Grade 9 Quotation Bank Flashcards
‘All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat’ (ch.1)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: from the very beginning of the novel the reader is introduced to the destructive nature of humanity and its negative impact upon the natural world
techniques: metaphor, sibilance, pathetic fallacy
analysis:
- the all-consuming nature of human destruction is emphasised by the image of the scar being ‘long’ and ‘all-round him’ - there is no escaping the devastation
- the sibilance of ‘scar smashed’ is almost onomatopoeic - the reader can hear the sounds of the violent crash, with the metaphor ‘scar’ alluding to the wounds mankind inflicts upon nature
- a sense of being overwhelmed and oppressed are evident from the beginning of the novel. ‘Jungle’ has associations with the future savagery, but also a sense of being trapped in an overgrown environment. the pathetic fallacy of ‘bath of heat’ creates a sense of being submerged in something overwhelming
use in essays on: nature, violence, evil
‘Jack drew his knife again with a flourish. He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream and the creepers to jerk, and the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony arm’ (ch.1)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: whilst hunting is essential for food, and stereotypically ‘English’, the reader gets a sense of the bloodlust growing in Jack, who is still just a young boy
techniques: sentence structure, imagery, language
analysis:
- the sentence structure of ‘a pause, a hiatus’, using a comma between the two words, mimics Jack’s hesitation - he is still conditioned by the civilised world
- the use of ‘blade’, with associations of violence and death, contrasts with the image of ‘a bony arm’, highlighting Jack’s youth and innocence. it suggests he is not physically designed to kill.
- however, ‘flourish’ explicitly depicts Jack’s excitement, the reader feels uneasy as this excitement is aimed at something that continues to ‘scream’ and ‘jerk’
use this in essays on: violence, savagery, civilisation, evil, fear, identity
‘The assembly was lifted toward safety in his words. They liked and now respected him. Spontaneously they began to clap and presently the platform was loud with applause’ (ch.2)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: Ralph’s power early in the novel comes from the fact the boys are conditioned to respect rules and order, and to respect those who are older than them
techniques: language
analysis:
- a sense of civilisation and order is shown through associations with ‘assembly’ and ‘safety’, words that link to the usual school based environment of the boys
- as they ‘began to clap’ and are ‘loud with applause’, the reader sees a desire for structure - ‘spontaneously’ suggests they are relieved Ralph has provided it
- the fact that the children ‘respected him’ emphasises Ralph’s leadership qualities (as opposed to Jack’s leadership through fear). ‘Liked’ highlights their friendly approach to relationships - they are still little boys at this point, not savages
use in essays on: civilisation, power, innocence, identity
‘Jack held out his hands for the conch and stood up, holding the delicate thing carefully in his sooty hands. ‘‘I agree with Ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English.’’ (ch.2)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: Golding foreshadows what is to come, such as the delicate conch being destroyed by Jack’s darkness, and the descent of ‘English’ schoolboys into savagery
techniques: juxtaposition, imagery, symbolism, irony
analysis:
- the conch is described as a ‘delicate thing’, symbolically referencing the fragility of order and civilisation. it is juxtaposed with Jack’s ‘sooty hands’, an image of the corrupt darkness that begins to develop in the novel
- ‘Thing’ suggests order and civilisation is difficult to define; it is an abstract idea
- Jack contrasts ‘‘savages’’ (seen as strange, foreign people who lack ‘‘rules’’) with being ‘‘English’’, yet the irony is the children are only on the island due to the savage effects of the war the English were engaged in
use in essays on: civilisation, power, identity, savagery
‘Except for a pair of tattered shorts held up by his knife-belt he was naked. He closed his eyes, raised his head and breathed in gently with flared nostrils’ (ch.3)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: the clean, formal appearance of Jack and his uniform as Head of the Choir has been replaced with a disturbingly ‘savage’, almost animalistic appearance
techniques: language, imagery
analysis:
- clothes, particularly school uniform, represent civilisation and order - Jack’s shorts are ‘tattered’, a clear indication the rules of school are disappearing
- Jack is almost ‘naked’ - this is not the innocent nakedness of Ralph in the first chapter, but a more sinister disregard for ‘English’ behaviour. his shorts are held up by a belt - the inclusion of ‘knife’ suggests the belt is not part of a uniform anymore, but a tool to help him with his violent, destructive hunting
- ‘Flared nostrils’ develops an image of Jack as an animal, not a boy
use in essays on: savagery, civilisation, identity, power, evil
‘Flower and fruit grew together on the same tree and everywhere was the scent of ripeness and the booming of a million bees at pasture’ (ch.3)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: the island is a setting shows nature working in perfect harmony, and suggests that if the boys work with the island, it would provide for all their needs
techniques: alliteration, imagery, symbolism, setting
analysis:
- the reader is presented with images of nature working in harmony, suggesting it is the boys that cause the descent into savagery, not their environment
- the alliteration of ‘fruit and flower’ creates a tone of pleasant unity between the different elements of the tree. ‘Grew together’ suggests working as one leads to growth, symbolic of Simon handing littluns fruit so all are fed
- ‘A million bees’, with associations of hard work and living closely together in a hive, are a symbol of how the boys should live - one leader, with every else working together for the good of the community
use in essays on: nature, innocence, civilisation, savagery
‘Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.’ (ch.4)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: Roger seems to be instinctively violent and drawn to aggression towards others, but is conditioned by an invisible force that won’t allow him to directly hit Henry.
