Lord of the Flies William Golding

Some Background Published in 1954 (after rejected by 21 publishers) LOTF was Golding’s first novel (age 43), and was not a huge success at first (that changed in the 1960s) Its stances on the already controversial subjects of human nature and individual welfare versus the common good earned it position 70 on the American Library Association's list of the 100 most frequently challenged Books of 1990–2000

Some Background The novel was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the 100 best English language novels from 1923 to the present The title is said to be a reference to the Hebrew name Beelzebub, or "god of the fly,” "host of the fly," or literally, "Lord of Flies” – a name sometimes used as a synonym for Satan LOTF is based on Golding’s reaction to another novel, The Coral Island, written by R.M. Ballantyne

The Coral Island A simple adventure story that portrays three boys, Ralph, Peterkin, and Jack, who land on an island. The boys work together to survive, and maintain their friendships and civility The boys are placed in contrast with the natives of the island, who are portrayed as evil

The Coral Island The Coral Island was/is extremely popular In fact, it was voted as one of the top twenty Scottish novels in the th International World Wide Web Conference Golding thought Ballantyne’s book presented an unrealistic viewpoint

Lord of the Flies He rejected the idea that boys, when left to their own devices in the wild, would remain so civilized He also felt that The Coral Island was racist, since the book seems to associate evil with dark skin

Lord of the Flies  Golding also rejected the Victorian view of the world, that through hard work and earnestness, one can overcome any hardship.

Overarching Themes Central theme: the conflict between the forces of light and dark within the human soul. Uses symbolism within story Uses characters, setting, objects and plot to represent something outside of the story While The Coral Island was mostly just an adventure story, Golding used LOTF to comment on larger ideas about human nature and actual conflicts going on in the world.

Overarching Themes Macro = Large; Micro = Small Macrocosm of LOTF = End of WWII/Beginning of the Cold War (Global Conflict) Microcosm of LOTF = The Island Microcosm is a reflection of the larger Macrocosm

The Context

Points to Remember England is a culture of properness WWII showed brutality and cruelty of mankind Golding served in Royal Navy during WWII ( ) War experience and Golding’s knowledge of English schoolboys influence novel

The Context Major Events of Historical/Social US Supreme Court rules against racial segregation in schools The phrase "under God" added to the Pledge of Allegiance Sen. Joseph McCarthy conducts nationally televised inquiries into communist infiltration of the Army – Cold War

The Context Technology & Science Advances Increasing global concern about nuclear fallout and radioactive waste disposal Dr. Jonas Salk begins inoculating schoolchildren with his polio vaccine First successful kidney transplant 29 million U.S. households have television sets, double the number in service three years before The revenue for television broadcasters finally surpasses that of radio broadcasters. Gross revenue for television is $593 million