•The boys crash onto the island with no means of escape.
•Description of island: ‘The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air. The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, torn everywhere… Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper.’- contrast between above and below. Trees ‘recline’ suggesting ease/relaxation. ‘green’ symbolises life and youth/growth, ‘feathers’ compares the tree tops to birds- free and able to escape. Below the ground is ‘coarse’, ‘torn’ and ‘dark’ foreshadowing the violence to come. We see another contrast with beauty of the lagoon and the harshness of the mountain.
•Ralph and Piggy explore and find the other boys- Piggy: nickname, asthma, cannot swim- vulnerable, innocent, Ralph- immature: ‘No grown ups!’” The fact that Ralph states “No grown ups” is an early indication of his immaturity. He sees this as only an opportunity to be away from adults,.
•Finding the conch and realising what it could do, p.10,11: ‘He used to blow it and then his mum would come’, p12: “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting.”
•Introduction of Jack, p15: dark, creature, likes control (like a dictator): ‘Why should I be Jack? I’m Meridew.”
• Ralph turned to him quickly. This was the voice of one who knew his own mind.”
•Election of chief: democracy, order and civilisation. Ralph is voted leader by the boys who see him as a temporary “symbol” of order on the island. He is largely voted by the boys because of his size and age, and also because he has blown the “conch”, an “symbol” of authority on the island, p19: ‘Ralph counted. ‘I’m chief then.’, P30,“ Piggy too raised his hand “grudgingly” into the air.’
•The boys explore the island and take owenership “This (island) belongs to us.” P26
•Chasing the pig: when Jack, Ralph and Rodger happen across a wild animal, Jack’s primal nature is stimulated. While Ralph and Rodger are merely surprised by the animal, Jack is quick to recognise the need to hunt and procure meat, revealing an already savage side of his character: “I was going to,” said Jack. He was ahead of them and they could see his face, “I was choosing a place. Next time-----!” He snatched his knife and slammed it into the tree trunk.”
Characters
Ralph: fair hair, good looking, well- polished and educated, confident: “there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no evil.”
Piggy: fat, asthma, wears glasses, bright, pragmatic, has insight, uses logic in his reasoning, lacks confidence
Jack: big ego, tall, not good-looking, argumentative, wants to be leader, not respectful of others, controlling, insecure and
Chapter Two
•Conch passed round , symbol of discipline and democracy: ‘I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking’
•Need for rules: ‘"'We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.'"
•Jack, looking for an excuse for violence – fascism -: “Then if anyone breaks’em…”
•Boy with birthmark speaks about “snake-thing”, first allusion to the beast- a symbol of fear in novel, : ‘He says it was a beastie’
•Jack’s violent temperament: ‘“Jack slammed his knife into a trunk and looked round challengingly”, word choice “slammed” and ‘challengingly’- what does this tell us about Jack and his leadership skills?
•The fire. The boys decide to make a fire so that they may be rescued: “we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire” - symbol of knowledge, truth, the outside world- they must learn how to survive and not forget.
•At this stage we see Jack and Ralph work together, but neither really knows how to light a fire, before Jack snatches Piggy’s glasses to light fire: "'You got your small fire all right.'",
•Description of the fire: compared to an animal with verbs such as stir, crawled, gnaw (squirrel). Metaphor of the jaguar – fierce, powerful and elegant. Metaphors: savage with smoke and flame, drum-roll- can we find the quote?
•Piggy shows his foresight and practical side: need to build shelters.
•Fire spreads- out of control“A tree exploded in the fire like a bomb. Tall swathes of creepers rose for a moment into view, agonised, and went down again. The little boys screamed at them.
• “Snakes! Snakes! Look at the snakes!”, The image of “like a bomb” reveals to us that it is not the island or the situation which causes the violence; it is human beings who bring destruction. Personification of plants being ‘agonised’? Word-choice of ‘snakes’: biblical reference?
•Boy with the birthmark has gone missing: ‘Him with the mark on his face… where is he now?’ use of simile “as silent as death”. Implies the boy may be dead.
Chapter 3
•Jack goes hunting: imagery compares him to an animal, “dog-like”, “ape-like”. He is also shown to be more savage like, less civilised, almost naked. p.48,49: ‘“Then dog–like, uncomfortably on all fours yet unheeding his discomfort, he stole forward five yards and stopped.” "[Jack] tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up." Chapter 3, pg. 47
•Ralph and Simon are working, making shelters. P.50: ‘been working for days now’. However, rules appear to be beingn broken and the other boys are not helping: ‘They’re off bathing…’
•Ralph reminds Jack to remember to keep the fire going, Jack mocks him: ‘So long as you remember the fire’ ‘You and your fire’
•The ‘littluns’ are frightened but the older boys do not want to hear about the snakes – episode of the disappeared boy- “as if it wasn’t a good island”… “the beastie” you feel as if you’re “being hunted”
•Conflict in priorities between Jack and Ralph: Ralph explains the need for shelters, p52: ‘you come back and you don’t even notice the huts’ “All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig.” Ralph to Jack, p55- no meat for food, but instead, Simon finds some fruit, p57
Characters
•Jack: becomes obsessed with hunting for meat, described as less civilised, more animal and savage-like: ‘The madness came into his eyes again. ‘I thought I might kill.’
•Simon: helpful and supportive – has been the only one helping Ralph to build the shelters, then goes with J. and R. to find fruits. He is the one to pluck the fruits. He is presented as generous therefore and almost Jesus-like, p57. He also likes the forest and shows appreciation of beauty, p58,59.
Chapter 4
•AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER, highlighting the beginning of change in the boys’ thinking and behaviour.
•At the beginning of the chapter we see the children getting used to their new surroundings. The vision of land, created by heat haze over the sea is referred to as a mirage by Piggy- reference to illusion shows that their minds are not clear. Use of the simile “angry eyes” highlights that the island may not be ideal or benign. The stomach-aches and chronic diarrhoea are also signs that the island is not perfect, p61
•Roger and Maurice, coming out of the forest appear cruel as they destroy the sandcastles built by the “littluns. Roger is being very cruel, sadistic towards Henry (Yet he does not dare go for the whole gratuitous, psychopathic violence that would hurt him (“the taboo of the old life”): ‘Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them’, ‘Roger led the way straight through the castles, kicking them over’ and’ Roger’s arm was conditioned by civilisation.’
•The painting of faces, and the use of imagery to describe “the mask”, Jack’s new face clearly shows a descent into savagery: : For hunting… Like in the war- you know… like things trying to look like something else.’- symbolic of the boys beginning to become something else. ‘He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger’
•Piggy is isolated from the others: an outsider. He is described as different, his hair does not grow, he is fat, has asthma, wears spectacles, does not like physical work. Yet he is practical, pragmatic and resourceful. This is not appreciated by the boys who see him as a stick in the mud, as a killjoy and a bore: ’ “I’ve been thinking”, he said, “about a clock. We could make a sundial.”
