Name
Block
Mr. Lee
Date
Lord of the Flies / Hobbes & Locke Assignment
Over the course of our novel, Lord of the Flies, we see the development and trajectory of
two distinct societies on a secluded island. By “hitting the reset button” on society, our
novel is able to detail the dynamics that give rise to the growth and establishment of
these groups. Both of these societies appear to abide by a different set of rules, to adopt
different customs, to emphasize different priorities, and to encourage/motivate behavior
by different approaches.
Before embarking upon this novel, our class took a quick glimpse into morality (and how
our society may influence what we consider to be morally appropriate/inappropriate) by
reading excerpts of Thomas Hobbes’ and John Locke’s writing. Using these
philosophers’ thoughts as a reference and a guide:
Construct a 3-4 page argument on whether Hobbes or Locke is more correct in his
assumptions on Man’s Native State and how a certain form of society rises to
meet the needs of Man as these issues are portrayed in William Golding’s Lord of
the Flies.
Expectations:
1. I expect that this paper be turned in via TurnItIn.com as well as printed out and
brought to class on November 23rd, 2015.
a. I expect that a tentative outline (with points you will be proving and
passages you will be referring to) be brought to class on November 16th,
2015
2. I expect your argument to be thoughtful, compelling, and well supported by
proper understandings of both our novel and the philosopher’s text.
3. I expect you to have an opening paragraph that does more than simply hook
me in. By the end of the introduction, I should not only be very interested as to
what you have to say but also oriented as to what your stance is on this issue.
Treat me as if I know nothing about this book or philosophers but like to consider
concepts of man’s native state and society; you should write in a way that does
not necessitate an outside understanding of either texts for comprehension.
4. I expect every body paragraph you compose to properly incorporate at least
two quotations (one establishing the concepts presented by your philosopher
and then another quotation that presents a moment in the novel that corresponds
with that idea), giving its context and source in the same paragraph.
a. A tip: it will help guide your writing if you try to reference both your
philosopher and our novel in your topic sentences.
5. I expect that every body paragraph fully discusses only one supporting point of
your major claim.
6. I expect that your last body paragraph to be a counter-argument that explains
why the other philosopher mentioned in the prompt should be dismissed.
7. I expect that your conclusion extends the ideas presented in your work beyond
the world of the novel.
8. I expect you to avoid summarizing the plot, only including it as necessary
context for your argument.
9. I expect that this essay will be between three and four pages in length.
10. I expect that you compose this essay with an appropriate tone for the matter
being discussed: employing the third person, using scholarly and strong diction,
avoiding phrases such as “I think” or “I believe” and employing phrases such as
“the reader can see” instead, avoiding contractions, and presenting accurate
readings of our texts.
11. I expect that this essay will be devoid of grammatical errors, typos, and other
syntactical errors.
Steps to Consider if You are Feeling Overwhelmed:
1. Understand: Get a good understanding of Hobbes’ and Locke’s points. Go over
your notes, engage with a peer whose notes you trust, and review the handouts
you’ve received and worked on. You are encouraged to work in small groups to
establish a solid comprehension as to what the major points that each
philosopher is putting forth.
2. Decide: After establishing a good understanding of what both writers are
asserting, decide which appears to be more true in the world of our novel. Write
your decision in the form of a claim: “Hobbes is more correct…” or “Locke is
more correct...” This claim should be later refined into a thesis statement that
may touch upon the major elements you will discuss in your composition.
3. Gather: After deciding which writer you will support in your argument, begin to
gather as much evidence as you can to support your claim. A good way to
compile evidence is to fill out the chart provided on the last page of this packet
(draw your own if you run out of space). You are encouraged to find peers who
share your ideas and work in small groups to gather as much evidence as you
can.
4. Organize: Begin to organize your evidence into an argument that follows an
intentional progression of points. You may find it necessary to cut out certain
points (because they are not major or they do not provide as much support for
your paper as you would hope) and to refine the textual evidence that you mean
to employ. While there are many different ways to approach an essay like this, I
would suggest taking one of these two routes (one is very familiar; the other may
be a little foreign):
1. Introduction: Hook, thesis, major points,
etc. How will you gain the attention of the
reader while providing enough preliminary
information so that the reader will not be
confused as you transition into your
argument? How can you portray the basic
facts of this issue in a way that portrays
your stance in a favorable light?
