grammarly.com/grammarcheck
1) Select a spot where Golding's grammar is elaborate and perfect. React to that spot.
2) Select a spot where Golding's word choice (diction) transports the reader to a remote island in the South Pacific with vivid detail. React to that spot.
Include page numbers from the novel.
Type 300+ total words.
88 comments:
Burch
Pd. 3
“The afternoon wore on, hazy and dreadful with damp heat; the sow staggered her way ahead of them, bleeding and mad, and the hunters followed, wedded to her in lust, excited by the long chase and the dropped blood. They could see her now, nearly got up with her, but she spurted with her last strength and held ahead of them again. They were just behind her when she staggered into an open space where bright flowers grew and butterflies danced round each other and the air was hot and still” (Lord of the Flies, page 135). In this paragraph, William Golding displays his prowess as a writer. Grammatically flawless, his diction depicts the intensity of the hunt with striking phrases: hazy and dreadful, bleeding and mad, wedded to her in lust, spurted, staggered, etc. I could practically feel the heavy, hot air and hear the rustling through the tropical landscape as I read this paragraph, masterfully composed by Golding. Although plenty of examples of descriptive sections of the book exist, none drew me into the story as greatly as this vivid example.
“None of the boys could have found good reasons for this; what intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy while the most obvious leader was Jack. But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch. The being that had blown that, had sat waiting for them on the platform with the delicate thing balanced on his knees, was set apart” (Lord of the Flies, page 22). Because of its under-the-radar brilliance, this paragraph stood out to me. It is not flashy, but it is smartly crafted. Had I written this paragraph, it would have been composed of choppy sentences and an excessive amount of period markings; Golding, on the other hand, took a long series of phrases and wove them together to create a flowing, coherent paragraph. I am very impressed.
1. There were many spots in the book where Golding’s grammar is elaborate and perfect. One spot that stood out to me was,”That little ‘un--” gasped Piggy-- “him with the mark on his face, I don’t see him. Where is he now?”
The crowd was as silent as death.
“Him that talked about the snakes. He was down there--” (46)
There is a lot of dialogue used in this novel, Golding does a good job of using correct punctuation. If the correct punctuation is not used it confuses the reader. In this part of the novel I thought the punctuation was elaborate, Golding used quotations, dashes, a simile, and dialogue. This part of the novel was when Piggy was wondering where the boy with the birthmark went. A great usage of a simile was in this part as well. The crowd was as silent as death, that simile shows the reader how silent it was. The use of good grammar can make the book more enjoyable and easier to read.
2. A spot in the novel where Golding’s word choice transports the reader to a remote island in the South Pacific was on page 56. He picked his way up the scar, passed the great rock where Ralph had climbed on the first morning, then turned off this his right among the trees. He walked with an accustomed tread through the acres of fruit trees, where the least energetic could find an easy if unsatisfying meal. Flower and fruit grew together on the same tree and everywhere was the scent of ripeness and the booming of a million bees at pasture. Soon high jungle closed in. Tall trunks bore unexpected pale flowers all the way up to the dark canopy where life went on clamorously.(56) This part in the novel uses good imagery. I was able to picture what the island looked like in my head. The scar is where the plane crashed into the island. I imagine enormous trees being full of fruit and flowers growing out of them. This part of the novel uses the sense of smell. Everywhere was the scent of ripeness. The reader can smell the fruit on the trees. The boys eat the fruit off the trees. Inside the jungle it is completely enclosed with the trees. There is a lot of description in the book which helps the reader picture what the author is trying to explain. The reader is able to see, hear, and smell what the island is like.
William Golding is a very gifted writer. As I read, I loved how I could picture each scene in my head. He had amazing detail that made reading the book so much more enjoyable for me.
One of many of my favorite places where Golding did an incredible job describing the scene was in chapter 9 titled, A View to a Death.
“Toward midnight the rain ceased and the clouds drifted away, so that the sky was scattered once more with the incredible lamps of stars. Then the breeze died too and there was no noise save the drip and trickle of water that ran out of clefts and spilled down, leaf by leaf, to the brown earth of the island. The air was cool, moist, and clear; and presently even the sound of water was still. The beast lay huddled on the pale beach and the stains spread, inch by inch.”(Lord of the Flies, page 153)
That passage from chapter 9 was formed with great detail and structure. I have learned a lot about grammar in the past semester to know enough that this passage was structured with great knowledge. I love to use periods and knowing myself, if I were to write this or something similar, it would be filled with unnecessary periods or some run on sentences. You can see Golding’s brilliance through his writing and it is very respectable.
From the very beginning, Golding’s word choice transported me to the island with his use of vivid detail.
“His ordinary voice sounded like a whisper after the harsh note of the conch. He laid the conch against his lips, took a deep breath and blew once more. The note boomed again: and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up an octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before. Piggy was shouting something, his face pleased, his glasses flashing. The birds cried, small animals scuttered. Ralph’s breath failed; the note dropped the octave, became a low wubber, was a rush of air.”(Lord of the Flies, page 17)
As I was reading this paragraph, I felt as if I was there with the boys as they experimented with the conch. I felt I could see Piggy shouting with a smile across his face and his glasses shining in the sunlight. The description really helped to transport me to the island and to help me to enjoy the book much more.
William Golding is a descriptive writer that manipulates his words into beautiful stories. He uses adjectives a lot but doesn’t overuse them. An example of perfect grammar usage is on page 31 at the final paragraph of the chapter:
“He snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree trunk. Next time there would be no mercy. He looked around fiercely, daring them to contradict. Then they broke out into the sunlight and for a while they were busy finding and devouring food as the moved down the scar toward the platform and the meeting.” (Lord of the Flies 31)
This creates an easy-to-read, yet attention-grabbing book. His grammar is flawless, and creative, which makes for an exceptional read. Lord of the Flies has tons of elaborate paragraphs, but there is one is chapter one that sticks out for me.
“... had banked sand inside the lagoon so that there was a long, deep pool in the beach with a high ledge of pink granite at the further end. … But the island ran true to form by the sea at high tide, was so deep at one end as to be dark green. The water was warmer than his blood and he might have been swimming in a huge bath.” (Lord of the Flies 12)
I like this paragraph because he really makes me envision the pool they are swimming in. Appearance and feel of the lagoon are both important factors in this paragraph. There is pink granite at the end of the long pool. The pool/lagoon is warm, almost like a hot tub. I can really see the lagoon in my thoughts with this paragraph. I also really liked how he included the word “blood” into the book early on. On page 12, blood is referenced which might foreshadow death later in the book.
William Golding uses great vocabulary to make the reader actually want to read on. He captures the reader by describing every scene with full detail. He is an incredible writer that influences readers emotions with sentence variety, word usage, and gripping action.
On page 31 I found the first paragraph to be seemingly elaborate and perfect in grammar. "As the pushed forward the squeaking increased till it became a frenzy. They found a piglet caught in a curtain of creepers, throwing itself at the elastic traces in all the madness of extreme terror. Its voice was thin, needle-sharp and insistent. The three boys rushed forward and Jack drew his knife again with a flourish. He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream and the creepers to jerk, and the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony arm." The grammar Golding uses in the chapter "The Sound of the Shell" is prolific in a sense that the reader feels as though the story is really happening. Cleverly, he incorporates ideas that connect the reader and vocabulary that seems to grip the reader. Using adjectives to enhance the surroundings and great sentence choice, Golding is able to pull the reader and make them understand how to feel using the words he chooses.
On page 28, Golding is describing the mountain the boys are behaving mischievously on. The word choice he uses in enhancing the setting are superb. "They were on the lip of a circular hollow in the side of the mountain. This was filled with a blue flower, a rock plant of some sort, and the overflow hung down the vent and spilled lavishly among the canopy of the forest. The air was thick with butterflies, lifting, fluttering, settling." This little bit of page 28 makes you picture the scenery in your head as you read where the boys are stranded. At this point in the story, Golding makes it seem like a paradise free of parental guidance. The boys are having a blast roaming all over the exquisite island. They enjoy the beauty of the landscape that Golding portrays. Ralph even states, "This belongs to us!" The boys fall in love with the beauty of the creepers lying over the edges. They enjoy the fluttering animals and the glistening water pools they swim in. Golding uses great description to portray the wonderful mountain they surmounted.