•A ship is spotted on the horizon, but Jack has let the fire go out and this causes further conflict : ‘There was a ship… you let it out’ “The fire was dead”. This implies that rescue will not be forthcoming. The choir or hunters have not been keeping watch. They went hunting with Jack.
•Further imagery of the savage, especially in relation to Jack, p51: “we want meat”, “kill”, “madness”. Piggy's cry mimicks Jack's statement to Raplh from the previous chapter and clearly shows the contrast between the characters of Ralph/Piggy and Jack- Jack obsessed with blood, the others filled with a need for rescue or covilisation/knowledge (symbol of fire): ‘You and your blood, Jack.’ , ‘Jack hacked the pig’- word-choice of hacked?
•Savagery of the hunters- mimicking tribal dance and chanting. Word-choice of“chant” to highlight the ritualistic behaviour, akin to tribalism, hence hinting at savagery overtaking the once civilised boys : ‘Kill the pig, cut her throat. Spill her blood’. The twins wipe blood on themselves. Another move away from civilisation.
•This leads to the breaking of one of Piggy’s glasses: ‘Piggy’s glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks.’ These symbolise rational thinking. This episode is closely linked with the killing of the pig, which represents the breakdown of rationalism.
•The evening meal. Ralph, sensing the shift of power away from rational thinking and the ebbing of his influence, calls for an assembly away from the place where they ate and where the savage chanting took place. He is aware of the dangers of the dancing and chanting.
Characters
•Jack is becoming more similar to the head of a wild tribe. He is beginning to use force to enforce his will upon others. He is becoming more of a savage by the painting of his face (similar to the Indians’ war paint). He is also resorting to chanting, to almost entrance his hunters. He is fast becoming dictatorial and moving away from collective and ordered behaviour.
•Ralph: becoming aware of what is happening, yet has not got enough vision, charisma and force of character to make Jack tow the line. Becomes inefficient as a leader. Tries to regain his influence by going where he gets his strength from: the power of the conch, etc…
•Roger and Maurice: cruel, vicious, almost portrayed as henchmen ready to do any kind of atrocity if asked by their leader.
•Piggy: seen as the real thinker, but totally ineffectual and the butt of jokes, soon to become violent, harmful and cruel. Aware of the situation. Has enough insight to be scared of some of those around him.
Chapter 5
•Ralph is worried about the group and his power as leader:“ The meeting must not be fun (Jack), but business.” Moral and physical decay hinted at through Ralph’s appearance: ‘frayed edges of his shorts were making an uncomfortable, pink area on the front of his thighs’.
•Place of assembly modelled on Parliament but the power of democracy is fading, becoming fragile. Even the conch seems faded: ‘’Exposure to the air had bleached the yellow and pink to near white, and transparency. Symbolism of where the people sit: ‘most of the hunters, on Ralph’s right; the rest on the left, under the sun.’
•Ralph reads the riot act: “Can’t you see we ought to – ought to die before we let the fire out?” Fear: of the breakdown of law and order, but also of the unknown, leading to savagery in order to protect oneself from what you cannot understand/ parallel with today and then- middle East.
•Jack behaves like a bully: picking on the weaker ones (the littluns). Piggy hints at the link between the beast and people: “I know there isn’t no beast… Unless we get frightened of people.”. Jack humiliates Simon: “He was taken short’, and we see the cries of those who suffer and who are humiliated: the littluns. Parallel with the Jews.
•Descent into savagery: no one minds that Jack has not got the conch when he speaks, a new fear, coming from the sea is voiced but impossible to confirm and we see a breaking of sanity due to the lack of respect for the rules they themselves had set up: ‘Bollocks to the rules’
•Simon expresses doubt and becomes prophetic: “May be it’s only us…S. became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness.”- once again, link between the beast and mankind- the cruelty of mankind.
•Break down of the established order perceived by Ralph: ‘The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.’ Piggy realises the danger Jack’s attitude is posing for democracy and sanity: “If J. was chief he’d have us all hunting and no fire.”
•Chapter ends with a “wail”: a more primitive sound compared to an “inarticulate gibberish”. The lexis highlights a move closer to a primitive or savage existence.
•R, P and S, have become isolated from the rest of the group: ‘the three boys stood in the darkness, striving unsuccessfully to convey the majesty of adult life.’
•‘Things are breaking up. I don’t understand why. We began well.’
Characters
•Ralph: tries to assert authority, be the voice of reason, but has not really got enough power to pull it off. All through chapter his authority wanes away. Realises the importance of rules and their abeyance. Begins to show a better grasp of what is required for law and order, but too late to really imprint it on the others.
•Jack: behaving more and more like a bully, using fear to get his way. Becoming more violent and primitive. obsessed with hunting and killing pigs. Humiliates Simon.
•Piggy: shows yet more insight and understanding of what is needed to be done in order to be safe, p86 (ought to die…). He shows a lot of sense and practicality, never loses sight of rescue. Understands that what they have to fear comes from themselves, p90 (unless we get frightened of people). Beginning to fear Jack. Aware of the danger he represents (I’m scared of him…).
Simon: still the loner, also the thinker, humiliated by Jack who does not control him. Finds it difficult to speak (to speak to an assembly was a terrible thing to him). He speaks prophetically: “Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness.”
Chapter 6
•“A sign came down from the world of grown-ups”: the parachutist is a symbol, with the explosion, that the world of man is no better, a world of rear and danger, hatred. He is a vision of death and futility,
•Sam and Eric should be lighting the fire, but they are scared of the dark, they show themselves slightly unequal to the task. They are portrayed as two very scared little boys and think they have spotted “the beast”. However, like the little boys that they are, they start embellishing their story, making themselves out to be heroic: ‘There were eyes---’, ‘teeth----’
•The assembly has to decide how to respond to the sighting of the beast. Jack says they don’t need the conch anymore. This is the same as the real world when those who want control during times of crisis, for ex.Hitler, subvert democracy: ‘we don’t need the conch anymore’
•Ralph is the voice of reason and reminds them about being rescued: “With a violent swing to Ralph’s side, the crisis passed.” word-choice shows how the boys have become more savage and primitive,
•The expedition starts with Ralph directing it and putting Jack in the lead. Simon, still portrayed as the prophet, sees the beast as “the picture of a human, at once heroic and sick.” (do we have here the definition of evil as Golding sees it, or as a liberal would see it?) Although Simon’s philosophy is later exposed: “I don’t believe in the beast.”
•They reach the castle and Ralph decides that, as chief, he must be the one to go first. Jack is all excited. Uses the word “fort”, often used in boys’ games. Word has connotations of enemy and protection from danger. Furthered when Jack actually uses the word “enemy”- control of fear.
