'Lord of the Flies' Questions for Study and Discussion

How to Understand William Golding's Famous Novel

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"Lord of the Flies" is a famous and highly controversial novel by William Golding. An unusually violent version of a coming-of-age story , the novel is viewed as an allegory , exploring the aspects of human nature that lead us to turn on each other and resort to violence.

Golding was a war veteran, and much of his literary career was spent exploring these themes central to an understanding of humanity. His other works include "Free Fall," about a prisoner in a German camp during World War II; "The Inheritors" which depicts a race of gentle people being overrun by a more violent race and "Pincher Martin," a story told from the point of view of a drowning soldier

Here are a few questions about " Lord of the Flies " for study and discussion, to help improve your understanding of its themes and characters.

Why Is the Novel Called 'Lord of the Flies'?

  • What is important about the title? Is there a reference in the novel that explains the title? Hint: Simon is the one who names the pig's staked head. 
  • Central to the plot of "Lord of the Flies" is the idea of order and society being crucial to survival. Does Golding seem to be advocating for a structured society, or against it? Explain your answer using one of the characters as your evidence.

Plot and Character in 'Lord of the Flies'

  • Which of the boys on the island is the most well-developed character? Which is the most poorly developed? Could Golding have done more to explore the boys' backstories, or would that have slowed the plot?
  • Could "Lord of the Flies" have taken place at another point in history? Explore this possibility by choosing a time period and determining how the plot would have played out there. 
  • How important is the setting in "Lord of the Flies?" Would it have been as effective to the plot if Golding had stranded the boys on another planet, for instance? Explain your answer.
  • The ending of "Lord of the Flies" is not unexpected; it seemed likely throughout the novel that the boys eventually would be "rescued." But does the ending satisfy you? What do you think Golding was trying to say by letting us hear the Navy officer's inner thoughts? 

Putting 'Lord of the Flies' in Larger Context

  • If you were going to recommend "Lord of the Flies" to a friend, how would you describe it? Would you warn them of the novel's violence? 
  • Understanding that the central plot is highly controversial, do you think "Lord of the Flies" should be censored or banned? Does it make sense that it has been banned in the past?
  • Do you agree that "Lord of the Flies" is a companion piece of sorts to J.D. Salinger's " The Catcher in the Rye ?" How do you think Holden Caulfield would have fared on Golding's island with the rest of the boys? 
  • Why Is 'Lord of the Flies' Challenged and Banned?
  • Memorable Quotes From 'Lord of the Flies'
  • Lord of the Flies: A Critical History
  • Lord of the Flies Book Profile
  • 'Lord of the Flies' Overview
  • 'Lord of the Flies' Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices
  • 9 Must-Read Books If You Like 'Lord of the Flies'
  • The Catcher in the Rye: Questions for Study and Discussion
  • 'Lord of the Flies' Summary
  • 'Lord of the Flies' Characters: Descriptions and Significance
  • Biography of William Golding, British Novelist
  • 'Brave New World:' Questions for Study and Discussion
  • 'Lord of the Flies' Quotes Explained
  • Must-Read Books If You Like 'The Catcher in the Rye'
  • '1984' Questions for Study and Discussion
  • Controversial and Banned Books

Sample Essay

How does William Golding set the scene for the novel in the opening chapter?

The opening chapter of ‘Lord of the Flies’ is very effective in laying the foundation for the rest of the plot. Characters become instantly recognizable and significant. The surroundings around the characters become very clear and leave you with a vivid image in your mind whilst reading. Also, the use of the language helps the situation become familiar, with spectacular detail being during descriptions. All of these factors together help build a very strong and effective chapter as the script from then on becomes vaguely predictable, with the readers expecting to know the characters and lay out well enough to recognise their reactions to any/all situations that may arise.

The introduction of characters opens the chapter in suspense as all is not revealed immediately: “ The fair boy & the fat boy.” Golding’s approach in the opening chapter to the characters is effective as it doesn’t introduce them by name, but more by personality type. Upon reading this, you automatically believe you know the two characters and feel comfortable envisaging the two children stranded on an island rather young and clueless to the dangers of the island, with the concept of no food, water, shelter or food not phasing them. This also shows their immaturity, as a normal adult would immediately try to work a logical & strategic yet plausible plan of getting back to reality or how to survive. The fact that later on ‘the fat boy’ later is addressed by ‘Piggy’ strengthens the stereotype placed upon him, with ‘the fair boy’ being given quite a polite and gentle name of Ralph.