Williams 2
The spot where Golding’s grammar is elaborate and perfect is on page 130, “They worked therefore with great energy and cheerfulness, though as time crept by there was a suggestion of panic in the energy of hysteria in the cheerfulness.” Golding writes about this spot while Ralph’s group of boys are assembling a fire near the shelters. I enjoy this excerpt because I thought it was a clever way of foreshadowing towards the fight between Ralph and Jack that is to come. I also liked how throughout the novel Golding uses the looming storm to foreshadow the altercation between Ralph and Jack. This is just one of the many parts in the book where Golding lets the reader think that everything between the boys is happy and cheerful but reminds the reader that this happiness will not last.
“Simon turned away from them and went where the just perceptible path led him. Soon high jungle closed in. Tall trunks bore unexpected pale flowers all the way up to the dark canopy where life went on clamorously. The air here was dark too, and the creepers dropped their ropes like the rigging of foundered ships. His feet left prints in the soft soil and the creepers shivered throughout their lengths when he bumped them.” This quote can be found on page 56 when Simon goes to his secret hiding spot. Although Golding uses superb imagery throughout his book when describing the island, I think that the best imagery is used when Golding describes Simons “happy place”. Golding uses all the senses when describing this place and the rest of the island such as the sound of the water hitting the rocks and the buzzing of the flies. Also, he describes the smell of the blood, the feel of the creepers scratching them, the taste of the fruit, and how all of the island and the boys looked.
William Golding is an extremely talented writer. Golding uses great description to make the reader interested in the book and creates suspense. The spot where his writing is elaborate and perfect is on page 49, "The droppings were warm. They lay piled among turned earth. They were olive green, smooth, and they steamed a little. Jack lifted his head and stared at the inscrutable masses of creeper that lay across the trail. Then he raised his spear and sneaked forward. Beyond the creeper, the trail joined a pig-run that was wide enough and trodden enough to be a path. The ground was hardened by an accustomed tread and as Jack rose to his full height he heard something moving on it. He swung back his right arm and hurled the spear with all his strength." I enjoyed this excerpt because it creates suspense and was very descriptive. Golding did a great job of explaining the hunting that occurred.
"Here the beach was interrupted abruptly by the square motif of the landscape; a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high. The top of this was covered with a thin layer of soil and coarse grass and shaded with young palm trees. (12)
I enjoyed reading this because it gave me a better understanding of the lagoon and where they swim. There are palm trees and pink granite at the end of the long pool. This excerpt gives the reader an image of the lagoon.
Mr. Golding has an unique and elaborate writing style. I say it is unique in the way he uses words to describe scenarios or settings that could usually be described in a simple sentence. This doesn’t mean his writing is verbose; however it delivers an image in readers minds.
The paragraph describing smoke and fire is the one I think is very well written. This could have been as simply written as saying “the smoke rose.” However, that is not what William Golding decided to do. This passage comes from page 44. It says, “Smoke was rising here and there among the creepers that festooned the dead or dying trees. As they watched a flash of fire appeared at the root of one wisp, and then the smoke thickened. Small flames stirred at the trunk of a tree and crawled away through leaves and brushwood, dividing and increasing. One patch touched a tree trunk and scrambled up like a bright squirrel.”
This is just a portion of the paragraph; however, provides enough of a sense to understand his writing. This is not an overly wordy or difficult section, but instead an immaculate depiction of how the fire and smoke were rising.
On page 29, the island is described in a way that I enjoyed. It does not necessarily describe the island itself, but the water surrounding it. It says, “The reef enclosed more than one side of the island, lying perhaps a mile out and parallel to what they now thought of as the beach. The coral was scribbled in the sea as though a giant had bent down to reproduce the shape of the island in a flowing chalk line but tired before he had finished. Inside was peacock water, rocks and weeds showing as in an aquarium; outside was the dark blue of the sea.”
It is obvious it is an island because water is surrounding each side. However, it describes the island in an artistic elegant way, making the reader believe this is a pretty, private island.
1.“Ralph put his head down on his forearms and accepted this new fact like a wound. Samneric were part of the tribe now. (p 186)” Golding uses correct grammar and easily understood language when he starts his paragraph with the two sentences above. I think the author wants the reader to see the number of boys joining the tribe led by Jack. Ralph accepts the loss of the twins as he would accept a wound; it hurt him, more emotionally than physically, although. Golding uses milder diction when reaching major events in the novel. The only exception to this would be when the Lord of the Flies is talking to Simon. Many questions and much confusion come when Simon is trying to understand the supernatural pig head.
2.“Darkness poured out, submerging the ways between the trees till they were dim and strange as the bottom of the sea. The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the first stars. Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island. (p 57)” Golding contrasts lightness and darkness on the island at the end of chapter three. This section of text gives the reader a clear understanding of what happens to the trees on the island once the sun goes down, as well as details of what the darkness can bring metaphorically. The final sentence is very curious: “Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island.” These flowers are creating a scent at night, but they take possession of the island. After finishing the novel, I understand what Golding is inferring by stating this. The dark nights are when the boys are filled with fear of a beast. They are unaware that the beast is their spirits that are overtaken by the darkness within.
1) William Golding is a very gifted, very descriptive writer. Throughout Lord of The Flies he uses many literary techniques, my favorite being his implications.
“The boys looked at each other fearfully, unbelieving.
“--where is he now?”
“Perhaps he went back to the, the--”
Beneath them, on the unfriendly side of the mountain, the drum-roll continued.”
[Page 37. Golding.]
I have very mixed feelings about this section of writing. The events occurring in the plot line to me are horrendous, and therefore make me very uncomfortable. Golding uses dashes in this section to create a form of underlying suspense and to imply that the boys are interrupting the silent thoughts of each other by speaking out loud. I think that this is very powerful in relaying the implication that the young boy with the mark on his face had been left to burn alive, literally. I think that this small piece is written beautifully, with master manipulation of the readers’ mind and on point decision on the way that the reader would have taken this passage. Golding really knows how to get his readers to feel the novel, as opposed to simply reading the novel.
2) I believe that this piece transports you to the island because the use of ‘hot air’. I know that it is not very descriptive, but for me it is very powerful in the imagery aspect of things.
“Ralph danced out into the hot air of the beach and then returned as a fighter-plane, with wings swept back and machine-gunned Piggy.
“Shee-aa-ow!”
He dived in the sand at Piggy’s feet and lay there laughing.”
[Page 11. Golding.]
This section of the novel is a part of the introduction to the characters I believe. Golding is trying to illustrate the immaturity of Ralph, the soon to be leader. He is also illustrating his boyish ‘innocent’ cruelty. Ralph is very much a bully figure to Piggy, similar to the way that Mufasa treats Zazu in The Lion King.
William Golding is a phenomenal author. Many elements of his writing were exceptional, but the technique he used that stood out to me the most was his use of imagery. He described things in such a way that they appealed to the reader’s senses; so we feel as though we are in the story. If you are able to relate to a story, it makes it that much more interesting to read. An example of Golding’s elaborate detail in writing can be found on page 17. At this part of the book, Ralph is blowing into the conch in order to gather the boys together.
“He laid the conch against his lips, took a deep breath and blew once more. The note boomed again: and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up an octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before.”
Golding does an excellent job of describing the sound of the conch. He makes something that seems ordinary into something extraordinary.
A part of the story where Golding’s diction transports the reader to a remote island occurs on page 57. This part of the story describes the sun setting and darkness overtaking the island.
“Now the sunlight had lifted clear of the open space and withdrawn from the sky. Darkness poured out, submerging the ways between the trees till they were dim and strange as the bottom of the sea. The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the first stars. Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island.”
The way Golding describes the sunset makes me feel completely at ease. Usually tropical islands are thought to be ideal vacation spots where people can go to relax. Because stars are mentioned, I automatically felt as though I was transported to a secluded part of the world. Due to lighting from towns and cities, we do not often get a chance to see the spectacular bulbs of light in the sky. Golding truly does a magnificent job of using imagery in his book, Lord of the Flies.