techniques: imagery, polysyndeton (repitition of ‘and’), nouns, alliteration
analysis:
- the alliterative ‘conditioned by a civilization’ suggests man is not instinctively wholesome and good - we have to be ‘conditioned’ to behave correctly
- polysyndeton highlights the work required to civilise mankind. we are taught morally (‘parents’), educationally (‘school’) and legally (‘policemen’/’the law’)
- civilisation soon fades away. whilst it is ‘strong’, it is ‘invisible’, therefore easy to reject; ‘old’ suggests a new way of life is coming; it is only ‘Roger’s arm’ that is conditioned, not his mind; and the adult world is ‘in ruins’
use in essays on: civilisation, violence, innocence, identity
‘The hunters, circling still, pretended to beat him. As they danced, they sang ‘‘Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in.’’ Ralph watched them, envious and resentful.’ (ch.4)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: Englishness and civilisation have disappeared from the hunters; they are stereotypically tribal, with violence and aggression overcoming their boyish behaviour
techniques: juxtaposition, language, sentence structure
analysis:
- ‘Pretended’ has associations of youthful imagination and childish games, but is juxtaposed with ‘beat him’, depicting a move from innocence to violence
- ‘Envious and resentful’ highlights the appeal of the chant - whilst Ralph is ‘resentful’, he is still drawn to the excitement of their tribal behaviour
- it is important to track changes to the ‘‘Kill’’ chants. ‘‘Kill’’ and ‘‘cut’’ are harsh, violent and aggressive, but also necessary for a hunt. however, the earlier ‘‘spill her blood’’ whilst still violent, now becomes ‘‘bash her in’’, a destructive image of bludgeoning that serves no purpose except a desire for violence
use in essays on: savagery, evil, violence, the beast, fear, power
‘The vivid horror of this, so possible, and so nakedly terrifying, held them all silent. The child’s voice went piping on from behind the white conch.’ (ch.5)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: at this stage, the boys’ immaturity, innocence and youthfulness is still evident. they don’t fear their own behaviour, but instead fear childish ‘‘beasts’’.
techniques: language, adverbs, imagery, symbolism
analysis:
- ‘Horror’ and ‘terrifying’ depict the scale of fear the boys are now suffering; ‘vivid’ and ‘possible’ emphasises this fear is no longer a dream, but a reality
- the vulnerability of the children is increased by the adverb ‘nakedly’ - they are completely exposed and vulnerable
- images of innocence make the ‘horror’ even worse - ‘child’s voice’ and ‘piping’ create an image of a young choir member, perhaps singing in chapel. he is hiding behind the ‘white conch’, one of the remaining symbols of purity (‘white’) and the power of rules (the conch)
use in essays on: innocence, identity, fear, the beast, power
'’What I mean is…maybe it’s only us.’’ Simon went on. ‘‘We could be sort of …’’ Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness. Inspiration came to him. ‘‘What’s the dirtiest thing there is?’’ (ch.5)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
inspiration: it is clearly impossible to describe the evil mankind is truly capable of
techniques: understatement, language
analysis:
- the inclusion of ‘‘only’’ before ‘‘us’’ underestimates the level of evil humans can inflict. he articulates it is as the ‘‘dirtiest thing’’, with the ‘‘dirtiest’’ not even close to describing the horrific action of the boys throughout the novel
- ‘Inarticulate’ and ‘express’ highlight the difficulty of comprehending or putting into words the potential for evil within mankind
- ‘Mankind’s essential illness’ is a terrifying concept. ‘Mankind’s’ stresses we are all inflicted by this disease (‘illness’) and we cannot escape it - it is ‘essential’, a fundamental part of who we are
use in essays on: the beast, evil, fear, innocence, identity
‘A sign came down from the world of grown-ups…there was a sudden bright explosion and corkscrew trail across the sky; then darkness again and stars. There was a speck above the island, a figure dropping swiftly beneath a parachute, a figure that hung with dangling limbs.’ (ch.6)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: the boys become barbaric, but are no different to the adult world in Europe, where war was causing the same level of death and destruction as on the island
techniques: language, imagery, adjectives
analysis:
- ‘The world of grown-ups’ is meant to be safe and secure. instead the violence of ‘explosion’, rather than bringing safety, creates nothing but ‘darkness’
- the ‘sign’ is clear; human life is insignificant. the pilot is just a ‘speck’ and conflict, and is washed out to sea. the boys simply copy this adult world.