William Golding’s use of descriptive language builds a clear image of the scenery: “ All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat” . Such attention to detail allows us as the readers to be part of the story, placing us right in the scenery. The use of onomatopoeia such as ‘smash’ put emphasis on the beforehand scenes we aren’t exposed to, as we aren’t told they’re in a plane crash, yet the fact the scar ‘smashed’ into the island lets us know it was something with pretty heavy impact, it is quite a violent term. Describing it as a ‘Scar’ also tells a story as you regard a scar as being something unsightly and unwelcomed, possibly damaging attractive scenery. It shows us that it has damaged the island significantly. The metaphor ‘scar’ may also imply that the damage caused was irreversible as scars often are, which in turn just emphasises the impact the children/previous events have had on the island.

The way the characters are portrayed hints at a possible chance of survival: “Nobody don’t know we’re here”. During a conversation early on between Piggy & Ralph, Piggy intends to inform Ralph they’re stranded as no-one actually knows they’re there, but in matter of fact expresses that somebody does in fact know they’re on the island. This is because the double negative comment actually contradicts itself, and by intending to say nobody knows their whereabouts’ he actually does the opposite. This could be argued that Golding is doing this intentionally to push you to read on by leaving you, in a sense, subliminal messages. This also shows the importance of the characters personality type, as Piggy can be perceived as quite ‘dopey’, and only through him can William Golding voice such un-educated comments, and effectively and at the same time very cleverly hint at survival.      

The conch acts as a means of authority and Ralph soon becomes graced with power: “The children gave him the same simple obedience that they had given to the men with megaphones”. This shows Ralph as the natural leader and puts him in the same figure head roll as the parents. The conch shows authority and is soon likened to the megaphones of the parents. It almost shows Ralph as a religious symbol, as if he has the power of God now he has full control of the island, and everyone is at his lead while he stands on a rock taller than everyone there with the conch. It is argued that this is a very important factor during the opening chapter of ‘Lord of the Flies’ as you wonder whether the conch is going to fall into the wrong hands, and in turn, the authority and power that comes with it – soon over powering the natural but fair leader; Ralph.

Some of the aspects previously mentioned lead me to believe the ‘Lord of the Flies’ is going to be very eventful and could go either way in terms of surviving or making it off the island. After simply reading just the first chapter I find myself wanting to get answers to such questions as “How can a series of young boys create a survival plan and make it off the island?” or “was Piggy deliberately talking in double negatives to make us believe on thing contrary to another?” William Golding has created a very effective opening scene and should appeal to a vast audience, urging them to read on further after appealing so strongly during the opening chapter.

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Lord of the Flies

By william golding, lord of the flies study guide.

Sir William Golding composed Lord of the Flies shortly after the end of WWII. At the time of the novel's composition, Golding, who had published an anthology of poetry nearly two decades earlier, had been working for a number of years as a teacher and training as a scientist. Golding drew extensively on his scientific background for his first narrative work. The novel's plot, in which a group of English boys stranded on a deserted island struggle to develop their own society, is a social and political thought-experiment using fiction. The story of their attempts at civilization and devolution into savagery and violence puts the relationship between human nature and society under a literary microscope. Golding's allusions to human evolution also reflect his scientific training. The characters discover fire, craft tools, and form political and social systems in a process that recalls theories of the development of early man, a topic of much interest among many peoples including the mid-century Western public. The culmination of the plot in war and murder suggests that Golding's overarching hypothesis about humanity is pessimistic, that is, there are anarchic and brutal instincts in human nature. Ordered democracy or some other regime is necessary to contain these instincts.

As an allegory about human nature and society, Lord of the Flies draws upon Judeo-Christian mythology to elaborate on the novel's sociological and political hypothesis. The title has two meanings, both charged with religious significance. The first is a reference to a line from King Lear , "As flies to wanton boys, are we to gods." The second is a reference to the Hebrew name Ba'alzevuv, or in its Greek form Beelzebub, which translates to "God of the Flies" and is synonymous with Satan. For Golding however, the satanic forces that compel the shocking events on the island come from within the human psyche rather than from an external, supernatural realm as they do in Judeo-Christian mythology. Golding thus employs a religious reference to illustrate a Freudian concept: the Id, the amoral instinct that governs the individual's sense of sheer survival, is by nature evil in its amoral pursuit of its own goals. The Lord of the Flies, that is, the pig's head on a stick, directly challenges the most spiritually motivated character on the island, Simon , who functions as a prophet-martyr for the other boys.

Published in 1954 early in the Cold War, Lord of the Flies is firmly rooted in the sociopolitical concerns of its era. The novel alludes to the Cold War conflict between liberal democracy and totalitarian communism. Ralph represents the liberal tradition, while Jack, before he succumbs to total anarchy, represents the kind of military dictatorship that, for mid-century America and Great Britain, characterized the communist system. It is also notable that Golding sets the novel in what appears to be a future human reality, one that is in crisis after atomic war. Golding's novel capitalizes on public paranoia surrounding the atom bomb which, due to the arms race of the Cold War, was at a high. Golding's negative depiction of Jack, who represents an anti-democratic political system, and his suggestion of the reality of atomic war, present the novel as a gesture of support for the Western position in the Cold War.

