A Novel Setting

An analysis of the choice of setting for William Golding's novel, "Lord of the Flies", illustrating how the setting determines how the story will unfold.

714 words () | 0 sources | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the role of setting in the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. It analyzes how Golding uses the island as a microcosm of the world, and as an outlet for his thoughts concerning humanity. The paper portrays the relationship between the characters of the book, and shows how the setting plays a major role in the development of the plot and the conflict of order versus savagery.

From the Paper:

"The central conflict in Lord of the Flies is the theme of order versus savagery, represented in the characters of Ralph and Jack, respectively. Ralph is the one who organized the first meeting, and was elected chief of the "tribe", but was later unseated by Jack. Jack is the head of the hunters in Ralph's tribe, and eventually breaks off from Ralph's tribe with his own followers. Jack's followers resort to savagery and deceit to accomplish their goals and ultimately stay alive. In Lord of the Flies, the conflict does not occur in a specific place, but on the island as a whole. This general setting is beneficial in that it does not restrict the story to a specific part of the island."