The idea for one of the 20th century’s darkest novels began with a children's bedtime story. In the early 1950s, William Golding was reading R.M. Ballantyne’s 1858 adventure, 'The Coral Island', to his children. Frustrated by its idealized portrayal of shipwrecked boys living in 'uninterrupted harmony', he turned to his wife, Ann. Wouldn't it be a good idea, he asked, to write a story about how children would 'really' behave? To emphasize his point, Golding deliberately borrowed the names of Ballantyne's heroes, Ralph and Jack, for his own main characters. His wife encouraged the idea, later noting they were in a state of 'complete parental exhaustion'. The story that resulted would challenge the very idea that Europeans were inherently civilizing forces.
William Golding's Lord of the Flies
How a teacher's WWII experiences led him to write a chilling fable about boys on an island, a book initially rejected as 'rubbish and dull'.
A Different Kind of Island
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did William Golding write Lord of the Flies?
He was inspired after reading the idealized adventure novel 'The Coral Island' to his children. He wanted to write a more realistic story about how English schoolboys would behave if stranded, an idea shaped by his belief in innate human flaws.
What does the 'Lord of the Flies' symbolize in the book?
The 'Lord of the Flies' is the severed head of a pig on a stake. It symbolizes the evil and savagery that exists within the boys themselves, rather than some external monster. The name is a literal translation of Beelzebub, a demonic figure.
Was Lord of the Flies successful when it was first published?
No, it was not. The manuscript was rejected by around ten publishers, with one calling it 'rubbish and dull'. After finally being published in 1954, its first print run was only 3,000 copies and it sold slowly at first.
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