The Lord of the Flies - by William Golding

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

SIR WILLIAM GOLDING 1911-1993

Born in Britain

Was employed as a schoolteacher

Served five years in the Royal Navy during WWII

Lord of the Flies published in 1954

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 oversees evacuation program

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)

IMAGES FROM WWII

IMAGES FROM WWIIIMAGES FROM WWIIIMAGES FROM WWII

IMAGES FROM WWII

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

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.

Ballanytyne• Philosophical questions about human

nature

As a child, Golding had witnessed WWI, “the war to end all wars”

In the decade before Lord of the Flies was published, Britain had been involved in two more wars: World War II (which Golding served) and the Korean War

Sir William Golding’s Influences

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

PLOT OF LORD OF THE FLIESWilliam Golding sets his novel Lord of the Flies at a time when Europe is in the midst of nuclear destruction. A group of British school boys, being evacuated from England, crash lands on a tropical island. No adults survive the crash, and the novel is the story of the boys' descent into chaos, disorder, and evil.

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.

TERMS to REMEMBER Microcosm - A small world

that represents the world at large

Edenic – Eden-like, paradise like, a setting that has not yet been spoiled by man

“Beelzebub” is a Hebrew

word for Lucifer

The literal translation of “Beelzebub” into English is “Lord of the Flies”

The Lord of the Flies – Title Significance

Golding’s Message

“The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.”

--William Golding

Themes

• Survival• Power/leadership styles• Civilization vs. Savagery• Loss of Innocence• Human nature

• Duality of man• Nature Vs. Nurture• Good Vs. Evil

Golding’s Literary Technique

• Heavy use of symbolism• Irony• Allusion• Abundant imagery and sensory detail• Figurative Language

Simile Metaphor Personification

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 The Coral Island

• Mention of Coral Island and Treasure Island

• Numerous biblical allusions throughout

1) Piggy’s glasses – the last surviving evidence of the lawful, structured, rational world

2) conch shell – order and democracy on the island

3) The fire

4) The Island

5) The Beast

6) Jack’s mask

SYMBOLS

Artist’s Rendering of the Island

• http://www.gerenser.com/lotf/island.html

. The island in Lord of the Flies is never actually pointed out in the real world. The tropical location has a beach, as seen above, where Ralph and Piggy emerge from the scar to find the conch. Further inland is the dense jungle, towards the center of which is Simon's mat of creepers. This is also where pigs are hunted and the Lord of the Flies is eventually found. The mountain located at the very left of this rendering is where the boys climb to the summit in order to take in their surroundings. It is also the location of the fire and the dead parachutist. Castle Rock, the other high rising formation found on the opposite end of the island, rises high above the sea. The area is turned into a fortress for Jack and his tribe. The island is described as being in the shape of a boat, which is approximated in the above picture. The boat imagery and the island itself are both symbols, as found on the analysis page. The island is a microcosm for the real world, along with all the problems and realities faced in the world.0/8

Character Analysis1) Ralph- Main character described

as “fair haired,” having “broad shoulders…[like a] boxer’s,” and has a face that “proclaims no devil”

Committed to civilization and morality

2) Piggy - Described as “fat,” “intellectual,” asthmatic, and needs glasses

Represents scientific, rational side of civilization, and social order

Character Analysis• Simon - Described as a skinny,

vivid little boy, who “meditates;” and he faints at different times in the novel, which some cultures have believed is a sign of connecting with the spiritual world

Seems to be connected with nature, and he has an innate, spiritual goodness

Character Analysis• Sam and Eric (Samneric) ~

Twins

Described as barely having enough skin to cover both, bullet-headed, and they finish each other’s sentences

The last to remain loyal to Ralph

Represent the tug-of-warwithin us to remain good

Character Analysis• Jack - Described as having

red hair, malevolent, aggressive, wears black with a snake clasp

• Cruel and manipulativeRepresents our savage instincts played out

Character Analysis Roger - “Silent” and sadistic

Targets the “littluns”The only one to premeditate murder

Kills without consciencePure evil

Character Analysis• “Littluns” ~ The younger kids

Represent the common folk, who easily follow the lead of others into savagery when there is no enforced structure in society

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

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, Danny Phantom, The Daily Show all mention the novel

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”

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