Lord of the Flies: Literary Essay
1. How do Golding’s characters serve as important
symbols in the novel? Develop your answer by
analyzing three important characters in terms of
their symbolic value.
2. What does Golding’s novel seem to be saying about
human nature or society? Explain, making direct
reference to the novel.
3. Man either evolves and survives or remains static
and dies. Examine the truth of this statement as it
relates to several characters in Golding’s novel.
4. Compare and contrast Ralph and Jack as leaders.
Which character is the stronger leader? Your answer
should clearly establish your idea of leadership, and
should draw on the text to support your overall
position.
5. Who is the most compelling / significant / important
character in Lord of the Flies? Develop your answer
using evidence from the text to support your
analysis.
6. In his discussion of the Psychology of Evil, Phil
Zimbardo points out that transformations of human
character (from “good” to “evil”) happen due to
three factors: DISPOSITIONAL (internal factors within
the individual), SITUATIONAL (external factors that
influence an individual), or SYSTEMIC (the influences
of political, cultural, or economic factors upon an
individual).
Relate these three concepts to Lord of the Flies;
show how each factor may relate to the
transformation(s) of various characters or groups in
the story.
You may find Zimbardo’s TED talk on youtube
(be aware that there are graphic depictions of
violence in his presentation – you may skip the
section from 5:00-6:45).