William Golding and Lord of the Flies

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William Golding andLord of the Flies

• (1911-1993)

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• English writer who wrote Lord of the Flies in
  1954.
• After WWII and the Holocaust, he was
  disillusioned with humanity.
• Novel reflects the way people would behave if all
  authority was removed
• One question facing many people at the time was
  How can good people commit such horrific
  crimes?

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During WWII, Golding had participated in the
sinking of the Bismarck---crown ship of German
Navy---and he also took part in the D-Day
landings in France
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One had ones nose rubbed in the human condition
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Nuclear Threat

• Out of WWII came a new emphasis on technology
• First Atomic bomb
• Arms Race
• The Cold War

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55 million deaths

• Once the bomb is dropped, there is no going back
• You cant undo technological advancements

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So what exactly is the human condition?
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EVIL FEAR ATROCITIES
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This novel deals with the dark side of
humanity-underlying savagery of all
mankindBeast within all of us
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When people feel vulnerable (at risk of losing
something) they will seek someone or something
powerful to protect themVulnerability
Protection
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3 Human Qualities

• Desire for social and political order
• Natural inclination toward evil
• Belief in supernatural or divine intervention

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The Novel

• Lord of the Flies was written with the intent to
  include certain elements of moral behavior
• Uses many symbols to portray this intent
• Actions done by the characters in the novel
  eventually create Goldings message
• Golding uses children to illustrate that
  barbarity and savagery can exist amongst event
  the smallest and most harmless form of human
  beings
• Symbolically, how does society normally view
  children?

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Story Context

• Atomic war occurring causing the evacuation of
  innocent, military boys
• Plane crashes and must create order
• Looking for signs from their world for rescue

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Major Themes

• Fear
• Potential evil in all humans
• Impact of specific environmental conditions

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How to approach the novel

• Ultimately we will be reading this novel and
  discussing the moral issues the characters face
  or create.
• We really need to be able to answer the
  questions Is Golding right? Will all people,
  no matter how innocent, return to savagery in the
  absence of authority? Does the absence of
  authority result in an alteration of moral
  behavior?

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Literary Terms

• Allegory---a story with two or more levels of
  meaning.
• Actual adventure tale of survival
• Deeper meaning about societys morals
• Symbol---anything that stands for or represents
  something else

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What do you think?

• Reaction/Reflection---
• What would our school be like if there were no
  rules and no adults?
• What would happen?
• Who would rule?
• What about society with no laws?
• How would people act?