Lord of the Flies

1. Lord of the Flies William Golding 1911- 1993

2. Biographical Information on William Golding • Born in England 1911 to an average middle-class family • Went to school at Oxford University • Started teaching English at an all boys prep school in 1939 • Joined the British Navy and entered WWII in 1940 • Fought in Royal Navy during WWII • Participated in invasion of Normandy on D-Day • After war, went back to teaching until 1963 and wrote LOTF in 1954, winning Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983 • Died in 1993. Which events may have had the largest impact on his life? Which may have influenced LOTF the most?

3. Two major influences… • WWII and teaching young men. • How did they have such influence?

4. Two major influences While serving in WWII… • He saw the atrocities of war first hand, including torture, death, bloodshed, etc. • He was shocked by the horrors of Hitler’s Holocaust, torturing of p.o.w.’s by the Japanese, and by the U.S. dropping the atom bomb. While teaching at an all boys school… He observed how boys and young men acted toward each other and learned some of the psychological tendencies of boys: • Boys have a need for competition • Boys have a desire for games and play as opposed to work • Boys have a tendency to “act up” when adults are not around • Boys tend to be cruel and physically aggressive toward others

5. Golding’s Fiction • Allegorical • Allusions to • Classical literature • Mythology • Christian Symbolism

6. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read Allegory A narrative in which the characters and their actions, and sometimes the setting, are put together by the author to make literal meaning, but also to have a second, often symbolic, meaning. Two types of allegories: fable- a short narrative that explains human behavior or morals (Aesop) parable- a narrative about human beings used by the author to teach his or her audience a lesson (Bible tales)

7. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read symbols – anything that stands for or represents something else. Symbols point to meaning beyond what they are. Writers often use conventional symbols for meanings. Others create their own symbols by emphasis or repetition. Each method intends to make a point, create a mood, or reinforce a theme.

8. LORD of the FLIES…Before we read What are the meaning of these conventional symbols? The color green

9. 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 Nazi’s. I’d seen enough to realize that every single one of us could be Nazi’s.” • William Golding on his novel Lord of the Flies

10. About the Novel • Set in mid 1940’s when Europe engulfed in war. • A plane carrying British school boys is mistaken for a military craft and shot down. • Only the boys survive the crash, and try to form a society and govern themselves.

11. Themes in the Novel • Civilization vs. Savagery • Loss of Innocence • Original Sin • Fear that separates one from God • Nature of Good and Evil • Goodness is rare and fleeting

12. Motifs in the Novel • Biblical parallels (book criticized for re-telling episodes in the Bible) • Pristine places corrupted by evil • Beel’zebub- Hebrew translation for Lord of the flies

13. Symbols in the Novel • The Conch- Civilization and orderThe Beast- The fear that separates man from God • Piggy’s Glasses- Reason, science and insight • Lord of the Flies- Evil • Fire Signal- Hope, salvation

14. Philosophical Influence • John Hobbes • English Philosopher: 1588- 1679 • Man is by nature selfishly individualistic • Man constantly at war with other men • Fear of violent death is sole motivation to create civilizations • Men need to be controlled by absolute sovereignty to avoid brutish behavior

15. The World Golding Knew • WWII 1939- 1945 • The fall of France to Nazi Germany in1940 • Britain feared an invasion and evacuated children to other countries • 1940- A German U-Boat torpedoed British ship carrying children killing the boys, thus suspending the oversees evacuation program

16. Major WWII Events • 1939- Britain joined France in war against Nazi Germany • 1940- Fall of France • 1940- Fascist Italy joins the Axis with Germany • 1941- Japan attacks Pearl Harbor causing USA to declare war on Japan and enter the world war • 1944- D-Day Normandy Landings • 1945- Bombing of Dresden • 1945- European victory celebrated • 1945- Atomic Bomb dropped in Hiroshima immediately killing 60-80,000 people (final death toll 135,000 people) • Death and destruction abound!!!

17. Modern Day Allusions • Allusion- (n.) an indirect reference to something There are many, many modern day allusions to Lord of the Flies in popular culture. For example….

18. The Simpsons • The Simpson’s episode titled Das Bus is a parody of Lord of the Flies.

19. Survivor • MarK Burnett’s CBS island show is said to have been inspired by LOTF.

20. Sponge Bob Squarepants • The episode Club Spongebob is a spoof of LOTF.

21. Popular Music • Bands such as Taking Back Sunday, Nine Inch Nails, AFI, Iron Maiden, and Pink Floyd have written songs about or have alluded to LOTF in their music.