•Sign of conflicting views between the boys: some want to stay by the fort and roll rocks (they have forgotten about the rescue, just want to hunt and have fun), Ralph and others want to concentrate on the essential tasks which their survival depend on (keeping the fire alight and building shelters). Heated discussion ensues between the 2 factions. However, Ralph re-establishes his authority and, reluctantly, they all follow Jack leading the way down the mountain: ‘I’m chief. We’ve got to make certain...’ Mutinously, the boys fell silent or muttering.’ Word-choice clearly marks lack of control.
Characters
•Ralph: shows sense and leadership. Calls assembly, takes charges, makes decisions, reminds them of central objective (rescue), directs party up the mountain, eventually decides, despite his fear, that he has to be the one going in the fort first. Finally enforces his authority and gets the whole of the boys to come down the mountain at the end of chapter. (“I’m chief. I’ll go. Don’t argue.”. Before that was quite assertive: “You haven’t got the conch, sit down.”
•Jack: portrayed still as more primitive and savage as Ralph. He is the one to think of the fort, to use the word enemy, to envisage fighting, almost as in the Middle Ages. Willing to hunt and roll rocks, rather than be rational and sensible and keep the fire alight, build shelters and maximise hopes of a rescue. Still accepts power of the conch, although diminished, as he interrupts. Finally submits, still, to Ralph’s authority.
•Piggy: still the voice of sense and reason. His broken glasses are a symbol of degeneration, of slow descent into savagery. (“What can Piggy do with one eye?”)
•Simon: still the loner: more and more the remote thinker, (the beast as a human image, heroic and sick). Shares a moment of communion with the others (shades of the loneliness of Christ, Last Supper etc…). Finally acknowledges his refusal to believe in the beast, therefore setting himself apart from the rest. We can see a parallel already with the sacrificial role of Christ in the Bible.
•Robert: just a snigger from him, which highlights his character as a bully and someone who cannot entertain one who thinks and behaves differently from him,
•Sam and Eric: shown here as children, representing the average child, with a sense of fun, adventure, but also fear and inexperience. They also have the innate capacity for fantasising, wanting to make themselves seen as important and braver than they know themselves to be,
•Sam and Eric should be lighting the fire, but they are scared of the dark, they show themselves slightly unequal to the task. They are portrayed as two very scared little boys and think they have spotted “the beast”. However, like the little boys that they are, they start embellishing their story, making themselves out to be heroic: ‘There were eyes---’, ‘teeth----’
•The assembly has to decide how to respond to the sighting of the beast. Jack says they don’t need the conch anymore. This is the same as the real world when those who want control during times of crisis, for ex.Hitler, subvert democracy: ‘we don’t need the conch anymore’
•Ralph is the voice of reason and reminds them about being rescued: “With a violent swing to Ralph’s side, the crisis passed.” word-choice shows how the boys have become more savage and primitive,
•The expedition starts with Ralph directing it and putting Jack in the lead. Simon, still portrayed as the prophet, sees the beast as “the picture of a human, at once heroic and sick.” (do we have here the definition of evil as Golding sees it, or as a liberal would see it?) Although Simon’s philosophy is later exposed: “I don’t believe in the beast.”
•They reach the castle and Ralph decides that, as chief, he must be the one to go first. Jack is all excited. Uses the word “fort”, often used in boys’ games. Word has connotations of enemy and protection from danger. Furthered when Jack actually uses the word “enemy”- control of fear.
•Sign of conflicting views between the boys: some want to stay by the fort and roll rocks (they have forgotten about the rescue, just want to hunt and have fun), Ralph and others want to concentrate on the essential tasks which their survival depend on (keeping the fire alight and building shelters). Heated discussion ensues between the 2 factions. However, Ralph re-establishes his authority and, reluctantly, they all follow Jack leading the way down the mountain: ‘I’m chief. We’ve got to make certain...’ Mutinously, the boys fell silent or muttering.’ Word-choice clearly marks lack of control.
Characters
•Ralph: shows sense and leadership. Calls assembly, takes charges, makes decisions, reminds them of central objective (rescue), directs party up the mountain, eventually decides, despite his fear, that he has to be the one going in the fort first. Finally enforces his authority and gets the whole of the boys to come down the mountain at the end of chapter. (“I’m chief. I’ll go. Don’t argue.”. Before that was quite assertive: “You haven’t got the conch, sit down.”
•Jack: portrayed still as more primitive and savage as Ralph. He is the one to think of the fort, to use the word enemy, to envisage fighting, almost as in the Middle Ages. Willing to hunt and roll rocks, rather than be rational and sensible and keep the fire alight, build shelters and maximise hopes of a rescue. Still accepts power of the conch, although diminished, as he interrupts. Finally submits, still, to Ralph’s authority.
•Piggy: still the voice of sense and reason. His broken glasses are a symbol of degeneration, of slow descent into savagery. (“What can Piggy do with one eye?”)
•Simon: still the loner: more and more the remote thinker, (the beast as a human image, heroic and sick). Shares a moment of communion with the others (shades of the loneliness of Christ, Last Supper etc…). Finally acknowledges his refusal to believe in the beast, therefore setting himself apart from the rest. We can see a parallel already with the sacrificial role of Christ in the Bible.
•Robert: just a snigger from him, which highlights his character as a bully and someone who cannot entertain one who thinks and behaves differently from him,
•Sam and Eric: shown here as children, representing the average child, with a sense of fun, adventure, but also fear and inexperience. They also have the innate capacity for fantasising, wanting to make themselves seen as important and braver than they know themselves to be,
Chapter 7
Description of ocean: its vastness, contrast between the two sides: wild and limitless ocean vs quiet, shielded lagoon: the lagoon symbolises the illusion of safety and security, whereas the ocean represents the wild and harsh reality of life
• Ralph is still wearing a t-shirt at this point- symbolic of old life and civilisation, although physical cleanliness is now a dream for him.
• Physical appearance of the hunters shows their savagery: “worn out of custom”
• Simon: speaking like a prophet again, like an oracle: “You’ll get back”- as if he knows!
• Obsession of Jack with the hunt
• Ralph’s daydream is of everything that is England’s “sweet and pleasant land”- no longer exists (war!)- shows the illusion of a perfect civilised world.
• Ralph is affected by the hunt. First ever hint the he too could be transformed into a savage, losing his cultural baggage.
• The game: “Robert squealed… Kill him! Kill him!” The chant. Use of alliteration ‘screaming, struggling, strength’- highlights the sinister and savage nature of it. Ralph gets taken in “desire to squeeze and hurt was overmastering.” Language emphasises instinct over reason, word-choice of ‘mastering’. However, Ralph becomes uneasy about the game, becomes sensible again, whereas Maurice thinks game would be better if more tribal, primitive (the beating of a drum). Blurring of edges: a real pig or a pretend one- “Use a littlun”: Jack does not seem to care.
