William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of sports and homework and adventure stories—and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible.Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies has established itself as a true classic.
Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Critically acclaimed, it became a cult favourite, compared to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought and literature.
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| Listen & Read Online | Interactive eBook: About the text | Read online |
About the Author: William Golding (1911-1993)
Sir William Gerald Golding (September 19, 1911-June 19, 1993) was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize laureate for literature, best known for his novel, Lord of the Flies. He was also awarded the Booker Prize for literature in 1980 for his novel, Rites of Passage, the first book of the trilogy, To the Ends of the Earth.
Golding grew up at his family home in Marlborough, Wiltshire, where his father (Alec Golding) was a science master at Marlborough Grammar School. In 1930, Golding went to Oxford University as an undergraduate at Brasenose College, where he read Natural Sciences for two years before transferring to English Literature. Golding took his B.A. (Honors) Second Class in the summer of 1934 and later that year published his first book, Poems.
Golding joined the Royal Navy in 1940. During World War II, he was briefly involved in the pursuit and sinking of Germany’s mightiest battleship, the Bismarck. He also participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, commanding a landing ship that fired salvoes of rockets onto the beaches, and then in a naval action at Walcheren in which 23 out of 24 assault craft were sunk. At the war’s end, he returned to teaching and writing.
Golding died of heart failure on June 19, 1993
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| Study Guide | Summary, Themes & Symbols | Morality, Masculinity & Life |
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| Revision Guide | Questions for study/discussion | Modernists & Postmodernists |
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| Biography of Author | Study Guide | Literary Devices [Scroll] |
- Essay: Boys Club - No Girls Allowed: Absence as Presence in William Golding's "lord of the Flies"SOURCE: Fisher, J. & Silber, E. (2003), "Women In Literature: Reading through the Lens of gender," Greenwood Press, London, pp 216-218.
- Essay: The Descent into Savageryby Dr Jennifer Minter (English Works Notes)
Videos
"Lord of the Flies" series - Click on the image above to access this series.
Context & Background: What do World War II, the Holocaust and the development of nuclear weapons have to do with a story about boys stranded on a deserted island? This programme shows how mid-20th century social conditions and political upheaval are reflected in Golding’s fiction. It also explains how his personal experiences affected his writing and how the story was influenced by popular fiction of the era.
Golding's Writing Style: This programme provides detailed analyses and examples of Golding’s methods, and the key elements of his writing style. It explains the concepts of fable and allegory, and explores Golding’s complex use of symbolism with particular reference to the conch, the fire, clothing and Piggy’s glasses. The programme also investigates Golding’s use of realistic dialogue, and detailed description, to portray characters and convey ideas.
Ralph and Jack: These characters like and admire each other at first, but by the end of the novel Jack is hunting Ralph to the death. This programme explores the nature and significance of these two main characters, and how Golding uses the struggle between them to expose opposing values and priorities. It demonstrates how the characters represent completely different notions of leadership and government: democratic versus fascist.
Theme - Evil: This programme analyses how Golding uses the novel to explore the nature of evil. Making detailed reference to the text, it examines the escalation of evil, how characters embrace or reject evil to different degrees, how evil comes to be symbolised by the beast, and how Simon recognises its source and is destroyed by it.
Lord of the Flies [Crash Course Literature]
Lord of the Flies is a novel of ideas, and John doesn't agree with the central idea of the novel, which diminished his enjoyment of the book. The central idea of the book is that everyone has evil in their hearts. Which we don't necessarily agree with.
SOURCE: Crash Course (2016), posted on YouTube, [11;54 mins] URL: https://youtu.be/WfNiQBXmPw8
Why you should read Lord of the Flies by William Golding - Jill Dash
After witnessing the atrocities of his fellow man in World War II, William Golding was losing his faith in humanity. Later, during the Cold War, as superpowers began threatening one another with nuclear annihilation, he was forced to interrogate the very roots of human nature and violence. These musings would inspire his first novel: “Lord of the Flies.” Jill Dash dives into the timeless satire.
SOURCE: TED-ed (2019), posted on YouTube, [4:49 mins] URL: https://youtu.be/NnnZ6y1HPqI
Lord of the Flies (Brook, 1963, B & W)
Based on Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding's classic novel, Lord of the Flies is a disturbing tale of conflict and savagery. Interactive video available.
SOURCE: NITV (2019), from ClickView, Rated: PG, [1:26:55 mins] URL: https://clickv.ie/w/pPwp
Teaching and Learning Links
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| How to Teach L of F. | Lesson: Why should you read LotF? | Close Reading: Book Pairings |
- Lesson 1: Characterization in Lord of the FliesFrom Edsitement.
