Kelley Lugea

Dr. Mary Warner

ENG 112B

24 November 2008

Power Struggle: Group dynamics, social order, and the abuse of power in Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a great example of a classic, allegorical novel. The structure, character development, and symbolism of the novel are both sophisticated yet obvious enough concepts for young adults to grasp with proper instruction. As they read, students will be able to connect the characters and what they represent to Golding's overall message, which examines how humans naturally handle power within a group dynamic and the importance of social order.

The characters in Lord of the Flies are young adults, and as high school students read the novel they will find parallels between their own lives battling the power struggle of popularity, peer pressure, and the hierarchy of a high school with similar themes found in the book like control, evil, social order, leadership, and power, which concern Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and the other survivors. Drawing on their own experiences with politics, group dynamics, and misappropriation of power and those found in the supporting novels, the students begin to understand and analyze the cause and effect of the characters' actions and what Golding is saying, through the use of symbolism, about the innate evil within human beings.

Connecting Lord of the Flies to another young adult novel with similar themes, such as The Chocolate Wars or Killing Mr. Griffin, will help students relate the material to a more familiar setting‑a high school campus. These supplemental books examine the dynamics of peer pressure within a group and how the actions that stem from the group can have serious consequences. The struggle of power and pressure to make bad choices in order to satisfy the group is a common thread between the supplemental young adult novels and Lord of the Flies, and is meant to show the students how they can connect the themes from the classic to newer literature, and eventually to their own lives.

Students from all backgrounds can find meaning in Lord of the Flies, and I made sure to represent students from diverse backgrounds in the YA novels. In particular, there are a few books listed that deal with gang‑related issues and are set in urban communities. These novels would be particularly useful in a school that often deals with violence and gang conflict because students will truly be able to connect the concepts from the canonical novel to that of their own life. In addition, several of the YA novels take place in the halls of a small‑town high school. Students from small communities or churches may connect with these novels, which deal with struggles of power and "in" groups, too, but through a very different vehicle than those about urban violence.

At the end of the unit, with the help of the following activities and their companion young adult novel, students should be able to recognize the symbolism of Golding' s Lord of the Flies and understand the core themes of control, power, evil, order, and the rise of leaders.

Launching the Unit Before beginning the book have students engage in one or all of the following activities, which will prepare them to think about survival and the setting of an uninhabited island.

1. Have students complete a survival quiz. Ask them questions like:

� "Which is more important: fire or food?"

� "If you were suddenly stranded on a deserted island, what would be your primary concern: food & water, shelter & fire, or finding rescue?"

� "Of the hazards you might face in the wilderness, which would you be most concerned about: being attacked by a wild animal, starvation, or hypothermia?"

� "There are twenty other people that were stranded on the island along with you: Do you emerge a leader, or follow someone else?"

� "Do the laws of your home country apply to the group stranded on the island?

Will crimes of murder, rape, theft, assault, etc. be punished?"

2. Assemble students into two groups: one large group wearing buttons or nametags with the word "in," and another, smaller group labeled "out." Then give the groups something to argue over and assign different sides. Examples include whether the class should take a quiz next week, or if they should attend the football game that night. Then change the topic to something more sinister, such as whether we should elect to fire the principal, or vandalize the rival high school. Once they have sufficiently argued, have them examine some of the group dynamics:

� What made the "in" group in and the "out" group out? Was it sheer numbers, or was its leadership more convincing?

� What sort of tactics did the bigger group use to persuade the smaller group? Did they apply peer pressure? Of what sort?

� How does the "in" group keep its power? Does the "out" group have any chance of gaining power?

� Are "in" groups good or bad for schools? How can you identify who is "in" and who is "out?"

During the Unit Teaching the Lord of the Flies in a sophomore or junior year English class usually takes about six weeks, during which the class will be reading a few chapters of the core novel a week and choosing one of the YA novels that addresses some of the same issues to read concurrently. In addition, students may benefit from the following activities during the course of the unit:

1. Read the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. Originally published in The New Yorker, it is about a small American town that holds an annual lottery with the "winner" being stoned to death. The story touches on similar aspects as the core novel and particularly addresses barbaric rituals being played out in a contemporary setting and the consequences of being on the "outs" of the majority. Another short story, "The Public Hating" by Steve Allen, deals with a similar storyline as "The Lottery," except it is set in the future and involves the execution of an inmate as an angry crowd of thousands watch in Yankee Stadium and millions more watching on TV.

2. Keep a double‑sided journal throughout the six‑week period highlighting a topic or core theme they may want to write about or pay particular attention to at the end of the unit. On one side they should take notes on quotes and actions from Lord of the Flies and on the other side take notes from their YA novel. They can use this notebook to write how they feel about the topic, how they would choose to react in such situations, and commonalties between the two novels.

3. During the time in which Lord of the Flies was written the world was at war, a situation that teens today can connect with given the war in Iraq. Have students consider why Golding chose a peaceful island as the setting and what that says about his message. Does this speak to the inherent evil nature that all humans possess since they couldn't even "keep the peace" there? Pass out news articles detailing some of the most violent, war stricken areas of the word (think The Middle East, parts of Africa or South America). Have them journal about whether or not they think "Peace on Earth" is an achievable goal? Use evidence as shown in Lord of the Flies to support the journal entry. Once they have some of their ideas down on paper, engage the class in a discussion. Could the war between Ralph and Jack been prevented or is it inevitable? Is a battle for power always at the center for war? What does this say about us as humans? How do dictators rise to power? What does this say about the power of the "in" group and the idea of majority wins?