In addition to science, mythology, and the sociopolitical context of the Cold War, Lord of the Flies was heavily influenced by previous works of speculative fiction. In particular, Golding's novel alludes to R. M. Ballantyne's 1857 The Coral Island , which tells the story of three boys stranded on a desert island. Golding, who found Ballantyne's interpretation of the situation naive and improbable, likely intended Lord of the Flies to be an indirect critique of The Coral Island . Golding preserves the names of two of Ballantyne's characters, Ralph and Jack, to force the two texts into deeper comparison. While the boys of Coral Island spend their time having pleasant adventures, Golding's characters battle hunger, loneliness, and the deadly consequences of political conflict after they are deserted. The pessimistic character of Golding's story reflects the author's emphasis on the necessity of democratic civilization. Critics also have noted the relationship between Lord of the Flies and Joseph Conrad's canonical 1902 Heart of Darkness , which follows a soldier's excursion into marginal African civilizations. Reflecting some biases, Heart of Darkness depicts these parts of Africa as places where social order is absent and anarchy rules, breeding death and disorder; the novel sees the same problem as an issue within the individual human soul. Like Conrad's work, Golding's novel emphasizes the brutal and violent human impulses that arise in the absence of political order.

Lord of the Flies, with its dystopian and speculative characteristics, established Golding as a solid author with an interest in the science-fiction literary genre that was popular in the 1950s. The novel depicts ostensibly realistic characters, but the plot, which follows a small group of humans isolated within an alien landscape, employs or alludes to the conventions of popular science fiction novels of the time. Golding's subsequent works saw him moving even further into the science fiction genre. The Inheritors , heavily influenced by H. G. Wells's Outline of History , imagines life during the dawn of man and is considered a modern classic of speculative fiction.

Lord of the Flies was not an instant success, selling fewer than 3,000 copies before going out of print in 1955. Shortly thereafter, however, the novel became a bestseller among American and British readers who, as the arms race intensified, likely saw in Golding's wartime dystopia a grim prediction of their own future. By the 1960s the novel was required reading for many high school and college courses, where it has remained to the present day. The enduring popularity of the novel inspired two film adaptations, one by Peter Brook in 1963, and the second by Harry Hook in 1990. Golding's original novel, however, remains the best-known version of the tale. In 2005, Time Magazine named the novel one of the 100 best English-language novels since 1923.

A continuing controversy surrounding the political message of the novel and its view of human nature has led some readers to challenge its status as a book suitable for children. The American Library Association thus positioned Lord of the Flies at number 70 on its list of the 100 most challenged books of 1990-2000. Among literary critics of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, however, Lord of the Flies has been revisited less as an allegory of human evil than as a literary expression of Cold War ideology. This historicizing does not do justice to the novel. But in terms of reception history, contemporary critics are right to note that the novel's position at the center of many English curricula across America and Great Britain during the Cold War illustrates how the pedagogy of literature has been used to bolster national identity and ideology.

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Lord of the Flies Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Lord of the Flies is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Where had Simon fainted before?

From the text:

“He's always throwing a faint,”said Merridew. “He did in Gib.; and Addis; and at matins over the precentor.”

Quote Analysis. "There was a throb..."

At this point Ralph is once again challenging Jack's authority, Unfortunately all the cards are stacked against Ralph. A storm is brewing and to deflect the boys' fears, Jack orders them to dance around the fire. This communal spectacle of...

How do the boys respond to Jack's call for Ralph's removal as chief? How does Jack react? Respond with evidence from the text.

There is a lot of immaturity here. The other boys refuse to vote Ralph out of power. Enraged, Jack has a tantrum and runs away from the group, saying that he is leaving and that anyone who likes is welcome to join him.The boys don't like the open...

Study Guide for Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies study guide contains a biography of William Golding, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

  • About Lord of the Flies
  • Lord of the Flies Summary
  • Lord of the Flies Video
  • Character List

Essays for Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

  • Two Faces of Man
  • The Relationship Between Symbolism and Theme in Lord of the Flies
  • A Tainted View of Society
  • Death and Social Collapse in Lord of the Flies
  • Lumination: The Conquest of Mankind's Darkness

Lesson Plan for Lord of the Flies

  • About the Author
  • Study Objectives
  • Common Core Standards
  • Introduction to Lord of the Flies
  • Relationship to Other Books
  • Bringing in Technology
  • Notes to the Teacher
  • Related Links
  • Lord of the Flies Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Lord of the Flies

  • Introduction

essay question lord of the flies

Lord of the Flies

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Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Compare/contrast what happensin “normal” society with what happens on the island. Is the society that the boys make more similar or different than the society you know?

Why are there no girls on the island? Do you think that having both genders represented would alter how the boys treat one another?

