Exploring Golding's message about human behaviour in 'Lord of the Flies'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can clearly explain the purpose of Golding's novel and his message about human behaviour.
Key learning points
- Golding aims to provide an incisive insight into human behaviour.
- Golding was horrified by the brutality he witnessed during the war, perpetrated by seemingly-ordinary people.
- Golding used children for his exploration of human behaviour, arguably because they are considered innocent.
- Golding suggests that all humans have an innate savageness within, which is suppressed by societal expectations.
- Once these societal expectations are removed, arguably, this savageness is given space to emerge.
Keywords
Inherent - used to describe a quality we are born with - something that is instinctive and natural
Nurture - taking care of something - raising it through feeding it and protecting it from harm
Brutality - extreme cruelty and/or violence
Trait - a quality or characteristic, belonging to a person
Common misconception
Students think that Golding sits on the 'nature' side of the nature/nurture debate.
Golding does not provide us with a concrete answer- he suggests that we all have the capacity (or the impulses) to behave sinfully, but it takes the right circumstances for brutality to emerge.
Teacher tip
You could look at some of the psychological experiments into brutality as a point of interest e.g. Milgram's 'Electric shock' experiment.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the Faber & Faber 1997 edition of 'Lord of the Flies' for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In which year was 'Lord of the Flies' published?
Q2.What occupation did William Golding have before WWII?
Q3.Which of the following statements is true about William Golding?
Q4.What does the word 'innate' mean?
Q5.Starting with the first, put the following events from 'Lord of the Flies' in chronological order.
Q6.Match the methods up to their definitions.
comparing two things in order to show the difference between them
the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close to each other
attribution of human characteristics to non-human things
a set of words grouped by a common theme
a figure of speech used to compare two unlike things using 'like/as'
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The nature vs debate is an age-old psychological and philosophical debate about human behaviour.
Q2.Which character from 'Lord of the Flies' arguably challenges the idea that evil is inherent and part of our nature?
Q3.Which of the following can be used as a synonym for the word 'inherent'?
Q4.What did William Golding compare man's inherent capacity for evil to?
Q5.Why might people have been so interested in the nature vs nurture debate after the two World Wars?
Q6.What might Golding have wanted to challenge when writing 'Lord of the Flies'? Select the most appropriate response.
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Exploring Golding's message about human behaviour in 'Lord of the Flies', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Exploring Golding's message about human behaviour in 'Lord of the Flies', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the 'Lord of the Flies' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.