William Golding's Life

By bethanyk0225

  • Birth

    "William Golding was born in 1911 in Cornwall, England. His mother, Mildred, was a supporter of the British suffragette movement. His father, Alec, was a school teacher who supported rationalism." (Cliff Notes)

  • Childhood

    "William struggled with his fear of the dark, and had no help from his family due to his father's views not accepting emotional based experiences. Alec also controlled his life until around 1930, since William went to the school that he taught at." (Cliff Notes)

  • Overall Education

    Golding attended Brasenose College at Oxford in 1930. He also spent two years studying to become a scientist. "He would then graduate in 1935 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in education." (Cliff Notes)

  • True Interests

    However, in his third year at Brasenose College, Golding switched to the literature program. "This was clear early on in his childhood, since he began reading Tennyson at age seven and steeped himself in Shakespeare's work." (Cliff Notes - Nobel Prize)

  • Beginning Career

    "From 1935 to 1939, Golding worked as a writer, actor, and producer with a small theater in an unfashionable part of London, paying his bills with a job as a social worker. He also considered the theater his strongest influence when it came to literature." (Cliff Notes)

  • Family

    After beginning a new job in Salisbury at Bishop Wordsworth's School, William married Ann Brookfield. He would later on have two children named Judy and David with Ann.

  • Navy

    William spent five years in the Royal Navy during World War II. His experiences in the war would later on influence his writing.

  • Lord Of The Flies

    After seeing action against battleships, submarines, and craft, Golding returned home. When he returned home, he began to write again and later on wrote Lord Of The Flies, which was inspired by his war experiences and schoolboy experiences. (Nobel Prize)

  • The End

    William Golding died on June 19, 1993 after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983. He left behind his two children and his large collection of short stories, books, and plays.