One of the central themes in Lord of the Flies is the idea that within all of us is a primal and instinctive evil, one we cannot ignore. We see this evil throughout the novel as the boys become increasingly more violent, and seem to have urges of instinct based on evil. Golding tried to convey the message that this evil is in us all, regardless of how we act. We see this in how such proper young boys at the beginning of the novel become savages near it's end. One of the more civilized boys, Ralph, notices this deep evil at the end of the novel and seems to have been stricken with dumbfounding knowledge. This idea can be summed up in the following key quote:
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.”
The simple realization of the death of a dear friend at the hands of bare evil finally brings Ralph to tears. It is the knowledge of his old life that causes him to realize the horror of humanity. The meeting of the officer seems to wake him and all the other boys from a long dream. Once they are brought back into the real world, they are able to realize the darkness within their hearts.
This quote serves to sum up the novel in all but one sentence. We see the themes Golding was trying to relate brought to life in words, giving closure to the incidents. The evil of man and the end of innocence for Ralph clearly will impact him for the rest of his life. Though we do not see this evil everyday, Golding's novel is a constant reminder that we are all capable of such horrible acts. He simply subconsciously presents the idea that no matter the case, we as a people have a choice. Whatever the circumstance, we should use reason and logic in order to overcome struggle.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Chapters 7 - 9: Thematic Elements
In chapters 7-9, the thematic quality of Lord of the Flies begins to show itself more increasingly. In the first parts of the book, the theme was not very present as characters and setting were being established. It is now that we see central idea intended by Golding at least start to develop.
Thus far in the book, we can see the “sinful nature” of man starting to become a central idea. In “Chaos in the Classroom”, Golding comments on Lord of the Flies:
“I wrote Lord of the Flies after the war.
I remembered the class at Bishop Wordsworth’s, and
I remembered the gangs of Russian children after the
Revolution who roamed the streets murdering people. I wanted
to say to the English: ‘You think you’ve won the war and
defeated Nazism so you’re all nice, decent people.
But look out. The evil is in us all.’”
We see from this that Golding intended the book to thematically address the evil that exists in mankind. This is present in the novel as the hunters become obsessed with killing. Their entire existence on the island is to “feast and have fun” (154). The excitement of the kill creates a joyous urge in them, something that Golding says is central in all humans. He believes that with this novel, without govern; all people are damned to a society of inner urge of violence. We have to agree that it is the lack of political system that allows the boys to behave the way they do. We also see the evil in them, this sinful nature, in the slaying of Simon in chapter 9. Up to this point, the reader seems to be waiting for the first blood of humans in the novel. Golding starves us for it, and when this first blood appears, we realize the intention of evil and sin in ourselves, waiting for someone to die. We accept the entertainment value of the book. We come to the utter realization that this urge is present in our casual lives.
Golding truly starts to show the reader the thematic elements of Lord of the Flies in these chapters. This original sin, one could call it, is a powerful idea that most readers can identify as it is a part of our society. It is interesting to interpret the idea in our own lives, and identify urges of sin and evil, to truly see for ourselves what Golding is getting at.
Thus far in the book, we can see the “sinful nature” of man starting to become a central idea. In “Chaos in the Classroom”, Golding comments on Lord of the Flies:
“I wrote Lord of the Flies after the war.
I remembered the class at Bishop Wordsworth’s, and
I remembered the gangs of Russian children after the
Revolution who roamed the streets murdering people. I wanted
to say to the English: ‘You think you’ve won the war and
defeated Nazism so you’re all nice, decent people.
But look out. The evil is in us all.’”
We see from this that Golding intended the book to thematically address the evil that exists in mankind. This is present in the novel as the hunters become obsessed with killing. Their entire existence on the island is to “feast and have fun” (154). The excitement of the kill creates a joyous urge in them, something that Golding says is central in all humans. He believes that with this novel, without govern; all people are damned to a society of inner urge of violence. We have to agree that it is the lack of political system that allows the boys to behave the way they do. We also see the evil in them, this sinful nature, in the slaying of Simon in chapter 9. Up to this point, the reader seems to be waiting for the first blood of humans in the novel. Golding starves us for it, and when this first blood appears, we realize the intention of evil and sin in ourselves, waiting for someone to die. We accept the entertainment value of the book. We come to the utter realization that this urge is present in our casual lives.
Golding truly starts to show the reader the thematic elements of Lord of the Flies in these chapters. This original sin, one could call it, is a powerful idea that most readers can identify as it is a part of our society. It is interesting to interpret the idea in our own lives, and identify urges of sin and evil, to truly see for ourselves what Golding is getting at.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Chapters 4 - 6: William Golding's Writing Style
In chapters 4-6 and all throughout the book, the writing style of William Golding is interesting and compelling. Though sometimes hard to understand, his ability to leave some interpretation up to the reader and dictate imagery and tone create an insightful and meaningful reading experience.
