Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

Lord of the Flies: Setting 1 key example

Definition of Setting

Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis:

The novel is set on an unidentified deserted island. The island is large enough for the boys to not know it is an island at first, and for there to be multiple distinct settings for events to occur (the mountaintop, Castle Rock, the jungle). However, the boys are the only humans on the island until the very end of the novel. The setting drives the plot—the island is deserted, and therefore the boys must fend for themselves.

In Chapter 1, Ralph says this to the other boys:

We’re on an island. We’ve been on the mountain top and seen water all round. We saw no houses, no smoke, no footprints, no boats, no people. We’re on an uninhabited island with no other people on it.