William Gloding's Lord of the Files

by Santwana Haldar

During the post-war years the experimental tendency in British novel continued, but the critics lamented that the mid-twentieth century British literature produced no Ulysses. William Golding's Lord of the Flies (1954) was accepted as an experiment with the restoration of fable in English fiction, a reconstruction at an adult level of R.M. Ballantyne's Coral Island. Thanks to the Nobel Prize awarded to Golding in 1983, Lord of the Flies came to the limelight and its underlying philosophy has been variously interpreted since then. In the face of an upsurge in Golding criticism, and more specifically, in Lord of the Flies, the novel demands fresh discussions. The present book seeks to acquaint the readers first with the theme of the novel, and then with the discourses invited by the theme. A detailed analysis of each of the chapters of the novel is the special attraction of this critical study. It is not just a summary, but a critical analysis of the events, symbols, images and reflections of the characters introduced in the novel. The chapter-wise discussion will inspire the readers to go through the original text thoroughly for having a first hand knowledge of Golding's art. It will also help the readers to develop an understanding of Golding as a novelist even before reading the original text. The chapters on Golding's concept of evil and the innate depravity of man, potential savagery of children, sin and expiation, the post-world war scenario and elements of post-colonial writing are designed to project Lord of the Flies as a post-colonial novel of ideas. The book also contains separate chapters on narrative skill, characterization, plot and structure which are helpful for the students. The discussion is marked by a critical insight that serves not only the advanced scholars but also the common students who will be benefited by the lucid presentation.

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021