Golding's use of setting in 'Lord of the Flies'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the settings represent the characters.
Key learning points
- Golding uses contrasting imagery to present the island as a utopian paradise that has the potential to corrupt.
- Golding uses the setting to reflect the condition of the boys.
- Arguably, Golding uses the setting to foreshadow the boys' descent into savagery by the end of the novel.
- By the end of the novel, the island is unrecognisable due to the environmental damage the boys have caused.
- The boys harm their environment as much as they harm each other, showing mankind's capacity for destruction.
Keywords
Utopia - a perfect or idealistic world-like paradise
Foreshadow - when the writer makes subtle hints about future events
Devolution - descent into a lower or worse state
To corrupt - to change someone from moral to immoral
Common misconception
Pupils think that the island is presented as idyllic in the first chapter.
Whilst there are aspects of the description that present the island as idyllic, Golding's descriptions are characterised by a sense of threat in more ominous undertones. He achieves this through his use of dark and light and through his use of verbs.
Teacher tip
You could use a map to show how the boys destroy their environment by slowly taking over parts of the island one a time.
Equipment
A copy of the Faber & Faber 1997 edition of 'Lord of the Flies' is essential for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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.How do the boys arrive on the island in 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q2.Which of the following words has connotations of magic?
Q3. is the place where a text's events happen.
Q4. is the use of words or figurative language to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind.
Q5.How do the boys destroy the island at the end of 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q6.What is foreshadowing?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following words show that the island is utopian in 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q2.Which of the following words show that the island has the capacity to be dangerous in 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q3.Which of the following words suggests that the boys have taken over the island and are exploiting its resources in 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q4.In 'Lord of the Flies', which of the following words does Golding use to describe the setting at the end of the novel, that reflects what the boys have become?
Q5.What does the “scar” the plane crash leaves in 'Lord of the Flies' represent?
Q6.At the end of 'Lord of the Flies', Golding uses the colour "black" to describe the sky. Which of these is not a reasonable explanation for why Golding uses this colour symbolism?
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Golding's use of setting 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: Golding's use of setting 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.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
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.