Valuable aspects of any literary work are its themes, symbols, and motifs. However, abstract ideas are often difficult for students to anatomize without assistance. Using a storyboard, students can visually demonstrate their understanding of these concepts, and master analysis of literary elements. For best practices, see our article with specific lesson plan steps on setting up your classroom and activities to teach themes, symbols, and motifs.
In the classroom, students can track themes about civilization and morality.
A common theme throughout Lord of the Flies is the fight of Order against Chaos. From the beginning, Ralph and Piggy attempt to create order, rules, and duties. However, Jack the leader of the hunters, becomes overcome by the savageness of his duties. The other boys on the island are divided. The more Ralph tries to restore order, the more fowl and ruthless Jack becomes. Fires devastate the island, boys are murdered, and eventually the chaos turns on Ralph as he becomes the hunted.
Prior to being stranded on the island, the boys attended a prestigious school, and were being evacuated due to the chaos of a nuclear war. Only being children, their lives were full of innocence. However, when they land on the island free from laws, rules, and adults, they must struggle for survival, and against each other.
This large seashell represents the only real order that the boys have in their camps. When Piggy and Ralph first find the shell, it is used to call the other boys and establish rules for government. As the novel progresses, the conch loses power as chaos and instability take over. When the boulder is rolled onto Piggy (killing him), it also destroys the conch.
The monster on the island was imagined by the sacred younger boys. It is their belief in the idea that gives power to it and turns it into a reality. Although there is no monster, it becomes apparent they should worry about the monsters within each of them.
The hunting party lead by Jack returns with a kill, a wild boar. The group comes up with the idea to leave the severed pigs head on a stake in the woods as a gift to the island gods. As it begins to rot, it becomes infested with flies. A young boy named Simon stumbles upon it in the woods and believes he has a conversation with it. It becomes the manifestation of the island monster, and symbolizes evil. In their conversation, the head tells Simon it intends on having fun with him and that all evil lies within us.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Lord of the Flies. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Introduce students to the concept of themes and explain that themes are the central ideas around which the story revolves. Teachers can also discuss themes as the backbone of the story and how without them, there will be no meaning in any story. To further clarify the concept, give examples of themes from some famous stories that students are aware of.
After students are familiar with the concept of themes, help them identify several themes from the story. Ask them to list down these themes and select any two for comparison. The conflict between civilization and barbarism, order and chaos, the loss of innocence, strength and authority, and the inherent evil in human nature are some of the common themes in the story that students can compare.
To graphically illustrate the comparison and contrast of the chosen topics, ask the students to use a Venn diagram or a table. Label the first theme on one side, the second theme on the other, and the intersection of the two themes on the overlapping part. Students can easily separate similarities and differences using this diagram.
Think about the message that the author is attempting to express using these topics. How do they add to the broader remark or message about society and human nature? Students can use a more holistic approach and try to analyze the themes based on connection with the moral lesson.
The conflict and difference between civilization and savagery, order and chaos, the loss of innocence, the corrupting effect of authority, and the underlying evil in human nature are among the key themes in "Lord of the Flies." Students can analyze these themes by conducting some research on past and present civilizations and how some civilizations emerged and crumbled.
The young boys' fight to uphold order and create standards contrasts with their decline into aggressive, primitive behavior as they lose their connection to civilization, illustrating the topic of civilization vs. barbarism. It also signifies the actions human beings will take in order to survive in a dystopian world.
Darkness and shadows serve as a metaphor for the island's increasingly violent, frightful, and wicked atmosphere. It depicts the boys' internal conflicts and the rising danger they are in.