Pincher Martin Pincher Martin Pincher Martin (published in America as Pincher Martin: The Two Deaths of Christopher Martin), is a novel by British writer William Golding, first published in 1956. It is Golding's third novel, following "The Inheritors" and his debut "Lord of the Flies". The novel is one of Golding's best-known novels, and is noted for being existential and minimalistic in setting. The plot of "Pincher Martin" surrounds the survival and psychophysical, spiritual and existential plight of one Christopher Hadley "Pincher" Martin, a temporary naval lieutenant who believes himself to be the sole survivor of a military torpedo destroyer which sinks
Pincher Martin who uses his intelligence, education and training to source food, collect fresh water and alert any potential rescuers. It is in fact during this rational phase that Martin is at his most delusional. It is only when insanity takes hold that he begins to comprehend the reality of his predicament: 'There is a pattern emerging. I do not know what the pattern is but even my dim guess at it makes my reason falter'. The novel's twist ending reveals that Martin actually drowned shortly after his ship was sunk; when his body is found, it is noted that "he didn't