Exploring Golding's message about human behaviour in 'Lord of the Flies' | English

Starter quiz

In which year was 'Lord of the Flies' published?
- 1951
- 1952
- 1953
- 1954 ✓
- 1955
What occupation did William Golding have before WWII?
- lawyer
- teacher ✓
- doctor
- police officer
Which of the following statements is true about William Golding?
- he was a commander in the army
- he was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy ✓
- he was an officer in the Royal Air Force
What does the word 'innate' mean?
- manufactured
- natural ✓
- controlled
- wild
- savage
Starting with the first, put the following events from 'Lord of the Flies' in chronological order.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  The boys elect Ralph as leader.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Ralph refuses to let Piggy come and explore the island.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Jack's hunters let the fire burn out.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Jack kills his first pig.
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  Simon discovers that the 'beast' is actually a fallen parachutist.
- 6
  
  ⇔
  
  Simon is murdered by the boys.
- 7
  
  ⇔
  
  Piggy is murdered by Roger.
Match the methods up to their definitions.
- contrast
  
  ⇔
  
  comparing two things in order to show the difference between them ✓
- assonance
  
  ⇔
  
  the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close to each other ✓
- personification
  
  ⇔
  
  attribution of human characteristics to non-human things ✓
- semantic field
  
  ⇔
  
  a set of words grouped by a common theme ✓
- simile
  
  ⇔
  
  a figure of speech used to compare two unlike things using 'like/as' ✓

Exit quiz

The nature vs ______ debate is an age-old psychological and philosophical debate about human behaviour.
- 'nurture' ✓
Which character from 'Lord of the Flies' arguably challenges the idea that evil is inherent and part of our nature?
- Ralph
- Jack
- Simon ✓
- Piggy
- Samneric
Which of the following can be used as a synonym for the word 'inherent'?
- unnatural
- forged
- manipulated
- innate ✓
- uncanny
What did William Golding compare man's inherent capacity for evil to?
- ants creating a molehill
- rabbits creating burrows
- bees making honey ✓
- cows producing milk
Why might people have been so interested in the nature vs nurture debate after the two World Wars?
- people had witnessed extreme brutality perpetrated by ordinary people ✓
- people wanted to know if there would be another war in their lifetimes
- people struggled to understand how one person could influence so many others ✓
- many of the acts of violence in war were perpetrated by young people
What might Golding have wanted to challenge when writing 'Lord of the Flies'? Select the most appropriate response.
- the idea that children are not violent or aggressive
- the idea that people are born innately evil
- the idea that rules and laws are necessary to a functioning society
- the idea that people are either good or evil ✓
- the idea that people are not born evil, but are made evil

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

Golding aims to provide an incisive insight into human behaviour.
Golding was horrified by the brutality he witnessed during the war, perpetrated by seemingly-ordinary people.
Golding used children for his exploration of human behaviour, arguably because they are considered innocent.
Golding suggests that all humans have an innate savageness within, which is suppressed by societal expectations.
Once these societal expectations are removed, arguably, this savageness is given space to emerge.

Common misconception

Students think that Golding sits on the 'nature' side of the nature/nurture debate.

Golding does not provide us with a concrete answer- he suggests that we all have the capacity (or the impulses) to behave sinfully, but it takes the right circumstances for brutality to emerge.

Keywords

Inherent - used to describe a quality we are born with - something that is instinctive and natural
Nurture - taking care of something - raising it through feeding it and protecting it from harm
Brutality - extreme cruelty and/or violence
Trait - a quality or characteristic, belonging to a person