LoTF Quotes Flashcards
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
Chapter 1
“All around him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat”
Analysis
“All around him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat”
all-consuming nature of human destruction emphasised by image of scar being “long” and “all round him”, no escaping devastation
sibilance of “scar smashed” almost onomatopoeic - reader can hear sounds of violent crash
metaphor “scar” alluding to wounds mankind inflicts upon nature
Sense of being overwhelmed + oppressed evident from beginning of novel. “Jungle has associations with future savagery, sense of being trapped in overgrown environment
Pathetic fallacy “bath of heat” creates sense of being submerged in something overwhelming
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.
Chapter 1
“Jack drew his knife again with a flourish.” But after raising his arm in the air “There came a pause, a hiatus,”
while the “pig continued to scream and the creepers to jerk,”
“the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony arm”
Analysis
“Jack drew his knife again with a flourish.” But after raising his arm in the air “There came a pause, a hiatus,”
while the “pig continued to scream and the creepers to jerk,”
“the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony arm”
The sentence structure of “a pause, a hiatus”, using a comma between the two words, mimics Jack’s hesitation - and 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 ready feels uneasy as this excitement is aimed at something that continues to “scream” and “jerk”
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
Chapter 2
“The assembly was lifted towards safety by his words. They liked and now respected him. Spontaneously they began to clap” and they were “loud with applause”
Analysis
“The assembly was lifted towards safety by his words. They liked and now respected him. Spontaneously they began to clap” and they were “loud with applause”
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.
The fact the children “respected him” emphasises Ralph’s leadership qualities (as opposed to Jack’s leadership through fear).
“Liked” highlights their friendly approach to relationship - they are still little boys at this point, not savages
Golding foreshadows what is to come, such as the delicate conch being destroyed by Jack’s darkness, and the decent of “English” schoolboys into savagery
Chapter 2
Jack “carefully” held the “delicate thing” in his “sooty hands” He then agreed with Ralph saying “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English.”
Analysis
Jack “carefully” held the “delicate thing” in his “sooty hands” He then agreed with Ralph saying “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English.”
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 contrast “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 with.
The clean, formal appearance of Jack and his uniform as Head of the Choir has been replaced with a disturbingly “savage”, almost animalistic appearance.
“except for a pair of tattered shorts held up by his knife-belt he was naked.”
he “breathed in gently with flared nostrils”
Analysis
“except for a pair of tattered shorts held up by his knife-belt he was naked.”
he “breathed in gently with flared nostrils”
Clothes, particularly school uniform, represent civilisations and order - Jack’s shorts are “tattered”, a clear indication the rules of school are disappearing.
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 and image of Jack as an animal, not a boy.
The island as 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
Chapter 3
“Flower and fruit grew together on the same tree”
there was also a “booming of a million bees at pasture”
Analysis
“Flower and fruit grew together on the same tree”
there was also a “booming of a million bees at pasture”
reader presented with images of nature working in harmony, as alliteration of “fruit and flower” creates tone of pleasant unity between different elements of tree. This suggests boys cause descent into savagery, not their environment
“Grew together” suggests working as one leads to growth, symbolic of Simon handing littluns fruit so all fed
“A million bees” associations of hard work and living closely together in hive, symbol of how boys should live - one leader, with everyone else working together for good of community
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
Chapter 4
“Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life.” Roger was protected by “parents and school and policemen and the law”.
“Rogers arm was conditioned”
Analysis
“Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life.” Roger was protected by “parents and school and policemen and the law”.
“Rogers arm was conditioned”
Civilisation soon fades away. Whilst is it “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.
Polysyndeton highlights the work required to civilise mankind. We are taught morally (“parents”), educationally (“school”) and legally (“Policemen/ the law”)
The alliterative “conditioned by a civilisation” suggests man is not instinctively wholesome and good - we have to be “conditioned” to behave correctly.
Englishness and civilisation have disappeared from the hunters; they are stereotypically tribal, with violence and aggression overcoming their boyish behaviour
Chapter 4
The hunters “pretended to beat him.”
As they danced, they sang. ‘Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in.’
Ralph watched them, envious and resentful.”
Analysis
The hunters “pretended to beat him.”
As they danced, they sang. ‘Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in.’
Ralph watched them, envious and resentful.”
“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.
“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.
At this stage, the boys’ immaturity, innocence and youthfulness is still evident. They don’t fear their own behaviour, but instead fear childish “beasts.”
Chapter 5
Littlun describing nightmare
“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.”
Analysis
“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.”
“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 the rules (the conch)
It is clearly impossible to describe the evil mankind is truly capable of
Chapter 5
“ ‘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?’ “
Analysis
“ ‘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.”
Simon is the first character in the novel to see the beast not as an external force but as a component of human nature, but does not fully understand his idea yet.
“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.