Looking for the beast: Ralph seems to have lost some of convictions (metaphorical “less sure than before”) Description of nature, beautiful, wild, powerful, not necessarily benign. Jack seems jealous of the closeness between Ralph and Piggy: “We mustn’t let anything happen to Piggy, must we?”
• Simon’s offering his life to help safety of group: goes through the forest on his own.
• Ralph’s attention to safety, his sense of danger and measure, frustrates Jack. He resorts to strong-arm techniques. He bullies them into going to look for the beast despite the arrival of dark
• Ralph regains his sense and explains the foolishness of the trek. He does not let himself be bullied by Jack and refuse to go on. Roger stays with him while jack goes on ahead on his own,
• Jack’s return. Golding’s word-choice highlights fear in Jack. Although he is still fighting Ralph’s authority, he is not yet succeeding. Proves himself no braver than Ralph here.
• While Ralph makes the decision to go investigate the sighting, Jack, for the first time shows hesitation and fear. In the final stages of the search, Ralph fights his inner rationality (“dentist’s chair unreality”): Fear is all pervasive: “Not so much scared as paralysed.”
• Description of flight: use of elements: moon and wind, description of beast. All that remains are the three sticks, which were carried as weapons by the children and have been abandoned.
Golding’s development of Ralph’s character and the emerging barbarism on the island lead us to conclusions concerning the theme: the cruelty of mankind.
In chapters 6 and 7, following the failure of the second meeting (the Assembly at Night), Ralph, Piggy and Simon become more and more isolated from the group. Ralph is forced to struggle to maintain and promote his position as leader. Dring this partf the novel, Ralph’s character and humanity are put to the ultimate test. Our conclusions about how he deals with his situation lead us to draw conclusions about man’s nature and primitivism in the face of adversity revealing the main theme of the novel: the cruelty of mankind.
Essay Question:
What do Ralph’s reactions tell us about the main theme: the cruelty of mankind?
Topic sentence/Point: Ralphs reactions help us to understand that the cruelty of mankind can be found in everyone. In chapters 6 and 7, his faith in his father followed by the symbol of the parachutist reminds us that the outside world is just as violent as the island.
Context: Following the Assembly at Night, Samneric spot a strange shape on the hill top as they are tending the fire. They do not realise that the shape is a dead parachutist whose parachute, caught in the wind, is responsible for the shape’s movement:
Quote / Evidence “It was furry. There was something moving behind its head –wings. The beast moved too.”
Explanation: Samneric’s childish imagination has leant the image of the parachutist detail and looks, has made it into the ‘beast’. Later, Ralph, Jack and Maurice make the same mistake. This clearly shows the fear inherent in all of the boys and could be sign that they are now beginning to see darkness in all things. Ironically, this parachutist answers Ralph and Piggy’s prayers for a sign from the adult world. Perhaps Golding is laying blame for the boys predicament in the naturally violent and greedy world of man whom he indicates – via the dead soldier – is incapable of living peacefully too.
Link: Golding reinforces the theme of the novel, the cruelty of mankind, at this point with the reminder of the war that is being fought between adults. Ralph’s naivety is further demonstrated at this point, as the reliance and faith he places in his father – an army captain – is ridiculous considering that it is the fault of adults that the boys are in fact stranded on the island. Ralph’s war with Jack simply mirrors in microcosm, we suspect, the battle that is being fought by adults and shows that mankind’s cruelty is ubiquitous- not simply limited to the few.
Chapter 8 notes
At a meeting, Jack tries to take control. However, the boys don’t join him, and he storms off. Ralph’s boys establish order and start building the fire. Jack’s boys hunt a sow and leave the head as an offering for the beast. Simon has a strange discussion with the head.
Jack- becoming savage and tribal.
“we’ll leave part of the kill for…”
“The head is for the beast. It’s a gift.”
Fully believes in the beast as a physical object. It is a God to be feared. In essence, they are worshipping chaos.
Sow – mother- family- adult
Rules and order come from authority / parental figures.
By destroying this, they are rejecting rules and also the civilised idea of family and caring/love.
The Resolution through Character and Theme
How Golding reveals the cruelty of mankind in the concluding chapters of the novel.
From chapter seven to the end of the novel there is a rapid and inexorable movement from order to chaos. The beast accelerates the division among the children. There is mass desertion to the hunters. The primitive instincts become too strong. Even Ralph attracted by it: “I’d like to put on war paint and be a savage”. This is significant in that if we are talking about primitive instincts / man’s tendency towards evil, we see that it exists in all men. Ralph however fights such instincts
Chapter 9 notes
Use of pathetic fallacy as in last chapter: storm clouds gathering. Also a parallel with a nuclear explosion,
Negative imagery of the island and the “Lord of the Flies” to emphasise the progression of evil: “nothing prospered but the flies who blackened their lord… When the creepers shook, the flies exploded… with a vicious note.”,
Simon is at a loss, seems to have lost direction (close to sacrifice? Parallel with religion?). He seems to have lost hope, hence walking like an old man out of the forest. Again an allegorical reaction, as if he knows that evil has progressed too far to be stopped at this point, p161
He is used by the author at this stage to show the lack of vision the other boys have: he recognises the beast for what it is. The word “corruption” is used to highlight what is going on and also the ravages of death and war on the body and mind.
He shows compassion when he frees the dead body from the trees. He also knows that the truth has to be told.
A sense of disorder reigns. People do not seem to be around. Purpose seems to have disappeared.
The pagan feast held by Jack is recounted with menacing undertones. He is described with a simile (“like an idol”) that emphasises the hold he now has over the boys.
Jack’s throne is made of a log where he sits above all, wearing face paints. The word choice of throne highlights autocratic rule. Animal imagery is used to describe his power, his savagery: “authority sat on his shoulders and chattered in his ear like an ape.”
Jack refers to the boys who follow him as his tribe
At this point Ralph has lost his authority. The storm breaks out. They all feel threatened and look for refuge within the circle of hunters. Jack uses chanting to whip them all up into a frenzy, in order for them to obey him blindly.
As a result Simon is mistaken for a beast and slaughtered. This represents the sacrificial lamb of Christian thinking.
The opening of the heavens is symbolic of the wrath of the elements that such an outrage should have taken place. It feels like a biblical storm.
The beast is washed away by the storm.
The body of Simon is also washed gently into the sea. The imagery used makes the reader feel like angels (bright creatures) have taken charge of him.
Characters
Ralph: has lost his authority and let himself be carried away by the savagery.
Jack: truly shown as demonic, in control of evil forces, leading his tribe to destruction. There seems no goodness left in him at this point.
Simon: more than ever a sacrificial lamb. The prophet loses the fight and evil succeeds.
Chapter 10
·Title of chapter refer to democracy and vision
·“That was murder.” Ralph realises the extent of what has happened.
