Lord of the FliesLord of the Flies

William GoldingWilliam Golding

List all the rules in your List all the rules in your life that you object to or life that you object to or rejectreject

Total freedom?Total freedom?

•Advantages and Advantages and disadvantagesdisadvantages

•Does it exist?Does it exist?

Sir William GoldingSir William Golding•1911-19931911-1993

William GoldingWilliam Golding

•Born in Cornwall, EnglandBorn in Cornwall, England•Educated at OxfordEducated at Oxford•His father, Alec Golding was a His father, Alec Golding was a

Science Master and a socialistScience Master and a socialist•His mother, Mildred, His mother, Mildred,

supported the campaigns for supported the campaigns for female suffragefemale suffrage

William GoldingWilliam Golding

•Listed his hobbies as Listed his hobbies as •thinkingthinking•Classical GreekClassical Greek•sailingsailing•ArcheologyArcheology

•Married Bilinda Pluck (1939) and Married Bilinda Pluck (1939) and was the father of twowas the father of two

•English and philosophy teacherEnglish and philosophy teacher

Golding: War ServiceGolding: War Service• Served in the Royal Navy in WWIIServed in the Royal Navy in WWII• Involved in the pursuit and sinking of Involved in the pursuit and sinking of

German battleship, German battleship, BismarckBismarck• Participated in the Normandy D-Day Participated in the Normandy D-Day

invasion, commanded a battleship/destroyerinvasion, commanded a battleship/destroyer• ““I began to see what people are capable of I began to see what people are capable of

doing…Anyone who moved through those doing…Anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey must produces evil as a bee produces honey must have been blind or wrong in the head.” ~ have been blind or wrong in the head.” ~ GoldingGolding

Golding’s Literary Golding’s Literary ContributionsContributions• Lord of the FliesLord of the Flies ~ 1954 ~ 1954

• previously rejected previously rejected by 21 publishersby 21 publishers

• The InheritorsThe Inheritors ~ 1955 ~ 1955• Pincher MartinPincher Martin ~ 1956 ~ 1956• Free FallFree Fall ~ 1959 ~ 1959• Awarded Nobel Prize for Awarded Nobel Prize for

Literature in 1983Literature in 1983• ““his books illuminate the his books illuminate the

human condition”human condition”

• Knighted by the Queen Knighted by the Queen in 1988in 1988

Accepting Nobel from His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden in 1983

Notes on GoldingNotes on Golding•Often writes in allegorical fictionOften writes in allegorical fiction

•Allegory: characters and settings Allegory: characters and settings represent moral concepts, symbolize represent moral concepts, symbolize human existencehuman existence

•The novel is an ironic response to The novel is an ironic response to Ballantyne’s Ballantyne’s Coral IslandCoral Island• Boys also stranded, optimistic view of Boys also stranded, optimistic view of

mid-19mid-19thth century England century England

Others on GoldingOthers on Golding

• ““Golding’s view is pessimistic: human nature Golding’s view is pessimistic: human nature is inherently violent, which reflects the post-is inherently violent, which reflects the post-war and post-Hitler years.” war and post-Hitler years.”

• ““In this book, as in few others at the present In this book, as in few others at the present time, are findings of psychoanalysts of all time, are findings of psychoanalysts of all schools, anthropologists, social psychologists schools, anthropologists, social psychologists and philosophical historians mobilized into an and philosophical historians mobilized into an attack upon the central problem of modern attack upon the central problem of modern thought: the nature of the human personality thought: the nature of the human personality and the reflection of the personality on and the reflection of the personality on society.” (Epstein)society.” (Epstein)

Nature of ManNature of Man• With With Lord of the FliesLord of the Flies, “the theme is an attempt to trace the defects of , “the theme is an attempt to trace the defects of

society back to the defects of human nature “ (Golding)society back to the defects of human nature “ (Golding)

• HobbesHobbes• “…“…continual fear, and danger of violent death;and the life of man, continual fear, and danger of violent death;and the life of man,

solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short…”solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short…”• Men need a common power, “reduce… by plurality of voices unto Men need a common power, “reduce… by plurality of voices unto

one will…”one will…”

• LockeLocke• ……all men are naturally in a state of total freedom…”all men are naturally in a state of total freedom…”• Civil society, people place power into legislative hands for “lives, Civil society, people place power into legislative hands for “lives,

liberties and estates…”liberties and estates…”

• RossueauRossueau• The Social Contract: …”each individual surrenders all his rights The Social Contract: …”each individual surrenders all his rights

without reservation…”without reservation…”• ““freedom…is obedience to the will of all.”freedom…is obedience to the will of all.”