Golding often leaves the interpretation of certain events up to the reader. These events are often small, but if missed they can amount to a large amount of misunderstanding. In most cases, these interpretations are foreshadowing of events or things we expect to happen. We see an example of this on page 111 where “Piggy let out his breath with a gasp, reached for it again and failed. He lay against a log, his mouth gaping, blue shadows creeping around his lips.” It is hard to interpret what is going on at this point, as most would imagine that something awful is happening to Piggy, yet Golding leaves this topic alone after these sentences. His style of describing something as if it is momentous and then moving on without description is quite common throughout the Lord of the Flies novel. This writing style adds to the descriptive and exciting nature of the text.
Another aspect of the writing style of William Golding is his seemingly constant use of imagery throughout the novel. Using primarily visual and auditory imagery, Golding is able to paint a very realistic picture in the novel. We can see an example of visual imagery on page 112 as Golding writes: “This day promised, like the others, to be a sunbath under a blue dome. The beach stretched away before them in a gentle curve till perspective drew it into one with the forest; for the day was not advanced enough to be obscured by the shifting veils of mirage.” The description of the sunlight being overwhelming as the boys live “under a blue dome” creates the image that they are alone in the middle of nowhere. The description of the island and the word choice of “a gentle curve” paint an image of the state of the island on this particular day.
Though William Golding’s writing style can be at times quite difficult to understand, the rewards of interpretation and the richness of imagery create a truly interesting start to an eventful novel. It is interesting to see how this writing style will contribute to the novel as the story reaches its climax.
Golding often leaves the interpretation of certain events up to the reader. These events are often small, but if missed they can amount to a large amount of misunderstanding. In most cases, these interpretations are foreshadowing of events or things we expect to happen. We see an example of this on page 111 where “Piggy let out his breath with a gasp, reached for it again and failed. He lay against a log, his mouth gaping, blue shadows creeping around his lips.” It is hard to interpret what is going on at this point, as most would imagine that something awful is happening to Piggy, yet Golding leaves this topic alone after these sentences. His style of describing something as if it is momentous and then moving on without description is quite common throughout the Lord of the Flies novel. This writing style adds to the descriptive and exciting nature of the text.
Another aspect of the writing style of William Golding is his seemingly constant use of imagery throughout the novel. Using primarily visual and auditory imagery, Golding is able to paint a very realistic picture in the novel. We can see an example of visual imagery on page 112 as Golding writes: “This day promised, like the others, to be a sunbath under a blue dome. The beach stretched away before them in a gentle curve till perspective drew it into one with the forest; for the day was not advanced enough to be obscured by the shifting veils of mirage.” The description of the sunlight being overwhelming as the boys live “under a blue dome” creates the image that they are alone in the middle of nowhere. The description of the island and the word choice of “a gentle curve” paint an image of the state of the island on this particular day.
Though William Golding’s writing style can be at times quite difficult to understand, the rewards of interpretation and the richness of imagery create a truly interesting start to an eventful novel. It is interesting to see how this writing style will contribute to the novel as the story reaches its climax.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Chapters 1 - 3: Ralph Character Analysis
Ralph is portrayed as the leader of the group of boys. He is the dominant male and holds much of the power on the island. Physically, Ralph is dominant: “there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch.” When choosing a chief, it is noted that Ralph is physically powerful, and fair mannered. The conch is another way that Ralph is dominant. Through his wielding of the conch, Ralph is able to direct order and become a dominant leader among the boys. After he blows the conch, he brings all of the boys together. It is also a major factor in his election as chief. When voting, the children realize his power in the conch and exclaim, “Let him be chief with the trumpet-thing.” With the conch and his physical strength, Ralph is a dominant leader.
Though Ralph is powerful and strong, we can see an underlying fear in him. He is defiant whenever challenged about being rescued. He refers to his father as all-powerful, and seems to think that he is a hero. Like many young boys, we see that Ralph looks up to his father, possibly recalling some events of Ralph trying to prove himself to his father. This may account for his strength on the island. As a Navy officer, Ralph’s father must be hard on him. When this is challenged, Ralph becomes defiant and even sensitive, as he deals with the inner conflict of his fear that he will never be rescued. Psychoanalytically, it seems that Ralph’s greatest fear is that he or his father will be inadequate. This is why Ralph is so dominant on the island, is that he is constantly trying to suppress inadequacy, as he is taught by his father, is a bad thing.
It is interesting to see how Ralph will respond to conflict in the upcoming chapters of this book. As a stronger character, it will be a hard road for him on the road to rescue.
Though Ralph is powerful and strong, we can see an underlying fear in him. He is defiant whenever challenged about being rescued. He refers to his father as all-powerful, and seems to think that he is a hero. Like many young boys, we see that Ralph looks up to his father, possibly recalling some events of Ralph trying to prove himself to his father. This may account for his strength on the island. As a Navy officer, Ralph’s father must be hard on him. When this is challenged, Ralph becomes defiant and even sensitive, as he deals with the inner conflict of his fear that he will never be rescued. Psychoanalytically, it seems that Ralph’s greatest fear is that he or his father will be inadequate. This is why Ralph is so dominant on the island, is that he is constantly trying to suppress inadequacy, as he is taught by his father, is a bad thing.
It is interesting to see how Ralph will respond to conflict in the upcoming chapters of this book. As a stronger character, it will be a hard road for him on the road to rescue.
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