannot change.
Interesting facts
William Golding has regretted writing the book, calling his novel boring and crude.
The book has been translated to over 30 languages.
Lord of the Flies has been rejected by publishers over 21 times.
It is Stephen King's favorite book.
It has been inspirational for numerous musicians from rap to metal, including Iron Maiden.
Lord of the Flies belongs to one of the most banned books in the US.
William Golding often said that the book would not work with the group of girls as an option.
Quotes
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.”
“The thing is - fear can't hurt you any more than a dream.”
“Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us.”
“What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?”
“We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.”
Why should this topic be used
It is one of the best allegorical examples when you must write an essay about morals, fear, innocence, will to power, fear, and anything where civilization and society are involved. You can use the quotes from the book that speak about the anger and immoral things in us. As Simon portrays innocence, Piggy is a portrayal of wisdom, one can choose every character to depict various aspects of our daily lives.
What is Piggy afraid of?
According to the book, he is afraid of Ralph’s giving up his leadership and allowing Jack to abuse him as he would be left without protection.
How is the fear used in the book? Essentially, the Lord of the Flies is the swine head, which is shown as the symbol of fear, as the beast, which is always there.
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