Lord of the Flies, Chapters Ten, Eleven, and Twelve

Think about some of your favorite sit-coms on television.  Sit-com, short for situational comedy, refers to television shows that make wide use of irony for their humor.  In your favorite shows, things happen that the audience is not expecting to happen.  For example, one character comes home early from a trip only to catch two other characters planning a surprise party for him.  This is typically followed by the other characters trying to cover up their actions with white lies or other made up excuses, all of which can contribute to the humor present in the storyline.  Not all irony is humorous though; sometimes, irony can add to the drama and suspense of a story or novel.  Very often, irony can contribute greatly to the author’s overall purpose in writing. 

Essential Questions

• What was Golding’s purpose in writing this novel?
• What effect or impact does irony have on the reader?