1. Lord of the Flies

2. Interesting quote…
“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
GRAMMAR mistake?
“…could be a Nazi.” everyone is singular

3. Who is William Golding? (Note 2 significant items):
British novelist
Born on September 19, 1911, died 1993
Studied Science and English at Oxford
Fought during WWII
At war’s end, returned to teaching and writing
Earned the Nobel Prize in Literature

4. General Information about LOTF
group of English schoolboys
plane shot down during a war
marooned on a tropical island
Realistic Fiction
it explores human evil
Where did the author witness human evil?
violence and brutality of WWII

5. Historical Context WWII 1939- 1945
The fall of France to Nazi Germany in 1940
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

6. Philosophical Influences
Thomas Hobbes ~ English philosopher ( ):
WRITE DOWN YOUR # (and paraphrase it):
1.) Man is by nature selfishly individualistic.
2.) In a state of nature, man is constantly at war with other men.
3.) The fear of violent death is sole motivation to create civilizations.
4.) Men need to be controlled by absolute sovereignty to avoid brutish behavior.

7. FUN FACTS: Rejected 21 times before it was published.
It was his first novel- published in 1954.
Not successful until the early 1960’s.
IT’S BEEN BANNED: On the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of

8. As we read, we will analyze…
THEME: A writer’s message, philosophy, or insight on life or human nature.
…and SYMBOLS
CHARACTERIZATION
PLOT
Groups: discuss your Anticipation Guide.

9. Summary: answer, extend, change the diction
Why is it so critical to consider the historical context of a novel before you begin reading it?