Lord of the Flies Essay Assignment
Argumentative Essay
English I
King
NAME_________________________
Purpose
This assignment is designed to help you demonstrate your knowledge of the novel Lord
of the Flies by William Golding, as well as the topics that we discussed in class during
the course of our unit. The essay will be an opportunity for you to examine several
different significant facets of the novel and the characters. This will also provide you a
venue in which you can provide your own thoughts and opinions about the literature and
its use of characterization and conflict. You will work to combine both facts from the
novel and your own personal interpretation of the novel’s events and significance.
Prompt Selection Disclaimer
For this essay you may only choose one prompt to write about. Do not attempt to
combine more than one prompt. Choose a prompt that you feel you have significant
knowledge of and one that you feel passionate writing about. It will be beneficial to do a
prewriting exercise such as a table, a web, list, etc. Be sure to think about the time period
and significant world events while considering your prompt.
Paper Description
For this essay you will choose one of the following prompts:
1. The boys initially chose Ralph for their chief/leader in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a
position he still claimed even in the end when the boys no longer recognize his position of power.
Considering the state of affairs at the end of his term as chief, how did Ralph measure up to the
job?
Write an essay that evaluates Ralph’s performance as chief of the boy’s island society. Be sure to
include specific details relevant to Ralph’s performance.
2. In the novel the Lord of the Flies author William Golding constantly has the reader questioning
the true nature of humans-whether it is good or bad.
Write an essay that discusses the idea that humans are essentially good or that humans are
essentially bad. Choose one side and convince your audience (me) with two detailed examples
from the text and two detailed examples from the last 50 years in history that humans are
essentially good or that humans are essentially bad
3. Maybe true “world peace” is a simple minded dream of beauty pageant bubble-heads, but does
that mean that people should stop trying altogether? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream;
considering “human nature” should he have abandoned it? William Golding did not write Lord of
the Flies to make us feel defeated but to empower us through a fuller understanding of “human
nature.”
Write an essay that discusses what lessons/insights Lord of the Flies offers that people today
could put to use and how they could put it to use.
Remember, specifics enlighten, generalities cloud—provide as many specific details from
the text as possible.
Text Citations and Works Cited Page
You are required to use a minimum of two direct quotes from the text to support your
arguement. (We will practice in-text citations in class.) Since you will be using quotes
from the novel, it will also be important to include a Works Cited page with the
information for the novel Lord of the Flies. (This will also be shown to you in class.) This
is essential in order to avoid plagiarism.
Paper Format
The paper should be typed, double spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman font. You
should use proper MLA Format including the proper heading, page numbers,
parenthetical documentation, and a Works Cited page. The length for this paper is 10001500 words. Do not forget to submit your paper to Turnitin.com.
Grading
The paper will be graded using the 6-Trait scale with a greater weight on Ideas and
Content. The paper will be worth 100 points.
Ideas and Content
/25
Organization
/10
Sentence Fluency
/10
Voice
/10
Word Choice
/10
Conventions
/10
Works Cited
/10
Parenthetical Documentation/MLA Format
/15
Comments