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Cross Lord of the Flies Essay Topics Enriched 11

INSTRUCTIONS:

You will write a FIVE paragraph essay on ONE of the topic below.
YOU MUST:
1) Have your thesis approved by me
2) You must complete and submit the ESSAY OUTLINE (see dates below)
before I mark your essay.
3) SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY TO TURNITIN.COM
4) YOU MUST USE QUOTATIONS AND HAVE 2-3 MAIN POINTS PER
PARAGRAPH.
5) Use transitions to connect ideas and proofread your work
6) INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND CORRECT CITATIONS IN
YOUR ESSAY
7) Have a great title! J

TOPICS:
1.
In his TED TALK, The Psychology of Evil, Philip Zimbardo explores the question: “what makes
good people do bad things?”

In a well-structured and supported essay, choose three of the seven

“processes that grease the slippery slope to evil” and discuss how the
boys on the island are influenced and impacted by these processes.
Remember that your thesis statement (and thus your paper) must have a controlling idea AND a
stance (or position) about that controlling idea. In other words, you need to address the question:
“so what?” or “Why does this matter?”

2.
The sow's head and the conch shell each wield a certain kind of power over the boys. In what
ways do these objects' powers differ? In what way is Lord of the Flies a novel about power?
About the power of symbols? About the power of a person to use symbols to control a
group?



3.
Post-colonial theory implies that Lord of the Flies’ does more to foster the colonial mindset of
the “savage other” by increasingly distancing the boys from the civilized society of the British
empire, than actually holding colonizers accountable for their own atrocities. Not only does
Golding rely heavily on pejorative colonial concepts (savages, idolatry) and imagery (paint,
violence, dirt, dehumanization) to highlight the evil present in humanity, but he also contrasts
the blond fairness of Ralph’s hair and skin with Jack’s red hair, and the general darkness of
many of the other boys. Write a post-colonial analysis of Lord of the Flies.

• Pick up the “Post-colonial Studies: The Key Concepts” package if interested in this
topic.

4.
Read the attached introduction to Machiavelli’s The Prince. Make an argument either FOR or

AGAINST the idea that Jack is an effective Machiavellian leader.

• Pick up the “Introduction” to Machiavelli’s The Prince.




IMPORTANT DATES:
BRAINSTORM + THESIS STATEMENT: DUE FOR APPROVAL
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18

IN-CLASS PLANNING/WORK PERIOD#1 FRIDAY, JANUARY 18

IN-CLASS PLANNING/WORK PERIOD#2: TUESDAY, JANUARY 22

ESSAY ROUGH DRAFT DUE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 24

** TYPED, DOUBLE SPACED x4 COPIES

IN-CLASS FEEDBACK SESSIONS: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30

FINAL DRAFT Due: Saturday, FEB. 2ndMIDNIGHT.

Hand in completed outline: FEBRUARY 5