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About William Golding

Explore the life of acclaimed British novelist, William Golding, his WWII experiences, literary themes, and the profound impact of his novel, "Lord of the Flies."

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About William Golding

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  1. About William Golding • British novelist • Born on September 19, 1911, died 1993 • Studied Science and English at Oxford • Fought in Royal Navy during WWII • Participated in invasion of Normandy on D-Day • At war’s end, returned to teaching and writing • Earned the Nobel Prize in Literature

  2. Author Notes:William Golding • Golding was born in Cornwall, Great Britain. • He went to college at Oxford and started out as a natural science major before changing to English literature. • He worked as a actor, writer, producer, and school teacher. 1911-1993

  3. William Golding • Golding joined the British Royal Navy and was involved in WWII. • His experiences in WWII gave him the idea to write a book about human nature and evil. • He won the Nobel Prize in 1983 1911-1993

  4. The World Golding Knew • 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 overseas evacuation program

  5. Events of WWII • 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 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)

  6. 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

  7. Inspiration • Golding once allowed his class of boys total freedom in a debate, but had to intervene as mayhem soon broke out • Experiences in war • Critical response to Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne • Philosophical questions about human nature

  8. 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

  9. Facts About the Novel • Rejected 21 times before it was published • It was his first novel- published in 1954 • Not successful until the early 1960’s • On the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000.

  10. Story Synopsis • Set in mid 1940’s when Europe was 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. Golding’s Message “The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.” --William Golding

  12. Emotions • What types of emotions might play out? • A “beast” is on the island. Where might the beast come from? • Words of a famous president “We have nothing to fear…”

  13. Themes • Survival • Power/leadership styles • Civilization vs. Savagery • Loss of Innocence • Human nature • Duality of man • Nature Vs. Nurture • Good Vs. Evil

  14. Themes • Humanity needs civilization. • Contrary to the belief that man is innocent and society evil, the story shows that laws/rules/structure/society are necessary to keep the darker side of human nature in line. • When these concepts slip away or are ignored, human beings revert to a more primitive part of their nature.

  15. Behind the Theme • Evil (the beast in the novel) is within man himself. • Golding implies that evil is not created but is ingrained within us all. • Loss of innocence is needed in order to see reality and for humanity to survive. • Age is not directly related to innocence…young can be corrupt/structure can save.

  16. Nature vs. Nurture... • Discussion: • Evil = Born with it. Or • Evil = Raised with it. Is Society evil?

  17. Symbolism BE ON THE LOOKOUT! THERE ARE LOTS OF SYMBOLS IN THIS BOOK! IT’S LIKE A GAME OF WHERE’S WALDO!!!! Conch shell • Must have in order to speak • Make predictions. What might physically happen to the shell and what might that mean? Glasses (specs) • Used to start a fire • Make predictions. How might this symbol play into the book? How might it change over time?

  18. ...Characters as symbols • In addition to objects, people/characters can be symbolic too. • What are various character traits that can be used to describe humans? • Golding attempts to emphasize this point by giving certain characters stronger attributes (one character embodies wisdom, one evil, etc.)

  19. Allusions • Use of the names Ralph and Jack as the main characters from The Coral Island. • Simon from the Bible “Simon called Peter”, Peter was the other boy’s name in TheCoral Island • Mention of Coral Island and TreasureIsland • Numerous biblical allusions throughout

  20. Golding’s Literary Technique • Heavy use of symbolism • Irony • Abundant imagery and sensory detail • Figurative Language Simile Metaphor Personification

  21. Sketch of the Island Beach

  22. 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

  23. 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, DannyPhantom, The Daily Show all mention the novel

  24. Source of Inspiration to Musicians • Musicians 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”

  25. The End “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy." - William Golding, Lord of the Flies, Chapter 12

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