Why does the “Lord of the Flies” (138)—the pig’s head—tell Simon he is in danger? How does this scene relate to the novel’s title?

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Revision note, the lord of the flies: overview.

Lord of the Flies is Section A of Paper 2 of your GCSE English Literature examination. You are expected to write one essay-length answer to one set question (from a choice of two) and, unlike with the Shakespeare and 19th-century novel questions, you will not be given an extract from the text. This can seem daunting at first, but this page contains some helpful information and links to more detailed revision note pages, that will enable you to feel confident answering any question on Lord of the Flies. This page includes:

  • A summary of Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies plot

  • A brief overview of what is required in the exam

Lord of the Flies characters

Lord of the Flies context

Lord of the Flies themes

Lord of the Flies quotes

Top tips for the highest grade

Lord of the Flies summary

Lord of the Flies is a novel, written in 1954, by the English writer William Golding. Golding was born in 1911 in Cornwall, England, and grew up in Wiltshire, before going on to graduate with a degree in English from Oxford University. After Oxford he became a teacher and schoolmaster, teaching a variety of subjects in a number of schools for over 20 years, only interrupted by his military service during World War Two. It is both Golding’s experiences teaching young boys, and his first-hand experience of warfare in the Royal Navy, that informed his novel Lord of the Flies. 

The novel is set in the midst of a fictional nuclear world war, which allows Golding to explore ideas about violence, different styles of leadership and power. Golding also explores themes such as the loss of innocence – and human nature – through the presentation of his characters. The children in Lord of the Flies represent all human beings and civilisation, and using characters (or settings, such as the uninhabited island) to explore philosophical ideas is known in literature as allegory. Using children as his protagonists allows him to explore human nature at its most innocent and basic, and his message is ultimately a pessimistic one: all human beings, including children, have a natural capacity for evil. 

For more details on Golding’s use of allegory and symbolism, and other literary techniques, see our Lord of the Flies: Methods and Techniques  page.

During an unnamed world war, a group of boys crash land on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Two of the boys – Ralph and Piggy – look to establish order on the island so that they might work together to survive long enough to be rescued. Ralph is elected the leader of the boys in a vote. However, another boy, Jack, has different ideas about how the island should be run. Instead of building shelters, gathering fresh drinking water and tending to a signal fire, he wants to hunt pigs on the island, and increasingly rejects the rules set out by Ralph. This leads to a split in the group, with Jack leading a second ‘tribe’ on the island. Meanwhile, many of the boys are terrified of an imaginary monster and mistake a dead parachutist for this ‘beast’. In the panic and confusion, the boys become frenzied, so that when a boy, Simon, emerges from the trees at night-time all of the boys attack and kill him. This tragedy – far from chastening the boys – only leads to further acts of violence and torture as Jack’s rule increasingly resembles a reign of terror. Ralph and Piggy look to reason with Jack, but after an argument Piggy is killed and Ralph chased into the jungle. Just before Jack and his tribe descend on Ralph, they see a naval officer who has come to rescue them. Realising what they have become, all the boys weep in shame. For a more detailed summary, please see the Lord of the Flies: Plot Summary page.

How is Lord of the Flies assessed in the exam?

  • The English Literature Paper 2 requires you to answer four questions (three on poetry) in 2hrs 15min. That means you have approximately 45 minutes to plan, write and check your Lord of the Flies essay
  • Paper 2 is worth 96 marks and accounts for 60% of your overall GCSE grade
  • The Lord of the Flies essay is worth 34 marks in total, because it also includes 4 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar
  • Section A of Paper 2 contains the Lord of the Flies question and you are required to answer only one of the two printed questions on the novel
  • Unlike the Shakespeare and 19th-century novel questions, you will not receive an extract from the text in your exam
  • It is also a closed-book exam, which means you will not have access to a copy of the novel in your exam
  • You will be asked a question that asks you to analyse and write in detail about an aspect of Lord of the Flies

For a much more detailed guide on answering the Lord of the Flies question, please see our revision notes on How to Answer the Modern Prose and Drama Essay Question . 

Although Golding includes many characters in Lord of the Flies, the characters you should focus on when revising are:

It is always vital to remember – when considering Lord of the Flies, or any text – that characters are deliberate constructions created by a novelist for a purpose. These characters often represent ideas, or belief systems, and a writer, like the philosophically minded William Golding, uses these characters to explore these ideas and beliefs through them. For more details on how Golding uses his characters in Lord of the Flies to explore human nature and religion, please see the Lord of the Flies: Characters revision notes page.

