Lord of the Flies

SWBAT identify and describe background info. on LOTF through notes & a

T.O.D.

QUICK WRITE

Do you think people in the world are basically good, or basically bad? Why? (2-3 sentences)

Background Information:The biographical approach…

William Golding—Author Born 1911 Educated at Oxford Joined the Royal Navy during WW II

Add to notes: He published LOTF in 1954 Influenced by his experiences in the war LOTF is a British novel

Plot Info. (Basic Situation) Novel is set in a deserted island during wartime. A plane with a group of British school boys crashes

on an island. The boys range in age from about 12 down to

about 5-6. There are no adults! The plane ends up in the ocean and carried out to

sea in a storm. They are far enough away from civilization and the

boys are not likely to be rescued. The boys need to figure out how to survive.

Quick Check! A’s pick one item from your notes to share to your

B’s. “One thing I learned is _________________.” B’s listen carefully to your partners as you may be

sharing their response to the class.

Character Info Jack, Ralph, Piggy—main characters, older

boys (12-14 y.o.), leaders Simon, Maurice, Roger, Sam, Eric—slightly

younger boys (9-11 y.o.); important characters, but not leaders

Littluns—”little ones” (5-6 y.o.) that need to be taken care of

Symbols Symbols are objects or people stand for

something beyond themselves and have significance.

In this book, both objects and people are symbols:Conch Clothing

Glasses Piggy

Fire Jack

Beast Ralph

Allegory A symbolic story Characters and Setting stand for ideas

and / or moral qualities. Many of the characters in the book stand

for ideas or moral values (i.e. goodness, standing up for oneself, etc.)

Theme The theme of a story is the central idea, or

insight, about life that the story reveals. Insight is a truth about human behavior Write an example.

Quick Check! A’s pick one item from your notes to share to your

B’s. “One thing I learned is _________________.” B’s listen carefully to your partners as you may be

sharing their response to the class.

Author’s Statement of Theme ““I believe that man suffers from an I believe that man suffers from an

appalling ignorance of his own nature. “appalling ignorance of his own nature. “

--William Golding--William Golding

Ignorance = unaware of, ignoring Ignorance = unaware of, ignoring surroundingssurroundings

Can you put this into your own words?Can you put this into your own words?

Civility vs. SavageryCivility vs. Savagery

Man is inherently (born with) evil and without the Man is inherently (born with) evil and without the societal law, man will lose his ideals, values, and societal law, man will lose his ideals, values, and the basics between what is right and what is the basics between what is right and what is wrong. wrong.

Anarchy (without law or gov’t) and Savagery Anarchy (without law or gov’t) and Savagery (barbaric state) will come to the forefront and (barbaric state) will come to the forefront and destroy society.destroy society.

Id vs. Ego vs. SuperegoId vs. Ego vs. Superego Sigmund Freud (1856-1939 ), father of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939 ), father of

Psychoanalysis, studied reasons and motives Psychoanalysis, studied reasons and motives behind actions.behind actions.

The characters in the novel personify the 3 The characters in the novel personify the 3 different parts of the human mind: the id, the different parts of the human mind: the id, the super ego, and the ego.super ego, and the ego.

Id vs. Ego vs. SuperegoId vs. Ego vs. Superego Id Id

Part of the personality that acts on Part of the personality that acts on impulse. impulse.

Uses instinct. Acts before thinking.Uses instinct. Acts before thinking. Jack represents the id.  This is the Jack represents the id.  This is the

part of the unconscious mind that part of the unconscious mind that works always to gratify its own works always to gratify its own impulse.  impulse.  

Id vs. Ego vs. SuperegoId vs. Ego vs. Superego Ego Ego

Ego is the part of the personalityEgo is the part of the personality that weighs the options. Looks at that weighs the options. Looks at

consequences and decides what’s consequences and decides what’s appropriate in society. appropriate in society.

Ralph is the ego. He is the conscious mind Ralph is the ego. He is the conscious mind that mediates between the id's demand for that mediates between the id's demand for pleasure and the social pressures brought pleasure and the social pressures brought to bear by the superego.to bear by the superego.

Id vs. Ego vs. SuperegoId vs. Ego vs. Superego Superego Superego The part of the personality The part of the personality

corresponding most nearly to corresponding most nearly to conscience.conscience.

It follows its moral compass and thinks It follows its moral compass and thinks about the extreme. about the extreme.

Piggy is the superego.  This is the part of Piggy is the superego.  This is the part of the mind that seeks to control the impulsive the mind that seeks to control the impulsive behavior of the id. Piggy always reminds behavior of the id. Piggy always reminds Ralph and the others of their Ralph and the others of their responsibilities. responsibilities. 

The Loss of InnocenceThe Loss of Innocence When the boys are first deserted on the island, When the boys are first deserted on the island,

they behave like children, alternating between they behave like children, alternating between enjoying their freedom and expressing profound enjoying their freedom and expressing profound homesickness and fear. By the end of the novel, homesickness and fear. By the end of the novel, however, they mirror the war-like behavior of the however, they mirror the war-like behavior of the adults of the English Home Counties: they attack, adults of the English Home Counties: they attack, torture, and even murder one another without torture, and even murder one another without hesitation or regret. hesitation or regret.

The Loss of InnocenceThe Loss of Innocence The loss of the boys' innocence on the island runs The loss of the boys' innocence on the island runs

parallel to, and informs their descent into parallel to, and informs their descent into savagery, and it recalls the Bible's narrative of the savagery, and it recalls the Bible's narrative of the Fall of Man from paradise (refer to Biblical allegory Fall of Man from paradise (refer to Biblical allegory –Adam & Eve).–Adam & Eve).

Writing Prompt How will you read this novel in light of this

pre-view information? Why did we discuss these things first? How will this influence your reading of the novel?

Ticket out the DoorTicket out the Door

Evaluate yourself in Evaluate yourself in the terms of the terms of Sigmund Freud’s Id Sigmund Freud’s Id vs. Ego vs. vs. Ego vs. Superego. Which Superego. Which one do you best one do you best embody? Explain embody? Explain why.why.