“[simon saw] the picture of a human at once heroic and sick.” what does william golding tell us...

“[Simon saw] the picture of a human at once heroic and

sick.”

What does William Golding tell us about human nature

and the development of tyranny in his novel “Lord of

the Flies”?

Human Nature / Tyranny• All humans have the capacity

to be good or evil – no person is simply one or the other.

• Civilised behaviour is a thin veneer, which can quickly be scraped away in extreme situations.

• We are all basically primeval and savage – civilisation stops us from displaying this most of the time.

• Even good people can do evil things when the system they are under allows them to do it.

• We are more savage as children – adulthood strengthens our veneer of civilised behaviour.

• Tyranny occurs when there is someone strong enough to enforce it upon others.

• Tyranny can only occur once democracy has failed – in part, the rise of tyranny on the island is as result of Ralph’s failings.

• Tyranny allows people the freedom to abuse power in a way they wouldn’t usually.

• Tyranny causes good people to do bad things.

• Tyranny is the only system strong enough to prevail and bring order in extreme survival situations.

• Tyranny will develop wherever people are complicit with it.

Ways in which the

boys demonstrate

the pull of “civilised” behaviour from

their old lives when they first arrive on the island.

How some of the boys appear to be disposed towards savage behaviour as soon as they arrive.

How Golding uses imagery and description to hint at the fact there is something unpleasant under the beauty of the island.

How some of the boys long for a return to their old lives, whilst others see an opportunity for something different.

How the boys view rules differently.

The differences between Jack and Ralph as leaders – particularly in the first part of the novel.

How Golding highlights the primitive nature and tendency towards violence of some of the boys.

Segments of Your Essay

How Golding shows

the desire to kill

becoming overwhelming.

The use of masks and the effect of anonymity.

The different ways in which Ralph and Jack assert their power.

Ways in which the

different

characters exert

power.

Segments of Your EssaySimon’s role as the authorial mouthpiece in the novel – putting forward Golding’s view on human nature.

The loss of innocence in the novel.

Ralph’s gradual movement away from civilisation.

Golding’s use of description and imagery in the narrative to evoke the boys’ increasing savagery – e.g. the slaughter of the pig in Chapter 8.

The differences

between the individual approaches of Ralph and Jack to

leadership.

The role of the Lord of the Flies in the novel.

What the frenzied

attack on Simon

suggests. Explore

the language of

the attack.

Piggy’s role in the novel. The increasing

dehumanisation of some characters by others.

The symbolism of the conch in the novel.

The ending.

Characterisation

Key Words / Phrases

Imagery

This underlines…

This highlights…

Narrative

Plot

This emphasises…

This underscores…

For example…

This suggests…

Symbolism This stresses…

Pace

Golding

For instance…

Tone

Narrative Viewpoint

Structure

Point discuss a technique/event / aspect of characterisation used by

Golding to help to underline his ideas about human nature and/or tyranny.

Evidence remember to contextualise & integrate a quotation. You can paraphrase

events from the novel and offer them as evidence as well.

Analysis explain how the technique has the effect it does

Refer …back to the thesisDon’t forget that you can use Further Analysis in a paragraph as

well.

Topic Sentence

How Do I Go About This?

[Jack] tried to convey the compulsion to track down and ... into his eyes again.

“I thought I might kill.”

Ways in which the

boys demonstrate

the pull of “civilised” behaviour from

their old lives when they first arrive on the island.


How Golding uses imagery and description to hint at the fact there is something unpleasant under the beauty of the island.

How some of the boys long for a return to their old lives, whilst other see an opportunity for something different.

How the boys view rules differently.

The differences between Jack and Ralph as leaders – particularly in the first part of the novel.

How Golding highlights the primitive nature and tendency towards violence of some of the boys.

Segments of Your Essay

How Golding shows

the desire to kill

becoming overwhelming.

The use of masks and the effect of anonymity.

The different ways in which Ralph and Jack assert their power.



“I thought I might kill.” How some of the boys appear to be disposed towards savage behaviour as soon as they arrive.





Even from the very early stages of the novel, some of the boys show that they are disposed towards savage behaviour. Jack finds it difficult to suppress the desire to kill.





Even from the very early stages of the novel, some of the boys show that they are disposed towards savage behaviour. Jack finds it difficult to surpress the desire to kill.

Point

Now I need to focus my idea on the essay title – either on Human Nature and / or Tyranny.

