Context: War

World War II (1939–1945)

• Over 60 million people were killed, and many cities were destroyed by bombs.

  
  • Two major events from the war influenced Golding's view on human nature:
  • The Holocaust: Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party murdered approximately eleven million people, including Jews, gypsies, communists, homosexuals, and the disabled.
  • Atomic bombings: The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands instantly. Survivors suffered from radiation sickness, burns, and other injuries.

Cold War and Fear of Nuclear Destruction

• After WWII, tensions grew between the United States and the Soviet Union, leading to the Cold War (late 1940s–1991).
• This was not an actual war, but both nations threatened nuclear destruction.
• The fear of atomic weapons causing mass destruction influenced global relations.

Golding's Perspective on War in Lord of the Flies

• Golding explored why people become violent and how difficult situations lead to conflict.
• Lord of the Flies highlights the pointlessness of war:
  • The boys had a better chance of survival if they had remained united and peaceful.
  • Instead, Jack destroys their hope by setting fire to the island, symbolising real-world destruction.
  • The fire represents the atomic bomb, which was used at the end of World War II.