Lord of the Flies Analysis PDF

Golding uses the ritualistic chant, initiated by Jack when first killing a pig, to convey the boys' descent into savagery, just before they kill Simon. ["Kill *the* beast! Cut *his* throat! Spill *his* blood! Do him in!"] Kill -- - imperative verb - precise conveys their act -- dehumanises him --...

Golding uses the ritualistic chant, initiated by Jack when first killing a pig, to convey the boys' descent into savagery, just before they kill Simon. ["Kill *the* beast! Cut *his* throat! Spill *his* blood! Do him in!"] Kill -- - imperative verb - precise conveys their act -- dehumanises him -- reflects the boys' collective power of Simon -- removing him. Fear leads them to violence Alliteration on k/c -- is harsh and aggressive emphasises/mirrors their violent act. Rhyme of kill and spill creates a rhythmical, primitive chant. Hard consonants build a rhythmic beat which seems to fuel the boys into even more brutal acts Reflects how Jack has corrupted the boys -- at the start he was interested in killing for food and now the boys kill their innocent friend. Cut -- has precise, deliberate connotations making it more personal and purposeful: slower and more painful action (reminds reader of satisfaction Jack got from killing the pigs) -- boys fully aware of their actions highlighting their loss of innocence -- metaphorically cutting ties to their morality/rules. Spill -- could be metaphorical for spreading of evil -- or spilling of the blood could be seen as a trophy / exhibit -- what they are capable of doing List of verbs -- unmerciful actions -- moves from vague to specific and then spill -- increasingly graphic -- fascination with act of killing rather than need to provide. Use of command words subtly mirrors the boys becoming more in control but also a link to adults -- in the novel they were fighting a war too. Short sentences = aggressive Monosyllabic words build the power of the chant -- fact that it could be 'sing-song' emphasises the shock / cruelty as boys almost aren't aware of their actions -- also monosyllabic words are often associated with young children so both reminds the reader of their young age but also could suggest they have lost their civilisation -- more primitive. Euphemism -- 'do him in' -- extends /changes the chant that Jack originally initiated for killing a pig -- brutal and mirrors the Lord of the Flies' words 'we shall do you' -- foreshadowing Simon's death. Addition could prove the boys were aware it was Simon they were killing. Lord of the Flies also warns Simon he will 'meet me down there' -- inevitability of Simon's death. Could be argued boys weren't aware because they were blinded by the need to kill the beast. Beast -- dehumanising Simon -- usually has connotations of power, unattractive, unknown and fearful -- complete opposite to the way Simon has been described in the novel and his death ' arms folded over his face'. Mark him as a beast to justify the murder. Could subtly reflect Simon's differences from the boys. Ironic because Simon is the one who recognises there is no external beast but it could be within 'maybe it's just us'. Link between pig's head and beast could suggest he is speaking for the boys. Ironic the boys believe the beast must be an outside scary figure. The image of the beast changes throughout the novel from 'beastie' at the beginning (childish nightmares) to the beast which could mirror the boys' levels of fear. Interestingly also seen as a unifying fear. Throat -- important part of the body -- enables you to breathe and talk -- significant because he is murdered at the point he has come to tell them what the beast was -- alleviate their fears but ironically they cut him off from being able to do this. Symbolises his helplessness -- a vulnerable part of the body -- again emphasises their brutality. Mirrors previous killings of pigs. Close up and personal. Repetition of personal pronouns 'his' reflects the boys' understanding that it is Simon they are killing -- even though they know it is him they continue to attack him -- peak of savagery. [Evaluation] Represents the complete loss of rules -- from conch and voting to murdering one of them -- more time on the island the more savage they become. Island has changed them / fear of the beast has changed them -- they are becoming the predators -- worse than the beast they once feared. Fact all boys were involved -- including Ralph and Piggy -- previously linked with order and civilisation -- reinforces Golding's belief that internal savagery is within all. Ralph -- his involvement highlights the strength of peer pressure and group mentality -- possibly driven by the fear of the beast -- caught up in the moment; it started as a game and then turned savage/went too far but he was too swept up in the moment -- even a moral protagonist can do evil things. Shock the reader -- at odds with his normal personality -- feels guilt afterwards. Jack - Jack shows no sign of remorse afterwards -- compared to Piggy/Ralph etc. -- doesn't value life: killing for want rather than a need -- contrasts with his reluctance to kill a pig at the start of the novel -- descent into savagery. Piggy has always recognised Jack as a bully. Also shown by the fact he initiated the chant when killing the pig -- now it is used more menacingly. Reflection of his power: he needs fear to be able to lead -- throughout the novel he says he would hunt and kill the beast -- which could be seen as foreshadowing the death of Simon. Has a sense of arrogance and entitlement about him. Roger -- initially throwing stones to miss (social conditioning) but by the end he deliberately moves the rock to kill Piggy -- the killing of Simon could be seen as turning point in the novel (pivotal moment) -- frees Roger from the confines of rules and society/foreshadows killing of Piggy and his plan for Ralph 'stick sharpened at both ends' Holds no innocence -- by the end he is known as the 'terror' -- by the end he is presented as evil -- possibly more so than Jack. Piggy Simon Littluns