Lord Of The Flies - Context Flashcards
What about World War Two made Golding pessimistic about human nature?
The evil of the Nazi party and how they slaughtered millions during the war made him believe that evil couldn’t be defeated, because it’s inside everyone.
How does the rejection of democracy from the Nazis link to the novel?
Jack is a Hitler-like figure - He seizes power and says to Sam and Eric “You got to join the tribe.”
Fear prevented ordinary people from speaking out against the Nazi’s vicious crimes. How does this link to the novel?
Sam and Eric feel helpless to stand up to Jack’s violent power - They say they “couldn’t help it.”
Himmler was put in charge of organising the concentration camps by Hitler, where millions of people died. How does this link to the novel?
Roger has a similar position in Jack’s tribe - He carries out violent acts for Jack. He becomes the executioner and torturer.
After WWII, there was tension between America and the Soviet Union. They had very different political views - America was a democracy, and the Soviet Union was a communist dictatorship. How does this link to the novel?
The conflict between Ralph and Jack - Ralph represents democracy, and Jack represents dictatorship.
The British Empire had begun to break up by the 1950s. How does this link with the novel?
The boy’s society breaks into pieces.
In what ways does Golding present his idea that having a privileged background and good schooling doesn’t mean that you are a decent human being?
Most of the boys are from middle and upper-class backgrounds, but by the end of the novel their savage behaviour shows that these values aren’t instinctive.
Piggy is less posh. E.g. he says things like “Aren’t I having none?”. But he turns out to be the nicest and most intelligent character.
Jack and the choir come from an elite public school, with a uniform and sophisticated vocabulary, such as “matins” (morning prayer). But in the end they turned savage. This strict discipline just made them more likely to obey a vicious leader like Jack and enjoy being wild for a change.
