Scar Island

In Chapter 19, the librarian gives Jonathan a copy of Lord of the Flies and explains that the book is about a group of abandoned boys on an island. The librarian’s thorough book summary could just as easily be about Scar Island.

In addition to crucial plot points, the parallels between Lord of the Flies and Scar Island are numerous. How do the primary themes of Lord of the Flies compare to those of Scar Island? Which of the two books is a more optimistic, hopeful tale? Why does the author reference Lord of the Flies in Scar Island?

Teaching Suggestion: While Lord of the Flies shares many of the core themes of Scar Island—namely, Authoritarianism, Power Struggle, and the nature of Redemption—each book comes to vastly different conclusions about human nature. To summarize Lord of the Flies and its core plot points and themes, you might have students read and watch Open Culture’s “Why We Should Read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies: An Animated Video Makes the Case.”

Differentiation Suggestion: For advanced learners, consider approaching this prompt as a debate revolving around the following discussion piece from LitHub: “What Lord of the Flies Got Wrong: The Kids Are Actually Alright.