·Piggy, pragmatic as ever tries to explain it in a more diplomatic and acceptable way: “It was an accident.” Similar to appeasement?
·Piggy and Ralph try and expunge the guilt by saying they were only on the fringes of the dance.
·None of the four of them want to accept that they were in the dance. The vision is just too uncomfortable. The murder and savagery is not part of their normal life.
·Golding presents Roger as a sadistic, almost psychopathic henchman who realises the possibilities associated with assumed power and dictatorship: “assimilating the possibilities of irresponsible power.”
·Jack is now referred to as a savage. His attire is that of a wild tribesman: half-naked, face painted, carrying a spear. All the trappings of civilisation have disappeared.
·Even the rest of his followers are referred to as savages. Golding hints that the perpetration of evil is what transforms us into savages.
·Jack is now referred to as “the Chief”. His name is not mentioned.
·“we might get taken by the reds.“ A mention of the real cold war, and possibly of the enemies the boys were running away from in the plane at the beginning.
·The fact that this seems better than being captured by “the savages” is quite telling: does Golding imply here that the Communists are not as bad as the Nazis?
·The boys decide to let the fire die as it has become too onerous a task to keep it going 24hs a day between just the four of them. This leads us to realise that, at this stage, resistance is becoming futile.
·Ralph is longing for civilisation, society and the safety found within its rules.
·The hunters come to ask for Piggy. They do so by trying to frighten him.
·A fight ensues, where during an asthma attack, Piggy loses his glasses: that was what the hunters were after.
Characters
·Ralph: loses heart. Has enough understanding to realise that the four of them are in dire straits and much weakened. He also shows that his morality has not deserted him, as he sees the killing of Simon as murder, something wrong. Still focused on the importance of being rescued. Has lost his optimism.
·Piggy: as pragmatic as ever. Tries to make acceptable sense of what happened. His ideals are not as high as Ralph’s. He tries to expunge guilt by saying it was an accident.
·Jack: his humanity is now being questioned, as he is referred to as “a savage”, or simply as “The Chief”. He behaves in a tyrannical way as he now begins to punish people for little perceived wrongdoings, in order to consolidate his absolute hold over his hunters.
·Roger: he too shows a new sadistic side when the author explains how he relishes the possibilities of “irresponsible authority”.
·“That was murder.” Ralph realises the extent of what has happened.
·Piggy, pragmatic as ever tries to explain it in a more diplomatic and acceptable way: “It was an accident.” Similar to appeasement?
·Piggy and Ralph try and expunge the guilt by saying they were only on the fringes of the dance.
·None of the four of them want to accept that they were in the dance. The vision is just too uncomfortable. The murder and savagery is not part of their normal life.
·Golding presents Roger as a sadistic, almost psychopathic henchman who realises the possibilities associated with assumed power and dictatorship: “assimilating the possibilities of irresponsible power.”
·Jack is now referred to as a savage. His attire is that of a wild tribesman: half-naked, face painted, carrying a spear. All the trappings of civilisation have disappeared.
·Even the rest of his followers are referred to as savages. Golding hints that the perpetration of evil is what transforms us into savages.
·Jack is now referred to as “the Chief”. His name is not mentioned.
·“we might get taken by the reds.“ A mention of the real cold war, and possibly of the enemies the boys were running away from in the plane at the beginning.
·The fact that this seems better than being captured by “the savages” is quite telling: does Golding imply here that the Communists are not as bad as the Nazis?
·The boys decide to let the fire die as it has become too onerous a task to keep it going 24hs a day between just the four of them. This leads us to realise that, at this stage, resistance is becoming futile.
·Ralph is longing for civilisation, society and the safety found within its rules.
·The hunters come to ask for Piggy. They do so by trying to frighten him.
·A fight ensues, where during an asthma attack, Piggy loses his glasses: that was what the hunters were after.
Characters
·Ralph: loses heart. Has enough understanding to realise that the four of them are in dire straits and much weakened. He also shows that his morality has not deserted him, as he sees the killing of Simon as murder, something wrong. Still focused on the importance of being rescued. Has lost his optimism.
·Piggy: as pragmatic as ever. Tries to make acceptable sense of what happened. His ideals are not as high as Ralph’s. He tries to expunge guilt by saying it was an accident.
·Jack: his humanity is now being questioned, as he is referred to as “a savage”, or simply as “The Chief”. He behaves in a tyrannical way as he now begins to punish people for little perceived wrongdoings, in order to consolidate his absolute hold over his hunters.
·Roger: he too shows a new sadistic side when the author explains how he relishes the possibilities of “irresponsible authority”.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11 is what we would call the climax- the highest point of action in the novel. The point where everything reaches the highest amount of drama.
Piggy has no vision, both literally and figuratively without his glasses: “They blinded me.”
The conch has lost its power. It is referred to as “the shining thing”.
Piggy and Ralph discuss the need to get Piggy’s glasses back in order to start a new fire.
Ralph reasserts the lack of democracy and the lawlessness of Jack’s bunch:“they came,…, and stole our fire.”
The author emphasises that reason has deserted most of the boys as there are almost none left to sit in the assembly: “The shape of the old assembly, trodden in the grass, listened to him.”
The conch is described again as having lost its authority: its colour has faded and it has become fragile, easily broken: “the conch lay at Ralph’s feet, fragile and white.”
Piggy is presented as a martyr: he is willing to carry the conch “against all odds.”
Golding compares face painting with savagery as Ralph says: “we won’t be painted because we aren’t savages.”
When they go looking for Jack, Roger stops them with “an imitation war-cry”
His face is described as “dark”. All trace of childhood play has been erased. It all feels dangerous.
•The tribe is now only referred to as “the savages”. It seems as if they have now changed beyond recognition and have crossed the line from no-return.
•When Ralph confronts Jack and calls him a thief, Jack’s only reply is to start a fight: diplomacy has totally disappeared.
•Ralph still tries to reason with the tribe, but Golding highlights the futility of this by referring to them as “savages” and “painted fools”.
•Jack captures Samneric.
•A fight ensues between Jack and Ralph. The importance of its outcome isemphasised by the use of the word “crisis”.
•Piggy tries to stop it by waving the conch, Debate on rationality versus savagery.
•Roger shows his complete descent into savagery and evil by throwing the rock to silence Piggy. The conch is broken: this represents the final breaking down of law and order and adherence to rules. The imagery used by Golding signifies the extent of the atrocity: “the monstrous red thing”.
•Piggy’s death is compared with that of a pig. This signals the lack of respect the
tribe has for human life. It is also a parallel with the Nazis’ disregard for anyone who did not fit their pure race model
•The “Lord of the Flies” makes his appearance here once more. This reminds the reader that evil has triumphed over good and reason,
• Roger and Jack show more bullying tactics towards Samneric.
