Historical Context

Historical Context: Post-War Atmosphere

‘Lord of the Flies’ was written in 1954, shortly after the end of World War II. This global conflict deeply influenced Golding’s perspectives on humanity’s inherent violence and capacity for evil, which are central themes of his novel.
The book’s dystopian narrative is largely interpreted as a reflection of the destructiveness and chaos of war. It also demonstrates the failure of civilisation in restraining the inherent evil within humans.
The characters bring up the ongoing war from which they have been evacuated. This backdrop hints at the broader military conflict, reflecting the boys’ descent into violence on the island.

The era of the Cold War had begun by the time Golding wrote ‘Lord of the Flies’. The tensions, suspicions, and rivalry between the Western and Communist blocs are mirrored in the tribalism and conflicts between the boys on the island.
The fear of nuclear warfare and annihilation present during the Cold War is mirrored in the boys’ fear of the unknown ‘beast’.
The dropping of the dead parachutist on the island could be interpreted as a symbol of the nuclear threat that hung over the world during this period.

Golding’s novel subverts the narrative of the noble savage. This term coined by Enlightenment philosophers, suggests an idealisation of the ‘natural’ human untouched by civilisation. However, the boys’ descent into savagery when left to their own devices contradicts this notion, painting a darker view of human nature.
Golding also critiques the presumption of British superiority and civilising influence, embodied by the boys’ initial attempt to establish a form of government. As this structure breaks down under pressure, it reflects the fragility and failure of these imperial ideals.
‘Lord of the Flies’ can be read as a critique of humanist ideology which rose to dominance in the post-war period. The boys’ degradation challenges the humanist belief in the fundamental goodness and rationality of human beings.