Summary AQA GCSE English Literarture Paper 2 Section A - Lord of the Flies: Context
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Course
English
Institution
GCSE
This resource provides an extensive and detailed discussion of the contextual background surrounding Macbeth (AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1 Section A). It is important to show an understanding of the context for assessment objective 3, and here you will find information on: Biblical reference...
Context
Biblical References (1/2)
The Garden of Eden
➢ Golding makes allusions to the island as a paradise in order to draw parallels with the Garden of Eden.
➢ The Garden of Eden in the Genesis story was where Man lived before he first disobeyed God and ate the fruit of
the Tree of Knowledge.
➢ In many ways, the boys are like Adam of Eden in the Garden of Eden – innocent and unformed.
➢ However, we know from our understanding of the Genesis story that their innocence will not last.
➢ The island is Edenic (characteristic of the garden of Eden).
➢ The island is also prelapsarian (characteristic of the time before the Fall of Man; innocent and unspoilt).
Simon’s Parallel to Jesus
Reflected in Simon’s Story Altered in Simon’s Story
➢ Jesus’ Crucifixion ➢ Jesus’ Messages
Before Jesus’ crucifixion, he spends the evening in Jesus brought messages of eternal life – Simon brought
the Garden of Gethsemane in solitary mental messages about (the truth of) the beast.
suffering – Simon goes to his private place alone and
goes on a mission to find the true beast. ➢ Jesus’ Death
At the moment of Jesus’ crucifixion, there was a Jesus was crucified by his enemies – Simon was murdered
thunderclap. When Simon died, ‘the noise was on by his friends.
them like the blow of a gigantic whip’ (P168).
➢ Jesus was Mankind’s Saviour
➢ Jesus Feeding the Five Thousand
Simon had the knowledge to save the boys, but they
Simon fed the littluns by giving them the food (fruit) stopped listening to him after they lost their sense of
that they couldn’t reach. Simon also gave Piggy meat. reason.
➢ Jesus’ Parables ➢ Jesus’ Ascension
Jesus spoke to his followers in parables (seemingly Jesus ascended to heaven some time after his resurrection –
simple messages but often with greater Simon’s death was partly holy but he did not ascend.
complications). Simon told the boys the truth of the
beast; the only difference is that the boys did not ➢ Jesus was Crucified for being Blasphemous
listen to him.
Simon was blasphemous for denying the existence of the
beast.
Fruit Trees
➢ Genesis 1:11 – ‘Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear
fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.’
➢ In the first chapter of the book, Ralph tells all the children that this is a ‘good’ island and that there were animals to
hunt and fruit trees.
➢ The Bible also details the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil – God states that is not good to eat from it, and they
will be punished if they do so.
➢ In the book, the children eat the fruit and are stricken with diarrhea – this mimics the punishment for eating the fruit.
o This is problematized however, because Simon – the Christ-like figure – gives them the fruit.
➢ In Biblical terms, the eating of the fruit is described as ‘original sin’ as there was none before that; this is also
mirrored in the book, as before this point the children were innocent (i.e. lacking knowledge about the reality of the
world).
The experience (where they gain knowledge of what they / the world is really like) on the island makes the children lose
their innocence.
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