lotf quotes

“I'm scared. Of us." (Chapter 5)

Golding encapsulates the internal conflict experiences in relation to the collective group dynamics in “I’m scared. Of us.” The use of the pronoun, “I’m” indicates a personal thought, highlighting internal struggle while the phrase, “us” suggests the fear directed to the group. The juxtaposition of those two phrases as well as the short syntax of the sentences create a divide between an individual as opposed to society, especially demonstrated through Golding’s firsthand experience serving in the Royal Navy, having witnessed a multitude of air raids and humans’ innate evil.

"His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too." (Chapter 12)

in “His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob,” Golding presents the fear shared among the boys in relation to their role in society/ to their acceptance of the shattering of youthful idealism/ to their understanding of the darkness that has consumed them. The use of negative connotations in “black smoke” and “burning wreckage” shows the vivid image of the destruction and chaos on the island as a direct result of ____. The verb “infected” metaphorically links emotion to contagion, expounding upon the rapid spread of apprehension, mirroring the time of mistrusts and misinformation propagated by leaders during the Cold War.

"Is a fire too much for us to make?" (Chapter 2)

In “Is a fire too much for us to make?” accentuation of the tensions between Ralph and the rest of the boys is presented. Use of the pronoun “us” highlights the interconnectedness of the boys in order to maintain common objectives such as lighting up a fire. The word “fire” is a motif which is attributed towards hope and the boys’ only chance of rescue; however, the boys’ struggle to maintain this simple fire reflects the challenges of coping with the aftermath of WW2.

"They understood only too well the liberation into savagery that the concealing paint brought." (Chapter 4)

The depiction of gradual descent into barbarity that the boys were aware of in “They understood only too well the liberation into savagery that the concealing paint brought,” demonstrates how their knowledge of their own capacity for evil undermines the societal norms which were previously set in place. The words “liberation” and “savagery” juxtapose each other as liberation can be seen directly as what is lost after the emergence of brutality. Furthermore, “concealing paint” symbolises the mask of morality which has been shed, mirroring the senseless air raids which occurred during WW2.

"I ought to be chief…because I'm lead chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp." Jack (Chapter 1)

This shows Jack’s desire to be in power as he tries to prove his worth. He repeatedly lists his reasons to be leader showing how he believes in his qualifications. From the dialogue, Jack’s tone is arrogant and he believes that he should be the leader of the group because he has always been one.

“I’m chief. I’ll go. Don’t argue” Ralph (Chapter 6)

Ralph uses his power in a positive way by sacrificing himself to go look for the beast and this also demonstrates his initiative as he holds an elected position. The short phrases also demonstrate Ralph getting straight to the point and the rest of the boys that there is no use in contradicting what he says. (determination)

"We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are the best at everything." -Ralph (Chapter 2)

In “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages,” Golding highlights Ralph’s initial assertion of leadership by emphasising the importance of rules and order. The phrase, “we’re savages” foreshadows their descent into savagery and acts as irony as it contrasts the assertion of civility while Golding increasingly mentions their savage behaviour, recalling the atrocities Golding witnessed during WW2, reflecting this savagery.

“Bullocks to the rules! We’re strong - we hunt! … hunt it down!” (Chapter 7)

Use of continuous exclamatory mode in “Bullocks to the rules! We’re strong - we hunt! …hunt it down!” reveals Jack’s hunger for violence which resides within him, as well as showcasing how Jack employs his power over the boys to satisfy his personal desires.. Golding uses Jack as a symbol of savagery through his characteristics of __and by showcasing how darkness completely engulfs him. The brutal tone accentuates his lack of humanity and empathy for anything besides savagery. Golding derives this depiction from power-hungry leaders such as Hitler during WW2.

"The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist." (Chapter 11)

The conch serves as a powerful motif/ symbol since it symbolises order and civilisation. In “the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist,” Golding presents the reader the shattering of the conch shell, depicting the finality of the boys’ descent into barbaric savagery. Use of high modality in “ceased” and “exploded” conveys a sense of irreversible damage, alluding to WW2 where Golding ties the Nazi’s inhumane tactics and irreversible trauma left on Jews to the message that ____.

“The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away” (Chapter 5)

Golding presents the concept of the boys’ erosion of civilization through, “The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away”. The adjectives “understandable and lawful” symbolise a sense of order and stability however the metaphor of “slipping away” shows that the transition from civilisation to savagery was not a conscious choice but rather an inevitable consequence. It suggests their loss of naivety/ civilisation as opposed to savagery.

it implies Golding's authorial view that every person possesses an innate inclination towards evil and darkness and that these tendencies only become evident when societal restraints are absent.

Through this, Golding interconnects the idea of the boys’ emergence of darkness/ loss of morality to the fragility of civilisation in the face of humanity’s darker impulses, and how that too can be destroyed.

“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, darkness of man’s heart” (Chapter 12)

The phrase “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, darkness of man’s heart,” employs metaphoric language to convey Ralph's emotional response upon realising the state they have become due to ____. It represents a deeper, more symbolic meaning beyond the literal act of crying nonetheless evocative language is demonstrated in “wept”, Golding relating this to the time of mourning of families upon realisation that their loved ones may not have survived during WW2.

"Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood." (Chapter 4)

The command “”Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.” that is chanted by the hunter group so ardently contrasts the underlying darkness of killing a pig. Repetition of this phrase throughout the novel serves as a symbol of their loss of innocence as a result of fear and its effects . Although the gestures of “spilling the blood” do not have any objective or benefit, it displays how the fear of the boys can drive one off edge, replicating the distraught mental health of soldiers during WW2.

"Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us." -Simon (Chapter 5)

Golding enunciates ___ through “Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.” The repetition of “maybe” presents and foreshadows how fear misleads the boys to blindlessly strongly believe in the “Beast”. This ties back to Golding’s time of WW2, where german propaganda emphasised the proficiency of the German army and contrasted it with the British and Allied armies who were depicted as cowards and butchers.