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The Birth and Childhood of William Gerald Golding
On this day, William Gerald Golding was born. He was born in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. He was raised by his mother Mildred and his father Alex, who had a strong influence on Golding. Golding was raised to have a rational mindset. -
Early Attempts at Writing
At the age of 12, Golding was already compelled to write a novel. However, he was unsuccessful and used bullying as an outlet to release his frustrations. -
College
Golding went to Brasenose College at Oxford. During his first two years, he studied science. However, he switched to studying literature during his third year. Writing has always been of interest to Golding. -
His First Published Work
Before graduating, Golding published his first work, "Poems." It did not receive much attention from critics. -
After College
Golding graduated college with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in education. After college, he decided to teach, just like his father, Alex. He taught English and philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury. -
Theater
During this time, Golding was an actor, writer, and a producer within a small theater. This time period of his life was a major literary influence. One play writer he admired was William Shakespeare -
Getting Married and Having a Family
Golding married Ann Brookfield in 1939 and together they had two children. The family lived together in Falmouth, Cornwall -
Joining the Navy
Golding decided to stop teaching temporarily in order to join the Royal Navy and fight during World War ll. Despite spending about 6 years on a ship, Golding grew to love sailing. Being a part of the war opened up his eyes to how cruel and barbaric humans can be, which is a major concept and theme within his works. -
Lord of the Flies
Golding's most famous novel, "Lord of the Flies," was finally published after 21 rejections. The novel explores the failure of rationalization, something Golding's father implemented when raising Golding, against natural human aggression. Today, it is considered a classic and is used within thousands of school's curriculum around the world. -
The Adaptation of Lord of the Flies
"Lord of the Flies" was adapted into a film directed by Peter Brook. That same year, Golding retired from teaching. -
Winning an Award
At the age of 73, Golding was awarded with the 1983 Nobel Piece Prize for Literature. -
Being Recognized by Royals
England's Queen Elizabeth ll officially knighted Golding. -
Passing Away
In Perranarworthal, Cornwall, Golding passed away from a heart attack. His final work was a manuscript titled "The Double Tongue," which was published after his death
