William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies

When William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies is mentioned in casual conversation, one rarely finds someone that hasn’t read it, but this was not always the case. At what point did Golding’s allegorical masterpiece get recognized? In the 1950s, Golding had just finished his book, calling it Strangers from Within. The book’s influences range from the horrendous children from his teaching years to himself and his nearly pedophilic instincts (Dirda 2, Roberts 2). His dream had always been to be a writer, and he finally succeeded at the publication of this book, one of the many he created. He struggled to write while doing other jobs, such as teaching. He had to put off his works once he joined the Royal Navy. Although he prospered in the war, he yearned to write, so while he taught after the war, he also wrote his book in his free time. His book received a little recognition in the beginning, hardly even managing to get published at first. By the end of his lifetime, Golding was widely recognized for his book with millions reading his book all over the world. Bringing a new meaning to the definition and ideals behind savagery, Golding’s Lord of the Flies brings a new light to the instinctual primitiveness of humankind.

The parallels in Golding’s own life and his book allow the reader to have a new understanding of Golding and how he relates to the book. Golding’s many life experiences gave him the knowledge he needed to be able to relate to fictional children as an adult. In the beginning of his career, Golding had no steady job; in fact, once he graduated from college after switching his degree from science to English, he had already considered being an actor, a poet, or a pianist as a career (Dirda 2). He soon discovered he was n...

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...beginning the rise of the evilness that is Lord of the Flies.

Works Cited

Dirda, Michael. “Piggy’s Back: The Case for William Golding.” The Weekly Standard. Clarity Media Group. 26 July 2010. Web. 6 May 2014.

Fitzgerald, John F., and John R. Kayser. "Golding's Lord Of The Flies: Pride As Original Sin." Studies in The Novel 24.1 (1992): 78.Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 May 2014.

Kruger, Arnold. "Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES." Explicator 57.3 (1999): 167. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 May 2014.

Roberts, Glenys. “He Forged His Reputation with a Story of Nihilistic Savagery. But a New Book Reveals Lord of the Flies Author William Golding’s Own Life Was Even More Shockingly Depraved…” Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. 24 August 2009. Web. 6 May 2014.

Selby, Keith. "Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES." Explicator 41.3 (1983): 57. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 May 2014.