Evidence





This suggests that Jack already was disposed to savage behaviour before he went on the island and that Golding believes that it is only civilisation that is holding back these savage desires. This all intimates that either Jack’s nature is essentially cruel and brutal or that the island is eroding his true self.

Evidence

Analysis

Point


All humans have the capacity to be good or evil – no person is simply one or the other.

Problem

How do I refer to my thesis?

How Do I Go About This?This suggests that Jack already was disposed to savage behaviour before he went on the island and that Golding believes that it is only civilisation that is holding back these savage desires. This all intimates that either Jack’s nature is essentially cruel and brutal or that the island is eroding his true self. Because others on the island do not display a tendency towards savagery, the reader might believe that Golding, like Piggy in the novel, believes that it is Jack’s bad nature that is the problem. However, there are some incidents in the novel which demonstrate that all the boys are in some way touched by savagery and they are all capable of committing evil acts.


Evidence

Point

This suggests that Jack already was disposed to savage behaviour before he went on the island and that Golding believes that it is only civilisation that is holding back these savage desires. This all intimates that either Jack’s nature is essentially cruel and brutal or that the island is eroding his true self. Because others on the island do not display a tendency towards savagery, the reader might believe that Golding, like Piggy in the novel, believes that it is Jack’s bad nature that is the problem. However, there are soon incidents in the novel which demonstrate that all the boys are in some way touched by savagery and they are all capable of committing evil acts.




Where Do I Go Next?

A point about how

Jack’s disposition

towards brutality

paves the way to

tyranny? Perhaps,

his contempt for

discussion and

rules.

A contrasting example of how many of the boys desperately try top maintain a grip on civilisation? E.g. Ralph and Piggy’s attempts to establish democracy on the island?

Another example of some of the boys’ disposition towards savagery in the opening of the novel? Roger? Bill?

Something else entirely?

The Process

What’s my point?

…adapted from “Segments of My Essay” sheet.

What’s my proof?

The quotation

How does that quotation prove my point? What does it suggest?

Analysis

How does that all support / link to my argument on human nature or tyranny in the novel?

Refer back to

question

P

E

A

R

Characterisation

Key Words / Phrases

Imagery

This underlines…

This highlights…

Narrative

Plot

This emphasises…

This underscores…

For example…

This suggests…

Symbolism This stresses…

Pace

Golding

For instance…

Tone

Narrative Viewpoint

P

E

A

Example Paragraph

“All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling … The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering .”

Ralph’s gradual movement away from civilisation.

Civilised behaviour is a thin veneer, which can quickly be scraped away in extreme situations.

Argument or Thesis

Example Paragraph

“All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling … The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering .”

Quite how thin the veneer of civilisation is, is brought home by Golding in Ralph’s descent into savage behaviour. For much of the novel he is characterised as a key defender of civilised values and his descent into savage behaviour is quite shocking for the reader.

For instance, when a group of the boys go hunting for the beast, they become embroiled in a game, where they pretend Robert is the pig and they hunt him. Ralph becomes carried away with this and loses himself in the game, even when Robert’s distress at the increasing violence of the attacks becomes evident as Golding describes how Ralph’s desire to “squeeze and hurt was over-mastering”.

Example ParagraphQuite how thin the veneer of civilisation is, is brought home by Golding through Ralph’s descent into savage behaviour. For much of the novel he is characterised as a key defender of civilised values and his descent is quite shocking for the reader.

Example ParagraphQuite how thin the veneer of civilisation is, is brought home by Golding through Ralph’s descent into savage behaviour. For much of the novel he is characterised as a key defender of civilised values and his descent is quite shocking for the reader.

The very fact that this desire was “over-mastering” demonstrates just how much Ralph’s savage side is beginning to show through the veneer of his civilised behaviour. It has only taken a few weeks on the island for a well-behaved grammar school boy to feel the overwhelming desire to kill another being. It also eases the reader into the thought that boys are capable of killing other boys. Ralph is directly involved in the fatal mauling of Simon later in the novel. This scene from the novel helps the reader understand how such a civilised young man could do such a terrible thing.

For instance, when a group of the boys go hunting for the beast, they become embroiled in a game, where they pretend Robert is the pig and they hunt him. Ralph becomes carried away with this and loses himself in the game, even when Robert’s distress at the increasing violence of the attacks becomes evident as Golding describes how Ralph’s desire to “squeeze and hurt was over-mastering”.

Example Paragraph

Civilised behaviour is a thin veneer, which can quickly be scraped away in extreme situations.