"Ralph parted the grass and looked out. There were only a few more yards of stony ground and then the two sides of the island came almost together so that one expected the peak of headland. But instead of this narrow ledge of rock, a few yards wide and perhaps fifteen long, continued the island out into the sea. There lay another of those pieces of pink squareness that underlay the structure of the island. This side of the castle, perhaps a hundred feet high, was the pink bastion they had seen from the mountain-top. The rock of the cliff was split and the top littered with great lumps that seemed to totter." (Page 104) When reading William Golding's Lord of the Flies I found it to be very interesting how often he describes the amazing views that the boys have become so accustomed to. However, Golding often only describes the view outward from the island and It is difficult for me to picture the island itself. I liked this quote because it is when the boys are going to try and find the beast in the one place on the island that they have not yet searched. One prevalent word that Golding often uses is the pink rock that describes the bedrock of the island. This just seems to add an entirely new level of awareness about the constant assault of colors that the boys are experiencing. The island is obviously beautiful but it is also like a prison.
Another interesting wording choice is the way that the rocky outcrop is compared to a castle. Golding is doing a great job of seeing the island through the eyes of a child. However, the castle reference may also have symbolism. Jack seems to really like the castle while on the contrary, Ralph says, "this is a rotten place." The reader can tell that Ralph is clearly the most reliable character and based on his reaction to the castle, we can tell that it will not be a good place for the boys to stay.
"Another voice told him not to be a fool; and the darkness and desperate enterprise gave the night a kind of dentist's chair unreality."(pg. 122 end of paragraph three) I enjoy how Golding uses many semi colons within writing. It is a lesser known tool in the belt of a grammatical carpenter. The part about the dentist chair fascinates me. One can obviously notice that the reader is reading the thoughts of a child. Before they crashed onto this island, the scariest aspect of their lives was having to go to the dentist and sit in the chair. Their only wish was to get out of that chair. This also shows that the boys had a privileged life. They were not afraid of serious occurances because they were never in situations containing danger and frightening people or objects. People around the world may be starving and having to fight off wild animals, but these boys think they have a much scarier fear: the dentist. Men are fighting and losing their lives while these children are afraid of getting a cavity filled. This also shows their innocence however because they have not reached the age in which they need to deal with adult problems.
"The beach between the palm terrace and the water was a thin stick, endless apparently, for to Ralph's left the perspectives of palms and beach and water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost visible, was the heat." (End of first paragraph on pg. 10) This sentence transports the reader by stating specific words people automatically coincide with remote islands and the tropics. He writes about the palms, the beach, the water, and the heat. One can envisions the palms, beach, water, and heat to create a scene containing all of them and depicting an island. The island seems to go on forever, making it seem remote and difficult to explore. The heat is the main reason I can tell the boys are on a South Pacific island. It is warm there, almost to the point of being excessive.
Kuehn 2
The opening paragraphs of chapter nine, found on page 145, are filled with elaborate and perfect grammar. Throughout a large portion of the book, the boys are talking or thinking. They use made up words, and their grammar is less than perfect. The way the boys talk around each other is different from the typical ‘proper’ way to talk shown in most books. One example of this is how Ralph always calls Piggy’s asthma his ass-mar. These paragraphs with perfect grammar are filled with description, setting the scene for the chapter without any dialogue interrupting. Many sentence types are used: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. This mix of sentence types keeps the information from sounding overly repetitive and boring, but instead new and exciting details are emerging as the story continues to unfold.
The description of the island found on the bottom of page 28 to the top of page 29 made me feel as if I had been transported to the island with the boys. It was as if I was discovering the island right along with Ralph, Jack, and Simon. Golding includes details about everything the boys are viewing. I am told that the flowers are blue and the ways the butterflies are flying around is described. The pink rocks and the sea surrounding the boys is simple to visualize as I read. Ralph says, “This belongs to us,” and I can imagine standing on top of the mountain looking out over the water, wondering what it would be like to end up stranded on an island with no adults. Even if a reader has never seen the types of views described, Golding still makes it possible to imagine such as when he compares the coral reef to a scribble in the sea, made by a giant to “reproduce the shape of the island in a flowing chalk line” that was not quite completed. Within the length of a page, I, as a reader, am able to visualize where the boys are and feel transported there to be on this island with them.
“Simon had passed through the area of fruit trees but today the littluns had been too busy with the fire on the beach and they had not pursued him there. He went on among the creepers until he reached the great mat that was woven by the open space and crawled inside. Beyond the screen of leaves the sunlight pelted down and the butterflies danced in the middle their unending dance. He knelt down and the arrow of the sun fell on him. That other time the air had seemed to vibrate with heat; but now it threatened. Soon the sweat was running from his long coarse hair. He shifted restlessly but there was no avoiding the sun. Presently he was thirsty, and then very thirsty. He continued to sit.” (Lord of the Flies, Pages 132-133) Throughout the whole novel, Golding uses descriptive and thought provoking words to help draw the reader into the story. In this particular passage, Golding’s grammar is immaculate. For example, instead of saying, “He went on among the vines and branches,” Golding writes, “He went on among the creepers.” The use of the word ‘creepers’ makes the location seem more eerie and secluded. I find the sentence, “Beyond the screen of leaves the sunlight pelted down and the butterflies danced in the middle their unending dance,” to be very intriguing, as Golding uses descriptive and uncommon words to describe the pattern of the leaves and the way that the sun beats down on the forest. I enjoy Golding’s writing style, as he captures the reader’s attention and allows the reader to see what is happening in the story through the use of his own grammar and word choice.
“The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air. The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, torn everywhere by the upheavals of fallen trees, scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings. Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and the open space of the scar. Ralph stood, one hand against a grey trunk, and screwed up his eyes against the shimmering water. Out there, perhaps a mile away, the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake - blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple.” (Lord of the Flies, Pages 9-10) In this passage, Golding thoroughly describes the layout of the island and the unknown waters that lay beyond. Through his descriptions, I was able to picture in my mind what Ralph was seeing as he looked around the island. Golding’s descriptions make the island seem remote and somewhat daunting, but at the same time, the island seems to be beautiful and inviting because of its tropical nature.
1) "The note boomed again: and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up an octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before." pg. 17
In this elaborate sentence, Golding demonstrates his prowess as a writer by crafting an elegant sentence full of description and literary devices. This sentence demonstrates the proper use of a colon, includes an absolute phrase, and an interrupting modifier between the subject and verb.
2) “[Simon] came at last to a place where more sunshine fell. Since they had not so far to go for light the creepers had woven a great mat that hung at the side of an open space in the jungle; for here a patch of rock came close to the surface and would not allow more than little plants and ferns to grow. The whole space was walled with dark aromatic bushes, and was a bowl of heat and light. A great tree, fallen across one corner, leaned against the trees that still stood and a rapid climber flaunted red and yellow sprays right to the top.” pg. 56
This paragraph transports the reader to the clearing Simon discovers. Golding carefully describes the area, from the creepers that line the forest to the wall of bushes forming the bowl. By describing those bushes as “dark” and “aromatic,” the reader has enough detail to know that the bushes are dark and impenetrable, and they give off a scent. This is enough of a description to be able to visualize the area. Golding carefully outlines the clearing. What I find most impressive is that he does not outright state that there is a clearing or a gap in the trees; instead, he lets the reader determine that for themselves by describing an area where a rock prevents anything but the smallest of plants to grow.
One part of the book where William Golding uses perfect and elaborate grammar choice is, “The twins shared their identical laughter, then remembered the darkness and other things and glanced round uneasily. The flames, busy about the tent, drew their eyes back again. Eric watched the scurrying woodlice that were so frantically unable to avoid the flames, and thought of the first fire…” Pg.97. This section he uses deliberate grammar and wording of his sentences to make you feel as if you are being watched while sitting at this fire. You can feel the uneasiness of the two boys as they sit there trying to keep warm and safe from the outside world. You can see that the way they talk about the woodlice reflects how they feel. (Trapped and under attack by the “beast”.)
Another part where Golding’s word choice helps transport us to the island is when the boys first land on the island. His description helps us feel as if we are actually there. “He jumped down from the terrace.The sand was thick over his black shoes and the heat hit him. He became conscious of the weight of clothes, kicked his shoes off fiercely, and ripped off each stocking with its elastic garter in single movement. Then he leapt back on the terrace, pulled off his shirt, and stood there among the skull-like coconuts with green shadows from the palms and the forest sliding over his skin. He undid the snake-clasp of his belt, lugged off his shorts and pants,and stood there naked, look at the dazzling beach and the water.” Pg. 10. This paragraph used so much detail and such perfect word choice it made me feel as if I was standing right next to him and watching him do all of these movements. The way he describes his movements makes it seem like it is so hot and humid he is just ripping his clothes off as fast as he can. The way he talk about the “skull-like coconuts” makes you visualize the exact size and shape of the coconuts that are hanging around him.
