Golding's use of setting in 'Lord of the Flies'
I can explain how the settings represent the characters.
Golding's use of setting in 'Lord of the Flies'
I can explain how the settings represent the characters.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Golding uses contrasting imagery to present the island as a utopian paradise that has the potential to corrupt.
- Golding uses the setting to reflect the condition of the boys.
- Arguably, Golding uses the setting to foreshadow the boys' descent into savagery by the end of the novel.
- By the end of the novel, the island is unrecognisable due to the environmental damage the boys have caused.
- The boys harm their environment as much as they harm each other, showing mankind's capacity for destruction.
Common misconception
Pupils think that the island is presented as idyllic in the first chapter.
Whilst there are aspects of the description that present the island as idyllic, Golding's descriptions are characterised by a sense of threat in more ominous undertones. He achieves this through his use of dark and light and through his use of verbs.
Keywords
Utopia - a perfect or idealistic world-like paradise
Foreshadow - when the writer makes subtle hints about future events
Devolution - descent into a lower or worse state
To corrupt - to change someone from moral to immoral
Equipment
A copy of the Faber & Faber 1997 edition of 'Lord of the Flies' is essential for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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