GCSEEnglish LiteratureAQARevision Notes3. Modern TextsLord of the FliesLord of the Flies Key Theme: Religion

Lord of the Flies Key Theme: Religion (AQA GCSE English Literature): Revision Note

Nick Redgrove

Written by: Nick Redgrove

Reviewed by: Deb Orrock

Updated on

Religion mind map

The theme of religion in Lord of the Flies: 

Chapter 

Quote

Summary 

3

“Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach” – The narrator

Simon provides food for the many littluns, like Christ feeding the five thousand in The Bible

7

“You’ll get back all right. I think so, anyway” – Simon

In this prophetic statement, Simon suggests that Ralph will survive the events of the novel, but also seems to foresee his own death

8

“You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close!” – The Lord of the Flies

The Lord of the Flies speaks to Simon, revealing that the true evil on the island exists within the boys themselves

9

“... a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon's dead body moved out toward the open sea” – The narrator 

Simon’s corpse is lit by glowing fish and shining stars, as though the natural world mourns his death

12

“There was another noise to attend to now, a deep grumbling noise, as though the forest itself were angry with him…” – The narrator   

Golding’s description suggests that the boys have corrupted paradise and are no longer welcome

How is religion presented in Lord of the Flies?

Lord of the Flies is not a straightforward religious allegory, but Golding nevertheless presents religious ideas in several ways in the novel:

  • The island setting: The unspoiled island might be likened to the biblical Garden of Eden, an unblemished paradise that was spoilt by humanity

    • The boys damage the island as their crashed plane leaves an enormous “scar” in the forest, symbolising the corrupting influence of human beings

    • Simon appreciates its beauty and comments on some beautiful candle-like flowers, but Jack swipes at them with a knife, reflecting their opposing moral stances 

    • In Chapter 12, Ralph hears an angry “grumbling” that evokes God banishing Adam and Eve from Eden

  • Christ-like symbolism: Golding describes Simon in ways that evoke Christ:

    • He feeds the littluns with “double handfuls” of fruit before feeding himself and is the only boy able to confront “the Beast” on the mountain

    • Only Simon understands that the true threat on the island is their own capacity for violence and sin; he dies trying to save the boys from themselves and even his friends Ralph and Piggy are caught up in the violent frenzy

    • Nature seems to mourn Simon’s death, and his body is accompanied out to sea by glowing fish

  • Bestial behaviour: Jack and his hunters bring bloodshed onto the island, spoiling its former tranquility: 

    • The hunters brutally murder a pig, and Golding depicts the sacrificial slaughter as an act of savage, almost sexual, violence

    • Jack places the pig’s head on a stick in Simon’s peaceful glade, tainting an Eden-like environment with a tribute to death and violence

The impact of religion on characters

Religion in Lord of the Flies
Religion in Lord of the Flies

Character

Impact

Simon

  • Simon initially demonstrates the Christian virtues of 1950s public schools:

    • He supports Ralph’s leadership, carries out his assigned roles, and selflessly helps those less fortunate than himself by feeding the littluns and sticking up for Piggy

  • He is also, though, deeply perceptive and has an almost spiritual connection with the natural world:

    • He seeks respite in a peaceful glade that could represent his own personal Garden of Eden

    • He is unafraid when he discovers the dead parachutist on the mountain, untangling the corpse’s parachute as though freeing a trapped soul on the wind

Ralph

  • Ralph demonstrates Christian virtues and morality in his insistence upon democracy, rules and cooperation:

    • He is surprised by how quickly the other boys give up these values in the pursuit of selfish pleasures like hunting

    • At the end of the novel, he realises that the boys’ civilisation has failed because of the darkness inside their own hearts

Jack

  • Jack is introduced as the head chorister, a reminder of the importance of religion in English public schools in the 1950s

  • He later appears half-naked and in face paint, with his physical transformation reflecting his movement away from the Christian values (of Ralph and Simon) to savagery and violence:

    • He offers the pig’s head to “the Beast” as in a pagan ritual; the sacrifice spoils Simon’s glade, ruining its tranquility with bloodshed and human violence

Why is religion a key theme in Lord of the Flies?

 Religious allegory  

  • Golding suggests that evil is inherent in even the most innocent of children, and that the boys’ behaviour reflects a rejection of Christian values

  • Jack’s dictatorial leadership and his decision to place of the pig’s head on a stick as a sacrifice to the Beast could be considered a form of idolatry

  • The term “Lord of the Flies” is another name for the Devil, with Golding implying that the boys bring the Devil to the island paradise

2. A critique of human behaviour

  • Golding seems to suggest that it is human nature to destroy what is good — even if the humans are innocent young boys

  • Humanity’s destructive tendencies are shown to override positive human values, such as cooperation, community and compassion

Exam-style questions on the theme of religion in Lord of the Flies

Try planning a response to the following essay questions as part of your revision of the theme of religion:

  • Explore how William Golding presents religious ideas in Lord of the Flies.

  • How does William Golding use Simon and Jack to present ideas about religion in Lord of the Flies? 

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Author
Reviewer
Nick Redgrove

Author: Nick Redgrove

Expertise: English Content Creator

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

Deb Orrock

Reviewer: Deb Orrock

Expertise: English Content Creator

Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She most recently managed a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.

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