Also, throughout the novel, Golding uses pathetic fallacy, mimicking the mood of the boys, and the overall tension between them. For example, when Simon is murdered, at the end of chapter nine, Golding uses very descriptive words and phrases, and makes the island seem beautiful and tranquil. “Somewhere over the darkened curve of the…Simon’s dead body moved out toward the open sea.” This contrast is to emphasise the difference between the goodness and evil lurking inside all human beings. Also the contrast between life and death emphasises this fact.
Also, by being set on an island, Golding has an opportunity to introduce the conch. The conch represents democracy and order. Therefore, the person in possession of the conch will have the power to present democracy and order to the rest of the group. In the end, when it is destroyed, authority on the island is gone, and it symbolises the boys complete decent into savagery.
When Simon is in the process of being killed, Golding decides to use pathetic fallacy. There is lightning ripping the sky, and a lot of tension is being built. “There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.” This line is presently followed by “Then the clouds opened and let down the rain like a waterfall. The water bounded from the mountain top, tore leaves and branches from the trees, poured like a cold shower over the struggling heap on the sand”. This line uses imagery of ripping, and the word “tore” links in to the previous line. When Simon is dead, the “rain ceased and the clouds drifted away”. This directly imitates the tension at the time. When Simon is being killed, the rain and wind created dramatic tension. Then when the evil deed is complete, the rain ceases, and the breeze dies. There is no noise. The tension has been released.
The weather over the period of time that the boys have been stranded on the island reflects the moods of the boys perfectly. Also, it shows the contrast of good and evil in human beings, as one moment the island is described as ‘bright’ or ‘efflorescent’. Whereas in complete contrast it is described as an ‘impenetrable thicket’ or ‘dark and terrible’.
Golding uses the island to present the boys, who represent society, a situation where they are isolated and secluded from civilization. The island gives us a chance to see how society reacts in such a situation, and how eventually, mob mentality gets the best of humans. It is in their nature. Golding uses the island for symbolic purposes, giving it a beach, platform, jungle, mountain, and rocky extremity, each of which can be used to represent human potentials and aspirations.
The island can also be represented as society itself, and the introduction to the theory of the beast can be depicting the evil lurking within each human being, or the destruction of human ethics. The fire could be representing civilization, and hope.
In conclusion, Golding uses the island very well in this novel. He uses it to inform us about man’s constant battle against the forces of evil and corruption, but also to emphasise the isolation and lack of civilization of the boys. He uses descriptive writing about the island to ease tension, but also makes to build it up.
Cyrus Maravala
11F