YEAR 10 ENGLISH
LORD OF THE FLIES

This guide has been developed to support the novel Lord of the Flies.

If you have any problems with these resources or need further help, please contact Mrs Bakitch.

Last updated 10 April 2024

Watch the following video for a quick refresher on the story.

Lord of the Flies has sold more than 10 million copies and been translated into at least 30 languages. 

Find out 10 Things You Didn't Know About Lord of the Flies

Don't forget there is an audiobook of ​Lord of the Flies available on Connect.

• The Author

• Historical Context

• The Novel

• Book Chapters

• Characters

• Literary Devices

• Themes

• 8

• 9

• 10

• 11

• 12

• 13

• 14

• 15

• 16

• 17

• 18

• 19

• 20

• 21

• 22

• 23

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• 25

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• 27

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• 30

• William Golding

  

  Golding, William. (2009). In Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of World Literature (Vol. 2, pp. 708-711). Gale.

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  Golding, William (Gerald) (1911-1993). (2005). In T. Matthews & T. Watson (Eds.), Major 21st-Century Writers (Vol. 2). Gale.

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  McNeill, E. (n.d.). William Golding biography. Study.com

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  Reiff, R. H. (2010). William Golding: Lord of the flies. Marshall Cavendish.

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  Somers, J. (2020). Biography of William Golding, English novelist. https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-william-golding-british-novelist-4801336

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  SparkNotes. (2005). Lord of the flies. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/

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• Time Period

  

  Course Hero. (2016). Lord of the Flies context. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Lord-of-the-Flies/context/

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  Ireland, B. (2017). William Golding's Lord of the Flies in historical context. In S. Fredericks (Ed.), Lord of the flies (pp. 27-40). Salem Press.

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  Labriola, A., & Loy, P. S. (2001). Lord of the Flies. In J. Moss, World Literature and Its Times: Profiles of Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events That Influenced Them (Vol. 4, pp. 283-292). Gale. 

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  Koopmans, A. (2003). Understanding Lord of the flies. Lucent Books.

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  Moss, J., & Wilson, G. (1997). Lord of the Flies. In Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them (Vol. 4, pp. 228-234). Gale.

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  Presley, N. (2017). Lord of the Flies and the Coral Island. https://william-golding.co.uk/lord-flies-coral-island

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  SparkNotes. (2005). Historical context essay: Lord of the flies and the atomic age. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/context/historical/lord-of-the-flies-and-the-atomic-age/​

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  Smith, A., & Buckroyd, P. (2013). Oxford literature companions: Lord of the flies. OUP Oxford.

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  Walker, M., & Francis, R. (2010). Lord of the flies, William Golding. Hodder.

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• General Guides

  

  CrashCourse. (2016, August 4). Lord of the Flies [Video]. YouTube. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfNiQBXmPw8

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  Dunkerly-Bean, J. (2016). Lord of the flies: what does the title mean? Study.com

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  Fischer, K. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Study.com

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  Iwasaki, I. (n.d.). Literary criticism of the Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Study.com

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  Kelly, M. (2000). CliffsNotes on Golding's Lord of the flies. Cliffs Notes.

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  Koopmans, A. (2003). Understanding Lord of the flies. Lucent Books.

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  This chapter, called The Lesson, looks at the novel as a fable.

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  Olsen, K. (2000). Understanding Lord of the flies: A student casebook to issues, sources, and historical documents. Greenwood.

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  SparkNotes. (2005). Lord of the flies. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/

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  William Golding's Lord of the Flies: An Overview. (2020). In Gale Essential Overviews. Gale.

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  Point of View

  

  Breazeale, L. (2016). Lord of the Flies point of view. Study.com

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  eNotes. (2023). What is the point of view in Lord of the Flies? https://www.enotes.com/topics/lord-of-the-flies/questions/what-point-of-view-is-used-in-lord-of-the-flies-348318

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  Setting

  

  eNotes. (2021). Why is the setting of the Lord of the Flies important to the plot. https://www.enotes.com/topics/lord-of-the-flies/questions/why-is-the-setting-of-lord-of-the-flies-important-41083

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  Iwasaki, I. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Study.com

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  Oldsey, B.S., & Weintraub, S. (1997). Golding's deliberately obscure setting. In C. Swisher (Ed.), Readings on Lord of the Flies (pp. 112-115). Greenhaven Press.

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• Chapter Summaries

  

  Gordon, A. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies: Summary, climax & ending. Study.com

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  Koopmans, A. (2003). Understanding Lord of the flies. Lucent Books.

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  Walker, M. (2006). Lord of the flies: William Golding. Philip Allan.

