William Golding Quotes

"-I got the conch!" — Piggy (in Lord of the Flies), attempting Democracy

I don’t like the word "allegorical", I don’t like the word "symbolic", the word I really like is "mythic" and people always think that means "full of lies" when what it really means is full of a truth that cannot be told in any other way but a story.

I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men, they are far superior [to men] and always have been.

I only wanted to keep up a fire!

Grownups know things, said Piggy. They ain't afraid of the dark. They'd meet and have tea and discuss. Then things 'ud be alright — -
They wouldn't set fire to the island. Or lose — -
They'd build a ship — -
The three boys stood in the darkness, striving unsuccessfully to convey the majesty of adult life.
They wouldn't quarrel — -
Or break my specs — -
Or talk about a beast — -
If only they could get a message to us, cried Ralph desperately. If only they could send us something grownup. . . a sign or something.

"... what makes things break up like they do?"
Piggy rubbed his glasses slowly and thought. When he understood how far Ralph had gone towards accepting him he flushed pinkly with pride.
"I dunno, Ralph. I expect it's him."
"Jack?"
"Jack." A taboo was evolving round that word too.
Ralph nodded solemnly.
"Yes," he said, "I suppose it must be."

Bit by bit [the Second World War] really changed my view of what people were capable of, and therefore what human nature was.

"I'm scared of him," said Piggy, "and that's why I know him. If you're scared of someone you hate him but you can't stop thinking about him. You kid yourself he's all right really, an' then when you see him again, it's like asthma an' you can't breathe."

This is our island. It's a good island. Until the grownups come to fetch us we'll have fun.

I’m going up the mountain.” The words came from Jack viciously, as though they were a curse.

Все всегда оказываются не такими, как от них ждешь.

I am by nature an optimist and by intellectual conviction a pessimist.

The folly isn’t mine. It’s God’s folly. Even in the old days he never asked men to do what was reasonable.

He found himself understanding the wearisomeness of this life, where every path was an improvisation and a considerable part of one’s waking life was spent watching one’s feet.

El miedo no puede hacer más daño que un sueño.