William Golding is a great writer, his work is of great quality and perfection. He makes Lord of the Flies an enjoyable book to read that tends to leave you hanging by the end of the chapter and makes you want to continue to read to find out what comes next. He is also great with the titles of his chapters, they are descriptive and elaborate about what will be happening in the chapter. I have very much enjoyed reading William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
1. A spot in this book where Golding’s grammar is elaborate and perfect is towards the beginning with the passage, “The three boys walked briskly on the sand. The tide was low and there was a strip of weed-strewn beach that was almost as firm as a road. A kind of glamour was spread over them and the scene and they were conscious of the glamour and made happy by it. They turned to each other, laughing excitedly, talking, not listening. The air was bright. Ralph, faced by the task of translating all this into explanation, stood on his head and fell over. When they has done laughing, Simon stroked Ralph’s arm shyly; and they had to laugh again.” Page 25 This passage is written wonderfully along with its grammar. Golding is precise on how he describes the scene that is happening. He includes great detail makes us understand and imagine what is happening. To help his detailed writing he uses great pauses indicated by a semicolon, comma, or just a period. It makes the passage run smoothly and feel relaxed just like the boys are in the scene.
2. There are many times in this book when Golding uses wonderful word choice that transports us to the remote island. I personally though his writing made it easy for me to imagine the island in my head, this helped me to understand the story more. One of the many sections in Lord of the Files is this passage. “Here the beach was interrupted abruptly by the motif of the landscape; a great platform of pink granite thrus up uncompromisingly through the forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high. The top of this was covered with a thin layer of soil and coarse grass and shaded with young palm trees. There was not enough soil for them to grow to any height and when they reached perhaps twenty feet the fell and dried, forming a criss-cross pattern of trunks, very convenient to sit on. The palms that still stood made a green roof, covered of the underside with a quivering tangle of reflections from the lagoon. Ralph hauled himself onto the platform, noted the coolness and shade, shut one eye, and decided that the shadows on his body were really green. He picked his way to the seaward edge of the platform and stood looking with efflorescence of tropical weed and coral. A school of tiny, glittering fish flicked hither and thither.” Page 12 This passage is important to the reader to visualize. This part of the island is very important in the story, it is the boys meeting spot where they hold meetings. Nearby is their shelters and the bathing pool. This spot is mentioned an uncountable amount of times and it is good for the reader to have a feel for what it looks like. The platform is the hot spot of the island and when the conch is blown all the boys flock to this spot.
On page 81, Golding includes a simplistic sentence that both used correct grammar and tells a lot about the relationship between Ralph and Jack’s hunting posse. In the midst of scolding the boys on the island for not being able to keep the fire going, the hunters laugh, because they believe that hunting and obtaining food is the most important thing to do, next to obeying Jack in all of his mighty might. Ralph says that they had ought to die before they let the fire out and after this Golding says that, “He (Ralph) paused, feeling for his next point.” This one sentence, in the midst of the hunters’ laughter, accurately describes the lack of respect the hunter’s have for Ralph’s authority from the perspective of Ralph. He feels that he must use the weight and momentum of what he is saying in order to regain control of the situation for the civilization he is trying to create to flourish. Unfortunately Ralph is incrementally losing whatever sense of power he thinks that he holds with the hunters and boys, leaving him feeling it necessary to say the precisely correct words to restore order in his favor.
On page 27 Golding includes a passage that uses vivid diction in order to describe both the exotic place where the boys are trapped and the mystique surrounding their adventurous escapades. Golding writes while the boys search and discover with gleaming, astonished eyes, “The pink granite of the next cliff was further back from the creepers and trees so that they could trot up the path. This again led into more open forest so that they had a glimpse of the spread sea. With openness came the sun; it dried the sweat that had soaked their clothes in the dark, damp heat. At last the way to the top looked like a scramble over pink rock, with no more plunging through darkness. The boys chose their way through defiles and over heaps of sharp stone.” This description was met with the understandable shouts of the stranded boys because of the truly magnificent beauty the vastness of the island projected. I enjoy this description because it not only gives the reader an accurate and easily visual description of where the boys were, but how they were reacting to and experiencing their new environment. The repetition of the mention of pink rocks aids in the reader’s ability to identify and understand the description. It seems as though when the boys look over the cliff to meet the sun, the heat that dried their damp clothes of the night acted as a warm cleansing, a baptism of sorts. These boys seemed to draw some hope from this poignant experience, giving the reader similar positive vibes.
From beginning to end, William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, is full of elaborate grammar and flawless diction.
One sentence with elaborated grammar that really stuck out to me was in Chapter 7, page 110:
“Not one of the them was an obvious subject for a shower,and yet--hair, much too long, tangled here and there, knotted round a dead leaf or a twig; faces cleaned fairly well by the process of eating and sweating but marked in the less accessible angles with a kind of shadow; clothes, worn away, stiff like his own with sweat, put on, not for decorum or comfort but out of custom; the skin of the body, scurfy with brine-- “
Not only did Golding describe the boys with immense details, he also used semicolons instead of short choppy sentences. If I was writing this sentence, I would have used at least three or four sentences. Golding could have made this sentence into three or four sentences, but instead he chose to make the sentence flow smoothly by using elaborate grammar.
William Golding’s novel is also full of flawless diction. One of my favorite examples is in chapter 1 page 10:
“The Shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air. The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass,torn everywhere by the upheavals of fallen trees,scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings. Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and the open space of the scar.”
Golding does a great example in this paragraph of using vivid detail. This is happening at the beginning of the book when Ralph first sees the shore. As readers, we see get the opportunity of experiencing a foreign place through the eyes of a young child. In this paragraph, Golding creates a sense of suspense explaining the tropical shore and then the darkness of the forest.
Zeke Wieser Pd.3
“Simon dropped the screen of leaves back into place. The slope of the bars of honey-colored sunlight decreased; they slid up the bushes, passed over the green candle-like buds, moved up toward the canopy, and darkness thickened under the trees.” (Pg. 57)
I would assert that this passage serves as an exemplary instance of both elaborate, perfect grammar, and poignant, effective diction. Reacting to the grammar, I find the semi-colon (so deliberately placed) serves well to connect the “honey-colored sunlight” with its various movements throughout the secret-place. Speaking of the sunlight, the dashes used in the adjectives “honey-colored” and “candle-like” serve to further accentuate this feeling of connectedness that the light, Simon, and the thicket have with one another; while the adjectives themselves breath life and light into the passage. Even as the slow, methodical movement of the light is described, the way the actions are structured in a list --separated by the slow, methodical pauses of the comma-- serve to further emphasize the meandering nature of the light itself.
When examining the exact word choice employed by Golding in this passage, it is noticed that the light takes on (in an unusually comforting way) the countenance of a serpent. The light “slid up… passed over… moved up…”. The light, in a way, is mirroring the creepers that Simon squirmed through in order to reach this place of solitude and comfort, and to a larger extent… Simon himself. Simon, throughout his entire focus at the end of chapter 3, moves slyly, furtively, like a snake; at the end of the chapter the reader is left to wonder why this snake-boy, surrounded by snake-plants, and bathed in snake-light, is leaving the main camp for the wilderness. It is also worth noting that while the light is described in terms of movement, the last line: “... and darkness thickened under the trees.” gives the impression of suffocation, stagnation. While the light slithers from the thicket, the darkness grows and expands, like a massive beast that tightens its muscles in preparation for the absence of light.
Chmela 2
In chapter six, page 95, we are told that the parachutists is swiftly falling to the island, after the kids are all asleep and the bombs bursting in the air off in the distance. It is so intriguing, believing they are going to get rescued and go home. As a reader, I want to stand up and cheer, however the next sentence exposes the parachutist as dead. So although, possible rescue may have happened, once again all hopes and dreams of the reader are destroyed. But, the parachutist is not done, he will continue to scare the kids as he sits in a tree dead, moving elaborately in the wind. The beast, the fear inside the whole novel. You can tell that Golding spends lots of time in this part, because he knows the importances of fear within the novel. It is pure genius and although I did not realize it at first this may be my favorite paragraph in the entire book, only because it explains everything, discretely, in one paragraph.
