Lord of the Flies
By William Golding
Plot Summary
Following a plane crash in the middle of a war, a group of boys gather from the crash and realize they are left completely unattended on a deserted island. They quickly form a sort of hierarchical government, with two different groups. Ralph is the leader of the main group, and he appoints Jack as the hunting group’s leader. It becomes apparent that the two boys could not be any more different. Ralph is good and just. He wants the best for the boys. Jack is selfish and becomes enthralled with his power. Throughout the book, Jack recruits boys to his side, and eventually Ralph ends up alone. The other group is paranoid and hungry. They end up hunting Ralph until the very end, when an officer shows up on the island.
Major Themes
Evil:
This book makes it apparent how easily man can resort to natural instincts. At the beginning of the novel, Jack is very persistent about picking a leader and being civilized. However, after getting a taste of power and also dealing with a great amount of stress, he begins to get paranoid and hungry. He desires control more than civilization. Not only does Jack experience this, but Ralph and Piggy do as well. They eventually have a hand in the murder of Simon, showing that even someone who feels so strongly about their morals can revert to this evil, inhumane state.
“Which is better-- to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill,” (180).
“And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of a man’s heart..” (202).
“Maybe there is a beast… Maybe it’s only us”(189).
How does this connect to middle school?
Middle schoolers can relate to feeling out of touch with their bodies. Puberty is a tough time in an adolescent's life, and can make them feel all sorts of wacky. Adolescent boys and girls can be rude, sassy, and downright mean. This is why it is imperative that we have our own middle school ecosystem. Putting these kids in with younger and/or older students can create harmful reversions or even force students to grow up too quickly. This can feel like a menacing "beast" like they feel in the book. Teachers and parents should work together to make students feel as at ease as possible.
Here is a link to an article talking about the pressures of middle school and the importance of the middle school culture.
Mob Mentality/Peer Pressure:
One key theme this book touches on is the dangers of mob mentality and peer pressure. Early on, we see the boys picking sides and Jack recruiting people to his side. This contributed to the violence portrayed in the novel. When the boys kill a pig, they sing a chant that makes a violent, brutal kill into a full-on bonding ritual. Through this mentality, Jack perpetuates a culture of violence and paranoia within the group. These boys feared personal responsibility for their actions, so they willingly succumbed to the mob mentality in order to safeguard their egos.
“… the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (60).
“Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood” (65). (the chant they sang when killing the pig)
“Memory of the dance that none of them had attended shook all four boys convulsively” (148).
How does this connect to middle school?
Peer pressure is rampant in middle and high schools. Students in middle school are especially insecure due to all the physical and emotional changes going on in their bodies. These adolescents succumb to the idea of mod mentality because they don't want to stick out of the crowd. This can be dangerous if there are issues within the crowd, such as trying drugs or alcohol. Teachers and parents should be especially wary of this type of thinking and keep an eye on groups of friends.
Here is a music video about peer pressure that could be shown in the classroom.
Also, here is an infographic regarding peer pressure. (scroll through the whole picture!)
So… why should we think differently?
I think it is important to view this book through a lens of truth rather than fantasy. If we think critically about this book and its important themes, it’s evident that it’s not far off from reality. Take Ralph for example. He is a good person who cares about the well-being of others. Even he succumbs to the mob and participates in the most violent act. Thinking about this in the lens of reality, peer pressure is extremely evident in middle schools throughout the country. Rather than teaching this as a fantasy, I think teaching important moral issues through this novel would help keep it relevant.
How might it be viewed as irrelevant?
It’s outdated. That is the main reason I can see it being considered irrelevant. Many students disregard classic novels because they feel it doesn’t relate to modern times. The language used is “old-timey” and can feel slow at times. In addition to this, students may disregard this novel as too fantastical. I think changing the way of teaching this novel would help dissolve many of these setbacks.
How could I teach this to gain relevancy?
I believe being more general about the book and connecting it to modern times would be the most useful tactic to gain relevancy. Discussions should talk about how students would react to situations like this and how they can relate this story to their own experiences. I know most students have experienced peer pressure at some point in their school experience, so having a discussion regarding the dangers of peer pressure and the importance of individualism would be beneficial at this age. I also think having a discussion regarding morals and themes would help them to better grasp the feelings the boys in the book were experiencing.
Current Event Connections
The current political culture in our country is the most relevant connection I can imagine for this novel. The country is basically split in two, just like the boys in the novel were. We were tasked to choose a leader like the boys had to do. Mob mentality is running rampant in our country along either side. I think teaching students this important connection would help solidify the themes in the novel.
Here is a link from Pew Research Center about the political divide in America.
Also, here is an article from the Atlantic regarding the history of mob mentality and what it means for the future.
Who can students talk to?
The author: William Golding. I think it would be interesting for students to work together and form a letter or email to Golding to ask their questions. It could be a fun idea!
Teachers: Duh! English or History teachers would love to chat about this novel. English teachers would help with the metaphors and symbolism within the novel, while History teachers would love to chat about the time period this story was written in.
Family members: I think this would be a super fun idea. If the parents had read the book as a student, it would be a fun bonding experience. If they hadn’t, it would give the student a chance to deepen comprehension by using a Read, Share, Pair sort of model.
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