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.
