Two years later, Golding decided to follow his true interest and focus on pursuing a career in English Literature ("Works"). Upon graduating from college, Golding published his first completed works, Poems. Soon after, Golding met his future wife, Ann Brookfield (Bloom 7). .
Once married, they had two beautiful children. It was only a year after their marriage that World War II took an abrupt grasp on the life of the new young couple. Hesitant at first, Golding joined the Royal Navy in which he served for five long and hard years. As a result of his hard work and devotion, Golding achieved the rank of Lieutenant. Witnessing horrid events, such as the sinking of the Bismark and the D-Day invasion in Normandy, took an emotional toll on Golding. It was on the bloody battlefields of the war that he was exposed to the evil capabilities of man. After the war, Golding wrote three novels, but they were not published. Then, in 1954, the evil and violent events he experienced in the war, attributed to the pessimistic theme of his first published novel, Lord of the Flies ("Works"). From around 1955 to 1985, William Golding completed many novels, essays and lectures. Some of his major works are The Inheritors, The Spire, Darkness Visible, and The Pyramid. Two years after his death in 1993, Golding's last book was published, The Double Tongue. Due to the success of Lord of the Flies, in the mid 60's, Golding was able to retire early and fully devote himself to writing. Even though Lord of the Flies was shunned when first released to the public, it is now known to have been the life-giving source to Goldings fame and success.
Golding's most prestigious novel, Lord of the Flies, provides an in-depth commentary on the darkness of human nature. Camouflaged by what appears to be a mere soap opera dealing with the struggle for survival, the novel illustrates the intense reality of evil. The novel opens with a deserted island on which a group of young boys, victim to a plane crash, are stranded.
