1. Historical Context
1.1. Time period Golding lived in
1.1.1. Born 1911
1.1.2. In British Navy during WW2
1.1.2.1. Experienced dark side of human nature
1.1.2.1.1. Used this as inspiration to write a book about real human nature and how cruel and savage humans can be
1.1.2.2. Horrified at concentration camps and mistreatment of prisoners
1.1.2.3. Appalled at himself for destroying German ships and people
1.1.2.3.1. Realized that even "good" people can be cruel such as Britain killing Germans even though the British think that what they are doing is right
2. Social Context
2.1. British society
2.1.1. Upper class meant you were better
2.1.1.1. Quote: "We're English; and the English are best at everything."
2.1.2. Golding thought the idea of upper and lower classes was nonsense
2.1.2.1. Used Piggy as a lower class person in the book and made him very intelligent and good
2.1.2.1.1. Quotes
2.1.2.1.2. "... I can't think. Not like Piggy."
2.1.2.1.3. "But Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains."
2.2. Golding was a teacher
2.2.1. Read about a book that envisioned a paradise island for stranded boys
2.2.2. Knew how boys really behaved first-hand as a teacher and wanted to write a more realistic book
2.2.2.1. Made the conflict of the book about the boys and their own human nature
3. Political Context
3.1. WW2
3.1.1. Millions of Germans involved in war and carried out atrocities without question
3.1.1.1. Golding made a comparison to this when Jack's tribe did the war dance and killed Simon without thinking about what they were doing.
3.2. Cold War
3.2.1. US and Russia had an uneasy tension
3.2.1.1. Golding made a comparison to this in the book
3.2.1.1.1. Ralph and Jack at first were allies, like the US and Russia. However, the tension between Ralph and Jack got more heated throughout the story and they eventually split up.
3.2.1.2. Ralph = US and democracy
3.2.1.2.1. Ralph used the conch to gather people and vote on things like a democracy
3.2.1.3. Jack = Russia and communism
3.2.1.3.1. Jack rules in a cruel and ruthless dictatorship based on the fear of the Beast