Name: _________________________________ Period: _____ Date: _______________________

Lord of the Flies Writing Assessment

Writing Schedule:
Friday (4/12): Prewriting (in class discussion)
Monday (4/15): Outlining (in class writing)
Tuesday (4/16): Drafting (in class)

Thursday (4/18): Final Essay Due (Hand in a hard copy and submit to Google Classroom.)

Assignment: Choose one prompt from below and write an organized, well-developed essay that answers all parts of
the prompt. In your response, you must make a claim (thesis) and use specific relevant evidence from the text to
develop and support the claim. Your evidence must include direct quotations from the text. Do not write a plot
summary.

Your response must be 200 words (2 pgs. full pages) in length and written in MLA format.
 Proper heading
 Proper citations
 Double-spaced throughout
 12 pt. font
 Times New Roman or Arial

1. The title of a novel is frequently an allusion. Understanding the context of the allusion can tell the reader much
about the thematic thrust of the book. Consider the title Lord of the Flies. How does the title function as an allusion
and what is the significance of the title with regard to your understanding of the text? (Use Allusion wksht.)

2. Many authors use biblical allusions to further develop their ideas. Golding’s setting in Lord of the Flies alludes to the
biblical story of the Garden of Eden. How do the biblical allusions in Lord of the Flies help the reader understand a
major theme in Golding’s novel? (Use Allusion wksht.)

3. Lord of the Flies is a novel that works on two separate levels: literal and figurative. In one sense it is a story about a
group of boys stranded on an island and the division that occurs as a result. However, the text also works on an
allegorical level. How is the text considered to be an allegory? (Use Allegory wksht.)

4. Often in literature, characters serve as symbols. How do three of the following characters in Lord of the Flies act as
symbols: Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Simon, and/or Roger?

5. As a young man, Golding had an optimistic view of human nature. He believed that man would be able to perfect
himself by improving society and eventually doing away with all social evil. However, after WWII, his outlook
changed. He discovered what one human being is really able to do to another. How is Golding’s pessimistic view of
human nature conveyed in Lord of the Flies? (See blog for notes.)

6. Lord of the Flies is a text that contains several important themes pertaining to human nature and what it means to
be civilized. Identify one major theme in the text and explain how this theme is developed.