1. Enlisted in the Royal Navy and fought in 1940 (World War II)
William Golding
British Author, born in 1911
Enlisted in the Royal Navy and fought in 1940 (World War II)
Lord of the Flies was published in 1954
Not an instant success
The 1959 edition took off in the United States and has received high acclaim since.

2. Ballantyne’s Coral Island:
A group of school boys stranded on a deserted island
rely on courage and resourcefulness to survive
The experience leaves them strengthened and matured.
The vision in Lord of the Flies does not have Ballantyne’s optimism.
“Notes on Lord of the Flies” – “The theme is an attempt to trace the defects in society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.”

3. Golding and his audience 1954-1970’s
What is the social impact of war?
World War I
World War II
Soldiers
The children of soldiers
Korean War and Vietnam War
High school students headed for battle

4. Themes - breakdown of social behavior - loss of innocence
- need for social order
- power
- fear

5. Reading Schedule Chapters Read By 1 and 2 Thursday, September 7
Friday, September 8
Monday, September 11
5 and Wednesday, September 13
Monday, September 18
Monday, September 25
Test (Objective w/some analysis): Thursday, September 28