Chapters 1-2 Paradise

1) The authors figurative language conveys a dark mood and unfamiliarity. The boys
are viewed as creatures, where their clothing appear as shadows. Everything
appears sinister especially their appearance when the creature stepped from mirage
on to clear sand. The clear sand contrasts the darkness of the boys, creating a very
uncomfortable setting. With the mirage given off by the heat from the sand, it creates
an almost a barrier between the two parties, a dark and a light one. There is also a
slightly intimidating mood with the boys marching in step in two parallel lines and
dressed in strangely eccentric clothing. The uniformity of the boys in comparison to
Ralphs cohort, is heavily contrasted foreshadowing the future of the separation of the
boys party. Mystery and but no chaos. Use of foreshadowing.
2) The author chooses to emphasis the heat, as it is a recurring motif throughout the
novel symbolic of the heat of hell and savagery. With boys who lose their morals and
ethics, the chaos that descends on the island is as if hell itself were there.
Interestingly the heat however is always, almost visible. This indicates that despite
all the boys appearing to be composed in the beginning the barbarity lies within their
nature. Beach has human characteristic, cant escape it. Foreshadowing of something
negative and menace. Comparison to the creature. Palpable of unease, the heat of
savagery.
3) The boys react to their island surroundings by stripping off their clothes firstly due
to the heat but also it is symbolic of them stripping away ethics society has imposed
on them. Clothing is one of the key associations to a civilized society, thus with them
taking it off, they leave behind everything that they were brought up with. In the novel
focus is specifically on the behavior and morals of the boys. Side of man, stripping
away the conventions of man. Exposed and vulnerable as well Freedom and barness
to everyone. Sticking to ones true identity.
4) The irony of Ralph pretending to be a fighter plane gunning Piggy is that they were
shot by an enemy plane leading to their current predicament. Not only that this
foreshadows how Piggy is later a target of abuse from the other children. Before
having even met any of the children Piggy is already viewed as the child who is teased
and bullied by others. Piggy feels as if he was being gunned down. Symbolic of
Ralph rejecting his ideas, yet he still uses it in assemblies. Piggy is scapegoat. Always
blame Piggy if ideas dont work.
5) The connotation of the words Wacco, Wizard, and smashing! indicates how
joyful the boys are. They are excited at their newfound friendship and confirmation
that they are in fact on an island. The tone of each boy when they say this also
demonstrates this but also their youth. With very limited vocabulary they convey
pride at their achievement. There is an endearing feeling towards the boys being so
young. Trepidation, foreboding, realization, sense of power achievement.
6) The boys try to extablish order on the island through the conch. Whenever it is
blown that is a call for assembly. Whoever holds the conch is allowed to speak and
every one must listen. Ralph is also chief and people follow through what he says;
however that is not always the case. The boys behave obediently towards Ralph
associating it with the adult world. They may listen, and say yes however little work is
actually done. Chief and hunters. Mock democracy.
Conch-order boys respected it very symbolic of the government.
Chapters 3-7
1) Through the description of Jack bent doublehis nose only a few inches from
the humid earth, Golding creates a savage aspect to his character. The
imagery created by it reminds the reader of an animal in the middle of a hunt,

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

driven by the blood and need to kill. Immediately this allows us to see the
animalistic side of Jack that later takes control of him.
Through Piggys glasses being used to start the fire it is symbolic of his
importance to the group. Only he holds the tools or knowledge to help the boys
survive. He is the mature with a smart mind that is representative of the
civilized well groomed traditionally viewed British boys. Through the breaking of
the glasses it demonstrates the group loosing sight of what is the most
important or smart for their survival that is starting a fire. They instead go to
Jacks animalistic side and see only the need and desire to hunt pigs. They are no
longer the civilized boys that society had created but rather more like animals.
To Ralph the most important order of business is keeping the fire going. For him
is the fire is on then he believes men will be able to see it and rescue them.
Along with that he sees the importance of shelter and confirming and removing
the beast. For Jack what he sees as the most important is to kill a pig for meat.
He abandons building shelters and even some of his boys from the fire in order
to kill the pig. Piggy believes the most important thing is maintaining a system
of order that is with the conch and also building the fire. Without it Piggy has no
rights here due to his physique and asthma. These different motivations would
most definitely affect their future interactions due to their different goals. No
one is able to work cooperatively together as a team. Although it may appear
Ralph and Piggy have similar goals, Piggy survives off it where as Ralph relates
it to the world of adults thus his duties as chief.
The conch represents order and rules. It is important to Piggy as he is different
from the boys thus often left behind. His physique is different and is unable to
participate in general play due to his asthma. With the conch he however can
speak what is on his mind and every one must listen. It allows for him to be
equal.
Ralphs state of mind is that he is frustrated and lost. He is unsure of what to
make of anything now. What had once seemed certain ( the rules and the fire)
were now lost and no one seems to obey his rules. He also is upset over his
inability to think like Piggy and make well formulated plans and ideas. What
triggered this thoughts were how faces appear different when life from above
or below-what was a face?. He is beginning to change and mature away from
the child that he was before. For him thinking and taking through his head step
by step is now important and he is confused of what to make of anything. He
recognizes the intelligence and worth of Piggy, understanding that he is the only
one that can think. Ralph also realizes his short comings and now strives to be
more adult like with his chief duties.
Piggy defends his view that there is no beast through a scientific way. He says
that whilst it is not to say there is nothing on the island to fear, there is not
beast to be afraid of. For him unless it is tangible there is no need to be
concerned with it, which is what brings him to say unless they get frightened
of people. Not only that simply because there are elements that could cause
fear there is no need to submit to it, like how doctors are there but not needed
all the time even if you are sick.
His reference to the Three Blind Mice, foreshadows the boys future but also
their short comings. The old nursery rhyme speaks of mice who chase after the
farmers wife but only end up with their tails cut due to their inability to see
literally and figuratively. They are blind but also are unable to think in the long
term with a solid plan. The boys are comparable as such as half of the group
goes on around chasing pig with no plan for survival. Ralph the one of calls the
boys the Three Blind Mice, indicates how each boy actually has no idea what
to do. Although they may seem to instigate the need for fire and shelter, they
are simply going with what others have said. Everyone is clueless as they lead

one another, acting as if they know. The mice also end up with their tails cut
foreshadowing the death of future characters.
8) The sign that comes down from the world of grownups is a figure dropping
swiftly beneath a parachutewith dangling limbs. Its literal meaning is that the
corpse of the pilot that had crashed on the island had finally been moved from
its original place. Its figurative meaning is how the adult world of rules and order
is now truly dead. The boys had once asked for a sign of adult hood however it
arrived but dead. Not only that the figure appears to be moving in the dark due
to the strings on the parachute and the wind. This can also be seen as the order
and rule of the adult world being mimicked by Ralph when however it is actually
gone.
9) The boys although allow the fire to burnt out they still wanted to be rescued,
there was no doubt about that. This however does not mean they wish to
embrace the rules and order of the adult world. Within their own society they
are able to play, hunt pigs and bully others with no repercussions from adults.
Through their rejection of a civilized society power belongs to those with
strength such as Jack, freedom lies in conforming to the leader and democracy
is dead.
10)
Goldings purpose in including the mock hunting scene where the boys
surround Robert is to hint at their savage nature. They are so driven by the
desire for blood and to kill pigs where they feel the need to reenact it with one
of their own to simply feel the adrenaline again. It shows the boys desire for
power and to feel in control and foreshadows the future of the boys who truly
become savages killing Piggy, Simon and attempts it at Ralph.