Lord of the Flies William Golding

William Golding (1911-1993) Born in Cornwall, UK Studied anthropology, archaeology, literature in college Became a school teacher (1935- 1961) Entered the navy during WWII; participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983

Historical Perspective WWI – the “Great War” or the “War to end all wars” Can we ever have peace? WWII – the advent of the atom bomb – power to destroy the world? Britain feared an invasion and evacuated children to other countries 1940- A German U-Boat torpedoed a British ship carrying children, killing the boys, thus suspending the oversees evacuation program

Background Information Written in 1954 amidst The Cold War and threats of a nuclear holocaust with Soviet Union Golding’s experiences led him to believe that human beings are ultimately evil Posed the question: How would humans act if there were no rules? Civilized or savages

The Novel’s Influences Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson – depicts people stranded on island and transforming society and nature successfully Both World Wars – LOTF is sometimes seen as Golding’s view of WWIII Beelzebub – Greek translation of “lord of the flies”. In the Bible this is Satan Coral Island – novel about 3 boys who create a wonderful society – LOTF does the opposite

Lord of the Flies Published in 1954 Rejected 21 times before being published! On the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. Written partially in response to The Coral Island, a story of how people supposedly ascend in their goodness on an island. Human nature Duality of man Nature Vs. Nurture Good Vs. Evil

Lord of the Flies Title Translation of “Beelzebub” or Satan Setting A tiny, uninhabited, coral island in the South Pacific Takes place probably after WWII Plot A group of young boys stranded on an island - they must negotiate the social issues of cooperation and self-government The outside world is consumed with war Main characters Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon, Sam ‘n Eric

Lord of the Flies Guiding Questions Does every human being have a dark side? Are humans inherently good or evil? What does it mean to be civilized? Rules of government – democracy vs. dictatorship? What type of government works best? Why? What are the outcomes when evil is an influence?

On Writing Lord of the Flies “It was simply what seemed sensible for me to write after the war when everyone was thanking God they weren’t Nazis. I’d seen enough to realize that every single one of us could be Nazis.” --William Golding

From the author…

Symbols The island The conch Piggy’s glasses The fire The “beastie” The “littluns” The pig The names of the boys

Basic Philosophies to Consider While Reading Humans are inherently evil; society establishes government to curb evil instincts “We all saw a hell of a lot in the war that can’t be accounted for except on the basis of original evil” Humans are inherently good; humans are born good and are corrupted by society Humans are inherently neutral; our experiences determine the balance between good and evil Which do you agree/disagree with now? Choose the one with the closet alignment to your own ideas.

Golding’s Literary Technique Heavy use of symbolism The novel as an allegory The boys represent all of society The island represents the world 3 Allegorical Interpretations: Biblical, Political, Psychological Irony Figurative Language Simile Metaphor Personification Abundant imagery and sensory detail Allusions (references to stories, names, history outside the text)

Lord of the Flies in Pop Culture In Hook, Robin Williams compares Lost Boys to savages in LOTF The Simpsons episode “Das Bus” is a parody Inspiration for the anime series Infinite Ryvius Mel Gibson’s 2006 movie Apocalypto has a similar ending. T.V. shows Survivor and Lost are said to have been inspired from LOTF 2006 movie Unaccompanied Minors makes reference to LOTF

Popular Culture Cont. Stephen King uses the name “Castle Rock” (from the novel) as the name of a town in his books. He also makes reference to LOTF in the novels The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Cujo and Hearts in Atlantis Orson Scott Card makes reference in his novel, Ender’s Shadow. Degrassi: The Next Generation, Danny Phantom, The Daily Show all mention the novel

Source of Inspiration to Musicians Musicians U2, Iron Maiden, Gatsby’s American Dream, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, A.F.I., and Danielle Dax have all recorded songs about the novel. Titles such as: “Where the Flies Are” “Touch Piggy’s Eyes” “Lord of the Flies” “Piggy “Fable” “Boy” “Shadows and Tall Trees”