The conch has lost its power. It is referred to as “the shining thing”.
Piggy and Ralph discuss the need to get Piggy’s glasses back in order to start a new fire.
Ralph reasserts the lack of democracy and the lawlessness of Jack’s bunch:“they came,…, and stole our fire.”
The author emphasises that reason has deserted most of the boys as there are almost none left to sit in the assembly: “The shape of the old assembly, trodden in the grass, listened to him.”
The conch is described again as having lost its authority: its colour has faded and it has become fragile, easily broken: “the conch lay at Ralph’s feet, fragile and white.”
Piggy is presented as a martyr: he is willing to carry the conch “against all odds.”
Golding compares face painting with savagery as Ralph says: “we won’t be painted because we aren’t savages.”
When they go looking for Jack, Roger stops them with “an imitation war-cry”
His face is described as “dark”. All trace of childhood play has been erased. It all feels dangerous.
•The tribe is now only referred to as “the savages”. It seems as if they have now changed beyond recognition and have crossed the line from no-return.
•When Ralph confronts Jack and calls him a thief, Jack’s only reply is to start a fight: diplomacy has totally disappeared.
•Ralph still tries to reason with the tribe, but Golding highlights the futility of this by referring to them as “savages” and “painted fools”.
•Jack captures Samneric.
•A fight ensues between Jack and Ralph. The importance of its outcome isemphasised by the use of the word “crisis”.
•Piggy tries to stop it by waving the conch, Debate on rationality versus savagery.
•Roger shows his complete descent into savagery and evil by throwing the rock to silence Piggy. The conch is broken: this represents the final breaking down of law and order and adherence to rules. The imagery used by Golding signifies the extent of the atrocity: “the monstrous red thing”.
•Piggy’s death is compared with that of a pig. This signals the lack of respect the
tribe has for human life. It is also a parallel with the Nazis’ disregard for anyone who did not fit their pure race model
•The “Lord of the Flies” makes his appearance here once more. This reminds the reader that evil has triumphed over good and reason,
• Roger and Jack show more bullying tactics towards Samneric.
Characters
Ralph: begins to feel totally lost. Knows he has nothing left to offer the tribe. Still he shows signs of statesmanship by going to confront Jack and getting into a fight with him for what he knows to be right. His brief loss of memory before that shows his confusion and also the vulnerability of his position.
Jack: his descent into savagery is now complete and highlighted by language: he is referred to now only as “The Chief” or the “black and green mask”. Only Ralph still calls him Jack. He shows the extent of his savagery by bullying all around him.
Roger: he has almost stopped being depicted as a human. His behaviour is totally that of a psychopath when he levers the boulder down on to Piggy. Golding emphasise this moment: “with a sense of delirious abandonment”.
Chapter 12
Ralph refuses to accept that the savages are really the boys. He feels something has changed them beyond recognition.
• Ralph still can’t accept that the boys have become murderers: “No. They’re not as bad as that. It was an accident.”
• Ralph has not lost hope: “no fire; no smoke; no rescue.”
He still hopes for rescue and a return to civilisation. Golding shows here that hope is man’s enduring quality when all else fails.
• Ralph kicks the pig’s head in. Golding refers to it as a “filthy thing”
An outcast
• Samneric inform Ralph that Roger and jack hate him and want him dead
• The “stick sharpened at both ends” has implications of cannibalism
• The hunt is started by the ululation of the savages
• the rocks are being heaved.
• Ralph cannot see the savages. He has to hide and try and escape them.
• He is being hunted like an animal by a pack of hunters or hounds,
• “There was no solemn assembly for debate nor dignity of the conch.” all has been destroyed. Evil is on the ascendant.
Ralph refuses to accept that the savages are really the boys. He feels something has changed them beyond recognition.
• Ralph still can’t accept that the boys have become murderers: “No. They’re not as bad as that. It was an accident.”
• Ralph has not lost hope: “no fire; no smoke; no rescue.”
He still hopes for rescue and a return to civilisation. Golding shows here that hope is man’s enduring quality when all else fails.
• Ralph kicks the pig’s head in. Golding refers to it as a “filthy thing”
An outcast
• Samneric inform Ralph that Roger and jack hate him and want him dead
• The “stick sharpened at both ends” has implications of cannibalism
• The hunt is started by the ululation of the savages
• the rocks are being heaved.
• Ralph cannot see the savages. He has to hide and try and escape them.
• He is being hunted like an animal by a pack of hunters or hounds,
• “There was no solemn assembly for debate nor dignity of the conch.” all has been destroyed. Evil is on the ascendant.
- The savages have started a fire to flush him out.
The naval officer appears. He is described as a haing “peaked cap”. The author describes the attire, the clothes: the trappings of civilisation and culture that the boys have so completely lost. This highlights contrast.
“The sky was black”. This signal war, destruction, end of paradise.
Ralph cries because of what he has learnt: the price of his survival, the loss of his friend and the darkness in man’s heart.
The end of the novel leaves us with a sense of optimism, tinged with pessimism. Optimism that goodness and rationality (does Golding equate the 2?) have prevailed; but pessimism because Piggy and Simon had to be sacrificed before this victory.
Imagery and Theme
When dealing with imagery:
Remember to use ‘just as, so…’ to analyse imagery and to always analyse word-choice by stating the connotations and then explaining the effect on context.i.e. ‘long scar’- Just as a scar is an engrained wound on the body caused by violence, so too the land has been marked deeply by the violent impact of the passenger tube.
Word-choice of ‘black cloaks’ has connotations of evil, darkness and death and foreshadows that the boys in the choir are capable of terrible things.
Setting notes
·
The island is a completely isolated world, where
the possibility of instituting a new society can be tested; there is the
potential for a Utopia to be constructed (a perfect, paradisiacal society) and
the tropical beauty of the island at first seems to lend itself to such an
ideal; Ralph, delighted at the prospect of freedom from adult oppressiveness
shows his excitement at the possibilities: ‘He patted the palm trunk softly;
and, forced at last to believe in the reality of the island , laughed
delightedly again and stood on his head….he sat back and looked at the water
with bright, excited eyes.’
