"Every text is a product of the time in which it was written in"- "Lord of the Flies" example

Essay by dx91 August 2007

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I definitely agree that every text is a product of the time in which it has been created. The author’s personal experience, world events, as well as political, social, and cultural conditions at the time, all shape a text. This is clearly shown in Lord of the Flies by William GoldingLord of the Flies was written in 1954, during the post war period. William Golding, himself was involved in World War II, having joined the Royal Navy in 1940, and spending six months afloat. The war left Golding with a profound view on human nature. This personal experience of Golding’s is reflected in the text. The reason the boys are on the island is that the plane which was evacuating them from Britain is shot down admist a war. The story then watches the group of civilized schoolboys evolve into savages, showing their true human nature, the inherent evilness Golding witnessed during the war.

Golding wrote his text a time when the activities of the Nazis and their death camps were being revealed in all their horror. The book is an attempt to understand how humans can be capable of such appalling cruelty.

After the war democracy was failing and communistic forms of government were rapidly emerging. This is not only happening in the real world but also in the Lord of the Flies world. Ralph the elected leader tries to create a democratic society of sense and order. But Jack is trying to form a more communistic dictatorship and this eventually succeeds. This shows how political events happening at the time of the text’s creation has helped to shape the text itself.

Golding’s close friendship with Adam Brittleson, a man profoundly religious, had a great influence on his life and Brittleson was a man Golding admired. This...