Lit Openers
Episode 2: To the Ends of the Earth
by William Golding
Part of the Lit Openers series: 12 episodes of methodological analysis for English literature students.
This Lit Openers Episode 2 guide helps ESL students and teachers analyse the opening line of William Golding's To the Ends of the Earth. Use the biography chart and video answers for your novel study or high school English class.
Key fact for analysis: William Golding's experiences as a naval officer in WWII deeply influenced his themes of civilization versus savagery, central to To the Ends of the Earth.
Interactive Biography Chart
ESSENTIAL BIOGRAPHIC INFO |
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| Author Name: | William Golding | |
| Pseudonym: | / | |
| Nickname: | / | |
| Date of Birth: | 1911 | |
| Place of Birth: | Cornwall, England | |
| Date of Death: | 1993 | |
| Time Period: | 20th century (after World War II) | |
| Type of Education: | graduated in English | |
| School/University: | Oxford University | |
| Places where the author lived: | Newquay (birthplace), Marlborough (childhood), Oxford and Salisbury (where he taught for a long time) | |
| Peculiar events: | Naval officer during World War II, worked as a teacher, won the Booker Prize (1980) and the Nobel prize for literature in 1983. | |
LITERARY PRODUCTION |
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Main work |
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| Complete title: | "Lord of the Flies" (1954) | |
| Genre: | Novel | |
| Synthesis: | The story is about a group of British school boys who become stranded on an island after a plane crash. They tried to start a society, but they become wild and cruel. The novel shows that even good people can become evil far from social institutions. | |
Other works |
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| Title: | "The Inheritors" (1955) | |
| Genre: | Novel | |
| Brief Synthesis: | A story about the last Neanderthal humans and how they meet and clash with modern humans (Homo sapiens). | |
| Title: | "The Spire" (1964) | |
| Genre: | Novel | |
| Brief Synthesis: | It is about a church leader who is obsessed with building a very tall, expensive spire on his cathedral, causing problems for himself and the town. | |
| Title: | "Rites of Passage" (1980) | |
| Genre: | Novel | |
| Brief Synthesis: | It tells the story of a young, rich man travelling to Australia on an old ship. The novel explores ideas about social classes and behaviour. | |
Ep 2 To the Ends of the Earth ANSWERS
Created for LnT by Ms. Anna-Maria Bellomo
High School English Teacher
Created for LnT by Ms. Anna-Maria Bellomo
High School English Teacher
This lesson is part of a 12-episode methodological series by Ms. Anna Maria Bellomo, Former High School English Teacher.