The Title
English Lit: AQA GCSE Lord of the Flies, topic 1.1.1
The Title: Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies was written in the early 1950s and was published in 1954.
The Devil
- The title, Lord of the Flies, refers to the Devil.
- It comes from the Hebrew word, Beelzebub (pronounced, Bee-el-zee-bub).
Beelzebub
- Beelzebub was one of the seven princes of Hell.
- He was thought to be able to fly, hence he was known as “Lord of the Flyers” or “Lord of the Flies”.
Exploring evil
- Golding explores the idea of evil and the Devil in many ways, including the idea of the beast and the way the boys descend into savagery.
Issues in society
- Golding uses Lord of the Flies to highlight the issues within society.
- The island is a microcosm (a smaller example of the whole world) of the wider world, highlighting inequality and unfairness for select groups of people.
Civilisation vs evil
- Golding used the novel to show the struggle between civilisation and evil.
- Throughout the novel, the boys struggle against the evil within them, as well as the evil things each of them do.
Test yourself on The Title
What does the title, Lord of the Flies, refer to?
Who wrote Lord of the Flies?