Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies has become a very popular novel since its first publication in 1954. The novel has been translated into 26 different languages and become a standard in English readings in both high schools and colleges (Lambert, 1993). But what is the reason for this popularity? Why does Lord of the Flies stand out so much from other novels?

Popularity

The popularity of Lord of the Flies is not something that’s understood very well. In fact, Lord of the Flies didn’t start off very popular at all. When it was decided to produce the Lord of the Flies movie in 1960, the novel was still a commercial failure (LIFE magazine, 1963). In fact, a Web site that was designed and dedicated to the Lord of the Flies states that the novel’s popularity can be blamed on nothing more than a stroke of good luck (LIFE magazine, 1963). There are, however, others that believe there are specific reasons why Lord of the Flies became so popular, and they don’t believe that it was just a stroke of good luck.

After being rejected by a number of prominent American houses, the novel was published in the United States by Coward-McCann. The novel was originally published in a hard cover edition. The sales, however, were very minimal. Edmund Epstein, who was the editor of Capricorn Books, wanted to see if Lord of the Flies would catch on in modern literature courses. So, the novel was then published in a paperback edition in 1959, so that it could be sold to various schools. It turns out that Epstein’s instincts were spot on. Not only did the novel catch on, but it sold nearly a half million copies by the end of 1962. By the time William Golding decided to visit the United States in 1961, the book had become so popular that Golding was inundated with requests for personal speaking engagements (Weber, 2012).

So, what made Lord of the Flies so popular within modern literature courses? One of the things that this novel demonstrates, is that human nature is violent, even in children. When a group of young boys is left alone on an island, they slowly start to break off into groups, with one group being rational and the other irrational. The novel goes on to provide a depressing assessment of humans and their chances of survival, not only on this island, but also as a civilization. This type of view echoes that of a young child’s often-gloomy worldview. This is what some claim makes the novel so popular with students, or young readers (Braunr, 2012).

Lord of the Flies is also a very symbolic novel. It has a wide array of different symbols to decode. This is considered to be another reason that young readers are so attracted to the novel. Lord of the Flies provides many scenes which are very realistic, and believable. The novel offers readers many different scenes of haunting, and memorable moments, to help the reader remember what they’ve read, far into the future (Braunr, 2012). Lord of the Flies is not a book that someone can read, and then easily forget about.

The novel starts when a plane filled with young boys crash lands on an uninhabited island, with no adults around. There is no one to answer to, and no one to give orders. It’s a dream come true for most young readers. It symbolizes freedom, and a way to get away from the challenges that a young child’s life may bring (Braunr, 2012). The freedom, and lack of challenges, of course, comes to an end soon enough, as both Ralph and Jack fight for leadership of the boys.

Lord of the Flies is also filled with childish humor. There are scenes of the children making fun of Piggy, the fat boy who wears glasses, both signs of weakness. There are dances, face painting, and play fighting. There is a point in the novel, where one of the boys claims that he saw a beast while out in the woods after dark. When the boy is asked why he was out in the woods after dark, another boy screams: “he was taken short!” (Golding, 1962). Then there’s Piggy’s hilarious ass-mar. These are all childish behaviors in which most young readers will be able to relate with.

Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory

Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory is a literary theory, that can help describe the human mind. This theory fits perfect with Lord of the Flies and can be used to help describe the ways in which the novel matches with the human psyche, and why the novel is so popular among modern literature.

Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory has three primary parts that will be covered hereafter. Those parts being the “superego”, “ego”, and “id”. Both the superego and the id are flawed components. The superego would require 100 percent perfection and the id is too instinctual, i.e., no civilized thought processes would take place within the id. The ego is a mix of both the superego (rationality) and the id (fear). When the two come together, you are left with the ego (Project Lit Crit, 2011).

Superego

In the Lord of the Flies, the superego can be used to describe Piggy. Piggy has great ideas and wants to do things according to plan, but at the same time, lacks the knowledge, and skills, to carry out most of those plans. Piggy’s character tries to implement things learned from society. Piggy tries to do what’s right, and obey the laws, even when those laws, and cultural boundaries, have been removed, because they are stranded on an uninhabited island, with no adults.

Ego

Ralph’s character could easily represent the ego. The ego shows great balance between the superego and the id. As the little kids approach the group, and start talking about beasts, and monsters, in the woods, Ralph exclaims that no such beats can exist. At times, Ralph makes claims of being scared, and the id starts to show. Ralph then uses the superego to talk the fear down and remind the other children that something like that can’t exist in real life. This is an example of how the id (Ralph’s fear) and the superego (what Ralph has learned from social and cultural laws) can come together to create balance.

id

Jack is a perfect example of the id. Jack’s character is very impulsive. Jack has complete disregards for all rules, and laws, and is completely irrational. Jack has many inner desires, such as killing, not only for food, but also to secure a position as a leader of the group. When other children refuse to obey what Jack says, they are beaten and sometimes even killed. Jack’s character represents the complete opposite of the superego, where social and cultural boundaries are followed perfectly.

