Six critical thinking points for Lord of the Flies (written by William Golding)
1. The importance of Golding’s social commentary: The loss of innocence in
society in exemplified in Lord of the Flies whereby civilians are now revelling in a
postlapsarian world of taint. This is due to the atrocities of prominent leaders
that dictate the world- It becomes both a revelation of the inhumanness of
humanity and warning concerning how the demise of world is approaching if
humans continue to cause destruction.
2. The ideology that the absence of fruitful guidance and the presence of
overwhelming fear can lead naive, innocent children to commit evil acts, as they
find solace in it- The boys on the island are isolated from any form of civilisation,
so their descension into savagery is inevitable.
3. The Declimation of the conch: This symbolises the conclusion to law and order
on not only the island, but also society in general as in the end, evil overpowers
the little existence of purity.
4. The island is a microcosm of wider society: events that happen on the island
apply to society, whereby evil figures like Jack and Roger are simply the
caricature of the true, nefarious individuals in society.
5. Simon is the embodiment of the Messiah who is tasked with the duty to save
humanity, as Simon’s final exploration of the island is perhaps a reference to
Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Simon is sacrificed as his purity and
innocence are incapable of restoring a prelapsarian world of goodness.
6. The conclusion to the book leaves the readers questioning how the boys will be
able to fit into society again- What would happen to sociopathic Roger, mentally
exhausted Ralph, immoral Jack.
1. The importance of Golding’s social commentary: The loss of innocence in
society in exemplified in Lord of the Flies whereby civilians are now revelling in a
postlapsarian world of taint. This is due to the atrocities of prominent leaders
that dictate the world- It becomes both a revelation of the inhumanness of
humanity and warning concerning how the demise of world is approaching if
humans continue to cause destruction.
2. The ideology that the absence of fruitful guidance and the presence of
overwhelming fear can lead naive, innocent children to commit evil acts, as they
find solace in it- The boys on the island are isolated from any form of civilisation,
so their descension into savagery is inevitable.
3. The Declimation of the conch: This symbolises the conclusion to law and order
on not only the island, but also society in general as in the end, evil overpowers
the little existence of purity.
4. The island is a microcosm of wider society: events that happen on the island
apply to society, whereby evil figures like Jack and Roger are simply the
caricature of the true, nefarious individuals in society.
5. Simon is the embodiment of the Messiah who is tasked with the duty to save
humanity, as Simon’s final exploration of the island is perhaps a reference to
Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Simon is sacrificed as his purity and
innocence are incapable of restoring a prelapsarian world of goodness.
6. The conclusion to the book leaves the readers questioning how the boys will be
able to fit into society again- What would happen to sociopathic Roger, mentally
exhausted Ralph, immoral Jack.