4. Play the episode "I Shot an Arrow into the Air" from The Twilight Zone series. The episode concerns the crew of a spacecraft after they crash on an unknown, hostile asteroid. The captain does everything in his power to maintain military control for the good of all, but one of the other flight officers is determined to survive at the expense of everyone else. The similarities to Lord of the Flies are striking, but you may have the class pay particular attention to just a few aspects like the captain's attempt at social order and justice while the officer is motivated by selfish and evil concerns. Have students pay attention to the choices each character makes: Are they either completely evil or good, or are the evil actions justified by survival instincts? Now have students imagine there is a natural disaster and they have to choose between (1) trying to help everyone survive at the risk of perishing, or (2) saving yourself, and possibly a few others, at the expense of the rest? At what point does the choice become an act of selfishness? Is it playing God? Is it evil or survival of the fittest?

5. After reading a majority of novel, have a discussion prompted by the famous FDR quote: "The only thing we have to fear is, fear itself."

Complementary YA Literature Blessed the Beasts and Children by Glendon Swarthout: Six misfits are sent away to a camp where they feel defeated and worthless. With the leadership of Cotton, they gain back their confidence and in a final act of defiance, break out of camp to save a herd of buffalo.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier: Set at Trinity High School, the story follows Jerry Renault as he struggles to fight against the mob mentality that has begun to rule his school. As evil teacher Brother Leon and Archie, leader of the gang, force students to sell chocolate, Jerry refuses his assignment and stands up against the entire student population of Trinity.

Downriver by Will Hobbs: A suspenseful story of a group of problem teens enrolled in a wilderness program who overpower their adult guides and decide to take on the Colorado River on their own terms. One boy rises to power and, in his attempt to maintain control, puts the others in great danger.

Gone by Michael Grant: All the 15‑year‑olds in a small town have suddenly vanished leaving the rest of the residents and students from the local private school battling for supernatural powers.

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan: A group of students plan to kidnap their strict English teacher but when he is accidentally killed, one student assumes the role of leader and pressures the others to keep the murder a secret.

Peace in the Streets: Breaking the Cycle of Gang Violence by Arturo Hernandez: Written like a novel, this is a firsthand look at the inner city youth gangs of today. The use of gang colors and signs to identify who is "in" and who is "out," the violence spurred on by mobs, and power gained by being the group in control are at the center of this book.

Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers: 12‑year‑old Jamal lives in a world of gang violence and drugs and consequently finds himself in possession of his recently imprisoned brother's gun. Jamal just wants to stay out of trouble but the influence of an older gang and pressure to become a drug runner are constant temptations.

Concluding the Unit Once students have finished Lord of the Flies and their companion YA novel, here are a few projects/activities they can use to demonstrate their understanding of the core themes:

1. Have students create a comic book or graphic novel involving similar themes found in Lord of the Flies. An example can be that some well‑known superheroes (Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Catwoman, The Joker, etc.) have all been marooned on a distant planet. Who will emerge the leader? Where is the conflict of power? Do all the "good" guys form a group? What are they most concerned about and have to battle in this foreign place? Give them plot points they must include such as "There must be an 'in' group and an 'out' group" or "One group must be fearful of the unknown" in order to make comparisons with the core novel.

2. If few or no students choose The Chocolate Wars as their companion novel, consider showing the film. Then ask them to write an essay comparing the two stories. They may choose to examine the similarities between two characters like Jack and Archie, or to simply draw parallels between the allegorical novel and the movie set in a contemporary setting like high school.

3. For those students who particularly disagree with Golding's assessment that there is a beast within us, they may choose to read Tunnel in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein and write about the differences between the two stories and author's opinions on human nature and group dynamics. Tunnel in the Sky is about a group of teenagers who are similarly stranded on an uninhabited planet yet unlike those in Lord of the Flies; manage to maintain a civil and functioning society.

Works Cited

Allen, Steve. The Public Hating A Collection of Short Stories New York: Debner Books, 1990.

Ames, Jonathan, et al. Don't Forget to Write 54 Enthralling and Effective Writing Lessons for Students 6‑18 Canada: 826 Valencia, 2005.

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. New York: Dell Publishing, 1974.

Duncan, Lois. Killing Mr. Griffin New York: Little Brown, 1978.

Grant, Michael. Gone New York: Harper Teen, 2008.

Heinlein, Robert A. Tunnel in the Sky New York: Del Rey, 1987.

Hernandez, Arturo. Peace in the Streets Breaking the Cycle of Gang Violence. New York: Welfare League of America, 1998.

Hobbs, Will. Downriver. New York: Laurel Leaf, 1995.

Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." The New Yorker 26 June 1948: 25‑28.

Kaywell, Joan F. Adolescent Literature as aComplement to the Classics Norwood, Massachusetts: Christopher‑Gordon Publishers, mc, 1993.

Myers, Walter Dean. Scorpions New York: Amistad, 1990.

Swarthout, Glendon. Blessed the Beasts and Children New York: Doubleday, 1970.

"I Shot an Arrow into the Air." TheTwilight Zone. Writ. Rod Serling. Dir. Stuart Rosenberg. CBS. 15 Jan. 1960.