William Golding's Lord of the Flies was published in 1954, as the Cold WarA period of diplomatic conflict between blocs led by the USA and the USSR that lasted from 1947 until 1991, when the USSR collapsed. was intensifying. The mid-20th Century's "clash of civilisations" pitted Western democracy against Communist totalitarianismA system of government that forces citizens to follow the will of the state. in China and the Soviet UnionOfficially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). A powerful group of communist republics, the biggest being Russia, that existed from 1922 to 1991. . In Golding's novel, this cold war of ideas has turned hot, and a group of English schoolboys are being evacuated when their aeroplane crashes on a remote island. At first, they attempt to establish a sense of order and fairness — but as rivalries and superstitions emerge, the boys soon turn to faction, violence and savagery. "The theme of Lord of the Flies is grief," wrote Golding when the novel was published. "Sheer grief, grief, grief."
Lord of the Flies
Glossary
Cold War - A period of diplomatic conflict between blocs led by the USA and the USSR that lasted from 1947 until 1991, when the USSR collapsed.
Totalitarianism - A system of government that forces citizens to follow the will of the state.
Soviet Union - Officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). A powerful group of communist republics, the biggest being Russia, that existed from 1922 to 1991.
Calamitous - Disastrous.
Authoritarianism - A form of government in which individual freedoms are severely limited by government power. Examples include Nazi Germany, Khmer Rogue Cambodia and contemporary China.
Persecution - Ill treatment and oppression, especially due to a person's beliefs or race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or other factors.
Latent - Present, but not yet active or obvious.
Allegory - A story or poem that has a hidden moral or political meaning.
Unanimous - Agreed upon by everybody.