Reacting against Victorian optimism and to the horrors of the 20th Century, William Golding chose to express his anti-Utopian views about humanity in ‘Lord of the Flies’ (1954). Explore how Golding crafts his narrative in order to voice his view

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Reacting against Victorian optimism and to the horrors of the 20th Century, William Golding chose to express his anti-Utopian views about humanity in 'Lord of the Flies' (1954). Explore how Golding crafts his narrative in order to voice his philosophical views about 'man's essential illness'. To what extent do you agree with his views?

Golding's dystopian views of 'man's essential illness' are derived from his experience of 20th Century warfare. 'Lord of the Flies' is a fable in which Golding displays man's flaws inside a microcosm. This didactical work shows us that we have far to go, but there is hope. I will study his novel to discover his views, and will decide if I concur with them.

Golding was born in Cornwall in 1911, and brought up in Wiltshire. His father was a teacher and a socialist and his mother actively supported the campaign for votes for women, so from an early age he was aware of social and political systems and their influence on people. During the Second World War, Golding joined the Royal Navy and took part in the sinking of the Bismarck and the Normandy landings on D-Day. His experience of the war had a