Lord of the Flies

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Lord of the Flies

Write an analysis of the opening chapter of LORD OF THE FLIES. How effective is it at introducing the characters, themes and language of the novel?  

In the novel ‘Lord of the Flies’, William Golding tells a tale of a group of schoolboys, who discover themselves on an island after a fatal plane crash.

Golding wrote this book about a party of British schoolboys, during the first years of the ‘Cold War’, which took place in the United States of America. The novel converts the image of innocent playful children into an unimaginable thought of reprehensible, uncultivated humans with whom a beast roams within. The novel is actually very allegorical, symbolising a human’s evil nature and their lack of self-control. The title itself is a synonym of malignity. It refers to a Hebrew word ‘Beelzebub’ which means ‘host or God of the flies’ or, more precisely, ‘LORD OF THE FLIES’; it is a metaphor for a satanic beast, or Satan itself.

In this essay, I am going to evaluate the opening chapter ‘A SOUND OF THE SHELL’, analyzing the themes, characters and the language.

Piggy's description is given first in comparison to Ralph's. They are the first two characters exposed in this book. Piggy is simply described as 'the fat boy' and Ralph 'the fair boy'. Piggy was presented as the stereotypical appearance of a nervous yet intellectual boy who is eager to be heard. It seems as though Piggy is not afraid of voicing his thoughts when Ralph is there to back him up; he relies on Ralph and trusts him completely. It may be that Piggy sees Ralph as his only saviour from the other boys’ wrath. Piggy is the conceptual and solemn one throughout the novel; he appears to be resolute and may feel threatened by Jack. It seems as though he is not the only one who feels this way.

Ralph, on the other hand, has the figure of a leader and happens to be more self-confident than Piggy. Although Ralph has the 'perfect, golden body', it is evident that he doesn’t have mentality of a leader. This is 'traceable' to Piggy as he was the one who saw the conch-shell and ‘taught’ Ralph how to blow it. In addition to that, it was Piggy who came up with the idea of finding and making a list of the other survivors. ‘“We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us-” He beamed at Ralph’. This issue, of calling others to have a meeting, recurs as Piggy desperately talks of different tactics to call an ‘assembly’; it not only accentuates Piggy’s sensitive character but also congeals his intelligence and enthusiasm for getting a level ahead (to being rescued). Furthermore, it crystallizes a theme of determination. Ralph is the only person Piggy takes a liking to and trusts. This may be because of Ralph's high-spirited, carefree character that is first introduced. Ralph’s temperament is jovial and light-hearted to begin with but becomes subdued during the harsher times. “...emitted a low farting noise. This amused both boys so much that Ralph went on squirting for some minutes, between bouts of laughter.” Ralph’s youth is highlighted when he entertains himself and Piggy by purposefully blowing the shell to make ‘farting noises’. It also tries to indistinctly remind the reader that Piggy although mature for his age is still a twelve-year-old inside. Ralph is one of the first lovable characters established in this novel, with his charming illustration blossoming into adolescence.

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Jack enters the novel with a portent of evil omen. This foreshadows the beast existing within Jack and his crew. He and his choir are dressed in ‘black togs’ connoting the vision of a crow, which in some cultures is seen as a mark of malevolent premonition. What Jacks sees, ‘a fair-haired boy with the creamy shell on his knees’, does not please him and he turns around swiftly, ‘his black cloak circling him’. The cloak ‘circling’ him signifies him being a leader in many ways, such as a chief being encircled or worshipped by his followers, it may also propose ...

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