Understanding how to include context in a GCSE essay is challenging, so it is first necessary to figure out what examiners really mean when they talk about context. They define context not as historical information, or biographical facts about a writer, but as the ideas and perspectives explored by a writer through their text. Therefore, the Lord of the Flies context you should explore in your essay response is not historical information about the Cold War, or irrelevant facts about William Golding’s own life, but ideas about:

  • The consequences of war
  • Loss of innocence
  • Social class
  • Christianity

Lots of these ideas and perspectives are still relevant today, so your own opinions on them are valid, and examiners welcome them in an essay. For a detailed breakdown of the contextual topics listed above, see the Lord of the Flies: Context page.

Understanding the themes that are prevalent in Lord of the Flies will enable you to reach the highest levels of the GCSE mark scheme. This is because to be rewarded top marks on your essay, you need to take what examiners call a “conceptualised approach”: a detailed and perceptive exploration of Golding’s ideas and intentions. The main themes explored by William Golding in Lord of the Flies are:

  • Civilisation versus savagery
  • Good versus evil
  • Power and leadership

You are encouraged to explore other themes that Golding explores in his novel, because bringing original ideas when interpreting a text is always rewarded highly at GCSE. However, the above list makes a great place to start, and detailed breakdowns of each of these themes can be found on our Lord of the Flies: Themes page.

It is, of course, important to learn quotations for your Lord of the Flies exam question, especially since it is a closed-book exam and you will not have a printed extract on your paper. However, it is worth stating here that examiners value “references” to the novel just as highly as direct quotations: this is when students pinpoint individual moments in the text, rather than quoting what the characters say. In order to select references really successfully, it is extremely important that you know the plot of Lord of the Flies itself very well, including the order of the events that take place. This detailed act-by-act breakdown of the plot will help you to revise the chronology of Lord of the Flies.

Of course, it is also useful to revise a few – very well selected – quotations from the novel that can be used in a variety of essays on different themes and characters. Luckily, we have made that selection for you! For a ‘translation’ and detailed analysis of each of these quotations, see our Lord of the Flies: Key Quotations page.

Please see our revision pages on the Modern Prose and Drama exam for guides on:

  • Structuring the Lord of the Flies essay
  • Lord of the Flies methods and techniques
  • How to include context in a Modern Prose essay
  • Understanding the Lord of the Flies mark scheme
  • A Modern Prose and Drama model answer
  • Lord of the Flies

William Golding

  • Literature Notes
  • Major Themes
  • Lord of the Flies at a Glance
  • Book Summary
  • About Lord of the Flies
  • Character List
  • Summary and Analysis
  • Character Analysis
  • Character Map
  • William Golding Biography
  • Critical Essays
  • Concept, Identity, and Manifestations of the Beast
  • Golding's Use of the Fable Structure
  • Famous Quotes
  • Film Versions
  • Full Glossary
  • Essay Questions
  • Practice Projects
  • Cite this Literature Note

Critical Essays Major Themes

Problem of Evil

Lord of the Flies was driven by " Golding 's consideration of human evil, a complex topic that involves an examination not only of human nature but also the causes, effects, and manifestations of evil. It demands also a close observation of the methods or ideologies humankind uses to combat evil and whether those methods are effective. Golding addresses these topics through the intricate allegory of his novel.

When Lord of the Flies was first released in 1954, Golding described the novel's theme in a publicity questionnaire as "an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature." In his 1982 essay A Moving Target , he stated simply "The theme of Lord of the Flies is grief, sheer grief, grief, grief." The novel ends of course with Ralph grieving the indelible mark of evil in each person's heart, an evil he scarcely suspected existed before witnessing its effects on his friends and supporters. The former schoolboys sought unthinkingly to dominate others who were not of their group. They discovered within themselves the urge to inflict pain and enjoyed the accompanying rush of power. When confronted with a choice between reason's civilizing influence and animality's self-indulgent savagery, they choose to abandon the values of the civilization that Ralph represents.

This same choice is made constantly all over the world, all throughout history — the source of the grief Golding sought to convey. He places supposedly innocent schoolboys in the protected environment of an uninhabited tropical island to illustrate the point that savagery is not confined to certain people in particular environments but exists in everyone as a stain on, if not a dominator of, the nobler side of human nature. Golding depicts the smallest boys acting out, in innocence, the same cruel desire for mastery shown by Jack and his tribe while hunting pigs and, later, Ralph. The adults waging the war that marooned the boys on the island are also enacting the desire to rule others.

Ironically, by giving rein to their urge to dominate, the boys find themselves in the grip of a force they can neither understand nor acknowledge. The Lord of the Flies tells Simon "Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!" and then laughs at the boys' efforts to externalize their savagery in the form of an animal or other fearsome creature. Simon has the revelation that evil isn't simply a component of human nature, but an active element that seeks expression.

Outlets for Violence

Most societies set up mechanisms to channel aggressive impulses into productive enterprises or projects. On the island, Jack's hunters are successful in providing meat for the group because they tap into their innate ability to commit violence. To the extent that this violence is a reasoned response to the group's needs (for example, to feed for the population), it produces positive effects and outcomes. However, when the violence becomes the motivator and the desired outcome lacks social or moral value beyond itself, as it does with the hunters, at that point the violence becomes evil, savage, and diabolical.

