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"My father's in the Navy. He said there aren't any unknown islands left."

Lord of the Flies - Context

This GCSE English Literature quiz explores the context of Lord of the Flies, from post-war fears and school culture to Golding’s ideas about civilisation and human nature.

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Fascinating Fact:

The novel reflects post-war anxieties about human nature, suggesting that violence and cruelty can emerge even among educated children.

In GCSE English Literature, context means the real-world influences behind a text. For Lord of the Flies, this includes World War Two, fears about nuclear conflict and changing attitudes to school, authority and democracy.

Key Terms

Historical context: The time, events and social attitudes that shaped when and why a text was written.
Post-war Britain: Britain after World War Two, marked by rationing, rebuilding, memories of violence and debates about human nature.
Nuclear threat: Fear during the Cold War that conflict between powerful countries could lead to devastating nuclear war.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is the historical context of Lord of the Flies for GCSE English?

Lord of the Flies was published in the 1950s, after World War Two. William Golding had served in the Navy, and the book reflects worries that war and cruelty can return, even in modern, educated societies.

How does context influence the meaning of Lord of the Flies?

The island works like a small version of the real world. Post-war fears, strict school systems and the threat of nuclear conflict all deepen Golding’s message that civilisation is fragile and violence is never far away.

Why do I need to learn context for Lord of the Flies in the exam?

Exam questions often reward you for linking ideas to context. Showing how characters, symbols and events reflect post-war anxieties can help you move into higher mark bands for GCSE English Literature.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

What is the single piece of modern technology the boys have on the island?

Matches

Piggy's glasses

The airplane radio

A megaphone

Without Piggy's glasses, it is unlikely a fire could have been lit. Piggy, of course, needs the glasses to see, but is willing to share them for the good of the group. Later the glasses become a resource to be fought over and are stolen

2 .

Which of the following took place in 1945 in New Mexico, United States of America?

The first battle of the Cold War

The signing of the first peace treaty to end the Second World War

The detonation of the first nuclear bomb

All of the above

Nuclear bombs were dropped by the United States on the Japanese cities, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, soon afterwards. In the novel, Piggy overhears the pilot of the plane talking about an "atom" (nuclear) bomb which, he assumes, has destroyed the airport where the plane was due to land

3 .

In what year was Lord of the Flies first published?

1934

1944

1954

1964

Lord of the Flies was published in 1954, almost the middle of the twentieth century

4 .

"My father's in the Navy. He said there aren't any unknown islands left. He says the Queen has a big room full of maps and all the islands in the world are drawn there." Ralph's statements are intended to make the other boys feel safe and confident. They are a reminder of...

The British Empire

The Allied Powers

The European Union

The United Nations

Ralph says, "The Queen's got a picture of this island." The reassuring image of British maps which encompass the entire world and a Queen with a Navy at her command emphasises the reach of the British Empire. It is this world, however, whose decline is already well-advanced at the time the novel was written

5 .

"I should have thought that a pack of British boys - you're all British aren't you? - would have been able to put up a better show than that." What does the naval officer's statement imply?

That boys from other countries would naturally be expected to know how to live on an island

That British boys have learned in school how to survive on a desert island

That the British are more civilised than others

All of the above

The naval officer expresses disappointment that British boys, in particular, could have become so uncivilised and even so disorganised that they are unsure how many boys are on the island

6 .

The opening to the novel resembles what type of story?

A mystery

A ghost story

A romance

An adventure story

The novel is written so that the reader will be reminded of a boys' adventure story, a genre popular in the early twentieth century. The boys, excited at the thought of having the island to themselves, compare their future adventures to Treasure Island, Swallows and Amazons and Coral Island

7 .

Piggy's nickname results from the bullying he received at school. Against his will, Ralph shares the nickname with the other boys, perpetuating the bullying culture. Which of the following is NOT true of bullying in the novel?

The novel shows how the bullying of one individual by another escalates into bullying by a group and then into war-like violence

The novel shows that bullying is a form of violence in which groups isolate victims who are perceived as somehow different

The novel shows that adult society, unlike the group of children, ensures that violence is not inflicted on the innocent

The novel shows that enjoyment of bullying can easily lead to the enjoyment of inflicting pain

The bullying in the novel develops naturally from the boys' previous lives as school pupils; it escalates from name-calling and ridicule to injury, accidental death and the intention to murder

8 .

William Golding worked as which of the following?

Doctor

Teacher

Scientist

Painter

Golding taught in a boys' grammar school. He also served as a naval officer in the Second World War, published poetry and worked in theatre

9 .

In the novel the boys are evacuated during a war with the "Reds". Who are the "Reds"?

Communists

Imperialists

Nationalists

Australians

"Reds" is shorthand for Communists. The war from which the boys are evacuated is not a historical war; its details are kept vague. This gives the war in which the novel is set a broad and deeply symbolic meaning

10 .

The novel was first published during which war?

WWI

WWII

The Cold War

The Vietnam War (Second Indochina War)

Golding had direct experience of fighting in the Second World War. The novel was published during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and its allies and the United States and its allies

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Lord of the Flies

Author: Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)