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  Chapter 1

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 1: The sound of the shell [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmfZh0CzGKU

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  Schouten, M. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding : Ch. 1​. Study.com

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  Chapter 2

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at9NlbJ0t1g

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding : Ch. 2​. Study.com

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  Chapter 3

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 3: Huts on the beach [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdsr0Zh6ppU

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding : Ch. 3. Study.com

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  Chapter 4

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 4: Painted faces and long hair [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmP8dPQAyJw

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  Taylor, J. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding : Ch. 4. Study.com

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  Chapter 5

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 5: Beast from water [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHSTmKEXt48

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding : Ch. 5. Study.com

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  Chapter 6

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 6: Beast from air [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ9zAtnXy1Y

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding : Ch. 6. Study.com

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  Chapter 7

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 7: Shadows and tall trees [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae3fa2HB-D4

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  Hall, C. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding : Ch. 7. Study.com

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  Chapter 8

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 8: Gift for the darkness [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SskU0h0w_7I

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  Mugg, D. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies chapter 8. Study.com

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  Chapter 9

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 9: A view to a death [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M8zqVKC4pA

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies: Chapter 9. Study.com

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  Chapter 10

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 10: The shell and the glasses [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fk3Z2mwmak

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding : Ch. 10. Study.com

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  Chapter 11

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 11: Castle Rock [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7USOLKS0IQ

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by Will​iam Golding : Ch. 11. Study.com

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  Chapter 12

  

  Course Hero. (2017, August 26). Chapter 12: Cry of the hunters [Video]. YouTube. ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7KkLvEwNCQ

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  Schouten, M. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by Will​iam Golding : Ch. 12. Study.com

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• Characters in Lord of the Flies

  

  BBC. (n.d.). Lord of the flies - character overview. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zt6dcj6/revision/1

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  Koopmans, A. (2003). Understanding Lord of the flies. Lucent Books.

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  Li, X., & Wu, W. (2009). On symbolic significance of characters in Lord of the flies. English Language Teaching, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v2n1p119

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies: Characters, description and symbolism. Study.com

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  Smith, A., & Buckroyd, P. (2013). Oxford literature companions: Lord of the flies. OUP Oxford.

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  Walker, M. (2006). Lord of the flies: William Golding. Philip Allan.

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  Jack

  

  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Jack in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Study.com

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  Littleuns & Biguns

  

  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Littluns & Biguns in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Maurice

  

  Martin del Campo, M. (n.d.). Maurice in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Percival

  

  Winzenread, S. (n.d.). Percival in Lord of the Flies by W. Golding. Study.com

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  Piggy

  

  Mr Bruff. (2022, March 19). 'Lord of the Flies' character analysis: Piggy [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/LWqQNvI13xc?si=KFD6EIojjCzPSjdx

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  Stone, M. (n.d.). Piggy in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Watson, K. (n.d.). Piggy in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Ralph

  

  McNeill, E. (n.d.). Ralph in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Roger

  

  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Roger in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Sam and Eric (Samneric)

  

  Fischer, K. (n.d.). Sam and Eric (Samneric) in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Simon

  

  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Simon in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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• WHAT ARE LITERARY DEVICES?

  Literary devices are techniques and structures used by writers to

  • convey a message
  • create an effect
  • evoke emotions in the reader 

  ​​
  These devices can be used to add emphasis to a literary work, make it more interesting, or convey a deeper meaning. The use of literary devices can turn a simple piece of writing into a masterpiece, and can make the reader engage with the text on a deeper level.

  Literary Devices.com

  

  Cox, C.B. (1997). A modern allegory with a Christian meaning. In C. Swisher (Ed.), Readings on Lord of the Flies (pp. 47-54). Greenhaven Press.

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  Garland, W. (2016). Literary devices in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Lord of the Flies by William Golding. (n.d.). https://litdevices.com/literature/lord-of-the-flies/​

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  Figurative language

  

  BBC. (n.d.). Language - imagery. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqqcv9q/revision/4

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  Bowen, K. (n.d.). Allusions in Lord of the Flies by Golding. Study.com

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  Gray, K. (2016). Alliteration in Lord of the Flies. Study.com.

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  Iwasaki, I. (n.d.). Hyperbole in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Study.com

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  Mr Bruff. (2022, March 5). 'Lord of the Flies': Darwinian, Biblical and Freudian analysis [Video]. YouTube. ​https://youtu.be/4KcCGnE_GXQ?si=HlTaSTKLtGjmD9Hw

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  This video has a good section on the use of language to indicate animal imagery. 

