1. Lord of the Flies
William Golding

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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
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

7. 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

8. 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?

9. 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

10. From the author…

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

12. 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.

13. 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)

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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”