Exploring structure, allegory and genre in Golding's 'Lord of the Flies'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Golding structures the text and subverts the traditional adventure novel genre.
Key learning points
- The deaths in the novel drive the plot - they escalate in brutality and intention as the novel progresses.
- Golding foreshadows the death of Piggy and the attempted murder of Ralph from the beginning of the novel.
- Golding's novel is an allegory about the importance of rules and the innate evil of mankind.
- Golding alludes to 'Coral Island' throughout the novel, arguably to offer a different perspective of the same situation.
- Golding subverts the children's adventure novel genre to create a horrifying allegory about the true nature of evil.
Keywords
Tyranny - an extremely brutal and cruel style of leadership
Allegory - a story, poem or image that has a hidden message, typically a moral or political one
Foreshadowing - an advanced warning of what is to come in the future of a text
To subvert - to undermine or go against the expected norm
Inevitable - certain to happen - unavoidable
Common misconception
Lots of students do not realise that this novel was actually inspired by an earlier, 19th century novel called 'Coral Island' by Ballantyne.
Golding uses the established genre and subverts its conventions to create a horrifying exploration of what evil truly is and where it comes from.
Teacher tip
There is a fantastic news article from 2020 about a group of boys who were stranded on a desert island for 15 months that might be useful to set for wider reading, or use as part of a non-fiction lesson.
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 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.Which of the following is a structural device?
Q2.How do the boys treat nature in 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q3.What does Piggy represent in 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q4.Which character from 'Lord of the Flies' is described as "sinister" in Chapter 1?
Q5.Match the method to its definition.
a brief reference to a character or incident from another text
the use of words or figurative language to create vivid pictures
attribution of human characteristics to non-human things
a set of words grouped by a common theme
the use of images, words or nouns to represent abstract ideas
Q6.What might an allegory be?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is genre?
Q2.Which of the following deaths in 'Lord of the Flies' is intentional?
Q3.Which texts does Golding allude to in Chapter 1 of 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q4.Why might Golding have alluded so distinctly to 'Coral Island' in 'Lord of the Flies'?
Q5.Why might Golding have wanted to end 'Lord of the Flies' with the hunting of Ralph?
Q6.Match the vocabulary up to its definition.
an extremely brutal and cruel style of leadership
a story, poem or image that has a hidden message
an advanced warning of what is to come in the future of a text
to undermine or go against the expected norm
certain to happen - unavoidable
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Exploring structure, allegory and genre in Golding's '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 structure, allegory and genre in Golding's '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.