Example ParagraphQuite how thin the veneer of civilisation is, is brought home by Golding through Ralph’s descent into savage behaviour. For much of the novel he is characterised as a key defender of civilised values and this decent is quite shocking for the reader.

By showing Ralph’s demise into savagery, Golding firmly establishes his view that his civilised behaviour is only a thin veneer that is gradually eroded under the extreme conditions on the island. Ralph is depicted as being capable of committing both good and terrible acts.

For instance, when a group of the boys go hunting for the beast, they become embroiled in a game, where they pretend Robert is the pig and they hunt him. Ralph becomes carried away with this and loses himself in the game, even when Robert’s distress at the increasing violence of the attacks becomes evident as Golding describes how Ralph’s desire to “squeeze and hurt was overmastering”.The very fact that this desire was “over-mastering” demonstrates just how much Ralph’s savage side is beginning to show through the veneer of his civilised behaviour. It has only taken a few weeks on the island for a well-behaved grammar school boy to feel the overwhelming desire to kill another being. It also eases the reader into the thought that boys are capable of killing other boys. Ralph is directly involved in the fatal mauling of Simon later in the novel. This scene from the novel helps the reader understand how such a civilised young man could do such a terrible thing.

Example ParagraphQuite how thin the veneer of civilisation is, is brought home by Golding through Ralph’s descent into savage behaviour. For much of the novel he is characterised as a key defender of civilised values and this decent is quite shocking for the reader. For instance, when a group of the boys go hunting for the beast, they become embroiled in a game, where they pretend Robert is the pig and they hunt him. Ralph becomes carried away with this and loses himself in the game, even when Robert’s distress at the increasing violence of the attacks becomes evident as Golding describes how Ralph’s desire to “squeeze and hurt was overmastering”.The very fact that this desire was “over-mastering” demonstrates just how much Ralph’s savage side is beginning to show through the veneer of his civilised behaviour. It has only taken a few weeks on the island for a well-behaved grammar school boy to feel the overwhelming desire to kill another being. It also eases the reader into the thought that boys are capable of killing other boys. Ralph is directly involved in the fatal mauling of Simon later in the novel. This scene from the novel helps the reader understand how such a civilised young man could do such a terrible thing. By showing Ralph’s demise into savagery, Golding firmly establishes his view that his civilised behaviour is only a thin veneer that is gradually eroded under the extreme conditions on the island. Ralph is depicted as being capable of committing both good and terrible acts.

Example Paragraph 2

Tyranny can only occur once democracy has failed. In part, the rise of tyranny on the island is as result of Ralph’s failings.

Example Paragraph 2One of the reasons that tyranny takes hold on the island is the fact that Jack is charismatic enough to allow his views on leadership to prevail. Through the narrative Golding demonstrates how Jack’s much more straightforward and simplistic views on leadership win the day because he is much more able to communicate them in a way the boys understand and find attractive. Not only does he constantly emphasise the fun the boys will have under his leadership, but he is very clever at undermining Ralph’s leadership credentials at a number of points in the novel. For instance, just before he causes the split in the group by leaving to create a new tribe up at Castle Rock, he cleverly, if cruelly, undermines Ralph by likening him to Piggy:“He says things like Piggy. He isn't a proper chief.” This damages Ralph, as he equates him with Piggy, who is the most derided and undervalued boy on the island. Piggy is also recognised for his use of logic and reasoning, like Ralph. By associating reasoning with weakness and implying intelligence is incompatible with strength, Jack is indirectly proposing a system of leadership that is based on strength alone – tyranny. Reasoning and intelligence are incompatible with tyranny, as it is based on the abuse of power. This abuse of power only favours the strong and cruel, not those who express humanity or intelligent sensitivity. Therefore, he seeks to undermine reasoning as a tool, so that the more intelligent boys find it harder to resist the slide into tyranny and they become less of a threat to his desire for absolute power. It could be argued that Ralph could have dealt with this sideswipe more robustly and helped prevent the descent into savagery. Ralph is constantly beset by a lack of clarity of thinking. This is due to his intelligent consideration of the options, which cannot be reduced to a simple statement. Jack is untroubled by any such considerations. Because Ralph fails to be strong enough in his defence of civilised values, or perhaps because he lacks the cruelty to undermine and ridicule Jack, democracy begins to break down on the island, leaving a vacuum that tyranny willingly fills.

