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Lord of the Flies

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experience in WWII had a profound effect on his view of humanity and the evils ... Golding's experience with the real-life violence and brutality of World War II. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Lord of the Flies


1
Lord of the Flies
  • By William Golding

2
  • William Golding was born on September 19, 1911 in
    England
  • 1940 Golding joined the Royal Navy
  • Participated in D-Day
  • experience in WWII had a profound effect on his
    view of humanity and the evils of which it was
    capable.
  • His first and greatest success came with Lord of
    the Flies (1954)

3
  • Through LOTF, Golding is making the statement
    that we cannot escape our savage, violent
    tendencies
  • and without social order, we dissolve into a
    state of chaos

4
  • Beelzebub a Hebrew word for
  • LUCIFER
  • However, the literal translation of Beelzebub
    into English is LORD OF THE FLIES

5
Summary
  • Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of
    English schoolboys marooned on a tropical island
    after their plane is shot down during a war.
  • its exploration of the idea of human evil is at
    least partly based on Goldings experience with
    the real-life violence and brutality of World War
    II.
  • Free from the rules and structures of
    civilization and society, the boys on the island
    in Lord of the Flies descend into savagery.

6
  • In his portrayal of the small world of the
    island, Golding paints a broader portrait of the
    fundamental human struggle between the civilizing
    instinctthe impulse to obey rules, behave
    morally, and act lawfullyand the savage
    instinctthe impulse to seek brute power over
    others, act selfishly, scorn moral rules, and
    indulge in violence.
  • Island is a microcosm of society, politics, and
    human psychology

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8
Themes
  • society holds everyone together, and without
    specific societal conditions, our ideals, values,
    and the basic concept of right and wrong are
    lost.
  • People will abuse power when it's not earned.
  • When given a chance, people often single out
    another to degrade to improve their own security.
  • Inner savagery can only be suppressed for so
    long before it breaks out, given the right
    situation.
  • The fear of the unknown can be a powerful force,
    which can turn you to either insight or hysteria.

9
Allegory
  • A work of fiction carrying two levels of meaning
  • - 1) a surface plot/narrative (literal)
  • - 2) symbolic/metaphorical meaning in which
    everything in story symbolizes something greater

10
A Freudian AllegoryRalph, Jack, and Piggy
  • Id
  • The part of the personality reflecting
    unorganized, instinctual impulses. If unbridled,
    it seeks immediate gratification of primitive
    needs.
  • Ego
  • The part of the personality corresponding most
    nearly to the perceived self, the controlling
    self that holds back the impulsiveness of the id
    in the effort to delay gratification until it can
    be found in socially approved ways.
  • Superego
  • The part of the personality corresponding most
    nearly to conscience, controlling through moral
    scruples rather than by way of social expediency.
    The superego is said to be an uncompromising and
    punishing conscience.

11
  • Unconscious
  • Memories, impulses and desires that are not
    available to consciousness. According to the
    psychoanalytic theories of Freud, painful
    memories and wishes are sometimes repressed
    that is, diverted to the unconscious where they
    continue to influence our actions even though we
    are not aware of them.

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13
Social Influence
  • 1. Compliance
  • The person at whom the influence is directed (the
    target) publicly conforms to the wishes of the
    influencing source but does not change his or her
    private beliefs or attitudes. (The child eats the
    spinach but continues to dislike it.)
  • 2. Internalization
  • The target changes his or her beliefs, attitudes,
    or behaviors because of a genuine belief in the
    validity of the position advocated by the
    influencing source. (A middle-aged man gives up
    smoking after reading and believing the
    surgeon general's warnings that smoking causes
    cancer.)
  • 3. Identification
  • The target changes his or her beliefs, attitudes,
    or behaviors in order to resemble an influencing
    source that is respected or admired. (A high
    school girl takes up smoking in order to be like
    a group of older girls she admires.)
  • Deindividuation sense of self diminished when
    in a crowd (mob mentality)

14
Political Allegory
  • The world was divided into two camps, the free
    world and the Soviet Union, much like the camps
    of Ralph and Jack. In addition, the postwar Cold
    War Era suffered from fears of atomic
    destruction.  Lord of the Flies shows the world
    at the brink of atomic destruction.  The novel
    serves as a warning to the leaders of the world.

15
Religious Allegory
  • Garden of Eden  It was a perfect island with
    good food, good weather, and good water.  The
    beastie is the snake in the Garden that lures
    (tricks) the others to refuse their duty. The
    parachutist and Piggy represent the fall of
    mankind.  Jack and Ralph are very much like Cain
    and Able. Simon is a Christ figure who sacrifices
    himself to save them.

16
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