Popularity Revisited

So how does all of this fit into the popularity of the novel amongst young children? The parts of the Freudian Psychoanalytical approach discussed here can have a reflection on the human psyche at many different developmental stages throughout a child’s life. When a child is born, they are driven by pure emotion (the id). When a baby is hungry, it cries; when the baby is happy, it laughs. There are no extra thought processes that take place, until later in the developmental process.

As a child starts to mature, the child may flop back and forth between the various stages of the id, ego, and superego. There are times when what children do is completely irrational, and clearly not thought out, and other times when things are too idealistic, i.e., the child might have great ideas, but not the logistics to carry out those ideas, representing the superego. There are also times when there is balance and rational thinking. Peer pressure starts to set in, and the child is suddenly aware of how they are perceived.

All of these processes take place within an educational environment, as children start to develop mentally, and emotionally, and children will probably be able to relate any past or present life experiences with what is happening in the Lord of the Flies. There are many ways that a child, or any other reader, can start to connect with the characters in the novel, and also with what is happening during the different scenes.

It’s almost certain that every educational environment will have children at each stage in the development process. There will be a Piggy, Ralph, and Jack, in any environment that can be studied. Piggy can be related to the children that are teased and tormented, while Ralph might be the over-achiever that everyone dislikes, and Jack might be the bull-headed football star that everyone “likes” because he’s purely rebellious-no one wants to be on Jack’s bad side.

Conclusion

There are many different ways in which a reader can relate to what is happening during the various scenes of the Lord of the Flies, and this can be part of what helps bring the novel to life, and part of what makes it so memorable and enjoyable to read. This novel has a story to tell, and that story goes a lot deeper than a group of young boys stranded on an uninhabited island.

References – Cultural Explanation Essay

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies is an exceptional novel which has had several different influencing factors on current culture. The novel forces the reader to take a closer look into the human culture, where all social boundaries and rules have been removed. What story does this novel have to tell, and how has it affected modern culture?

Lord of the Flies was published in 1954 (William Golding Limited, 2002). Since its publication it has had several major influences on current culture. Not only has Lord of the Flies become a standard in education, but it has also inspired two films, and has been translated into many different languages (Lambert, 1993).

William Golding

Golding won the Nobel Prize award for his literature in 1983, after his first novel, Lord of the Flies, was published, in 1954. The book that was originally rejected 21 times, ended up inspiring two films, and was translated into 26 different languages. Lord of the Flies not only sold millions of copies, but it also became a standard in both high school, and college, English classes. Lord of the Flies was said to have become a world classic in English literature (Lambert, 1993).

William Golding never considered his book, Lord of the Flies, to be of much importance. In fact, 15 years after the book had been published, he stated to one of his friends, that he resented writing the novel. Golding felt that his entire reputation was based off of the success of Lord of the Flies, which he considered to be a very minor book. Even though the book was considered to be a classic in English literature, Golding considered the book to be nothing more than “a joke” (Boyd, 2010).

Golding also stated that the profits he had earned from the novel was “Monopoly money” (Boyd, 2010) as he didn’t feel like he actually earned the money. Sales of the Lord of the Flies had reached over seven million dollars in the United States, by 1980 (Boyd, 2010).

It’s stated that Golding is a perfect example that you don’t need to be young in order to make a name for yourself. After Lord of the Flies was published, Golding became very successful, and popular. That success never dwindled. Several more books were immediately published following the success of Lord of the Flies. Even though none of these books ever matched the sales of Lord of the Flies (Boyd, 2010), Golding was still set for life as the sales of Lord of the Flies were “rock-solid” (Boyd, 2010) and never seemed to end (Boyd, 2010).

Influences

The influences that Lord of the Flies has made within literature, movies, and even a TV series, is overwhelming. The novel has become so revered, that one might consider it to be one of the most well-known novels in history. Several Web sites have been designed in honor, and support, of Lord of the Flies, as well as the primary motion picture. These Web sites contain information about the author, different editions of the book, and the motion picture productions.

Literature Influences

Thus far, Lord of the Flies has inspired a book be written about William Golding, which tells a secretive story about his life. This book was written based off of new materials, most of which have never been made public knowledge prior to the book’s printing. The book was assembled using many hundreds of letters, as well as unpublished works, and Golding’s own personal journals. The book is designed to draw a portrait of the man who wrote Lord of the Flies (William Golding Inc., 2012). The book not only describes Golding as a war-hero, but also as a reclusive-depressive-alcoholic, who has many fears and phobias (William Golding Inc., 2012).