Example Paragraph 2One of the reasons that tyranny takes hold on the island is the fact that Jack is charismatic enough to allow his views on leadership to prevail. Through the narrative Golding demonstrates in the novel how Jack’s much more straightforward and simplistic views on leadership win the day because he is much more able to communicate them in a way the boys understand and find attractive. Not only does he constantly emphasise the fun the boys will have under his leadership, but he is very clever at undermining Ralph’s leadership credentials at a number of points in the novel. For instance, just before he causes the split in the group by leaving to create a new tribe up at Castle Rock, he cleverly, if cruelly, undermines Ralph by likening him to Piggy:“He says things like Piggy. He isn't a proper chief.” This damages Ralph, as he equates him with Piggy, who is the most derided and undervalued boy on the island. Piggy is also recognised for his use of logic and reasoning, like Ralph. By associating reasoning with weakness and implying intelligence is incompatible with strength, Jack is indirectly proposing a system of leadership that is based on strength alone – tyranny. Reasoning and intelligence are incompatible with tyranny, as it is based on the abuse of power. This abuse of power only favours the strong and cruel, not those who express humanity or intelligent sensitivity. Therefore, he seeks to undermine reasoning as a tool, so that the more intelligent boys find it harder to resist the slide into tyranny and they become less of a threat to his desire for absolute power. It could be argued that Ralph could have dealt with this sideswipe more robustly and helped prevent the descent into savagery. Ralph is constantly beset by a lack of clarity of thinking. This is due to his intelligent consideration of the options, which cannot be reduced to a simple statement. Jack is untroubled by any such considerations. Because Ralph fails to be strong enough in his defence of civilised values, or perhaps because he lacks the cruelty to undermine and ridicule Jack, democracy begins to break down on the island, leaving a vacuum that tyranny willingly fills.

Example Paragraph 2One of the reasons that tyranny takes hold on the island is the fact that Jack is charismatic enough to allow his views on leadership to prevail. Through the narrative Golding demonstrates in the novel how Jack’s much more straightforward and simplistic views on leadership win the day because he is much more able to communicate them in a way the boys understand and find attractive. Not only does he constantly emphasise the fun the boys will have under his leadership, but he is very clever at undermining Ralph’s leadership credentials at a number of points in the novel. For instance, just before he causes the split in the group by leaving to create a new tribe up at Castle Rock, he cleverly, if cruelly, undermines Ralph by likening him to Piggy:“He says things like Piggy. He isn't a proper chief.” This damages Ralph, as he equates him with Piggy, who is the most derided and undervalued boy on the island. Piggy is also recognised for his use of logic and reasoning, like Ralph. By associating reasoning with weakness and implying intelligence is incompatible with strength, Jack is indirectly proposing a system of leadership that is based on strength alone – tyranny. Reasoning and intelligence are incompatible with tyranny, as it is based on the abuse of power. This abuse of power only favours the strong and cruel, not those who express humanity or intelligent sensitivity. Therefore he seeks to undermine reasoning as a tool, so that the more intelligent boys find it harder to resist the slide into tyranny and they become less of a threat to his desire for absolute power. It could be argued that Ralph could have dealt with this sideswipe more robustly and helped prevent the descent into savagery. Ralph is constantly beset by a lack of clarity of thinking. This is due to his intelligent consideration of the options, which cannot be reduced to a simple statement. Jack is untroubled by any such considerations. Because Ralph fails to be strong enough in his defence of civilised values, or perhaps because he lacks the cruelty to undermine and ridicule Jack, democracy begins to break down on the island, leaving a vacuum that tyranny willingly fills.

The Process

What’s my point?

…adapted from “Segments of My Essay” sheet.

What’s my proof?

The quotation

How does that quotation prove my point?

Analysis

How does that all support / link to my argument on human nature or tyranny in the novel?

Refer back to

question

P

E

A

R

Structure

Point discuss a technique/event / aspect of characterisation used by

Golding to help to underline his ideas about human nature and/or tyranny.

Evidence remember to contextualise & integrate a quotation. You can paraphrase

events from the novel and offer them as evidence as well.

Analysis explain how the technique has the effect it does

Refer …back to the thesisDon’t forget that you can use Further Analysis in a paragraph as

well.

Topic Sentence

Characterisation

Key Words / Phrases

Imagery

This underlines…

This highlights…

Narrative

Plot

This emphasises…

This underscores…

For example…

This suggests…

Symbolism This demonstrates…

Pace

Golding

For instance…

Tone

Narrative Viewpoint

P

E

A

“[simon saw] the picture of a human at once heroic and sick.” what does william golding tell us...

Documents

human nature andor tyranny

development of tyranny

novel lord

rise of tyranny

good people

savage behaviour

human nature tyrannyall

primitive nature