1. Lord of the Flies
by William Golding

2. William Golding born in 1911 in Cornwall.
in World War 2, he joined Royal Navy
after the war he returned to teaching and began writing novels
1954 Lord of the Flies – first and most successful novel
1983 awarded Nobel prize for Literature
died 1993

3. Golding wrote the novel after his experiences in WW2
He was horrified by the man’s cruelty to fellow man
His novel explores the potential for evil in all of us

4. The Americans dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima

5. Jewish Concentration
Camps

6. Japanese POW

7. The novel is an allegory
What does that mean?
It tells a story on a superficial level
Underneath it has a deeper meaning and an explicit moral point
Characters, incidents and images stand for something else in the “real world”
e.g. the conch stands for authority

8. Some people see the boys’ life on the island as parallel to the rise off fascism in Germany before WW2
Jack and the hunters represent Hitler’s Youth

9. Contemporary relevance
In 1992 Jamie Bulger was lured away from his mother in a shopping centre By two boys aged 10 years. He was tortured and they battered him to death. With this act came a turning point in public perception of children; the notion of childhood innocence died.

10. In October 1997 Luke Woodham , aged 16, stabbed his mother, drove to school in her car and shot his sweetheart who had spurned him along with another girl. The police later found a “manifesto” he had written:
“I am not insane … for murder is not weak or slow-witted. Murder is gutsy and daring …. I do this to show society : Push and we will push back”

11. In March 1998 In Jonesboro Arkansas, two young males aged 11 and 13, shot dead 4 children and one adult.
A report into the incident commented:
“They had laid an unsophisticated but effective trap; they set off the fire alarm in order to send the children into the playground to face the gunfire. Te Jonesboro boys had decided to kit themselves out in fatigues – even combat hats for the occasion”

12. Parallels to in “Lord of the Flies” is clear
The young age of the boys who batter Simon to death
The chilling way they dress themselves up as part of the gang and smear blood on their faces
The calculating way Ralph is flushed out of the forest by fire
The pleasure Roger takes in causing pain

13. Adventure books referred to:
“Treasure Island” by R.L Stevenson
This is about a young lad, Jack Hawkins, who goes on a treasure seeking voyage. He is kidnapped by pirates but his courage and loyalty bring about a happy ending

14. “Swallows and Amazons” by Arthur Ransome
This novel is set in the Lake District in England. It tells of the adventures a group of children have as they explore the islands by boat. In many ways it portrays a perfect childhood, full of fun, in which being “decent” always brings success.

15. The Coral Island

16. Ralph (15), Jack (18) and Peterkin (14),
“This is the novel most closely linked to Lord of the Flies. It is about three British boys,
Ralph (15), Jack (18) and Peterkin (14),
who are shipwrecked on a desert island in the South Pacific.

17. Ralph is the centre figure and tells the story
Jack is the hero
Peterkin is funny and clever (almost like a popular Piggy).

18. Fire on the island is a symbol for safety but also for destruction
Fire on the island is a symbol for safety but also for destruction. Traditionally it represents hope, warmth and comfort
There is another two-edged symbol. What is it?

19. The conch