Introduction (1000 characters)
In William Golding’s classic novel Lord of the Flies, a group of schoolboys are stranded on a deserted island after their plane is shot down. Without any parental guidance or laws to follow, the boys quickly descend into savagery as they form cliques and struggle for power over one another. This paper will analyze how the boys’ civilization breaks down on the island and the symbols and themes Golding uses to convey the darkness that lurks within humanity. An outline for a research paper on this topic is presented below.
Thesis Statement (250 characters)
This paper will analyze how the boys’ civilization breaks down on the island in Lord of the Flies through Golding’s use of symbols like the conch and pig’s head, and themes of the struggle between Ralph’s desire for order and Jack’s thirst for power and savagery.
I. Introduction of Characters and Setting (1500 characters)
This section will introduce the key characters like Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and Simon and describe the island setting where the boys are stranded. It will discuss the elections of Ralph as chief and explain how different cliques form between Ralph and Jack’s groups initially. The conch shell that Ralph finds on the beach will be introduced as a symbol of order and authority. This section establishes the basics of who the characters are and how they are initially organized on the island.
II. Breakdown of Civilization and Order (1500 characters)
This section analyzes how civilization and order begin to break down as the boys spend more time island. It explores how Jack challenges Ralph’s leadership and begins to form his own tribe of hunter boys. The failed rescue fire and hunting failures will be discussed as signs of crumbling order. Jack’s obsession with the thrill of the hunt and blood will be analyzed as a sign of his increasing savagery. This section shows the power struggle between Ralph and Jack escalating and civilization devolving into hunter vs. chief tribalism.
III. Final Descent into Savagery (1500 characters)
This section covers the climax of the story where order totally breaks down. It will analyze the murder of Simon and how this is a sign the “beast” may not be real but a manifestation of human evil. Jack’s full seizure of power through force and his painting as a savage will be discussed. The assassination attempt on Ralph orchestrated by Jack displaying the total inversion of civilization into savagery will be analyzed. This section shows how the last threads of morality and order are completely destroyed on the island.
IV. Significance of Symbols (1500 characters)
This section will analyze important symbols in the novel like the conch shell, pig’s head on a stick, and the beast. It will discuss how the conch represented order and authority but is destroyed by Jack. The painting of the pig’s head and its role in Simon’s death will be analyzed. The “beast” will be explored as possibly not a real creature but a symbol of human wickedness. This section ties the breakdown of civilization to the changing meaning and destruction of key symbolic objects in the story.
V. Concluding Thoughts (1500 characters)
This concluding section will tie back the outline to the thesis about civilization breaking down through struggle for power and savagery. It will reiterate how key symbols changed meaning as order crumbled. A final analysis of Golding’smessage about human nature will be presented, that humanity inherently contains both creativity and destruction. The paper will argue Golding used the novel as a cautionary tale of what human society could become without constructs of civilization. Potential discussion topics or argument thesis for the full paper will be proposed.
This outline analyzes the major plot points and symbolic themes that could be further explored in a research paper about William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies. It breaks down how the story shows a microcosm of human society breaking apart through a power struggle, descent into savagery, and changing meanings of symbols. A paper following this outline would provide an in-depth exploration of Golding’s views on human nature and civilization using this classic work of literature.