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The Birth
William Golding was born September 19, 1911, in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. Mildred, his mother, fought for women’s right to vote. While his father Alec, worked as a schoolmaster. They raised him in a 14th century house placed next to a graveyard. His father had a great influence over him, and, in fact, until leaving for college, William attended the school where his father taught. -
Schooling
William received his early education at the school his father ran, Marlborough Grammar School. He tried writing a novel but failed at a young age. He was a frustrated child that often bullied his peers. -
His Teachings
After college, Golding worked in settlement houses and the theater for a time. In 1935 William took a position teaching English and philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury. -
Royal Navy
Although he enjoyed teaching from day one, in 1940 Golding temporarily left the profession to join the Royal Navy and fight in World War II. He spent the next six years on a boat, except for a seven-month stint in New York, where he assisted Lord Cherwell at the Naval Research Establishment. During World War II, he fought battleships at the sinking of the Bismarck, and also fended off submarines and planes. Lieutenant Golding was even placed in command of a rocket-launching craft. -
Lord of the Flies
In 1945, after World War II had ended, Golding went back to teaching and writing. In 1954, after 21 rejections, Golding published his first and most acclaimed novel, Lord of the Flies. Since its been published the novel has been referred to as a classic, and has been read and discussed in classrooms all over the world.
