Golding uses personalisation to create tension. He personalises the stones “he saw one stir, with a sudden recklessness”. This instils human qualities into them, which echoes paganism. Paganism was in conflict with the church, creating religious tension, and the workers brought paganism into the church. Also, the adjective “recklessly” suggests a disregard for reason and human feelings- much like Jocelin’s building of the spire. Another instance of personalisation is “The earth was moving under the grubs, urging them this way and that” gives the ground control over the grubs. This could be a metaphor for the way in which what lies beneath the ground the church stands on has begun to govern the church people’s (the “grubs”) lives. This creates tension because it means that humans are now not fully in control, the natural forces at work are, which again references paganism, setting the workers against the church.
Golding uses the characters’ bodies to reflect their feelings of panic and tension. Jocelin is “racked with spasms”. This is effective as it shows the practical, physical manifestations of the tense atmosphere. “Lips tight round his teeth” shows Roger’s fear, creating tension as he is the expert, and knows what is happening, and he is very worried. “A yellow pallor shining through his skin” shows Roger’s physical horror and nausea at the sight before him.
Imagery is also used to show tension. “Like porridge in a pot” is a pleasant, domesticated image, which contrasts with the images they are seeing in the pit, helping to emphasise the horrors before them. It could also be that Jocelin is horrified, and is seeking comfort in the thoughts of comfortable, everyday things. The use of “grubs” as a simile is faintly repellent and gives a feeling of trepidation and suspense, partly due to the fact that grubs do not stay grubs for long, but develop into something else. Roger Mason “was staring at the grubs”. The use of the word “grubs” has changed from a simile to a metaphor. This is confusing at first, as it is used in a very literal sense. I think that it shows Jocelin’s gradual loss of rational thought as he becomes ever more desperate to build the spire.
“The noseless men” meaning the skeletons buried in the church graveyard, “turning over and thrusting up”. This is quite aggressive imagery, and it creates tension between the living and the dead, as the workmen invade the graveyard. “Some form of life” is a vague and threatening image, reflecting the uncertainty everyone but Jocelin has about the spire.
Repetition is always used quite a lot in this extract. “What is it Roger? What is it?” Here repetition is used to heighten the tension and suspense, and also show how Jocelin needs reassurance from Roger. It also uses hypophora to attract our attention. “He glanced at Roger Mason”, does the same thing, and shows that he acknowledges Roger’s superior knowledge in this area. “With a slow stirring, like the stirring of grubs” More repetition exists within this sentence which helps to create tension and suspense. “Perhaps the damned stirring” uses repetition again, repeating the feelings of tension that were present earlier.
Both sound and silence are used to create suspense and tension. “No-one made any noise.” This could signify that everybody apart from Jocelin knows what is wrong.
“There came a sharp scream” breaks the silence since Jocelin’s questions, and before that, the sound of the pebble falling. This cuts through the tension created by the extended period of silence, but due to the sentence structure we must wait to see who screamed, creating suspense. The fact that it was Goody Pangall that screamed is surprising, and at odds with what we know of her character so far. This too is unsettling, and gives a sense of confusion and disorder.
Golding’s diction also creates tension. “Jocelin jerked out his hand”. Here the use of the word “jerked”, an abrupt action, shows Jocelin’s physical fear. The fact that he “made a defensive sign” at the pit, shows his frustration. “Coming to the boil” implies that soon everything will reach a climax. “But the master builder still strained down, eyes wide open”. Golding’s use of the word “strained” shows the tension Roger feels in his whole body. “Flicking or flinching” are quick movements, at odds with the slow contemplation of the earth we have had up to this point. This gives us the feeling that something is happening.
Jocelin’s gradual realisation that there are no foundations is hinted at throughout the extract. This can create tension due to the uncertainty as to whether he will continue to insist that the spire be built or not, as it has not categorically been said. “The earth was moving”, we use the phrase “the earth moved” when something new and groundbreaking had been discovered, again, Jocelin is beginning to realise that Roger was right about the spire. “Or the roof of hell down there” shows that everything Jocelin fears comes from underground, including the lack of foundations. “That which ought not to be seen or touched” could be implying that the pit should never have been dug, and the spire should never be built. “Turning, seething, coming to the boil” gives a repressed, rebellious feeling to the “darkness under the earth”. The quotation “doomsday coming up” refers to the end of the world, and the destiny of humanity, which seems apt, considering the uncertain future of the spire.
In conclusion, Golding uses many stylistic devices to create tension in this extract. These include repetition, personalisation, imagery, antithesis and metaphor. These combine to create tension in a variety of ways. I think that the most effective is the personalisation of the earth, and the repetition.
