How far are "LOTF" and "RC" similar texts and does social and historical context affect each novel in a similar way?

Authors Avatar

How far are “LOTF” and “RC” similar texts and does social and historical context affect each novel in a similar way?

                 In this essay I will be comparing two texts. One pre-twentieth century and one modern text. The books I have chosen for this are “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe (pre-twentieth) and “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding (modern text). The reason why I chose to compare these two texts is because they are very similar. They share many features mainly that they are both castaway narratives. Throughout my essay I will be looking at several things which show how the books are similar and where they are different. These are; setting, plot, behaviour/motivation of characters, and the narrative style. These two texts share one main factor and that is theme. The different themes that both texts contain are to do with Social status and leadership, Damage and destruction, Nature, society and Hope. I will analyse how these elements are dealt with in terms of each text’s social and historical context.

          Both books have a similar plot which basically a civilised person has to survive in tough conditions and being stranded on an island. At the beginning both texts introduce the main character. In “Robinson Crusoe”, this is Robinson Crusoe and for “Lord of the Flies” this is Ralph. Both of these characters are seen as strong characters, Ralph is presented as strong because he takes charge of the boys as well as trying to keep law and order by making rules, which the “conch” symbolises. Ralph is seen as a leader and is presented as a figure of authority when he holds the symbolic conch:

Join now!

                  “Him with the shell”

                  “Ralph! Ralph!”

 This shows that everyone wants Ralph to lead the group people seem to be excited due to the exclamation marks they repeat his name implying that no one else will do.

          Robinson Crusoe is also seen as a strong character because he survives miraculously through many disasters. He becomes known as a “survivor” which he shares with the boys in “Lord of the Flies”. Both novels share the ...

This is a preview of the whole essay