Introduction

First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is a novel that has captivated schoolchildren for decades. A teacher himself, Golding clearly understood what excites and interests children. It is not only a gripping story, with strong, sympathetic characters, it also raises timeless and profound questions.

Part of its lasting appeal, particularly in schools, surely arises from the way it tackles universal issues. The novel is a catalyst for thought-provoking discussion and analysis, particularly concerning the capabilities of humans for good and evil and the fragility of moral inhibition. The boys’ struggle to find a way of existing in a community with no fixed boundaries invites readers to evaluate the concepts involved in social and political constructs and moral frameworks that we take for granted. Ideas of community, leadership, and the rule of law are called into question as the reader has to consider who has a right to power, why and what the consequences of the acquisition of power may be. Effective teaching and learning can ensure that discussions about such concerns – as vital today as ever – are made relevant to today’s students.

This abridged educational edition encourages original and independent thought from students, as well as guiding them through the text. The introductory material includes a biographical section on William Golding and provides information about the novel’s historical context, which will be ideal for students completing GCSE and A-Level courses. At the end of the text there are chapter summaries, comprehension questions, discussion points and activities that inform the teaching and learning of the text. There is a glossary of less familiar words and phrases. This edition includes William Golding’s essay ‘Fable’, which gives an insight into the author’s view of the novel. For advanced students, it also includes essays introducing readers to some theoretical interpretations of the text. All of these are intended to inspire and generate creative teaching, learning and love of the novel.

English Department of Loxford School of Science and Technology, 2012

Golding’s Life and Influences

William Golding was born in 1911, a period still characterised by a harsh division between social classes. However, there was also an emerging socialist movement in which politicians and writers were critical of social inequality. Golding would have been aware of this during his childhood in Marlborough, Wiltshire, since his father, Alec, was a teacher with openly socialist views. Golding’s mother, Mildred, campaigned for women’s right to vote.

After leaving Marlborough Grammar School, Golding attended the University of Oxford where he studied Natural Sciences for two years before transferring to English Literature. Golding married Ann Brookfield, an analytical chemist, in 1939 and they had two children, David and Judith.

In the autumn of 1935, Golding was employed as a teacher of English and music at a school in Streatham, which followed the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. Steiner schools did not conform to the traditional patterns of teaching and learning and instead emphasised the role of the imagination.

In December 1940, Golding left his second teaching post at a boys’ grammar school, Bishop Wordsworth’s School, Salisbury, to join the navy where he served until the end of the Second World War in 1945. His service during the war gave him direct experience of the human capacity for brutality. Golding himself said that these horrors lay behind his descriptions of the behaviour of the boys on the island.

After the war, Golding returned to Bishop Wordsworth’s School where he remained until 1961. Writing always remained his primary passion and focus; however, teaching gave him further invaluable insights into human behaviour.

In Lord of the Flies the narrative suggests that evil is inherent within all of us. We cannot be certain about Golding’s religious beliefs, but some critics have seen the novel as an allegory depicting Man’s fall from grace. However, it could also be read as a critique of the growing cruelty and destruction that mankind is capable of inflicting, which Golding witnessed first-hand during wartime.