Contents

Abstract i

摘  要 iii

Chapter One Introduction 1

Chapter Two An Overview of Symbolism 5

2.1 Definition of Symbolism 5

2.2  Classifications of Symbolism 6

Chapter Three The Analysis of Humanity through Symbolism in Lord of the Flies 9

3.1 The Symbolic Meaning of Natural Objects 9

3.2 The Symbolic Meaning of Characters 11

3.3 The Symbolic Meaning of Plots 12

Chapter Four The Salvation Hidden behind the Theme of Evil Humanity 14

4.1 Goodness: the Hope of Salvation 14

4.2 Modern Civilization: the Way of Salvation 15

Chapter Five Conclusion 17

Works Cited 19

Exploring the Salvation of Humanity in Golding’s Lord of the Flies

Chapter One Introduction

William Golding (1911-1993), is a famous British writer whose works include novels, prose and play. In the west, Golding is regarded as the “fable writer”. Fable is “an invented thing on the surface.”（Peter 577). He uses the realistic narrative method to write the fable myth and tries to show the theme of “the darkness of the heart”, which shows the writer's concern for the future of mankind.

William Golding was born in an intellectual family in September 19, 1911. His hometown was Cornwall which was in the southwest of England . He began writing when he was 7. His father was a local school principal and a scholar showing great interest in knowledge and exploration. What’s more, his father had a great passion for politics and believed in science. Golding’s mother was a woman who advocated women's suffrage. Golding inherited his father's enlightened and sensible temperament, and he loved literature from childhood. In this typical British middle-class family, William Golding spent a peaceful but lonely childhood. Because Golding was always accompanied by parents or nannies, he had not gotten to know anyone except family members until he went to the primary school. He began to read at an early age, but he was not good at maths.

After graduating from Marporo High School where his father worked, Golding   obeyed his father into the University of Oxford to study science in the year of 1930. Two years later, Golding finally found that science was not his favourite profession and turned to British literature — the effects of which were often reflected in most of his later writings. In 1934, the year before his graduation from university, Golding published his debut — a booklet entitled “Poems of Poetry”, including 29 short poems, which showed his writing talent. In 1939, he married Ann Bruckfeld, and followed his father's footsteps to teach English and philosophy in a church school-- the Hozhos Bishop’s School in Salisbry which was located in the south of England. Later, the outbreak of the Second World War broke the peaceful life of Golding. In 1940, Golding joined the Royal Navy to participate in the war directly with the rank of lieutenant. As commander of the battleship, he experienced a lot of unforgettable battles. For example, he went in for the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck's battle and the Normandy landing. After the war, Golding retired in 1945, returning to the church school, teaching British literature and insisting on amateur writing. His view of mankind changed completely after experiencing the war. Later he began the novel creation, from Lord of the Flies to The Paper Men, revealing the idea that human nature is evil.