2. In the beginning of Chapter five, page 76, Ralph is walking down the beach and starts to think about how much time people spend looking down at their feet. He also says that he chooses to walk on the sand because he can move easier without watching his step. This hits me saying that although they are trapped on an island, Ralph can feel free. It gives the island a tropical paradise kind of feel, although there is the chance that they will all die there. Although, vivid detail is eminent, we see more in our minds just by Ralph being “wearisome of his life.” I think that it shows that using words to trigger images in our brain are better than explaining every grain of sand on the beach. It brings memories of times I have gotten to run away from my problems, being afraid or not. This connects to me and puts my in Ralph’s position, which I love!
One spot in Lord of the Flies that had perfect grammar and got a reaction out of me was this set of lines on page 123: “Behind them the silver of moon had drawn clear of the horizon. Before them, something like a great ape was sitting asleep with its head between its knees. Then the wind roared in the forest, there was confusion in the darkness, and the creature lifted its head, holding toward them the ruin of a face.” This line describes the beast as Ralph, Jack and Roger find it, as well as the surrounding conditions and atmosphere that make the whole scenario scarier. It is a very creepy situation, helped by the fact that it happens late at night so that the beast is partially obscured by darkness. This seems to scare Ralph, and if the littluns had been up there, they would have been running away screaming. I know I would be scared. This is a perfect example of William Golding’s excellent compositional skills on display.
The back half of a paragraph on page 57 is a spot in the book that transports you to an island in the South Pacific with its diction. “Holding his breath he cocked a critical ear at the sounds of the island. Evening was advancing toward the island; the sounds of the bright fantastic birds, the bee-sounds, even the crying of the gulls that were returning to their roosts among the square rocks, were fainter. The deep sea breaking miles away on the reef made an undertone less perceptible than the susurration of the blood.” Now, the purpose of this paragraph isn’t necessarily to describe the island, as you can probably assume from the last couple of lines. However, it still does a good job of it. Associating these words with the sounds one might normally hear on a tropical island is easy because of the descriptive words (bright, fantastic, etc.) Golding uses here. All in all, a well written paragraph.
There were many parts that stuck out to me in this book. William Golding uses such precise grammar and is so descriptive that it gives you such a clear image in your mind of what he is talking about. One part that really stuck out to me was, "The flames, as though they were a kind of a wild life, crept as a jaguar creeps on its belly toward a line of birch-like saplings that fledged an outcrop of the pink rock. They flapped at the first of the trees, and the branches grew a brief foliage of fire. The heart of he flame leapt nimbly across the gap between the trees and then went swinging and flaring along the whole row of them." (page 44) They way the Golding compares the flames to a jaguar in hunt is genius. It really shows how the flames moved amongst the forest. Golding gives such great detail that it is not hard at all to envision what he is trying to say.
"Ralph stood, one hand against a grey trunk, and screwed up his eye against the shimmering water. Out there, perhaps a mile away, the white surf flanked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral shades and shadowy green and purple. The beach between the palm terrace and water was a thin stick, endless apparently, for to Ralphs left the perspectives of the palm and beach and water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost visible, was the heat." (page 10) As I read this part of the book it really made me feel as if I was on the island with Ralph. The way that Golding describes the way the ocean looks makes readers feel as if they too are looking at an ocean. I really enjoyed how he described the heat as almost always being visible. You get such a great perspective of just how hot it was there and what those boys had to endure.
Golding has written a phenomenal book that uses vivid imagery and intellectual words. While I read I like to make pictures in my head as if I was watching a movie. With his writing I can do that, that is why I enjoyed reading this novel.
“He argued unconvinced that they would let him alone, perhaps even make an outlaw of him, But then the fatal unreasoning knowledge came to him again. The breaking of the conch and the death of Piggy and Simon lay over the island like a vapor. These painted savages would go further and further. Then there was that indefinable connection between himself and Jack; who therefore would never let him along; never.” (Lord of the Flies Pg. 184) This could have been written in 3 or 4 sentences but Golding gives us literary devices to make connections and makes us feel connected to the story. The last sentence sticks with a reader because it has pauses that makes it more intense and eye opening. That last sentence really lingers in the readers mind because without that last sentence we wouldn't have suspense to see if Jack is going to let him be or not.
Golding uses diction all through the novel but my favorite place he uses it is in the titles. Titles most often aren't as intellectual as his are. He uses simple words but in a way that will want us to keep reading, for example, Chapter 5 “Beast from Water.” When I read the title I see a beast coming up from the water or I imagine ideas beyond that, but reading this title makes me want to read the chapter to find out what it means. Boring titles bore the reader and with thee titles I do not get bored. From Chapter 5 Pg 86, “The littluns pushed Percival forward, then left him by himself. He stood knee-deep in the central grass, looking at his hidden feet, trying to pretend he was in a tent…” This gives me a vivid image of a frightened little boy that has seen/imagined something he did want to be involved with. This puts a clear picture of my mind of a little boy standing alone in front of many people and without his great description I may have imagined nothing.
Golding is a very talented writer and throughout his entire work he never ceases to amaze me. He uses amazing personification and likes to use a lot of similes and metaphors that helps the reader really visualize and relate with all of the characters in the book.
1. There are many spots where Golding uses perfect grammar one of my favorites being: “There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out! (70).” I personally believe that it is very easy to mess up quotation marks when ever anyone uses dialogue and this book does have an abundance of it. Golding is a pro at dialogue, he always remembers to start a new paragraph and indent whenever a new character is talking, so the tricky dialogue does not even phase him. He also uses simple sentences and fragments that may make things sound a little choppy but adds terrific dramatic effect and it is just what the audience needs here. They must feel how important the fire is to Ralph and how essential it is to be rescued. It is a big deal that Jack just let it go out and the readers 100% understand this because of Golding's sentence choice and grammar.
2. On page 57 Golding does a wonderful job of making the reader feel like they can see the island that the boys have inhabited. “Now the sunlight had lifted clear of the open space and withdrawn from the sky. Darkness poured out, submerging the ways between the trees till they were dim and strange as the bottom of the sea. The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the first stars. Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island.” Golding could have simply explained that when the sun goes down the island gets dark. The readers could have already inferred this; by drawing this picture in your mind you now feel as though the island is eerie and mysterious like the bottom of the sea. He uses great personification when he says that the flowers took possession of the island. Yet another thing that readers can see or smell because of the great description. Overall Golding is a champ throughout the entire book as he puts the readers on the island with the boys to fend for themselves. I was just as relieved by the end of the book when Ralph got saved because I personally was tired of running from the boys and could not even imagine how Ralph felt.
Breitzman 3
William Golding has many spots within the Lord of the Flies where he shows perfect grammar. One spot specifically stood out to me: The first paragraph on Page 49. "The silence of the forest was more oppressive than the hear, and at this our of the day there was not even the whine of insects. Only when Jack himself roused a gaudy bird from a primitive nest of sticks was the silence shattered and echoes set ringing by a harsh cry that seemed to come out of the abyss of ages. Jack himself shrank at this cry with a hiss of indrawn breath, and for a minute became less a hunter than a furtive thing, ape-like among the tangle of trees. Then the trail, the frustration, claimed him again and he searched the ground avidly. By the trunk of a vast tree that grew pale flowers on its grey bark he checked, closed his eyes, and once more drew in the warm air; and this time his breath came short, there was even a passing pallor in his face, and then the surge of blood again. He passed like a shadow under the darkness of the tree and crouched, looking down at the trodden ground at his feet." Golding does a great job of simply yet elaborately describing the scenery and mindset of Jack while hunting. He does a admirable job of blending simple and elaborate word choice within this paragraph. Golding in this paragraph also helps make the reader feel as if they living the moment of the character inside the book.