·
there is however an undertone of less attractive
aspects of the island, which are increasingly mentioned in keeping with the
emergence of the darker side to the boys’ human nature. e.g.
o ‘the
roar of bees in the afternoon sunlight’
o ‘the
dark canopy where life went on clamorously…the air here was dark too, and the
creepers dropped their ropes like the rigging of foundered ships’
o ‘the
impending sun’s height…became a blow that they ducked, running to the shade and
lying there’
o ‘two
grey trunks rubbed together with an evil squeaking that no one had noticed by
day’
o ‘the
world outside the shelter was impossibly dangerous’
o ‘again
the blue-white scar jagged above them and the sulphurous explosion beat down’
·
in all of the above, the words carry
connotations of varying degrees of menace and threat, giving the setting at
times the feel of a dangerous and potentially evil place; of course the only
real danger and evil that exists on the island is that which the boys bring
with them and which becomes disturbingly more apparent as they continue their
descent into anarchy and savagery
·
in the end the isolation of the island is a
curse which threatens all of their lives with destruction; the absence of
restraining adult society allows them to give free rein to their darkest
impulses and a number of deaths ensue which are increasingly culpable; by the
end, the setting of the island has come to resemble a form of hell – the island
is burning, murder has taken place, and another murderous pursuit is underway -
of the last representative of civilised values, Ralph
·
various places on the island acquire symbolic
qualities through their strong association with certain themes or aspects of
the story; e.g.
o the
platform is associated with meetings called by the conch, and therefore becomes
associated with democracy and fair behaviour
o the
mountain has twofold associations – it is sometimes to be feared, as when they
believe it to be the abode of the beast, and at other times it is where hope
lies in the signal fire and as a lookout point
o the
forest is usually a dark and dangerous place – it is where the killing of pigs
occur and where the boys enjoy letting their bloodlust run free
o Castle
Rock becomes the symbol of naked, dictatorial, absolute power; it is where Jack
– or ‘the Chief’ – holds rule and does as he wishes
Main essay types and brief plans (made in class)
Main essay types are:
•Theme essays- may let you choose a theme to comment on or may indicate a particular theme i.e. choose a novel that deals with death/ loss/ an important message
•Key incident (climax/turning point)- identify a key incident and explain why it is key. You must show how it affects other parts of the novel or prove that it changes things.
•Character essays- usually ask you to comment on a heroic, vulnerable, flawed character- or a character that your emotions change towards throughout the novel.
•Effective intro/ending essays- prove that the intro or ending effectively introduces key themes or concludes them. You must refer to other parts of the novel to prove this.
•Conflict/relationship between characters- will usually describe the type of relationship they want you to look at I.e. a relationship that is volatile, dangerous, that changes etc.
•Setting- how descriptions of setting have been used to communicate the main themes/to add meaning- look at symbolism, pathetic fallacy etc.
•Narrative style/ technique- Tricky- comment on the way it is written/narrated in terms of structure and style. 3rd person and use of imagery, symbolism. You can also comment on the WW2 allegory here.
Character and change of emotion essays:
Which character changes most during the novel? How do our emotions towards him change?
Choose a character and make 4 separate points about four different emotions you feel for them.
i.e. Ralph
1.At the beginning of the novel, we respect Ralph as leader of the boys.
2.Later, at the turning point, we feel anger and disappointment as Ralph fails to control the boys and to make the right decisions.
3.Ralph’s involvement in the death of Simon shocks us and makes us feel disgust towards him.
4.Finally, at the end of the novel we feel sympathy towards him as he is running for his life with no-one to help or protect him.
What happens at the end that makes it effective?:
•Ralph is described with savage imagery- shows how much he has changed- how much man has to change sometimes in order to survive.
•The naval officer appears. He is described as a “peaked cap”. The author describes the attire, the clothes: the trappings of civilisation and culture that the boys have so completely lost. This highlights contrast and reminds us of how civilised the boys were at the beginning of the novel.
•The boys have burned down the island- destroyed paradise- “The sky was black”.
•Ralph cries because of what he has learnt: the price of his survival, the loss of his friend and the darkness in man’s heart.- quote summarises main themes and messages of plot.
•The end of the novel leaves us with a sense of optimism, tinged with pessimism. Optimism that goodness and rationality (does Golding equate the 2?) have prevailed; but pessimism because Piggy and Simon had to be sacrificed before this victory.
Effective Intro
•Main characters introduced with clear hints as to their positions in the text- Ralph leader/good. Choir- imagery foreshadowing evil/power.
•Main themes hinted at through descriptions of setting- scar- destruction
•Imagery of island as idyllic creates contrast with later destruction of it- fire at end/
• symbolism- conch- we see the boys want democracy at the start- contrasts to end.
•Ralph’s behaviour towards Piggy- shows that all are flawed- foreshadows cruelty in all.
Conflict between 2 characters
Jack and Ralph or Jack and Piggy will both work well for this type of question
i.e. Jack and Piggy
- The conflict between Jack and Piggy is apparent at the start of the novel when Jack automatically insults Piggy for no reason.
- This conflict continues when we see the differing interests of both boys collide at the turning point.
- The conflict builds to violence when Jack steals and breaks Piggy’s glasses, clearly indicating the breakdown of civilisation.
- The conflict between both characters is perhaps most powerfully portrayed when Jack is indirectly responsible for Piggy’s murder.
Setting
• Descriptions of setting are also symbolic of the war/conflict/violence that is occurring between the boys and often hint at the war that is happening in the adult world (‘like a bomb’)
•Setting is often used to remind us that the violence and destruction occurs due to the boys and that nature itself is innocent (luminous creatures)
•Setting is used to show us the true extent of the cruelty man can have on the world (‘sky was black.’)
•Setting is used to symbolise the difference between civilisation and savagery (the lagoon vs the sea or assembly vs castle rock for example.)
CREATING QUOTE BANKS
For each essay type, find a quote/two quotes to back up each point.
Now look at your quotes for each essay type, your character quotes and any quotes that you have commonly used in your essays.
Now look at your quotes for each essay type, your character quotes and any quotes that you have commonly used in your essays.
Create a bank of quotes that you could use to answer any essay question.
You will find that some particular quotes can be used for any type.
Others may only be useful for one or two essay questions- but you still need them in case that essay type comes up.
You should be looking for around 10-16 quotes- although this is different from person to person.
You will find that some particular quotes can be used for any type.
Others may only be useful for one or two essay questions- but you still need them in case that essay type comes up.
You should be looking for around 10-16 quotes- although this is different from person to person.
Example essays (good and bad)
The following essay would pass at National 5 but needs improvement- how would you improve it?
Choose a novel in which an important theme is explored. Explain how the author develops this theme throughout the novel.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel in which the theme of savagery versus civilisation is explored. Some British boys are stranded on an isolated island at the time of an imaginary nuclear war. On the island we see conflict between two main characters, Jack and Ralph, who respectively represent civilisation and savagery. This has an effect on the rest of the boys throughout the novel as they delve further and further into savagery.
The theme of savagery versus civilisation is first introduced to us through the symbol of the conch shell which we associate with Ralph as he is the person who first uses it and becomes the elected leader of the boys. This symbolises authority amongst the boys. At the first assembly Ralph says “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak…he won’t be interrupted”. This suggests civilisation as Ralph is allowing each boy to have an equal say and opinion. If they have the conch, no matter who they are or what age they are they will be given the chance to speak and will be listened to by the rest of the boys. The boys have created the island to be a democratic place which shows a civilised side to them as they try to mimic the homes they have just left.
