Lord Of The Flies Passage Analysis

Kyle Guanzon

English 7

12/18/15

LOTF Close Reading: Passage E

Humans have an instinctual response, emotionally and physically, on fear towards danger or any unpleasant situation. When one is not in their right, conventional state, they become too concentrated towards the danger in front of them, thus leading to vicious outcomes. These may affect the person himself or to the one he is in opposition to. Fear stimulates the lost of individualism and encourages a group mentality to one another. The book “Lord of the Flies”, written by William Golding, manifests fear all throughout the book which directly triggers the savage acts the boys commit themselves . When one is scared, they are prone to create groups to disperse the fear and accompany it, or in the case of Simon’s death, the loss of individualism, a creation of a group mentality, is an and

instinctual action is generated by fear.

Through the use of figurative language devices, and narration techniques, Golding foreshadows and sets a ritualistic tone for Simon’s death, and to emphasize the boys’ eagerness to kill the “beast.” The role of fear triggers the lost of individualism, instinctual actions, and the overall innate evil of mankind.

The Lord of the Flies is rich in figurative language such as personification and imagery, and in Simon’s death, it is used to completely express the role of fear and how it is complementary to their innate evil. Golding illustrates an ominous and dark tone towards the death of Simon by exaggerating the setting and personifying the group of boys. At first, the boys are afraid of the lightning and weather, so Jack, sensing that fear has the ability to unleash uncontrollable chaos, commands the group to “dance.” Jack uses the dance which forms group

mentality as an outlet of their fears. “There was the throb and stamp of single organism” (Golding 151) William Golding refers to their dance and foot stomping on the ground as a unified organism, as if they were “one.” Becoming an “organism” is how the boys cope with the terrors of their surroundings. In a later quote, the group is personifies, “...the mouth of the new circle crunched and screamed.” (Golding 152) The circle is given a mouth that can crunch and scream to accentuate how this dance has turned into a bloody thirst ritual that is actually consuming the “beast.” The boys have transformed their fear of surroundings by channeling their adrenaline to bloodlust. The imagery of the sounds and colors in the setting also appeals to their fears of the beast and island. Golding emphasizes on the weather of the island and places it in moments where tension builds. “The dark sky was shattered by a blue white scar.” (Golding 151) The blue white scar is a lightning bolt, but is the placement that signifies a rise in tension that helps build their group mentality and fuels their fears. The “blue white scar” also symbolizes the fear that is present among the boys, to emphasize the terror among themselves.