AQA GCSE English Lit - LOTF essay plan on loss of innocence
249 views 0 purchase
Course
Lord of the Flies
Institution
AQA
Book
Grade 9-1 GCSE English Text Guide - Lord of the Flies
This is a concise but detailed Level 9 essay plan outlining 3 paragraphs in answer to questions about loss of innocence in LOTF; there are key quotes & nuanced AO3 contextual links in each paragraph.
AQA GCSE English Lit - LOTF chapter 1 in depth summary
AQA GCSE English Lit - LOTF socio-historical context
AQA GCSE English Lit - LOTF philosophical context
All for this textbook (17)
Written for
AQA
GCSE English Literature
Lord of the Flies
All documents for this subject (21)
Seller
Follow
justjosheela
Reviews received
Content preview
Q. To what extent is ‘The Lord of the Flies’ about loss of innocence?
1. Initially, Golding could be seen to represent how humans lose their innocence outside
of the structures of society.
- The shedding of clothing foreshadowing the shedding of ‘civilized’ identity (1)
- “he became conscious of the weight of his clothes”
- “stood there naked”1
- Hobbesian view that natural state of man is anarchy outside of society’s
law & order
- The boys and their power as increasingly characterised in relation to animals:
dogs, jaguar (2)
- “the boys lay, panting like dogs.
- “Like a pack of kids!” (Piggy)
- Immediate contrast between Jack - increasingly animal-like, myopic and
obsessed with violence - and Simon - Christ-like, sacrificial figure who is
inherently linked to nature and utopic abundance (3)
- “dog-like”, “ape-like”, “he was naked”, “surge of blood”, “seductive (sound
of pig)”
- animalistic lang = savagery outside society, ‘man is a wolf to
another man
- primal physicality = depraved, troglodytic, devolved, losing
humanity
- connotations of blood lust, arousal, desire = Jack represents the id -
base desires, desire for domination fused w. sexual desires,
insanity/irrationality.
- “Simon. He helps.”, “his eyes so bright”, “he was in a little cabin”
- Simon as having a deep, spiritual connection with the forest &
nature (in contrast to Jack who wants to dominate nature)
- Simon’s bright eyes as representing innocence & good, compared
to Jack’s bright eyes as representing loss of rationality,
inhibition/ego & giving into savagery & id.
2. As the novel develops, Golding could be seen to communicate how corrupt societies
can cause the loss of innocence.
- Conflict between world of rationality and world of savagery and passion comes to
a head in the fire going out and Jack arriving with the dead pig (4)
- “Piggy’s hair still lay in wisps over his head”, “We could make a sundial.”
(Piggy)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller justjosheela. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.91. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.