Name:

Task #1: BUILD A CONTEXT: WAR ON THE BRITISH HOMEFRONT

In William Golding’s the Lord ofthe Flies a group of British boys were evacuated from their homes during World War II and it was in the process of this evacuation that their plane was shot down, leaving them stranded on the island. The following site will help you to build an understanding of life in Britain during World War II. This is a British-authored educational site. We normally learn history from the American perspective. It should be interesting to read from an authentic British source.

Task: Log on to:

Read each of the following sections: Evacuation, Gas, Internees, Home Guard, Spies. They will help you to answer the questions below.

1) Why were children evacuated from Britain in the 1940’s?

2) Which countries offered to accept evacuees?

3)Why did the British public support oversees evacuation?

4)How many children were evacuated or sent oversees from Britain or its colonies during World War II?

5) By September of 1939, who had gas masks in Britain? Why?

6) Who was interned in Britain during World War II?

Read the following links to answer the question

7. What was ‘Operation Pied Piper’?

Task# 2: Literary Context & Allusions

8. Define allegory and provide an example (other than Lord of the Flies)

9. Define symbolism and explain at least one symbol you have encountered in past reading.

10. Who (what) was Beelzebub?

Task#3: War Crimes (Golding’s primary influence!)

11. What was Auschwitz? (give a complete definition, when, where, why)

12. Read and explore the website above. What did you find most shocking? (provide at least two complete sentences)

Task#4: MEET THE AUTHOR

Author's Biography

Read the biography of author William Golding here and here Answer the following questions about William Golding that you learned. YOU WILL LIKELY HAVE TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH BEYOND THE PROVIDED LINK TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

13. Golding is a native of what country?

14. What was his occupation during the 1940s?

15. Summarize his philosophy of human nature.

16. What event helped to shape this philosophy?

17. What is the Nobel Prize for literature? How does one earn it?

18. From what you know about Golding’s philosophy of human nature, what do you predict might happen to a group of boys marooned on a deserted island with no adult supervision? Keep these predictions handy. As you read the novel, see if they materialize.