"The edge of the lagoon became a streak of phosphorescence which advanced minutely, as the great wave of the tide flowed. The clear water mirrored the clear sky and the angular bright constellations. The line of phosphorescence bulged about the sand grains and little pebbles; it held them each in a dimple of tension, then suddenly accepted them with an inaudible syllable and moved on." (page 153) Golding, in this paragraph, does a great job of specifically describing the setting of the lagoon. My mind came up with a perfect image of the setting Golding described. His word choice once again, simple yet elaborate, helps the reader envision what he is writing about.
Golding wrote an exceptionally perfect passage on pages 201 and 202. Basically, the end of the novel was perfect. While the book was usually read from the perspective of Ralph or one of the boys, it switches, mid passage, to the viewpoint of a British officer. It is meant to emphasis how far gone the boys have become. The officer is an outsider from the bulk of the novel. He is absent. Therefore, when he arrives, he is more likely to notice the depth of the insanity that the boys have gotten themselves into. It shows how he views the boys as innocent children and not the hardened killers that they have become. He also seems shocked by the state of them. The boys had gotten used to how they looked and acted, but the officer was not used to that. He was very surprised by their state of being when he found them. He is meant to act as we would in such a situation.
I thought that on page 57, when Golding describes what Simon heard on the island, was particularly beautiful. I felt like I was actually there, listening to all the island had to offer. I could hear the ocean breaking on the show and the birds crying. I also felt like I could see the thick vines and, as Golding called them, creepers. I also felt like I could feel the heat of the jungle climate. In many other spots Golding describes the boys and how they were tanned and dripping with sweat. That really adds to the heat that I feel in the book. Not to mention that this passage helps to further Simon’s personality. You can somewhat understand why he goes crazy later on. He was always isolated and shy but now even further so. He could always see what others could not.
House 2
On page 89 William Golding does a superb job of transporting the reader to the island: “The silence of the forest was more oppressive than the heat and at this hour of the day there was not even the whine of insects. Only when Jack himself roused a gaudy bird from a primitive nest of sticks was the silence shattered and echoes set ringing by a harsh cry that seemed to come out of the abyss of ages. Jack himself shrank at this cry with a hiss of indrawn breath and for a minute became less a hunter than a furtive thing, ape-like among the tangle of trees. Then the trail, the frustration, claimed him again and he searched the ground avidly. By the trunk of a vast tree that grew pale flowers on its grey bark he checked, closed his eyes, and once more drew in the warm air; and this time his breath came short, there was even a passing pallor in his face, and then the surge of blood again. he passed like a shadow under the darkness of the tree and crouched, looking down at the trodden ground at his feet.” After reading this passage, I am able to picture the oppressive silence, relating it to an event in my life where the silence was deafening and life changing. I can picture Jack getting stuck in the tangle of trees imagining a thousand trees, their roots all meshed together making it impossible to walk without ending up out of breath and on the ground. Due to Golding’s word choice, I am able to place myself amongst the trees on the island and experience everything that Jack is at the time.
Golding’s writing style is captivating and perfect at many points throughout the novel. One of my favorites is on page 181: “Viciously, with full intention, he hurled his spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and flesh over Ralph’s ribs, then sheared off and fell in the water. Ralph stumbled, feeling not pain but panic, and the tribe creaming now like the chief, began to advance. Another spear, a bent one that would not fly straight, went past his face and one fell from on high where Roger was. The twins lay hidden behind the tribe and the anonymous devils faces swarmed across the neck. Ralph turned and ran. A great noise as of seagulls rose behind him. He obeyed an instinct that he did not know he possessed and swerved over the open space so that the spears went wide. He say the headless body of the sow and jumped in time. Then he was crashing through foliage and small boughs and was hidden by the forest.” His diction helps the reader picture the scenario that is unfolding in front of them. I enjoy how Golding uses a mixture of short and elongated sentences to help build suspense. Golding exhibits great description to help build the atmosphere and mood of the fight taking place. I can really imagine what Ralph is feeling myself just by the way Golding phrases his words: “feeling not pain but panic…”
“Far off along the bowstave of beach, three figures trotted toward the Castle Rock. They kept away from the forest and down by the water. Occasionally they sang softly; occasionally they turned cartwheels down by the moving streak of phosphorescence. The chief led then, trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement. He was a chief now in truth; and he made stabbing motions with his spear. From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses.” (Lord of the Flies, page 168). William Golding always is keeping the reader’s mind wondering what will happen next. At the end of every chapter he forms his sentences perfectly to allow the imagination to wonder into curiosity. At the end of this passage I wonder what will happen to Piggy next and why would they just want his glasses?
“The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air. The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, torn everywhere by the upheavals of fallen trees, scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings. Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and the open space of the scar…Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake—blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple” (Lord of the Flies, page 9-10). When thinking of an island the first image are palm trees with coconuts hanging in them. The palm trees lead me to think of the beautiful sand that squishes between my toes once I take a step onto it. Water that hits the shore creates a sound that allows me to relax. Reading this passage from the novel reminded me of what a little beautiful island in the middle of nowhere would look like.
Darrington 7
“Ralph was dreaming. He had fallen asleep after what seemed hours of tossing and turning noisily among the dry leaves. Even the sounds of nightmare from the other shelters no longer reached for him, for he was back to where he came from, feeding the ponies with sugar over the garden wall. Then someone was shaking his arm, telling him that it was time for tea” (Lord of the Flies, page 98). Throughout the novel, Golding displays near perfect grammar. He uses a widespread variety of sentence structure, word choice, and understanding of punctuation. In this excerpt, he starts off with a simple sentence, followed by a slightly more elaborate sentence. He concludes the excerpt with a longer yet, complex sentence. He is able to intertwine complex ideas effectively within his writing. I also find this to be an interesting passage, as the dreams of the boys become a recurring theme in the book. Dreams ranging from ghosts and beasts, to remembering the boy’s past lives, are all beneficially added to the story.
“Acres of black and yellow smoke rolled steadily toward the sea. At the sight of the flames and the irresistible course of the fire, the boys broke into shrill, excited cheering. The flames, as though they were a kind of wild life, crept as a jaguar creeps on its belly toward a line of birch-like saplings that fledged an outcrop of the pink rock. they flapped at the first of the trees, and the branches grew a brief foliage of fire. The heart of Flame leapt nimbly across the gap between the trees and then went swinging and flaring along the whole row of them” (Lord of the Flies, page 44). In this passage, Golding describes the scene after the boys started their first fire. The fire quickly spread, and ended up burning down a large portion of the island. I found this to be a very powerful paragraph, as the description was very vivid. The way Golding linked the fire to a cheetah creeping through the woods was both interesting and potent. He managed to form a vivid picture of the fire swinging, creeping, and flapping along the trees. Golding used descriptive passages all about the novel, presenting everything from the butterflies to the foliage in a thorough light. I enjoyed these descriptions, but at times I felt they may have even been overpowering and unnecessary. Overall, this was a well written and insightful novel.
Grammar: p.12 “Beyond the platform there was more enchantment. Some act of God--a typhoon perhaps, or the storm that had accompanied his own arrival--had banked sand inside the lagoon so that there was a long, deep pool in the beach with a high ledge of pink granite at the further end. Ralph had been deceived before now by the specious appearance of depth in a beach pool and he approached this one preparing to be disappointed. But the island ran true to form and the incredible pool, which clearly was only invaded by the sea at high tide, was so deep at one end as to be dark green. Ralph inspected the whole thirty yards carefully and then plunged in. The water was warmer than his blood and he might have been swimming in a huge bath.”
His grammar impeccable, Golding beautifully created in this excerpt a picture of the lagoon Ralph was about to jump into. Golding could have described the pool as, simply, a “tropical lagoon” and left it at that. However, instead he added perfect description using erudite wording. Yet, the passage is still easy for the reader to understand; it is not overdone. Golding uses words such as “deceived,” “specious,” and “invaded” instead of “tricked,” “big,” and “filled.” This word choice shows his intelligence, and it draws the reader in more than the basic words. Golding’s flawless grammar facilitates easier reading and a better opportunity for imagining what he wants us to visualize. Had the description contained more ambiguous words such as the examples above, the reading would have come across as boring and vague.
