Lord of the Flies

Take out your journal and take a slip off the front desk. Read the directions and begin.

Lord of the FliesBy William Golding

William Golding (1911-1993)Born: September 19, 1911 in Cornwall, EnglandStudied Science and English at OxfordWitnessed WWI- the war to end all warsFought in Royal Navy during WWII Participated in invasion of Normandy on D-DayAt wars end, returned to teaching and writingEarned the Nobel Prize in Literature

The World Golding KnewThe fall of France to Nazi Germany in 1940Britain feared an invasion and evacuated children to other countries1940- A German U-Boat torpedoed a British ship carrying children, killing the boys, thus suspending the oversees evacuation program

Major Events of WWII1939- Britain joined France in war against Nazi Germany1940- 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 war1944- D-Day Normandy Landings1945- Bombing of Dresden1945- European victory celebrated 1945- Atomic Bomb dropped in Hiroshima immediately killing 60-80,000 people (final death toll 135,000 people)

On writing Lord of the FliesIt was simply what seemed sensible for me to write after the war when everyone was thanking God they werent Nazis. Id seen enough to realize that every single one of us could be Nazis. --William Golding

Inspirations/InfluencesGolding once allowed his class of boys total freedom in a debate, but had to intervene as mayhem soon broke outExperiences in warCritical response to Coral Island by R.M. Ballanytyne (ideal vs. real)Philosophical questions about human nature

Rejected 21 times before it was publishedIt was his first novel- published in 1954Not successful until the early 1960sOn the American Library Associations list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000.

FACTSLord of the Flies in Pop CultureThe Simpsons-Das BusHookRock band Gatsbys American Dream has a song inspired completely by Lord of the Flies entitled FableThe Offspring mention Lord of the Flies in their song, "You're Gonna Go Far KidIn Melbourne, Australia, there is a business called Lord of the Fries

TitleTranslation of Beelzebub or SatanSettingA tiny coral island in the South Pacific during a war when the atomic bomb may have (and most likely has) been used. This world becomes their microcosm, which is definitely one of your symbols!PlotA group of young boys is stranded on an island and they must negotiate the social issues of cooperation and self-government. The outside world is consumed with war

Goldings MessageThe theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. --William Golding

11Guiding QuestionsDoes every human being have a dark side? Are humans inherently good or evil?What does it mean to be civilized?Rules of government democracy vs. dictatorship? What type of government works best? Why?What are the outcomes when evil is an influence?SymbolsThe islandThe conchPiggys glassesThe fireThe beastieThe littlunsThe pigThe names of the boys

AllusionsUse 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 boys name in The Coral IslandMention of Coral Island and Treasure IslandNumerous biblical allusions throughout

14Basic Philosophies to Consider While ReadingHumans are inherently evil; society establishes government to curb evil instinctsWe all saw a hell of a lot in the war that cant be accounted for except on the basis of original evilHumans are inherently good; humans are born good and are corrupted by societyHumans are inherently neutral; our experiences determine the balance between good and evilWhich do you agree/disagree with now? Choose the one with the closet alignment to your own ideas.