LIT ANALYSIS #2

*I turned this in on time in hardcopy in class on Friday

Jacob Fowler

Lit Analysis #2 (Lord of the Flies by William Golding)

Characterization:

1.       The biggest form of direct characterization was Piggy’s name. We learn that his name is Piggy before we even know his real name which gives the reader a very vivid and descriptive idea of what Piggy looks like and how he would act. Another form of direct characterization is when the boys build a fort because they’re scared of Ralph and his friends. An example of indirect characterization is how Piggy really respects the conch even when the others don’t and especially when Ralph starts to doubt it, this shows his loyalty to social convention. Another form of indirect characterization is when Jack couldn’t kill the pig, this shows both the struggle between his old self and the new instincts that are arising and his inward thinking about life and death.

2.       The best example of Golding’s unique syntax is at the very beginning of the novel. He uses modernistic techniques to cause a sense of disarray in the reader’s mind. Because of this, when he introduces the characters it’s almost as if we’re climbing out of the plane wreck with them and meeting them as they would appear on that desolate island.

3.       The protagonist, Ralph, is very dynamic. He lands on the island as an arrogant British adolescent with a clear cut idea of what wrong and right is. He leaves the island fighting for his life and doing whatever it takes to stay alive and retain some semblance of power.

4.       I feel like a met people, Golding didn’t just put a group of people on an island he threw a group of young boys and turned them into castaways, murderers, worshippers, yet snatched all of that away in an instant. I really dove into Jack’s character, I saw him at his lowest, his most ashamed (when he couldn’t kill the pig), his highest (when he respected Ralph and the Conch), and at the end.

Analysis:

1.       The novel is about a group of British boys, all from the same school, that crash land on a desolate island. The pilot is dead and they are left to govern themselves, this leads to chaos and anarchy. One of the main symbols throughout the story is this conch that holds power to some and is just a shell to others. By the end of the book this group of mild mannered boys have committed a murder, killed animals for food, called themselves savages, and are on the way to kill another member of the group before their charade is abruptly ended by an unnamed naval officer.

2.       The theme of this novel is the breakdown of social convention, it also is considered a commentary on modern religion with each character symbolizing a different element of Christianity and the island itself taking on the role of earth.

3.       The author’s tone was very dynamic, but throughout the entire novel it was very frantic and panicked page one is a great example when the boys land and there is just chaos and confusion. Another great example is when Jack places the glasses on the pig head and calls it the Lord of the Flies on page 145. And finally the fear and panic for Ralph as he is about to die at the end of the book gives the reader a good deal of panic and confusion. Even the resolution of a man walking on to the shore causes some confusion and leaves the reader with a lot of questions.

4.        

1.       Imagery, Golding here describes the conch (Page 179)   

2.       Diction, Golding here uses the word “giggled” instead of laughed, snorted, chuckled, or anything else to describe the twins’ immaturity (Page 62)

3.       Modernistic techniques, Golding makes the last scene so frantic that the ending becomes very surprising (Page 287)

4.       Imagery/diction, “the savage moaned again”, here Golding refers to a young boy as a savage who is in pain doesn’t cry but moans (Page 279)

5.       Personification, Golding says that Ralph’s voice “spoke for him” an impossible feat for someone’s voice, but it shows the fact that he had no control in the words coming out of his mouth. (Page 175)

6.       Repetition “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood” (numerous pages)

7.       Imagery, Golding describes Ralph’s injured eye as a slit (Page 222)

8.       Vernacular, Golding always has the characters say the word “P’rby” instead of probably to show their dialect. Also other examples of this. (numerous pages)

9.       Repetition/irony, the words “beast” and “savage” are used to describe small animals and young boys. (numerous pages)

10.   Ethos, the naval officer has a dominant authority that the boys desperately needed. (Page 288)