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William Golding and Lord of the Flies

William Golding and Lord of the Flies. (1911-1993). 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

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William Golding and Lord of the Flies

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  1. William Golding andLord of the Flies (1911-1993)

  2. 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?”

  3. 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

  4. “One had one’s nose rubbed in the human condition

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

  6. 55 million deaths • Once the bomb is dropped, there is no going back • You can’t undo technological “advancements”

  7. So what exactly is the human condition?

  8. EVIL + FEAR =ATROCITIES

  9. This novel deals with the dark side of humanity-underlying savagery of all mankind“Beast” within all of us

  10. When people feel vulnerable (at risk of losing something) they will seek someone or something powerful to protect themVulnerability Protection

  11. 3 Human Qualities • Desire for social and political order • Natural inclination toward evil • Belief in supernatural or divine intervention

  12. 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 Golding’s 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?

  13. 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”

  14. Major Themes • Fear • Potential evil in all humans • Impact of specific environmental conditions

  15. 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? ”

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

  17. 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?

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