Violence continues to exist in modern society and is institutionalized in the military and politics. Golding develops this theme by having his characters establish a democratic assembly, which is greatly affected by the verbal violence of Jack's power-plays, and an army of hunters, which ultimately forms a small military dictatorship. The boys' assemblies are likened to both ends of the social or civil spectrum, from pre-verbal tribe gatherings to modern governmental institutions, indicating that while the forum for politics has changed over the millennia, the dynamic remains the same.

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89 Lord of the Flies Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🔝 top-10 lord of the flies research paper topics, 🏆 best lord of the flies essay titles, 📌 creative lord of the flies thesis ideas, 👍 good titles for lord of the flies essay, ❓ lord of the flies: important questions.

  • Ralph’s character development in “Lord of the Flies.”
  • The main theme in “Lord of the Flies.”
  • The success of William Golding’s debut novel.
  • “Lord of the Flies”: a discussion of innocence and power.
  • The role of the conch in “Lord of the Flies.”
  • Civilization vs. savagery in “Lord of the Flies.”
  • William Golding’s commentary on human nature and evil.
  • The symbolism of fear in “Lord of the Flies.”
  • A literary analysis of “Lord of the Flies.”
  • “Lord of the Flies”: a summary of events.
  • Evil in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding The idea is that we are born with both the capacity of good and the capacity of evil and that the way we are raised, or the environment in which we live determines how we […]
  • Lord of the Flies, an Allegorical Novel by William Golding As the auction proceeds, the reader follows the heartbreaking events of the book. Boys hunt down a pig and place its head on a stick as an ‘offering’ to the ‘beast’.
  • Symbolism in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding In The Lord of the Flies, the fire in the story is lit as a symbol of hope and rescue. The island in The Lord Of The Flies resembled the perfect type of Utopia at […]
  • “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding The reader will wonder that all the boys respond in the same manner to the sound of the blown shell. The author uses aesthetics to drive emotions out of the reader about the value of […]
  • Human Nature in “Lord of the Flies” by Golding Considering this, the present paper will analyze the validity of the given statement by drawing on the experiences of characters in Lord of the Flies and evaluating the conditions in which they lived.
  • Literature Studies: “Lord of the Flies” by W. Golding Although Jack Merridew, one of the lead characters of William Golding’s shockingly unforgettable Lord of the Flies novel, is a child and still has a lot to learn in terms of how society works, the […]
  • Lord of the Flies: Novel Analysis The sinister nature of the novel is inferred in the title which derives from the Hebrew word, Ba’al-zvuv which means god of the fly, host of the fly or literally the Lord of Flies a […]
  • Writing on the Novel I Love: Lord of the Flies In a given Lord of the Flies essay, one needs to illustrate the different themes used by Golding in his novel.
  • A Comprehensive Analysis of the Key Elements of “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • The Role of Simon in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Literary Comparison of Ballantyne’s “Coral Island” and Golding’s Island in “Lord of the Flies”
  • Attitude Towards Children in the Story “Lord of the Flies”
  • Jack as a Symbol of Savagery and Anarchy in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • A Description of the Potential for Evil in Everyone as One of the Theme in the Novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Evil in Humanity in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Savagery and the Beast Theme in “Lord of the Flies”
  • The Fall of Civilization Into Savagery in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • An Allegory of Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis Theory in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
  • A Literary Analysis of the Symbolism in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • A Comparison Between the Movie and Novel “Lord of the Flies”
  • Abuse of Power and the Effect of Tyrannical Leadership Between “Lord of the Flies” and “The Chrysalids”
  • Fear of the Unknown in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • A Comparison of “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding and “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles on Peer Pressure
  • Internal and External Conflicts in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Importance of the Extract in the Development of the Main Themes in “Lord of the Flies”
  • Destructiveness of Jealousy Depicted in “Lord of the Flies” and “Woman Warrior”
  • A Demonstration of the Influence and Power of People Over One Another Through the Character of Piggy in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • A Character of Piggy as the Character Who Most Deserved to Be Saved in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • The Role of Government in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Moral Consequences in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • The Symbolism of Power in “Lord of the Flies”
  • An Analysis of Human Behavior in “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Lord of the Flies”
  • Changes in the Conception of God in “Lord of the Flies”
  • Inate Evil in “To Kill a Mocking Bird” and “Lord of the Flies”
  • A Look at Disturbing Events Highlighted in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
  • Allegory of Social Dissolution “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Ralph as a Good Leader in “Lord of the Flies”
  • An Analysis of Democratic and Authoritarian Power in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Leaders and Leadership in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Golding’s Pessimistic View on People and Society in His Book “Lord of the Flies”
  • Analyzing the Themes of Innocence and Fear in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
  • A Description of the Occurrence of Civilization in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Importance of the Beast in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”: A Dream of a Deserted Island Into Reality
  • Adventures, Conflicts, and Struggles in “Lord of the Flies”
  • Good and Evil in Human Nature in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
  • Failure of Paradise in Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” and William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
  • Immorality of Human Nature Depicted in Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
  • Formation of Rules and Perception of Civilisation in “Lord of the Flies”
  • How Golding Presents the Decline From Civilisation to Savagery in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • What Does Piggy Symbolize in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does the Second World War Reflect on “Lord of the Flies”?
  • What Ideas About Human Nature and Behavior Golding Was Trying to Express in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • What Does the Plane Crash Symbolize in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does William Golding Present the Character of Jack in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does Golding Express His Ideas About Leadership in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does Roger Change in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding?
  • How the Society Suppresses Evil in the Novel “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does Golding Create a Setting in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does the Author Present Human Nature in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does William Golding Show Evil at Work in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Anybody Could Regress Into Savagery in Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Is the Author’s Characterisation and Language Attributed to the Novel of the “Lord of the Flies”?
  • Why Did William Golding Name His Novel “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does Golding Present Death in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does the Setting Affect the Story “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Children Are Treated in the Story of “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does Golding Make the Physical World Seem Important in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • What Is Ralph’s Attitude Toward Piggy in the First Chapter of “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Many Boys Are in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Golding Creates Tension in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does the Opening Prepare the Reader for the Rest of the Novel “Lord of the Flies”?
  • Why the Boys Were Doomed to Fail in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • What Influenced William Golding to Write “Lord of the Flies”?
  • Ways That Golding Presents the Island in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Golding Uses Symbols in “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does William Golding Use the Setting to Develop the Main Theme of His Novel “Lord of the Flies”?
  • How Does Piggy’s Character Develop Through Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”?
  • What Ruined Ralph and Jack’s Friendship in “Lord of the Flies”?
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The Mysterious Plane Crash in Lord of The Flies

