Introduction and Background

“Beelzebub” a Hebrew word forLUCIFER

However, the literal translation of “Beelzebub”

into English is LORD OF THE FLIES

William GoldingBorn in Britain

1911-1993

"We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English,

and the English are best at everything.

In the decade before LOTF was published, Britain had been involved in two wars:

WWIIKorean War

As a child, Golding had witnessed WWI, which was referred to as “the war to end all wars.”

HOWEVER,22 years later Britain

was again involved in ANOTHER WAR to end all wars, which

caused more devastation than was imaginable.

The Atomic BombOne of the most

pivotal and disturbing experiences for those who lived during WWII was the first use of nuclear weaponry against humans.

U.S. President Truman in his radio speech from Aug. 9, 1945: “The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians. But that attack is only a warning of things to come.”

The Cold War Era Begins1946: Churchill coins the term “Iron

Curtain”

1948-9: Berlin Airlift (Soviet Union attempts to gain control of Berlin via blockade; is thwarted by U.S./British airlift)

1949: Communists take control in China; Chairman Mao Tse-Tung travels to Moscow and negotiates Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance.

The Post-War, Cold War Era: Late 1940sMassive damage to major cities due to wartime

bombingMajor shortages in fuel and foodWWII soldiers eager for greater employment

opportunities and social changeLabour Party elected by a large margin in

1945: goals included improving living conditions, diversifying the economy, providing social services, and maintaining strong military to fight threat of Soviet “Empire”

The Post-War, Cold War Era: Early 1950sSome achievements of the Labour

government: nationalized healthcare, creation of hydro-electric power systems

Some challenges and limitations: enormous war debts, little growth in private enterprise, several fuel and food shortages

U.S.’s Marshall Plan brings aid; ditto Land Rover: more markets and more products to sell

The Post-War, Cold War Era: Early 1950s1951: Conservative party back in power (aging

Churchill at helm), with some signs of economic upturn

By 1952, no more unpaid national war debtBy 1954, end of rationing on meat productsHOWEVER, British economy growing more slowly

than those of Germany, Japan, and Southeast AsiaPersistent feeling of diminished British power and

dominanceCold-War paranoia: When and where would the

next bomb fall?

LOTF is in several ways a very timely book.Apocalyptic settingTension, fear, and violenceSavage side of humanity—assumption that

humanity in its natural state tends toward chaos and violence, not goodness

Politics on a small scale; mirrors politics on a national or even international scale

Questioning long-standing assumptions among British and other Europeans of their cultures’ civility, ethics, and strength

Symbols in LOTF : Look for and track these! (Objects, characters, figures, or colors that represent ideas or concepts)

Piggy’s Glasses = The last surviving evidence of the lawful, structured world

Conch Shell = New democracy on the island

Snake = Evil…reference to the serpent in the garden of Eden

Important Images in LOTFThe Beast = The

imaginary evil that is projected onto the island by the boys’ paranoia

Lord of the Flies = A pig’s head on a stick that becomes the physical acceptance of evil on the island

Terms to RememberMicrocosm = a small world

that represents the world at large

Macrocosm = the world at large

Edenic = Eden-like, paradise-like, a setting that has not yet been spoiled by humanity’s fall from innocence and ignorant bliss

What to look for as you readElements that seem

to show a particularly post-war, English point of view

Microcosm-macrocosm parallels

Additional objects with symbolic meaning

Traits and values embodied by each character