Description: p. 12 “Here the beach was interrupted abruptly by the square motif of the landscape; a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high. The top of this was covered with a thin layer of soil and coarse grass and shaded with young palm trees. There was not enough soil for them to grow to any height and when they reached perhaps twenty feet they fell and dried, forming a criss-cross pattern of trunks, very convenient to sit on. The palms that still stood made a green roof, covered on the underside with a quivering tangle of reflections from the lagoon. Ralph hauled himself onto this platform, noted the coolness and shade, shut one eye, and decided that the shadows on his body were really green. He picked his way to the seaward edge of the platform and stood looking down into the water. It was clear to the bottom and bright with the efflorescence of tropical weed and coral. A school of tiny, glittering fish flicked hither and thither. Ralph spoke to himself, sounding the bass strings of delight.”
In this passage, Golding paints a picture of the tropical island so well, the reader could imagine he or she was actually there. The description of the “great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon” gives the reader a clear picture of the rock tower’s enormity. This diction proves to be far better than only describing it as a “a big tower of pink granite.” Just as impressive, Golding implants his vision of the island’s foliage in the reader’s mind by describing “The palms that still stood [making] a green roof, covered on the underside with a quivering tangle of reflections from the lagoon,” and how “There was not enough soil for them to grow to any height and when they reached perhaps twenty feet they fell and dried, forming a criss-cross pattern of trunks, very convenient to sit on.” Personally, I could imagine just how Golding himself would have pictured the island. His depictions not only drew the reader in by creating a sort of intenseness about the island, but also allowed him or her to experience the plight of the boys on a whole new level.
“But a sign came down from the world of the grown-ups, though at the time there was no child awake to read it.”
This is an example of William Golding’s exceptional use of grammar from his famous book Lord of the Flies. The novel is about a post-apocalyptic world that landed a group of boys on a remote tropical island. The boys try to establish a life on the island with set chores, but struggle vastly. At the point in the story, from which I have selected my quote, a grown-up had recently fallen from a plane crash and landed on the island with a parachute. This part of the novel is fantastic because the children do not realise there is an adult on the island and they fear that it is the beast that haunts their thoughts.
“There was a sudden bright explosion and corkscrew trail across the sky; then darkness again and stars.”
This is an incredible use of imagery, because it describes the explosion of a plane with a lot of detail but very few words. You understand exactly what you read, but it does not tell you outright. The boys show them acting their true age in this part of the book, because they are too afraid to get close enough to “the beast” in the daylight for them to tell that it is not a beast, but indeed a human. The boys actually seem more grown-up in the beginning of the book by the way they act. Ralph tries to establish a system and builds shelter for the boys. He also has a plan to get rescued, but the others do not comply with him. They slack off, sleep when they want, and go to the bathroom wherever they want--even though Ralph tried to have a designated area.
Ripperda 7
William Golding demonstrates tremendous use of grammar and word choice in his story “Lord of the Flies.” His use of grammar and diction allow the reader to experience the story in its purest form. Grammar and word choice tend to be able to make a boring story an interesting and entertaining one. Golding uses grammar to keep our attention in spots that might otherwise allow us to doze off, or become uninterested. He uses word choice to add spice and flavor to his work.
1) I appreciated the grammar and set up of a paragraph that focused on one word, meetings. It was a very creative use of punctuation that made a boring paragraph appear interesting. The paragraph on page 51 starts “Meetings. Don’t we love meetings? Every day. Twice a day. We talk….” That is the best part of the paragraph grammatically speaking. The paragraph is referring to what is is considered a meeting and what constitutes one, as well as detailing use of the conch.
2) Adding flavorful diction can help a story to grab the attention of the reader and keep it. Golding uses fantastic word choice throughout the whole novel. One of my favorites was: “The great rock loitered, poised on one toe, decided not to return, moved through the air, fell, struck, turned over, leapt droning through the air and smashed a deep hole in the canopy of the forest. Echoes and birds flew, white and pink dust floated, the forest further down shook as with the passage of an enraged monster: and then the island was still.”
I thought this paragraph showed the extreme power of the rock and the potential it has to do damage. The paragraph neglected to only state the obvious and instead made a bland event into a thrilling journey. The power of good word choice.
Ripperda 7
My second quote came from page 28
Golding is very successful at putting the reader on the island in the beginning of the book. We don’t know exactly why the children are on the island when they are, however, the following excerpt really puts us on the island: “The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon…. All around him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat.” (page 7) This quote does well to make me feel as if I’m in the book. I think it was a good move Golding made to use this type of description at the beginning of the book. The quote goes on to say that the boy’s shirt is stuck to him and his hair was plastered to his head. Most of us have been in situations where we are extremely overheated, whether it be due to the air conditioning going out, or from working outside. Golding appeals to these situations by trying to put the author in Ralph’s place. Golding also does well to imply how much work it is for Ralph to move around the island. As he crawls over the brush, we can tell how much exertion it actually takes. As I read these sentences I tend to feel as if I’m on the island. Golding also seems to excel at using grammar to their advantage: “He took off his glasses and held them out to Ralph, blinking and smiling, and then started to wipe them against his grubby wind-breaker.” (page 9) Golding flawlessly employs an appositive in that sentence. The appositive being blinking and smiling. Golding also creates the appositive as a gerund, which I consider to be respectable. Golding creates sentences that are plainly enjoyable to read. I would be incorrect if I were to say that this is the only enjoyable sentence to read inside of Golding’s writing.
I will be explaing my comments and reactions much like those of a sticky notes or that of a person who takes personal notes in a book. You will know where my comments are with the use of parentheses. I chose this way to break down what I was really
The meeting hummed and was silent. (Goulding is setting the tone of excitement and anxiety about their new situation. The use of this antithesis creates tension for what event is to happen next. It gives a discription of where they are; In a jungle like area that has bugs flying and crawling everywhere. The sentence lets us infer that their was much thinking going on.)
"And another thing. We can't have everybody talking at once. We'll have to have 'Hands up' like at school." He held the conch before his face and glanced round the mouth.
"Then I'll give him the conch." (Ralph and Piggy are making a play to have order with this meeting. In this way Ralph is establishing his leadership even further. Ralph in the book stands for all things that are ordered and good. Everyone clamoring to talk might also be a commentary on how eveyone has an idea on how to end the war. Goulding might be just saying to shut up and look for Peace. A plea to the subconcious. By electing Ralph the first leader they know who needs to take care of them and who will do it best. It is Jack who entices them with meat that they turn on Ralph. The boys aknowledge the rightful leader in this part of the book.)
"Conch?"
"That's what this shell's called. I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking. "
"But--" ,"Look--"
"And he won't be interurupted. Except by me." Jack was on his feet. "Well have rules!" he cried excitedly. "Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks' em"-- "Whee--oh!
(They boys are already not listening to Ralph, much like most small boys and authority. With the "Except me" he is placing himself above them. Jack does not like this so he chimes in making himself known. Jack likes the rules not because the purpose of them is to create order but if anyone breaks them he gets to punish them. Goulding might be saying that is all that we are doing in the war. Punishing those who did not "Toe the Line" of the bufferzone. Jack is Ultra masculine and the thought of violence excites him and mostly all the boys but Piggy and Simon.)
The passage that transported me to the South Pacfic would on Page 57.
"Simon dropped the screen of leaves back into palce. The slope of the bars of honey-colored sunligh decreased; they slid up the bushes, passed over the green candle-like buds, moved up toward the canopy, and darkness thickend under the tress. With the fading of the light the riotous colors died and the heat and urgency cooled away. The candlebuds stirred. Their green sepals drew back a little and white tips of the flowers rose delicately to meet the open air.
Now the sunligh had lifted clear of the open space and withdrawn from the sky.
The imagery that this passage presents would transport anyone to a peaceful island canopy with the sound of crashing waves and the sweet smell of flowers. It is the ideal place to find peace on an Island, and Simon the outcast is the one to find it. I believe that through this pasage that Goulding is presenting quite a few things. First of all the calm peaceful scence does no prepare one for the the storm of chaos to come. He sets us up to be even more shocked with what we read next. Another view could be is that it completely contrast the head of the piked head. These are both places Simon finds by himself. Simon is also a character that is under appreciated. If the leaders would have listened to him he could show them were they can find the vine shelter. That would fix the problem of no one wanting to build them and needing them. He could have helped them much more if they had let him.
