Lord of the Flies: Context Flashcards
What is the story a parody of
Late 1900s adventure stories e.g. Coral Island
What does ‘lord of the flies’ refer to
Beelzebub
What 3 shows does the book take influence from
Macbeth,King Leer and Heart of darkness
What experiences prompted Goldings writing of the book
Being in WW2 he said ‘he discovered what one man could do to another’ and that ‘man produces evil as a bee produces honey’
What philosphical idea does Golding draw influence from
May have been influenced by Thomas Hobbes idea that without social constraint we would become savages
How does the bible influence the book
Biblical ref. with the idea of original sin. The destruction of the island that symbolised a paradise; like the Garden of Eden
How can the book be viewed in a political or moral allegory
It is a moral allegory for how good cant withstand evil
Political allegory for how democratic societies fall to totalitarian ones
Whats quote relating nazi germany and the book
‘Nazi Germany was a particular kind of boil which burst in 1939. That was the only the same kind of inflamed spot we all suffer from and so I took English ‘ - Golding
what characters represent nazi-like figures
Jack demanding loyalty = Hitler
Sam and Eric feeling hopeless to jacks power = Fear in Nazi Germany
Roger as a torturer and executioner= Himmler
How did the cold war influence the book
Book starts in a cold war like scenario as world is at war.
Conflict between Jack and ralph like the cold war
When conflict breaks out there is MAD in the resulting fire causing a ‘burning wreckage’ destroying the island
Quote supporting the fact that the book is during a nuclear war
‘about the atom bomb? They’re all dead’ says Piggy
How does the british empire affect the book
- Britain still had a large empire in the 1950s but was starting to break up just like the boys
- British values; ‘We’re English and the English are the best at everything’ but their behaviour later challenges this
- ‘This belongs to us’ and the boys ‘savoured the right of dominion’
How does class affect the book
- The elite schooled boys would be expected to behave orderly but are happy to enjoy being wild
- Savage behaviour by the end of the story shows values aren’t instinctive to class
- Piggy is less posh but the most intelligent and nearly nicest showing class doesn’t determine your character
How does Golding reference Coral Island
Golding deliberately used the same names (Ralph and Jack) to write a more realistic version
