LORD OF THE FLIES William Golding

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1 LORD OF THE FLIES William Golding
“A complex tale that attempts to trace the defects of society back to defects of human nature.”

2 Intro to Novel… What is human nature?
Are we more a product of our environment (nurture) or DNA (nature)? How much of your “good conduct” is dependent upon the fact that someone is watching you?

3 Intro cont’d Who is at fault… Where do you think evil comes from?
When a teacher leaves the room during a test and kids cheat? When kids drink at an unchaperoned party? When someone speeds because they know no radar is patrolling his speed? Where do you think evil comes from? How would the Greeks answer that question?

4 Intro cont’d What do you think is the greatest evil?
So, how do you think we try to prevent evil? Rules/laws – to help keep us from doing wrong Enforcer – a person in charge (teacher/parents/police) Social Contract Theory

5 Social Contract Theory
One of the dominant theories in Western political thought Criticism – some are left out..who? Hobbes…

6 William Golding Born Sept 19,1911 Cornwall, England Remarkable parents
Mother – suffragette movement Father – school master Encouraged William – study sciences

7 Two important events - life
Changed major from science to English literature WWII Lieutenant – commanded rocket-launching ship Participated in D-Day Invasion At sea – read ancient Greek writers – reevaluated their pessimistic view of mankind

8 LESSONS from WWII Bad people make wars – not vice versa
Evil comes from within “We saw a hell of a lot in the war that can’t be accounted for except on the basis of original sin.” “You think you’ve won the war and defeated Nazism, so you’re all nice, decent people, but look out, the evil is in all of us

9 Lessons cont’d Golding sees no essential difference between Allies and Nazis – the good and the bad – we could so easily be them! DO YOU AGREE?

10 After WWII School teacher in England
Learned about children – how they interact, talk, etc. Realistic portrayal of children in the novel

11 Motive behind writing of Lord of the Flies published in 1954
Grief over what man can do to mankind Nazis Mengele’s experiments on children Bombing of Germany Stalin Atom bomb

12 Golding’s Style: Realism in Lit
Emphasis on verisimilitude Character more important than action Characters complex Ethical issues – subject of literature Simple, direct prose Objectivity is essential Events will be believable

13 Allegory Combinations of characters, objects, actions represent ideas or qualities Teaches a moral lesson\ Garden of Eden Microcosm

14 Point of View By chapter 3 – 3rd person omniscient (remember objectivity) Narrator isn’t character in the book Judgments are made by the reader

15 “The veneer of civilization is very thin…”

16 Consider while you read…
Is the struggle to survive MORAL or PHYSICAL? Is this book optimistic or pessimistic about human nature? Who is right? Rousseau or Golding? Are they both right? The significance of the title of the book… Literal? Metaphorical?

17 THE PHILOSOPHERS

18 Hobbes “Life is short, chaotic, brutal, uncivilized, and solitary” and not very much fun! So…MAN IS NATURALLY EVIL…BORN EVIL.

19 Thomas Hobbes 17TH century
Social Contract Theory– man needs government to keep peace and order One of the most dominant moral and political theories in history of Western civilization Individuals give up just enough of their natural rights for authority to be able to ensure peace and order

20 Human Nature Man is selfish – concerned with own selves
Everything we do is motivated solely by the desire to better our own situations Man fears death most of all State of Nature – worst possible situation that man can find himself Humans are also reasonable So, man will choose to submit to authority and give up just enough of their natural rights to be able to ensure peace and order ie. SOCIAL CONTRACT

21 John Locke Humans are born BLANK SLATES, neither good nor evil
It’s our experience that determines who we are. We are more a product of nurture that nature.

22 John Locke Believes in Hobbe’s SOCIAL CONTRACT Natural law –
Man uses his reason to determine what institutions (government) will optimize material and spiritual welfare Education makes the man Used by Jefferson and Founding Fathers – gave citizens the right to revolt against the English king Man agrees to live together under common laws Man agrees to create a force to uphold those laws

23 Jean Jacques Rousseau French writer 1800s
Philosophy – emotion vs reason Opposed education – spread society’s contamination Man’s natural goodness need only to be let alone to produce moral behavior Rejects doctrine of original sin “nothing can be more gentle than man in his primitive state.” Rousseau and Golding disagree Humans are born good

24 Abraham Maslow Maslow is a humanistic psychologist. Humanists do not believe that human beings are pushed and pulled by mechanical forces, either of stimuli and reinforcements (behaviorism) or of unconscious instinctual impulses (psychoanalysis). Humanists focus upon potentials.

25 They believe that humans strive for an upper level of capabilities
They believe that humans strive for an upper level of capabilities. Humans seek the frontiers of creativity, the highest reaches of consciousness and wisdom. This has been labeled "fully functioning person", "healthy personality", or as Maslow calls this level, "self-actualizing person."

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27 Consider as you read…Who is right?
Hobbes? Locke? Rousseau? Maslow

28 Homework: Journal Freewrite
Abraham Lincoln said, “Human nature can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed.” Using examples from your own life experiences, history, and/or literature, support or attack this statement.