Figurative Language In Lord Of The Flies
Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis
Throughout the course of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the characters of the boys changes drastically. In the beginning, the boys are very disorganized and overwhelmed. Overtime, that disorder is changed into the organization of two separate groups of boys that have completely different ideas of how to run the island. This causes tension and hatred between the boys. In the scene of Simon’s death, Golding uses leery imagery, distinctive and violent diction, and dark figurative language to show the boys’ dynamic transformation from lost and naive school boys to savage and ruthless beasts. The use of imagery helps the reader to paint a mental image of the scenes throughout the book. As Simon
“was crawling out of the forest”, he “came darkly, uncertainly” (152). This led the other boys to believe that it was the beast emerging from the trees causing them to attack. The imagery of the beast being “on its knees [with] its arms folded over its face” (152) would generally symbolize the body language of defeat and innocence. However, the boys had already decided that it was the beast they were dealing with. They’re minds had been set and they weren’t changing. The savagery they had developed took over them to where they didn’t even realize what they were doing as “Simon was crying out” (152). Diction was another literary element that allowed Golding to portray the characteristic changes within the boys. When Simon emerged from the trees, “the crowd surged after” (153) him. After the ruthless attack, the boys “broke up and [the] figures staggered away” (153). The word staggered is used to show a kind of disoriented and vicious individual. In this case, the boys’ violence took over themselves and didn’t even realize the harm they had done towards Simon. The savagery had almost become a form of drunkenness; it had consumed all thoughts or actions that the boys had or did. The last literary element used by Golding to portray the contrast in characteristics of the boys from the beginning of the novel to the end is the use of figurative language. He uses similes and metaphors to compare the violent behaviors of the boys to unrelated ideas. “The shrill screaming that rose before the beast was like a pain” (152) as the boys began to chant and move in on Simon. The dark simile shows the cause of the rising terror and violence amongst the boys. Shortly after, the pain that was used in the simile, was a foreshadowing effect of Simon’s dark and painful death. The characteristics of the young boys from the beginning of the novel to the end take a drastic turn. They go from innocent school boys lost on an island, to savage beasts of themselves. Specifically during Simon’s killing, Golding uses imagery to describe him crawling out of the forest and being attacked. He uses diction to describe more of the actions of the boys. And finally Golding uses figurative language to show the change in the young boys from the beginning to the end of the novel.
Throughout the course of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the characters of the boys changes drastically. In the beginning, the boys are very disorganized and overwhelmed. Overtime, that disorder is changed into the organization of two separate groups of boys that have completely different ideas of how to run the island. This causes tension and hatred between the boys. In the scene of Simon’s death, Golding uses leery imagery, distinctive and violent diction, and dark figurative language to show the boys’ dynamic transformation from lost and naive school boys to savage and ruthless beasts. The use of imagery helps the reader to paint a mental image of the scenes throughout the book. As Simon
“was crawling out of the forest”, he “came darkly, uncertainly” (152). This led the other boys to believe that it was the beast emerging from the trees causing them to attack. The imagery of the beast being “on its knees [with] its arms folded over its face” (152) would generally symbolize the body language of defeat and innocence. However, the boys had already decided that it was the beast they were dealing with. They’re minds had been set and they weren’t changing. The savagery they had developed took over them to where they didn’t even realize what they were doing as “Simon was crying out” (152). Diction was another literary element that allowed Golding to portray the characteristic changes within the boys. When Simon emerged from the trees, “the crowd surged after” (153) him. After the ruthless attack, the boys “broke up and [the] figures staggered away” (153). The word staggered is used to show a kind of disoriented and vicious individual. In this case, the boys’ violence took over themselves and didn’t even realize the harm they had done towards Simon. The savagery had almost become a form of drunkenness; it had consumed all thoughts or actions that the boys had or did. The last literary element used by Golding to portray the contrast in characteristics of the boys from the beginning of the novel to the end is the use of figurative language. He uses similes and metaphors to compare the violent behaviors of the boys to unrelated ideas. “The shrill screaming that rose before the beast was like a pain” (152) as the boys began to chant and move in on Simon. The dark simile shows the cause of the rising terror and violence amongst the boys. Shortly after, the pain that was used in the simile, was a foreshadowing effect of Simon’s dark and painful death. The characteristics of the young boys from the beginning of the novel to the end take a drastic turn. They go from innocent school boys lost on an island, to savage beasts of themselves. Specifically during Simon’s killing, Golding uses imagery to describe him crawling out of the forest and being attacked. He uses diction to describe more of the actions of the boys. And finally Golding uses figurative language to show the change in the young boys from the beginning to the end of the novel.