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Lord of the Flies gcse grade 8/9 model essay

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This is a high-level GCSE English Literature essay designed specifically for students studying William Golding’s Lord of the Flies who are aiming for Grades 8-9. The essay explores how Golding presents Piggy as an outsider, while also examining some of the novel’s most important themes, including civilisation versus savagery, rationality, social exclusion, mob mentality, democracy, power and the breakdown of societal order. Rather than simply describing Piggy as someone who is bullied by the other boys, the essay develops a more conceptual interpretation of his character. It explores how Piggy becomes increasingly isolated because his values, intelligence and belief in civilisation contrast with the behaviour of the other boys as they descend into savagery.

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​ ow​​far​​does​​Golding​​present​​Piggy​​as​​a​​character​​with​​useful​
H
​and​​important​​ideas​​in​​Lord​​of​​the​​Flies?​
​ rite​​about:​
W
​.What​​Piggy​​says​​and​​does​​that​​can​​be​​seen​​as​​useful​​and​​important​
​.How​​far​​Golding​​presents​​Piggy​​as​​a​​character​​with​​useful​​and​​important​​ideas​
​[30​​marks]​
​A04​​[4​​marks]​


I​n​​Golding’s​​post-war​​allegory​​‘Lord​​of​​the​​Flies’,​​to​​a​​far​​extent,​​Piggy​​is​​presented​​as​​one​​of​​the​
​few​​boys​​who​​consistently​​values​​logic,​​morality​​and​​civilisation.​​Through​​Piggy’s​​rational​​ideas​
​and​​warnings,​​Golding​​suggests​​that​​intelligence​​and​​goodness​​are​​essential​​for​​society​​to​
​function.​​However,​​Golding​​also​​presents​​Piggy’s​​ideas​​as​​ultimately​​powerless​​against​
​humanity’s​​attraction​​to​​savagery​​and​​violence.​

​ irstly,​​Golding​​presents​​Piggy’s​​ideas​​as​​intellectually​​and​​morally​​valuable​​because​​he​​is​​one​
F
​of​​the​​only​​boys​​who​​recognises​​the​​danger​​of​​losing​​civilisation.​​This​​is​​evident​​in​​Chapter​​5​
​when​​he​​is​​venting​​about​​the​​group’s​​actions​​when​​he​​says​​‘What​​are​​we?​​Humans?​​Or​
​animals?​​Or​​savages?’.​​This​​list​​of​​4​​rhetorical​​questions​​reflect​​Piggy’s​​inner​​turmoil​​and​​hope​
​for​​the​​boys​​to​​say​​humane.​​It​​highlights​​the​​spectrum​​of​​their​​behaviour​​and​​the​​tension​​that​
​Piggy​​recognises​​that​​is​​growing​​within​​the​​boys​​between​​civilised​​and​​instinctive​​drive.​​It​
​perhaps​​symbolises​​Piggy’s​​awareness​​at​​their​​collective​​transformation.​​The​​fact​​that​​the​​noun​
​‘savages’,​​is​​more​​demoralising​​than​​‘animal’,​​reinforces​​hose​​their​​identity​​may​​be​​stripped​​into​
​unimaginable​​unrecognisable​​creatures.​​It​​is​​as​​though​​highlighting​​their​​bloodthirsty​​nature​​and​
​loss​​of​​identity​​perhaps​​hinting​​at​​the​​theme​​of​​civilisation​​vs​​Savagery.​​The​​rhetorical​​questions​
​reinforce​​his​​disbelief​​and​​desperation​​for​​the​​boys​​to​​not​​go​​down​​that​​path.​​This​​is​​maybe​
​foreshadowing​​the​​later​​shift​​in​​the​​boy’s​​mentalities​​when​​regress​​into​​committing​​murders.​
​Perhaps​​Golding​​is​​attempting​​to​​convey​​how​​despite​​the​​recognition​​of​​loss​​of​​humanity​​and​
​morals,​​it​​is​​easily​​forgotten​​due​​to​​the​​temptation​​of​​savagery.​​This​​perhaps​​links​​to​​Freud’s​
​perspective​​where​​the​​id,​​the​​symbol​​of​​basic​​desires’,​​ultimately​​overpowers​​everything​​else​
​Thus​​presenting​​Piggy’s​​ideas​​as​​important​​through​​his​​singular​​ability​​to​​recognise​​the​​danger​
​of​​the​​loss​​of​​civilisation.​

​ oreover,​​Golding​​depicts​​Piggy’s​​ideas​​as​​insightful​​and​​important​​because​​he​​understands​
M
​that​​fear​​and​​evil​​come​​from​​humans​​themselves​​rather​​than​​external​​forces.​​This​​is​​evident​​in​
​Chapter​​5​​when​​Ralph​​has​​called​​a​​meeting​​and​​Piggy​​is​​attempting​​to​​rationalise​​the​​boy’s​​fear.​
​This​​is​​evident​​when​​he​​says​​‘I​​know​​there​​isn’t​​no​​beast,​​with​​claws​​and​​all​​that…​​Unless​​we​
​get​​frightened​​of​​people.’​​This​​dismissive​​tone​​emphasises​​Piggy’s​​intelligence​​and​​logic​
​reinforcing​​how​​he​​recognises​​the​​childish​​nature​​of​​a​​materialised​​monster​​being​​actually​
​present​​on​​the​​island.​​It​​suggests​​his​​doubt​​about​​the​​boys’​​fears​​truly​​being​​part​​of​​human​
​nature​​through​​his​​scepticism,​​perhaps​​reflecting​​how​​he​​believes​​humans​​themselves​​are​​the​
​true​​danger.​​The​​verb​​‘frightened’​​creates​​a​​fearful​​and​​perplexed​​tone,​​as​​though​​reiterating​​the​
​fact​​that​​Piggy​​feels​​the​​very​​notion​​about​​being​​frightened​​of​​people​​is​​stupid​​and​​illogical.​​This​
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Sir William Golding Lord of the Flies
Publisher: januari 2011 ISBN: 9780571273577 Edition: 1

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