Lord of the Flies Group

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doger1
doger1
Student

Which themes from "Lord of the Flies" are up to date today?

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Posted by doger1 on Thursday February 12, 2009 at 2:02 AM and tagged with lord of the flies, themes, today.

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  1. luannw Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    All of Golding's ideas are applicable to today's world. His main theme in "Lord of the Flies" is that evil is an integral part of the human condition; that all people have a savage nature that is kept in check because of society's rules.  He felt that once society and all rules were removed, that evil nature would come out.  Much of his anti-utopian attitude came about because of what he experienced during WW II.  Since wars still go on today, everything Golding portrayed in the book could be portrayed now.  His ideas, though springing from his experiences, are not constrained by time.  Authors before him felt the same as he did.  Look at Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" and the savage Yahoos.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/critical-overview
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/historical-context
    http://www.enotes.com/flies/themes

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    Posted by luannw on Thursday February 12, 2009 at 4:03 AM


  2. rshaffer Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The themes in Lord of the Flies are still valid today.  For example, the theme of Good vs Evil is demonstrated in the characters of the boys.  The boys  Ralph, Piggy, and Simon represent the good on the island while Jack and Roger represent the bad.  This division between human beings is apparent today among many people, but perhaps most noticeable in children.  Within our schools, students find themselves faced with many evils of bullying, peer pressure, drugs, etc.  Some stay "good" and resist these temptations, while others fall to the "evil" of each.  The internal struggle these characters face are much the same as our children today.  The battle between the two groups is similar to the cliques that exist within the confines of a school.  Many students are just trying to survive their school years by establishing an identity.  Paralleling this theme is the theme of Morality.  Human beings are tested throughout life with what is right and wrong, and many struggle with this.

    A second theme of Appearance vs Reality is also prevalent today.  People are constantly judging others on appearance instead of their true nature.  Often times in life, what seems to be true, especially in people, is sometimes not. 

    In addition the battle between the theme of Reason vs Emotion is in every human being.  There are those in life who lead with their heart, and those who lead with their mind.  Ralph, the daydreamer, represents emotion, while Piggy represents reason.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes/com/flies/themes

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    Posted by rshaffer on Thursday February 12, 2009 at 4:11 AM