Lord of the Flies - William Golding

Lord of the Flies has has a tumultuous history, and it's still controversial even today. But where did the controversy come from, and why (with the controversy) is it still such a well-read book in literature classrooms?

Lord of the Flies is a famous (and controversial) novel by William Golding. Here are a few questions for study and discussion.

Lord of the Flies is the story of a group of schoolboys who are stranded on a deserted island. They form a community, but barbarity and violence sneaks in--as they struggle for survival. What do they believe in? Who do they follow? And, what are the boys capable of doing and becoming? This study guide offers resources as you explore William Golding's controversial novel, Lord of the Flies.

Every year, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles a list of formal complaints filed by patrons demanding that certain books be removed from schools or public libraries. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, persistently makes the top 100 on this list (in 2006, the novel reached number 70 on the banned books list).

Here's a vocabulary list from Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. Use these terms for reference, study, and discussion.

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, was first published in 1954. This tale of schoolboys stranded on a desert island is the best-known work by Golding. The novel is now sometimes compared to The Cacher in the Rye as one of the popular books for high school and college students. Here are a few quotes from the novel.