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.
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...
Golding’s exploration of the human condition continues to be read, year after year, because it challenges the reader to consider notions that are fundamental to the human condition. Through a simple premise, Golding creates an environment in which readers are forced to confront the issues...
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 was inspired by his experiences in the Royal Navy during World War II when he wrote Lord of the Flies (Beetz 2514). Golding has said this about his book: The theme is an attempt to trace the defeats of society back to the...
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...
In his novel, ‘Lord of the Flies’, Golding highlights Jack and one of the story’s pivotal characters. Whilst it may originally appear that Jack is just one of the many confused boys on the island, Golding quickly sets Jack aside from the other boys by...
What do you think of when someone says “children?” Sweet, innocent, and naive are just some of the adjectives that today’s society has placed on the common image of society’s own youngest members. Yet in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the children who...
In real life, common objects that are used everyday are often taken for granted and even unusual sights, as well as ideas, are often unrecognized. However, this is seldom the case with similar objects and ideas that literary characters encounter. Many authors use seemingly ordinary,...
In Sir William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the symbolic use of color conveys the innocence and the evil on the island, as well as each of the boys’ personalities. The contrasting light and dark colors in the book symbolize the goodness and evil, the...
In the introduction to William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, E.M Forster describes Piggy as not only “the brains of the party” but also “the wisdom of the heart” and “the human spirit.” This description of Piggy becomes more accurate as the novel increases...
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...
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....
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...
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...
Civilization, at its core, was created to suppress barbaric instinct. However, in extreme circumstances, it is possible for instinct to prevail over civility. William Golding’s timeless Lord of the Flies is a prime example of instinct overpowering civility, along with many other important themes and...
In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding explores the savagery and bloodlust in humanity. Written right after the end of World War II, this narrative depicts roughly 40 children as they try to stay alive on a desert island in the middle of...
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...
Keywords: William Golding,Glasses,Lord of the Flies,Novel,Symbols,BOY,Birthmark 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....
During a war, an airplane carrying British boys crashes down in the Pacific. All the boys survive, except for the pilot, who was the only grown up among them. Ralph, a handsome boy with long and fair hair, whose father works in the English military,...
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...
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...
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...
Did the role of gender have any influence on the actions in the well known novel the Lord of the Flies? Would things have turned out differently if it was all girls stranded on the island, instead of all boys? Gender criticism explores the differences...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
"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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