1. Introduction: Hook, thesis, major points,
etc. How will you gain the attention of the
reader while providing enough preliminary
information so that the reader will not be
confused as you transition into your
argument? How can you portray the basic
facts of this issue in a way that portrays
your stance in a favorable light?
2a. Compelling reason #1
2b. Compelling reason #2
2c. Compelling reason #3
2d. Compelling reason #4
2e. Counter Argument
2a. Underlying assumption on humanity
2b. Consequential idea
2c. Consequential idea
2d. Consequential idea
2e. Counter Argument
Main points in the form of body
paragraphs: Choose a number of major
points that your philosopher puts forth (I
Main points in a logical progression: much
of philosophy takes a form of “if X, then Y;
and if Y, then Z”, using a sense of logic to
would suggest either 3-4 for our paper).
Then, develop them in the order of
increasing importance using the steps that
we covered in our basic “evidence based
argumentative paragraph” structure.
Finally, your last body paragraph should be
a counter argument that looks at a major
claim from the other side and explains how
the novel disproves it. Remember that the
analysis of your quotation should make an
effort to connect to the claim through
reasoning.
3. Conclusion: How can we wrap up this
argument in a way that touches on each
major point we developed in our paper? Is
there a way we can expand our final
thoughts beyond the world of our novel?
establish a strong argument. Using this
concept, ask yourself, “What is the
underlying assumption that your
philosopher begins with? How do we see
this in our novel?” This formulates our first
body paragraph. Our subsequent body
paragraphs build off of this basis, asking
“What is the natural consequence if we
suppose the original/previous position to
be true? How do we see this in our novel
as well?” over and over again until we
have satisfied the prompt. Finally you will
end with a counter argument that
addresses a major claim from the other
side and disproves it. Your body
paragraphs here should also employ the
basic “evidence based argumentative
paragraph” structure we covered in class,
but your claim should directly refer to the
major point established in the previous
paragraph. A simplified example of a claim
that utilizes prior understanding: “If Jack’s
acts of thievery exemplify Hobbes
assertion of the innate violence of Man’s
Native State, it follows that, like Hobbes
claims, the only way to rule over the
violence is to be the one who is the most
violent and thus feared.”
3. Conclusion: How can we wrap up this
argument in a way that touches on each
major point we developed in our paper? Is
there a way we can expand our final
thoughts beyond the world of our novel?
You are encouraged to work in pairs or triads to compose an outline – complete
with the progression of points and the examples in the text that correspond with
each point – that will guide your writing.
5. Draft: Draft your argument. Take time to carefully put together a solid draft,
pausing after each paragraph to ensure that you are meeting the expectations
listed, proving the claims you designated as important, and keeping everything
connected and flowing. Please write independently.
6. Revise: Finally, revise your piece. Ask a friend to highlight grammatical errors,
typos, and phrases that just sound awkward. Read your piece backwards, just
focusing on syntax and structure. Cut out unnecessary fluff or filler when the
sentences don’t say anything you’ve already established before. When you are
finished with your piece, print it out and bring it to class.
Questions to get you thinking:
1. How might we read the intentions and actions of the boys in the beginning as
understanding what Locke puts forth?
2. How might we read the events of Chapters 10 as understanding what Hobbes
puts forth?
3. How can the boys’ failure to contribute (building huts, maintain fire, etc.) be
considered evidence? How can the boys’ failure to be civil be considered
evidence?
4. How does Ralph try to get people to do what he considers important? He appeals
to their sense of …? How is this different than how Jack rules people?
5. What is the role of the conch in this society? How might this exemplify or put into
practice what Locke purports?
Point the Philosopher Makes
Is it a Major
Point or a Minor
Point?
How can we see this point
exemplified in our text? (Page
Number)