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Lord Of The Flies And World War Ii

Steiner

Many things such as social and political environments can impact literature. British involvement in WWII directly influenced Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies. As all authors use their life and times as reference points in their works, Golding drew heavily on sociological, cultural, and military events. Lord of the Flies is an allegorical parallel to the world, as Golding perceived it. The island, the boys, and many other objects and events described in his work represent Golding's view of the world and humankind in general. He specifically incorporates characteristics and values reflective of the British culture.
"…The war taught me different and a lot of others like me," Golding said in the New Republic (Davis 28-30). Golding was referring to his experiences as captain of a British rocket-launching craft in the North Atlantic. He was present at the sinking of the Bismarck, a German battleship, and participated in the D-Day invasion of German occupied France. He was also directly affected by England's devastation as a result of the German Air Force that severely damaged the nation's infrastructure and marked the beginning of a serious decline in the British economy. Wartime rationing continued well into the postwar period. Items like meat, bread, sugar, gasoline, and tobacco were all in short supply and considered luxuries, which is exemplified in Golding's work.
Golding's writing reflects significant personal life experiences. Golding spent two years as a science student at Oxford University before he left this field to pursue a degree in English Literature. This was his first step toward rejecting scientific rationalism, a philosophy in which his father believed. Having joined the British Royal Navy when World War II began, Golding was involved in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. After his military experience, he became a schoolteacher. For fifteen years he frequently read the Greek classics because, according to him, "this is where the...