- the fragility of human life is emphasised by the adjective ‘dangling’
use in essays on: savagery, civilisation, violence, identity, evil, the beast
‘A beast with claws that scratched, that sat on a mountain-top, that left no tracks and yet was not fast enough to catch Samneric. However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick.’ (ch.6)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: when alone and rational it is clear the boys’ image of the beast is incorrect. however, Simon knows our ‘sickness’ prevents us from seeing the truth.
techniques: imagery, juxtaposition, irony, language
analysis:
- ‘Claws’, ‘tracks’ and ‘mountain-top’ link with fiction and mythical tales. the beast they create is like a traditional fantasy story, highlighting their innocence
- it is Simon’s ‘inward sight’ that allows him to see the truth; it is ironic he is killed by boys who are blinded by a frenzied tribal dance in the dark
- the juxtaposition of ‘heroic’, suggesting brave and courageous, and ‘sick’, suggesting ill and depraved, highlights the conflict within mankind’s behaviour. is the death and destruction of the war they fled ‘heoric’ or ‘sick’?
use in essays on: innocence, civilisation, savagery, the beast
‘When you went to bed there was a bowl of cornflakes with sugar and cream. And the books–they stood on the shelf by the bed, leaning together with always two or three laid flat on top because he had not bothered to put them back properly.’ (ch.7)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: even amidst the savagery and violence, Ralph still returns to innocence in his dreams, full of images of safety, comfort and childhood; he is no savage
techniques: imagery, language
analysis:
- Ralph’s dream highlights the innocence and delight of childhood - ‘sugar and cream’ are images of sweetness, luxury, but also the simplicity of everyday life
- images of rules and rebellion depict ‘civilised’ England; ‘went to bed’ shows acceptance of adult routine. the only rebellion is that ‘he had not bothered’ to tidy up - the contrast with the current behaviour on the island is clear
- ‘The books’ are tales of what Ralph imagined island life to be, such as ‘Coral Island’ - the reality has shown these books to be make-believe
use in essays on: innocence, civilisation, identity
‘Something like a great ape was sitting asleep with its head between its knees. Then the wind roared in the forest, there was confusion in the darkness and the creature lifted its head, holding toward them the ruin of a face.’ (ch.7)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: the difference between human, animal and beast continues to become blurry and confused - ‘ape’, ‘creature’ and ‘face’ could be either pilot or evil beast
techniques: personification, pathetic fallacy, simile
analysis:
- the simile ‘like a great ape’ makes the link between man and animal clear - we have not evolved beyond the animalistic savagery of beasts. humans are nothing more than a ‘creature’, suggesting a lack of evolution
- the once harmonious island now attacks the boys. the personification of wind that ‘roared’ suggests the anger of the island at human behaviour, and ‘confusion’ and ‘darkness’ shows this former paradise is now a hellish place
- ‘The ruin of a face’ is a horrific image of violence and destruction
use in essays on: the beast, violence, nature, savagery, identity
‘He was safe from shame or self-consciousness behind the mask of his paint and could look at each of them in turn. Ralph was kneeling by the remains of the fire like a sprinter at his mark and his face was half-hidden by hair and smut.’ (ch.8)
(interpretation, techniques, analysis, themes)
interpretation: Golding places Jack and Ralph side by side - the civilised and the savage come into explicit conflict, with the reader unclear as to who will triumph
techniques: juxtaposition, language, imagery
analysis:
- the contrast between Jack and Ralph is clear. Jack’s ‘mask’ and ‘paint’ have associations of savagery, whereas Ralph remains a heroic, athletic ‘sprinter’
- Ralph clings to his identity and civilisation. his face is only ‘half hidden’, and it is with ‘hair’ and ‘smut’; he only needs to wash again to regain his innocence
- Jack’s mask is almost an excuse for his behaviour; ‘shame’ and ‘self-consciousness’ are human traits that tell us when we are wrong - Jack’s mask makes him ‘safe’ from them, as if he now has no moral judgement
use in essays on: savagery, civilisation, identity, power