Contrasting with the symbol of the conch is the symbol of the beast which comes to be associated with Jack as by the end of the novel he is almost devil worshipping it. The beast begins as a “snake thing” but by the end of the novel it has become “the Lord of the Flies”. The first quote shows us that the beast is clearly evil. Western society considers snakes to be bad omens because it was a snake that led Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. However at this stage of the novel the beast is quite insubstantial as it is only a “thing”. As the boys fear of the beast grows so to does the beast itself until it has manifested into the devil – the ultimate and most powerful evil. He has a strong status as a Lord although it is over something pretty disgusting – the flies. The boys belief in the beast leads them to behave more like savages as they act out from their fear and they begin to loose hold of the rules, led by Jack, thus demonstrating the theme of savagery.
One of ways Golding shows conflict between savagery and civilisation is when Jack and some of the other boys are killing the first pig. Jack chants “kill the pig, cut her throat, spill the blood”. This suggests savagery as the boys are being violent and aggressive when killing the pig and they don’t care about it. This is particularly clear through Golding’s word choice. Jack talks about cutting the pig’s throat which makes it sound like a savage action and spilling her blood which reinforces the lack of care and feeling shown towards the pug’s carcass. This shows that the boys are no longer feeling guilty about what they have done thus showing them becoming savages.
We can see the conflict between savagery and civilisation developing further when Piggy’s glasses are broken. We are told “Piggy cried out in terror ‘my specs!” This shows us that the boys savage natures are beginning to overule their more civilised sides. At the start of the book Jack would never have dared touch Piggy, but here he actually snaps and goes for Piggy who he despises. We can tell that Piggy is really scared as Golding chooses the words “cried” and “terror” to describe the scene. Piggy sounds like he is hurting and is genuinely terrified about what Jack might do to him and the loss of his sight. Piggy’s glasses have also come to represent intelligence on the island, with them breaking we see that the pathway to savagery is now completely open for the boys. This is the first true piece of violence between the two factions on the island and it will result in nearly all the boys becoming savages.
A final way in which we see the theme of savagery versus civilisation being demonstrated is when Ralph sticks up for Piggy after he is attacked by Jack. Ralph says “that was a dirty trick”. This shows that Ralph is really angry at Jack for what he said and did to Piggy. He is still attempting to impose himself as leader here as he says this in an aggressive and assertive tone. This suggests there is still some glimmers of civilisation on the island at this point as there is still someone with a sense of moral goodness ready to fight for justice.
In conclusion, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel in which the theme of savagery versus civilisation is shown. Ralph represents civilisation as he wants to enforce rules and let everyone have an equal say. Whereas Jack who represents savagery as he rules over the boys and he is not interested in what they have to say. Through the boys actions Golding shows us that we need rules and to consciously impose them to make sure society functions properly.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel in which the theme of savagery versus civilisation is explored. Some British boys are stranded on an isolated island at the time of an imaginary nuclear war. On the island we see conflict between two main characters, Jack and Ralph, who respectively represent civilisation and savagery. This has an effect on the rest of the boys throughout the novel as they delve further and further into savagery.
The theme of savagery versus civilisation is first introduced to us through the symbol of the conch shell which we associate with Ralph as he is the person who first uses it and becomes the elected leader of the boys. This symbolises authority amongst the boys. At the first assembly Ralph says “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak…he won’t be interrupted”. This suggests civilisation as Ralph is allowing each boy to have an equal say and opinion. If they have the conch, no matter who they are or what age they are they will be given the chance to speak and will be listened to by the rest of the boys. The boys have created the island to be a democratic place which shows a civilised side to them as they try to mimic the homes they have just left.
Contrasting with the symbol of the conch is the symbol of the beast which comes to be associated with Jack as by the end of the novel he is almost devil worshipping it. The beast begins as a “snake thing” but by the end of the novel it has become “the Lord of the Flies”. The first quote shows us that the beast is clearly evil. Western society considers snakes to be bad omens because it was a snake that led Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. However at this stage of the novel the beast is quite insubstantial as it is only a “thing”. As the boys fear of the beast grows so to does the beast itself until it has manifested into the devil – the ultimate and most powerful evil. He has a strong status as a Lord although it is over something pretty disgusting – the flies. The boys belief in the beast leads them to behave more like savages as they act out from their fear and they begin to loose hold of the rules, led by Jack, thus demonstrating the theme of savagery.
One of ways Golding shows conflict between savagery and civilisation is when Jack and some of the other boys are killing the first pig. Jack chants “kill the pig, cut her throat, spill the blood”. This suggests savagery as the boys are being violent and aggressive when killing the pig and they don’t care about it. This is particularly clear through Golding’s word choice. Jack talks about cutting the pig’s throat which makes it sound like a savage action and spilling her blood which reinforces the lack of care and feeling shown towards the pug’s carcass. This shows that the boys are no longer feeling guilty about what they have done thus showing them becoming savages.
We can see the conflict between savagery and civilisation developing further when Piggy’s glasses are broken. We are told “Piggy cried out in terror ‘my specs!” This shows us that the boys savage natures are beginning to overule their more civilised sides. At the start of the book Jack would never have dared touch Piggy, but here he actually snaps and goes for Piggy who he despises. We can tell that Piggy is really scared as Golding chooses the words “cried” and “terror” to describe the scene. Piggy sounds like he is hurting and is genuinely terrified about what Jack might do to him and the loss of his sight. Piggy’s glasses have also come to represent intelligence on the island, with them breaking we see that the pathway to savagery is now completely open for the boys. This is the first true piece of violence between the two factions on the island and it will result in nearly all the boys becoming savages.
A final way in which we see the theme of savagery versus civilisation being demonstrated is when Ralph sticks up for Piggy after he is attacked by Jack. Ralph says “that was a dirty trick”. This shows that Ralph is really angry at Jack for what he said and did to Piggy. He is still attempting to impose himself as leader here as he says this in an aggressive and assertive tone. This suggests there is still some glimmers of civilisation on the island at this point as there is still someone with a sense of moral goodness ready to fight for justice.
In conclusion, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel in which the theme of savagery versus civilisation is shown. Ralph represents civilisation as he wants to enforce rules and let everyone have an equal say. Whereas Jack who represents savagery as he rules over the boys and he is not interested in what they have to say. Through the boys actions Golding shows us that we need rules and to consciously impose them to make sure society functions properly.
The essay above has some very good points but lacks critical terminlolgy and analysis of language!
A grade 14 essay with SQA comments can be found here:
http://www.understandingstandards.org.uk/Subjects/English/National_5/CriticalEssay/Prose4
A grade 14 essay with SQA comments can be found here:
http://www.understandingstandards.org.uk/Subjects/English/National_5/CriticalEssay/Prose4
oops, we haven't gone over this in class, so you will have to wait for the notes. Please check back after the next lesson. :)
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