A special edition of Lord of the Flies was printed in 1962. This novel placed both Golding, and Lord of the Flies, deep into the history of world literature (William Golding Inc., 2012). The book covers the influences on Golding’s imaginative style of writing, as well as his friends, and other books, and poems, he has read (William Golding Inc., 2012).

Educational Influences

Lord of the Flies not only sold millions of copies, but it was translated into 26 different languages, and became a standard in schools. Lord of the Flies appears on the reading lists of both high schools and colleges (Lambert, 1993). Many students have had experience with the novel by the time they have graduated high school. It’s not easy to find someone who hasn’t at least heard of Lord of the Flies.

Motion Picture Influences

A black and white film of Lord of the Flies was produced in 1961, by Peter Brook. The film has received a lot of praise over the years. Some critics believe that the film is better, because it was shot in black and white. They feel that the black and white images add some depth, and weight, to the “chilling story” (Lord of the Flies Company, 1963). The full-length movie that was released in 1963 can be viewed for free, via the Internet. The 1963 motion picture version of the Lord of the Flies is said to be better than the book itself (Lord of the Flies Company, 1963). Rarely does it happen that readers of a book consider the movie to be better. This goes to show the dedication put into the production of the motion picture.

The motion picture then spawned the creation of a Web site organization that is dedicated to honoring the actors, and other crew members, that were involved in the production of the Lord of the Flies film. The Web site contains many biographies, and obituaries, of the people involved in the production. The Web site also contains information about children that committed suicide after being teased, and tormented, during their lifetime. These are great examples of what can happen to a child treated in the manner that Piggy was treated during the Lord of the Flies. It would seem that Lord of the Flies has had a strong impact on the way people view the activities, and social behavior, of other humans.

The Lord of the Flies is also said to have had some influence on the hit television series Lost. It’s stated, that while the television series is not a copy, of the Lord of the Flies, by any means, it still couldn’t have existed without the influences of the novel (Willard, 2007).

Conclusion

Lord of the Flies is a perfect example of how a novel can have major influences on social culture. A simple story starts with the author’s imagination, even if it’s nothing more than a joke to the author who wrote it. Golding had a story to tell, and that story turned out to be one of the most honored novels in literary history. The novel has spread all across the globe and has inspired many to take a better look at our civilization, and, at our children.

References – Cultural Influence Essay

History of the Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies, a brilliant novel of a group of schoolboys marooned on an uninhabited island after an attempt to escape wartime events, via an airplane evacuation. Soon after their plane crashes on the island the boys are driven to segregate their selves into two groups. The first group, which is led by Ralph, uses a sensible and democratic approach, and the second group, led by Jack, with a brutal military-style dictatorship (Faber and Faber, Lord of the Flies, 2011).

Written by Sir William Golding, Lord of the Flies was his “realist answer” (Faber and Faber, Lord of the Flies, 2011) to 1857’s novel The Coral Island¹, a book describing the successful experiences of a group of boys, Jack, Ralph, and Peterkin, which were stranded on a deserted island. Lord of the Flies is a novel designed to show the distinction between a democratic and rational setting (Ralph’s group) and the anarchy and dictatorship views of Jack and his choir. This book provides a simple, yet realistic view, of social culture where rules and boundaries are removed (Faber and Faber, Lord of the Flies, 2011).

History of the Lord of the Flies

During Golding’s lifetime, he published a total of 12 novels, along with many different types of plays. He also wrote many reviews, and essays, as well as short stories. Golding’s first novel titled, Lord of the Flies, was published in 1954, when he was only 23 years old. Golding lived through, what is considered to be “the most terrible and inhumane of centuries” (William Golding’s Life). Much of his work is said to have provided the readers with a better understanding of the horror that took place during his lifetime (William Golding’s Life).

Golding had many personal and social issues that were not necessarily made public until recently. A new book titled William Golding², was published in 2009. This book dives into Golding’s personal life with great detail. The author was given access to hundreds of letters, and other unpublished works of art, such as Golding’s personal journals. The book labels Golding, not only as a war-hero, but also as a reclusive-depressive-alcoholic, who was riddled with phobias, and even considered himself to be a “monster” (Faber and Faber, William Golding). However, above all, he was also a nurturing family man, and someone who trusted his imagination, above all other things (Faber and Faber, William Golding).

Brief Biographical Background

Sir William Golding was born in Cornwell, on September 19^th, 1911. Golding was brought up to be a man of science. In 1930, he attended Brasenose College in Oxford to study Natural Sciences. However, a few years later in 1932, he decided to change his major, and focus of study to English Literature (Faber and Faber, A Chronological Account).

