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1. The rules and conventions of civilization keep man's dark side from manifesting itself.
   Golding's view of man is that he is naturally predisposed to do evil. When rules or civilization are weakened, man's dark side is unleashed. Man's natural tendency to do evil remain harnessed through the controls and conventions imposed by civilization. However, should these controls be removed, man reverts to his natural barbaric state. Choose details from the novel to develop or refute this interpretation of Golding's novel.
2. Comparison to Heart of Darkness or "Apocalypse Now"
   In a novel such as Heart of Darkness or works such as "Apocalypse Now," characters are affected by the loss of order and civilization. The farther they move from, or the longer individuals are removed from order and civilization the more they begin to deteriorate. Compare the characters and situations in either of these works to those in Lord of the Flies.
3. Simon as the Christ Symbol
   Allusion is a literary device used by authors to add a deeper layer of meaning and understanding to characters and events in literature by referencing the bible. Golding adopts this technique when he deliberately portrays Simon as a Christ like figure. Parallels between the biblical Jesus Christ and Simon may be detected in their actions, circumstances, and responses to others. Choose details from the novel to support or refute this interpretation of Simon as a Christ figure.
4. Jack as the embodiment of Lucifer
   Some characters in novels are strong examples of antagonists. In fact, a character can be so dark or evil that they appear to embody the devil himself. Characteristics of Lucifer are explored in John Milton's poem "Paradise Lost" as well as through the character of Jack Merridew in the novel Lord of the Flies. In both pieces the characters sacrifice a great deal as a result of their evil pursuits and misguided ambition.Compare the characteristics of Jack Merridew in the novel Lord of the Flies to those of Lucifer in "Paradise Lost."
5. Loss of Innocence
   Characters often undergo change through the course of a literary work. Rather than being static, these characters move through a transition which often results in profound change. There is clear evidence of this in Golding's development of the characters in Lord of the Flies . As their response to events and actions become increasingly barbaric, childlike innocence deteriorates and is lost forever. As the characters in the novel degrade into uncivilized individuals they forfeit their innocence. Choose details from the novel that either supports or refutes that there is a strong correlation between civilized behavior and the erosion of innocence.
6. Island as a microcosm of society
   Often a smaller version of society exists in literature which reflects the larger "civilization". In Lord of the Flies, the society that they boys create mirrors "civilization" in a broader context. Even though they become disconnected from the rest of the world, problems associated with the nature of man reemerge on the island. Although the boys initially set out to create an orderly society, they repeat in this miniature version of the world, the same follies as their adult counterparts. Choose details from the novel that either support or refute this allegorical interpretation of the novel.