Lord of the Flies
Essay Options
Choose one of the following prompts to respond to in essay format. See the end of this handout
for helpful essay pointers.
1. Of all the characters, it is Piggy who most often has useful ideas and sees the correct way for the
boys to organize themselves. Yet the other boys rarely listen to him and frequently abuse him.
Why do you think this is the case? In what ways does Golding use Piggy to advance the novel’s
themes of Leadership, Responsibility, and Authority?
2. Although the reader’s sympathies are usually with Ralph, many of the boys decide to follow
Jack. Explain what you think are the differences in what Jack and Ralph stand for and in how
they behave in the novel.
3. What do you think Golding has to say about civilization and civilized behavior in the novel? You
should consider: which characters and ideas are “civilized”, how Golding presents the
“uncivilized”, the ending of the novel, and the themes of Leadership, Responsibility, and
Authority.
4. Write about one or more of the following as they are presented in the novel: violence &
savagery, children & adults, how leaders gain power, loyalty & trust, and or meetings & rituals.
5. Ralph said, “Things are breaking up. I don’t understand why. We began well. We were happy.”
Explain what went wrong and why. You may choose to examine each of Ralph’s four short
statements.
6. Show how Golding creates a world of increasing violence in the novel by considering all or some
of the following: the characters themselves, the setting of the novel, the events of the novel, the
behavior of the characters, and/or the way the author works out the themes of Leadership,
Responsibility, and Authority.
7. How is Ralph changed by his experiences on the island? You should write about: what he is like
when the boys are first stranded on the island, what he tries to do and how he responds to
events and other characters, how the writer shows us the character of Ralph, what you think the
writer wants Ralph to represent, AND your own opinions of Ralph.
8. Defend and/or criticize Ralph’s actions as a leader. What were his motivations? Did he
contribute to the tragedy in any way? Could he have acted to prevent any of the deaths? What
would you have done differently in his situation?
9. Perhaps to create a perfect society was beyond the boys’ capability in Golding’s Lord of the Flies,
but could it have realistically gotten better? How did it fall apart, and could the society have
been fixed? Write an essay that discusses what crucial errors the boys made that they actually
could have made different and, thus, made a better island society.
10. The boys initially chose Ralph for their leader/chief, a position he still claimed even in the end
when all the remaining boys nearly successfully hunted him down to put his head on a stick.
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 boys’ island society. Be
sure to include specific details relevant to Ralph’s performance.
11. Humanity craves order. In Lord of the Flies, order is preserved symbolically through the conch.
Explain how the conch reveals insight into the boys’ humanity. Provide specific examples from
the beginning, middle, and end of the novel that support your observations. Defend your
observations with detailed explanations and analysis.
Mini Guide to the Writing Process
Every essay must have:
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-
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A well-planned introduction that includes:
o Introductory information that sets up the focus of the essay and/or an appropriate
attention-grabber that focuses the reader on the essay topic
o A deliberately planned thesis that clearly identifies what you will prove in the essay
Organized and thoughtful body paragraphs that include:
o Topic sentences that focus the reader on what you will prove in the paragraph
o Specific evidence that shows something about the prompt. This evidence should be
a mix of paraphrasing and direct quotations, well-embedded in your own writing
o Analysis that is specific to the evidence and that explains what your evidence proves
A conclusion that draws some assumptions about the information you have presented.
Checklist for Writing:
o Develop a clear thesis related to the writing task.
o Organize your writing with a strong introduction, body, and conclusion.
o Support claims with direct or indirect examples. (If you include direct quotes, put them in
quotation marks, and make sure you introduce them and interpret/analyze them afterwards.)
o Keep formal essays in third person.
o Refer to the literature in the present tense.
o Vary sentences.
o Check for mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence formation.
o Go back to the writing task/direction to make sure your essay is on the right track.
Point
Value
Focus
Content
Organization
3
Sharp,
distinct
controlling
point made
about a single
topic with
evident
awareness of
task
Substantial,
specific; and/or
illustrative
content
demonstrating
strong
development
and
sophisticated
ideas
Sophisticated
arrangement of
content with
evident and/or
subtle
transitions
2
Apparent
point made
about a single
topic with
sufficient
awareness of
task (mode)
Sufficiently
developed
content with
adequate
elaboration or
explanation
1
No apparent
point but
evidence of a
specific topic
Limited content
with
inadequate
elaboration or
explanation
0
Minimal
evidence of a
topic
Superficial
and/or minimal
content
Style
Precise,
illustrative
use
of a variety of
words and
sentence
structures to
create
consistent
writer's voice
and tone
Functional
Generic use of
arrangement of a variety of
content that
words and
sustains a
sentence
logical
structures
order with
that
some
may or may
evidence of
not
transitions
create writer's
voice and tone
appropriate to
audience
Confused or
Limited word
inconsistent
choice and
arrangement of control of
content with or sentence
without
structures
attempts
that
at transition
inhibit voice
and tone
Minimal
Minimal
control
variety in
of intent
word
arrangement
choice and
minimal
control of
sentence
structures
Conventions
Evident
control
of grammar,
mechanics,
spelling, usage
and sentence
formation
Sufficient
control of
grammar,
mechanics,
spelling, usage
and sentence
formation
Limited
control
of grammar,
mechanics,
spelling, usage
and sentence
formation
Minimal
control
of grammar,
mechanics,
spelling, usage
and sentence
formation