In September 1940, Golding’s first child, a son, named David, was born. Sooner after the arrival of his son, Golding enlisted into the Royal Navy. In December of 1940, he left to join the Royal Navy, and start his training. In 1941, he started his first active service. He was stationed in the Northern Atlantic. Then, in 1942, he joined a weapons research unit which was located in Buckinghamshire. Later, in 1943, he requested to be returned to sea, and shortly after, was sent to New York, where he was ordered to help bring minesweepers that were being built in New Jersey, back to the United Kingdom. While in command of Landing Crafts, which were equipped with rocket guns, he took part in the Royal Navy’s support of the D-Day landings, and also the invasion of Walcheren (Faber and Faber, A Chronological Account).

Golding’s second child, Judith, was born in 1945. Golding only had two children. Soon after his daughter was born in September of 1945, he decided to leave the Royal Navy. Upon departing, he returned to a previous teaching position, which he held at Bishop Wordsworth’s School. Six years after moving to Salisbury, in 1946, Golding began work on his first novel entitled Strangers from Within. He submitted his novel for publishing in January of 1953. It was, however, repeatedly rejected, by publisher after publisher, until September 1954. By that time many changes were made to the novel, and it was renamed to Lord of the Flies, before printing (Faber and Faber, A Chronological Account).

Golding continued publishing many more novels over the next eight years. Then, in 1962, he decided to retire from his teaching position, and became a full-time writer. In 1968, he suffered a setback, when he began to find it difficult to write. Nevertheless, he published several more works between 1968, and 1993. In January of 1993, he began work on a new novel; however, in the very early morning of June 19^th, at 82 years old, he died from a massive heart failure. He was buried about a week later in the churchyard at Bowerchalke. His wife, Ann, followed shortly after him, passing away in 1995. That same year his final novel entitled, The Double Tongue³, was published (Faber and Faber, A Chronological Account).

Golding’s Intentions

Golding was a war-time hero, having done his civic duty serving in the Royal Navy. He was involved in battles against battleships, submarines, and aircraft. He was on active duty, and present, during the sinking of the Bismarck. When Golding finished his tour in the Royal Navy, he held the rank of Lieutenant in command of a rocket ship (Faber and Faber, Cover Competition, 2012). It’s clear by his history, that he was a man who witnessed, firsthand, the horrors of war, and that he reflected his opinions of this behavior in his first novel, Lord of the Flies.

In an interview with Golding’s daughter, Judy, also an author, she stated that Golding’s book, Lord of the Flies, by his own admission, arose from his experiences in the 2^nd world war. She also stated that Golding was a school master, of a boy’s school, and he described the boys in his book exactly as they were in real life (Golding J.). He really seemed to have a solid understanding of boys, and how they operated. She went on to state that she believed there was a very strong link between her father being a school master, in an all-boys school, and him having based the book around boys. However, she claims that it would be a mistake to base Lord of the Flies as coming from her father’s experiences in schools (Golding J.).

There’s a lot of disinformation, and confusion, about the exact meaning of Golding’s book, and his intentions for the novel. However, it’s clear that his intentions were based off of his wartime experiences, and that, on at least one occasion, he had discussed this with family members. Faber and Faber, a publisher of Lord of the Flies, claims that Golding’s intentions for this book were to provide a more realistic view of 1857’s, The Coral Island. A novel which has a happy, and successful ending, after three boys are trapped on an uninhabited island. Golding wanted to provide a realist view on what might really happen, given those same circumstances, when all rules and boundaries are removed (Faber and Faber, Lord of the Flies, 2011).

Trends in Larger Society

Today, Lord of the Flies is taught as required reading material in many schools, including high school, and college English classes. It’s not uncommon for a child graduating from high school to have encountered the book, at some point, during their enrollment.

In early 2010, some teachers were asked to list their favorite, and least favorite books, to teach in English classes. Lord of the Flies made the very short list of books that teachers did not want to teach. It has also been labeled as one of the student’s least favorite books to read (Ojalvo & Doyne, 2010). When the general public was asked for their opinions on Lord of the Flies being taught in schools, most replied, stating that they thought it should, in fact, be taught in school. This stems mainly from its realistic views on human society. However, some felt that it should only be taught to high school juniors and seniors (Should Lord of the Flies be taught in schools?). Students of those ages would (probably) be more likely to comprehend the context of the book, and also be mature enough to manage the horrific scenes. It might also be possible that these teenagers could relate to this story, by looking at their own lives, and what happens around them, in their current school.

In conclusion, Lord of the Flies is a wonderful book, and extremely realistic, and graphic, in its context and details. It brings with it a very solid, and easy-to-comprehend message from Golding. Humans can be a very savage species, and when all social and culture boundaries are removed, our true selves are revealed, even in our children.

Endnotes

¹The Coral Island (1857), by R. M. Ballantyne.

²William Golding (2009) by John Carey.

³The Double Tongue (1995) by William Golding.

References – Cultural Context Essay