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  Mueller, H. (n.d.). Metaphors & similes. Study.com

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  SparkNotes. (2005). Lord of the Flies. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/​

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  Wasilewsky, M. (n.d.). Figurative language & analysis. Study.com

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  Foreshadowing

  

  Kadawy, T. (2008). Foreshadowing in William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Adab Al-Rafidain, 38(51), 23-40.

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  Posey, L. (2016). Foreshadowing in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  SparkNotes. (2005). Lord of the flies: Foreshadowing. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/foreshadowing/

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  Irony

  

  eNotes. (2020). What are three examples of irony in the novel Lord of the Flies? https://www.enotes.com/topics/lord-of-the-flies/questions/what-point-of-view-is-used-in-lord-of-the-flies-348318

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  eNotes. (2019). What types of irony are present in Lord of the Flies? https://www.enotes.com/topics/lord-of-the-flies/questions/what-are-the-different-types-of-irony-throughout-519364

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  Stever, R. (n.d.). Irony in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Talon, H. (1997). Irony in Lord of the Flies. In C. Swisher (Ed.), Readings on Lord of the Flies (pp. 116-125). Greenhaven Press.

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  Motifs

  

  Blakeley, S. (n.d.). Motifs in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Epstein, E.L. (1997). Significant motifs in Lord of the Flies. In C. Swisher (Ed.), Readings on Lord of the Flies (pp. 107-111). Greenhaven Press.

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  Hollahan, E. (1970). Running in circles: a major motif in Lord of the Flies. Studies in the novel, 2(1), 22-30.

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  SparkNotes. (2005). Lord of the flies. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/​

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  Symbolism

  

  BBC. (n.d.). Language - symbolism. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqqcv9q/revision/5

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  Iwasaki, I. (n.d.). Fear in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Iwasaki, I. (n.d.). Fire in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Study.com

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  Iwasaki, I. (n.d.). The scar in Lord of the Flies by Golding. Study.com

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  McNeill, E. (n.d.). Pig's head in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). The conch in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Isla​nd in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Perdue, N., & Wilkerson, G. (n.d.). Symbolism in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Posey, L. (2020). Castle Rock in Lord of the Flies. Study.com.

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  SparkNotes. (2005). Lord of the flies. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/​

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  Tone

  

  Iwasaki, I. (n.d.). Tone in Lord of the Flies by Golding. Study.com

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• Themes

  Theme is an underlying message or the big idea of a story. This message could tell more about human nature or life in general. Many stories have more than one theme.
  There are several ways a reader can piece together the story's theme. The reader can ask himself or herself these questions:
  

  • Do the characters learn anything throughout the story?
  • Do the characters change at all?
  • Do the characters have any beliefs about life or people in general?
  • Why do the characters act the way they do?

  
  ​The theme of a story is never directly told to the reader. It needs to be figured out by making an inference. An inference is putting together puzzle pieces to determine a larger picture.

  Study.com

  Themes

  

  Alnajm, A. L. (2015). The main themes in Lord of the flies. International Journal of English and Literature, 6(6), 98-102. https://doi.org/10.5897/ijel2015.0788

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  Baker, J.R. (1997). The meaning of the beast. In C. Swisher (Ed.), Readings on Lord of the Flies (pp. 75-82). Greenhaven Press.

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  Friedman, L.S. (1997). A Christian interpretation. In C. Swisher (Ed.), Readings on Lord of the Flies (pp. 65-74). Greenhaven Press.

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  Iwasaki, I. (n.d.). Lord of the Flies by William Golding: Conflicts & examples. Study.com

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  Koopmans, A. (2003). Understanding Lord of the flies. Lucent Books.

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  Martin del Campo, M. (n.d.). Civilization & savagery in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Nagelsen, S. (2022). Evil in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Perdue, N. (n.d.). Savagery in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Schoene-Harwood, B. (2010). Destructive masculinity in Lord of the Flies. In H. Bloom (Ed.). William Golding's Lord of the Flies (pp. 68-74). Infobase.

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  Sedore, M. (2018). Power in Lord of the Flies. Study.com.

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  Smith, A., & Buckroyd, P. (2013). Oxford literature companions: Lord of the flies. OUP Oxford.

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  Spitz, D. (1970). Power and authority: An interpretation of Golding's "Lord of the flies". The Antioch Review, 30(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.2307/4637248

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  Taylor, J. (n.d.). Loss of innocence in Lord of the Flies. Study.com

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  Taylor, J. (n.d.). Themes in Lord of the Flies by W. Golding. Study.com

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  Walker, M. (2006). Lord of the flies: William Golding. Philip Allan.

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  Woodward, K. (1997). The case for strict law and order. In C. Swisher (Ed.), Readings on Lord of the Flies (pp. 88-95). Greenhaven Press.

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