Settings in Lord of the Flies

Explore the significance of setting in Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness

William Golding was born in Cornwall in 1911, graduated in literature at university and spent the 2nd world war years as a royal naval commander. He later became a schoolteacher, and it was during this period that Lord of the Flies was published in 1945. Joseph Conrad was born in Poland in 1857, studied top be a naval officer in the merchant navy, passing his masters certificate in 1886. He only began writing later, after a professional career at sea. His book Heart of Darkness was published in 1902.

Although over 40 years apart, both books are very similar in many respects. They both deal with the theme of atavism, and use similar environments as a background to the story. They both couple an adventure story with the sinister features of human conflict and suffering. They use the theme of good verses evil, truth verses myth and light verses dark through conflicting characters within the story.

As we discover from the author’s backgrounds, each had a professional career in the navy as a commander and we see this influence of the sea playing a significant part in the settings of both books.

In Lord of the Flies the boys are marooned on a tropica

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The dark is the uncivilized interior, shadowy, sinister, primitive, savage. The murder of Simon by the frenzied attack on him by the ‘Hunters’ took place in the dark of night and would not have happened in the light of the day. The influence of the jungle interior of the island plays an important part in contributing to the degenerative behaviour and regression of the ‘hunters’. Marlow describes the jungle as a prehistoric force ‘monstrous and free’ and suggests it appeals to the primal instincts of man, drawing him towards atavistic decline. Marlow describes his own interpretation of history, ‘and this has also been one of the dark places on earth’ he says, he is looking at the moral and physical suffering caused by the their conquest of the uncivilized world.

Another aspect of primitive behavior is tribalism, and the forest settings in both books lends itself to this theme. In Lord of the Flies, the atmosphere is portrayed by the peaceful picturesque lagoon In Heart of Darkness it is portrayed by the silent somber water of the Thames. Again we glimpse the future story in Piggy’s prophetic speech and coupled later with Jack’s decision to be the leader of the ‘Hunters’, begins the descent into savagery.

Death is ever present throughout Marlow’s journey since his arrival at the company station, and the jungle seems to be the main cause of death through disease and suffering. ‘Imagine him here- the very end of the world, a sea the colour of lead, a sky the colour of smoke… Sand-banks, marshes, forests, savages, - precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink… Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness… cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death – death skulking in the air, in the water in the bush.

The initial serenity of the setting and the influence of the sea are also apparent in Heart of Darkness. The beach between the palm terrace and the water was a thin bow-stave, endless apparently,’ describes the tranquillity of a tropical island paradise. Simon’s murder occurs at night, it is the darkness that dilutes the ‘Hunters’ sense of reality. Against this background of primal forest man’s regression to a primitive state goes unchecked. Marlow also refers to superstition and myth as he describes their influence on the natives.

Approximate Word count = 1827
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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