Explore how Golding presents the theme of power in Lord of the Flies. Remember to support your answer with relevant textual details.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme. The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. AO1: Respond to texts critically and imaginatively; select and synthesise relevant textual detail to support exploration and analysis.
2. AO2: Analyse the language, form and structure of texts, and explain how these are used to create meanings and effects.
3. AO4: Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which texts were written and received.
4. AO5: Communicate clearly and cogently in writing, using appropriate vocabulary and grammar and accurate spelling and punctuation.
5. Indicative Content (Examiners should reward any valid interpretations):
6. - Candidates should explore how Golding presents the theme of power in Lord of the Flies.
7. - Responses may include exploration of: The struggle for power between Ralph and Jack from the beginning; Different forms of power: democratic power (Ralph and the conch), autocratic/tyrannical power (Jack and the hunters), intellectual power (Piggy), moral power (Simon), physical power, emotional/psychological power; The symbols of power: the conch, the signal fire, the platform, the island itself, Jack’s knife/spear, the mask; The impact of power on individuals and the group: transformation of characters, breakdown of civilisation, descent into savagery; How power is gained, maintained, and lost: through persuasion, force, fear, manipulation, charisma; The consequences of unchecked power and the absence of adult authority; The relationship between power and civilisation/savagery.
8. - Candidates should also consider Golding’s techniques in presenting power.
9. - For example, candidates may refer to: Language: descriptive language of leadership, violence, fear (e.g. Jack’s language, descriptions of the hunt, the chants), rhetorical devices used in speeches; Structure: narrative progression showing the rise and fall of different power structures, episodic structure highlighting key power shifts, juxtaposition of scenes (e.g. assembly vs. hunt); Form: allegory of human nature and society; Context: power dynamics of society at the time of writing (WWII, Cold War), human nature/original sin, political ideologies (democracy vs. totalitarianism).