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Published: Jun 13, 2024

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The uncertainty of the plane crash, the power of nature, the loss of innocence, bibliography.

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  1. PDF LORD OF THE FLIES: ESSAY QUESTIONS

    Be sure to use examples from the book. 2. Identify the most significant symbol in the novel and justify your choice. (Symbols to choose from: the conch, Piggy's glasses, the fire, the parachute man, the pig's head/Lord of the Flies) 3. State one possible theme of the novel, and support your position. 4.

  2. Lord of the Flies Essay Questions

    Lord of the Flies Essay Questions. 1. In his introduction to William Golding's novel, novelist E.M. Forster suggests that Golding's writing "lays a solid foundation for the horrors to come." Using Forster's quote as a starting point, discuss how the novel foreshadows the murders of Simon and Piggy. Focus on two events or images from the novel's ...

  3. Lord of the Flies: Suggested Essay Topics

    Suggested Essay Topics. Previous. 1. Of all the characters, it is Piggy who most often has useful ideas and sees the correct way for the boys to organize themselves. Yet the other boys rarely listen to him and frequently abuse him. Why do you think this is the case?

  4. Lord of the Flies: A+ Student Essay: Would Piggy Have Made a Good

    Piggy may have the tactical smarts to be a good leader, but because he cannot convincingly act the role, he would not be able to marshal the boys if given the chance. Although his contributions often go unappreciated, Piggy comes up with some of the most important innovations on the island. He sees the conch's potential as a rallying device ...

  5. Lord of the Flies: Mini Essays

    Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel in that it contains characters and objects that directly represent the novel's themes and ideas. Golding's central point in the novel is that a conflict between the impulse toward civilization and the impulse toward savagery rages within each human individual. Each of the main characters in the ...

  6. Lord of the Flies: Study Help

    Get free homework help on William Golding's Lord of the Flies: book summary, chapter summary and analysis, quotes, essays, and character analysis courtesy of CliffsNotes. In Lord of the Flies , British schoolboys are stranded on a tropical island. In an attempt to recreate the culture they left behind, they elect Ralph to lead, with the intellectual Piggy as counselor.

  7. Lord of the Flies Suggested Essay Topics

    Suggested Essay Topics. PDF Cite. Chapter 1: "The Sound of the Shell". 1. Examine the characters of Ralph, Jack, or Piggy in terms of what they possess that link them with their past lives ...

  8. Lord of the Flies Critical Essays

    Lord of the Flies has attracted an immense amount of both favorable and unfavorable criticism. Most vehement among the latter critics are Kenneth Rexroth, whose essay in the Atlantic Monthly ...

