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Born
William was born in Cornwall, England in 1911. His mother was a strong supporter of the suffragette movement. His father was a school teacher and was an advocate of rationalism. -
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William Golding's life
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Childhood 1911-1930
William was influenced heavily by his father and his ideals. With what his father believed in he believed William's fear of the dark was highly irrational. Also until William went to college he attended the school his father taught at. -
College 1930-1935
William attended Brasenose College at Oxford in 1930. William spent two years studying science Against his fathers wishes. During his third year of college he studied literature Following his true interests he has always wanted to write poetry sadly most of his writing was of fiction. -
Acting career 1935-1939
In his later years he worked as a writer, actor, and producer. He worded at a small theater in an unfashionable part of London.William considered the theater as his strongest literary influence. -
His time in the Royal Navy 1940-1945
During his five years in the Royal Navy he was exposed to the cruelty and barbarity of mankind is capable. When he wrote about his time in the Navy he said "Man produces evil, as a bee produces honey." In most of his writing he comes back to the evil of mankind and the conflict between countries and our innate desire for domination. -
Published Lord of the Flies.
In Lord of the Flies he combined the perception of humanity and his years of experience with school boys. This is not the first novel he wrote but the first to be published after being rejected 21 times. The book shows the duality of savagery and civilization within mankind. The book follows a group of school boys lost on an island some of them indulge in their savagery while others try to build up a civilization. -
Time as a teacher 1939-1961
He began teaching English and philosophy in 1939 in Salisbury at Bishop Wordsworth's school. That same year he married Ann Brookfield with whom he had two children. He then fought in WWII in the Royal Navy for five years then kept teaching until 1961 when he retired from teaching to write full time. He then died in 1993.