Postmodernist Golding

Postmodernist Golding

William Golding was a very diverse writer. He wrote a variety of genres and the content of his work writing was in itself dynamic. His most notable work, and for which he earned a Nobel Prize, is Lord of the Flies. The main theme in it is civility vs. savagery. He had a hard life growing up and saw the horrors of war; he saw was man was capable of doing. His book and other works demonstrate part of the observation he saw of society.  

The literary movement William Golding may be most identified with is post modernism. The postmodernism time frame is set from c.1945—present; this kind of literature is characterized by lack of tradition and culture. It generally can be seen as a response to the horrors of World War II.

To understand why William Golding is a postmodernist writer, consider first of all his background. He participated in the British Royal Navy Academy; he fought in World War II. In many biographies of him readers can identify the fact that  he was affected by horrors of war. He stated that it made him see what man was capable of doing.

Lord of the Flies was Golding’s first published book. It has been adapted to a play and a film. It is an allegorical book about the nature of humanity. The characters are sensible children who are stuck on an island. The group starts off united and slowly throughout the novel they separate and become more savage. The children fight about the course their group must take in order to endure; some of them want start a fire and wait to be rescued but there are those who want to hunt and ‘explore’ the island. Some children ebb and Piggy dies. In the ending the kids are rescued.

“Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law.” The previous excerpt is stated by Roger as he starts to mess with the littluns, a step into savagery. At this point the children still are still dominated by a civilized instinct. These quote and thinking starts to demonstrate the physiological willingness by the older children to use violence to demonstrate superiority. At this point Roger still feels constrained by reminders of social norms established beforehand by parents, teachers, policemen and the law.

Lord of the Flies also could be identified as a work of the Magic realism movement (c. 1935–present). It combines realism with moments of dream-like fantasy within it.

“…I’m the Beast. . . . Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! . . . You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are the way they are?” These words come from the Pig. It confirms the fact that the beast existed within themselves, they had come up with the idea of the beast, it was not physical.  The idea of this evil being within the boys is central to novels exploration of humans innate savagery. Simon tried to tell the rest about his discovery but the savagery in them boils up when they kill him, believing it was the beast

“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.” The rescue the children plunges Ralph into reflective despair as he realizes that although he was saved from island he will never be the same as he has seen the reality of human nature.

            Golding’s writing deals a lot with humans’ savage instinct. He highlights the negative behaviors and characteristic that human posses. He saw many of these through his experiences. Characters usually lack culture and tradition and are more savage in nature.