  9. 'Lord of the Flies' Questions for Study and Discussion

    Updated on March 09, 2019. "Lord of the Flies" is a famous and highly controversial novel by William Golding. An unusually violent version of a coming-of-age story, the novel is viewed as an allegory, exploring the aspects of human nature that lead us to turn on each other and resort to violence. Golding was a war veteran, and much of his ...

  10. Sample Essay

    Essay Questions; Sample Essay. How does William Golding set the scene for the novel in the opening chapter? The opening chapter of 'Lord of the Flies' is very effective in laying the foundation for the rest of the plot. Characters become instantly recognizable and significant. The surroundings around the characters become very clear and ...

  11. Lord of the Flies Study Guide

    The Lord of the Flies, that is, the pig's head on a stick, directly challenges the most spiritually motivated character on the island, Simon, who functions as a prophet-martyr for the other boys. Published in 1954 early in the Cold War, Lord of the Flies is firmly rooted in the sociopolitical concerns of its era.

  12. Lord of the Flies Essay Topics

    Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

  13. Lord of the Flies

    The English Literature Paper 2 requires you to answer four questions (three on poetry) in 2hrs 15min. That means you have approximately 45 minutes to plan, write and check your Lord of the Flies essay. Paper 2 is worth 96 marks and accounts for 60% of your overall GCSE grade. The Lord of the Flies essay is worth 34 marks in total, because it ...

  14. Lord of the Flies: Critical Essays

    When Lord of the Flies was first released in 1954, Golding described the novel's theme in a publicity questionnaire as "an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature." In his 1982 essay A Moving Target, he stated simply "The theme of Lord of the Flies is grief, sheer grief, grief, grief."

  15. 89 Lord of the Flies Essay Examples and Topics

    Lord of the Flies, an Allegorical Novel by William Golding. As the auction proceeds, the reader follows the heartbreaking events of the book. Boys hunt down a pig and place its head on a stick as an 'offering' to the 'beast'. Evil in "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding.

  16. Lord of the Flies

    Take a look at a sample exam question and answers for William Golding's Lord of the Flies with BBC Bitesize GCSE English Literature (Edexcel).

  17. Lord of the Flies: Questions & Answers

    Physically, the Lord of the Flies is the pig head that Jack, Roger, and the hunters mount on a sharpened stick and leave as an offering for the beast. The head is described as dripping blood, eerily grinning, and attracting a swarm of buzzing flies. When The Lord of the Flies "speaks" to Simon, we can assume that his voice is a ...

  18. Essays on Lord of The Flies

    The Ralph's Leadership in The Lord of The Flies by William Golding. Essay grade: Good. 2 pages / 968 words. A Good Hook Examples for "The Lord of the Flies" Essay A Descent into Chaos: Step onto the deserted island where order disintegrates, and savagery emerges.

  19. Lord of the Flies Questions and Answers

    Start free trial Sign In Start an essay Ask a question Lord of the Flies. by William Golding. Start Free Trial ... Lord of the Flies Questions and Answers. Characters. Plot. Themes. Symbolism.

  20. LORD of The FLIES 42 Essay Questions

    This document contains 31 essay questions about William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies. The questions cover a wide range of topics such as: the allegorical and symbolic elements of the novel; comparisons between characters like Ralph and Simon; how Jack uses the idea of the beast to control the other boys; why Piggy's good ideas are ignored; what various symbols like the dead parachutist ...

  21. Lord of the Flies: Essay prompts Flashcards

    Lord of the Flies: Essay prompts. Rules, authority, and government are vital for human beings in order to maintain a safe environment. Freedom from this, will lead to savagery. - Roger attempting to hit rocks at Henry, showing without adult chastisement, he has no limits with his violence.

  22. PDF Lord of the Flies

    You should practise planning and writing an essay using the practise exam question in this booklet. Context Golding and war Golding was horrified by what war revealed about people's capacity to harm ... to ensure that a global conflict never happened again, but in 1954, when Lord of the Flies was published, the threat of a nuclear war was still ...

  23. The Mysterious Plane Crash in Lord of The Flies

    Why did the plane crash in Lord of the Flies? This question lingers throughout William Golding's novel as a group of young boys find themselves stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. ... Power Dynamics in Lord of the Flies Essay. Novel Lord of the Flies explores the theme of power and its manifestations in a group of boys ...

  24. Lord of the Flies: Study Guide

    Lord of the Flies by British author William Golding was first published in 1954. Set against the backdrop of a deserted island during an unspecified wartime, the novel tells the gripping story of a group of boys stranded after their plane crashes. Initially, the boys attempt to establish a society with rules and order, choosing a boy named ...

  25. The 7 Types of Essays Every Student Needs to Know

    Analytical essay example: Island of Fear by Moses Martinez. In this high school-level literary analysis essay, the author explains how William Golding uses three characters in Lord of the Flies to demonstrate how differently people react to threats and trauma, even when those people are in the same environment. 6 Argumentative essays