Within William Golding’s Lord of the Flies I found a single three sentenced paragraph of which I recognized myself reading over and over again. “The shivering, silvery, unreal laughter of the savages sprayed out and echoed away. A guest of rage shook Ralph. His voice cracked.” Not only was this an excellent use of alliteration to regain your possible lost interest, but also an astounding explanation as to how barbaric caveman-like these boys have become. Because of this, Ralph is exceptionally terrified. He is scared for his life as he stands in front of the men he hoped to escape with. These three simple sentences shook my mind and finally intrigued me into what is happening within the island. I can honestly say that after reading these sentences I became more interested in the book and my mind was not wandering away as easily from the words on the page.
(178)
There are many instances of which the author reminds the reader that these boys are on a remote island. He prompts your memory at least once in every chapter he has written. There were a few short sentences of which spoke to me more thoroughly than others, even though they were not that descriptive--they were by far my favorite. “They gazed intently at the dense blue of the horizon, as if a little silhouette might appear there at any moment” ”I’ve been watching the sea. There hasn’t been the trace of a ship. Perhaps we’ll never be rescued.” Here you can infer that they are on a secluded island still in search of hope. The are seeking for a sign of other intelligent life and are not successful. These sentences may not be superior in terms of being specific. However, I felt as though the word choices were so simple that I was able to catch their feelings in a short line of reading. As though Golding was granting me with specifics. I enjoyed this.
(43)
1. William Golding is by far a descriptive and complex writer with many paragraphs of imagery and brilliance. One that I found perfect was on page 121. “Ralph felt his knee against something hard and rocked a charred trunk that was edgy to the touch. He felt the sharp cinders that had been bark push against the back of his knee and knew that Roger had sat down. He felt with his hands and lowered himself beside Roger, while the trunk rocked among invisible ashes. Roger, uncommunicative by nature, said nothing. He offered no opinion on the beast nor told Ralph why he had chosen to come on this ad expedition. He simply sat and rocked the trunk gently.” I liked this paragraph with all the descriptive words involved and imagery. His word choice is different, as he’s from England in the 50’s, but it adds a nice touch the paragraph.The whole chapter with the beast was very exhilarating whether it be describing the fort or the approach to the beast.
2. Golding’s descriptive language could take anyone to a remote island. On page 145, Golding writes, “Over the island the build-up of clouds continued. A steady current of heated air rose all day from the mountain and was thrust to ten thousand feet; revolving masses of gas piled up the static unit the air was ready to explode. By early evening the sun had gone and a brassy glare had taken the place of clear daylight. Even the air that pushed in from the sea was hot and held no refreshment. Colors drained from waters and trees and pink surfaces of rock, and the white and brown clouds brooded. Nothing prospered but the flies who blackened their lord and made the split guts look like a heap of glistening coal.” This sounds like a perfect example of what my idea of a South Pacific island would feel like. Billowing clouds, just waiting for the rain to start falling and lightning to start lighting the sky. Hot, stale air that is just full of flies. I can see the trees and rocks losing color just from an approaching thunderstorm. The chapter then goes on to describe Simon coming out of his little paradise after “talking” to the Lord of the Flies.
William Golding, just as all other authors, uses certain methods in their writing. These methods may vary between the way that they order the events that take place or the way they order and structure the sentence itself. With the large amount of details and events that take place, writers need to find a way to keep the reader hooked while providing them with this information. Authors also use it to give their pieces of writing a particular rhythm. In Lord of the Flies, there are many sentences and paragraphs that have impeccable grammar and sentence structure. On page 109 in the second paragraph, which happens to be 11 lines, and even continuing into the following paragraph use different types of sentence structure in order to give ordinary sentences a certain flow. The start of these paragraphs opens with a misplaced modifier for emphasis. A great start if you ask me. Multiple appositives are placed strategically into the sentences. Some of his sentences are even interrupted and connected with dashes in order to provide the specific rhythm Golding was looking for. Overall, the sentence structure and grammar are unbelieveable. If I ever write as well as he does, it will surely be a miracle.
The island the boys are stranded on, has no name. The location of the island is completely unknown. None of the boys have the slightest idea of where they could possibly be. This being true, it is hard for me as a reader to picture what the island could even look like although small details are given here and there. Thankfully,William Golding describes in detail the island multiple times throughout the book. On page 9 in the last paragraph continuing on to page 10, Golding describes the island in a way that I am struggling to explain. When I read it, I get a crisp, clear picture of what the island looks like. One sentence from his description really painted the image in my mind better than the others. “The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, torn everywhere by the upheavals of scattered trees, scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings. There is an impressive amount of details in this sentence but he makes them so complexly uncomplex. He uses outstanding descriptive words but makes the sentences easy for the reader to comprehend.
Hillestad period 7
Golding is a writer who does a great job as sucking the reader into the story. He does this by being descriptive and relating the story to the reader. On page 17, Golding writes “His ordinary voice sounded like a whisper after the harsh note of the conch. He laid the conch against his lips, took a deep breath and blew once more. The note boomed again: and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up and octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before.” Golding uses detail to tell the reader exactly what Ralph and Piggy are hearing, and what Ralph is feeling while blowing the conch. His use of different sentence styles keeps the reader interested.
“The pink granite of the the cliff was further back from the creepers and the trees so that they could trot up the path. This again led into more open forest so that they had a glimpse of the spread sea. With openness came the sun; it dried the sweat that soaked their clothes in the dark, damp heat. At last the way to the top looked like a scramble over pink rock, with no more plunging through darkness. The boys chose their way through defiles and over heaps of sharp stone.” (pg. 27)
In this quote, Golding uses so much description to describe the island. It describes everything the boys see, from the mountain rock, to the plants on the island, to the open sea surrounding the island. He does not only describe what the boys see, but also what they feel. When Golding talks about the sun and how it was so hot it dried their shirts, I can imagine being on the island can getting a terrible sunburn. These are only only two examples that demonstrate Golding's great writing style.
Lundberg 2nd Period
1) “The note boomed again: and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up an octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before. Piggy was shouting something, his face pleased, his glasses flashing.” - Page 17
This is an excellent example of William Golding proving his knowledge and use of the English language. Powerful diction, such as “fluking” or “strident”, grabs the reader’s attention. Not only does Golding write with strong word choice, but he also structures the sentences in a unique way. The colon in the first sentence functions as a connection between two separate ideas. Additionally, Golding creates an interrupting modifier between the subject (“note”) and the verb (“became”). In the second, Golding intentionally leaves out a conjunction between “pleased,” and “his”. I think this adds suspense in the description, making the audience feeling intrigued.
2) “The edge of the lagoon became a streak of phosphorescence which advanced minutely, as the great wave of the tide flowed. The clear water mirrored the clear sky and the angular bright constellations. The line of phosphorescence bulged about the sand grains and little pebbles; it held them each in a dimple of tension, then suddenly accepted them with an inaudible syllable and moved on." - Page 153
Golding successfully transports his audience to a Pacific island using vivid imagery; above is only one of several examples from his book “Lord of the Flies”. When I was reading this passage, I could picture the setting he was trying to convey. I enjoy the parallelism within the second sentence (“the ‘clear’ water mirrored the ‘clear’ sky”). It connects two distinct entities by describing them with the same word. The descriptions of the pebbles and sand grains is incredible; it is a relatively unimportant detail to the novel, but seems to complete the lagoon’s setting.
“All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. The chant rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or a hunt.” is most certainly one of the most exciting and moving passages in The Lord of the Flies, and yet the author, William Golding, exercises a perfect mastery of the English language. While maintaining a fermenting air of malice, Golding’s writing doesn’t deteriorate into gibberish like most authors would, in an attempt to force the reader into a mental state using short, choppy sentences that overlap. Instead, Golding’s manuscript remains perfectly lucid, conveying its truly sinister meaning through the use of vocabulary and a specific sentence structure designed to appeal to the reader’s subconscious animal instincts. I feel that Golding has completely mastered the use of language to manipulate the human psyche. A modern day contemporary might very well be Stephen King.
“Once more Ralph dreamed, letting his skillful feet deal with the difficulties of the path. Yet here his feet seemed less skillful than before.For most of the way they were forced right down to the bare rock by the water and had to edge along between that and the dark luxuriance of the forest. There were little cliffs to be scaled, some to be used as paths, lengthy traverses where one sed hands as well as feet. Here and there they could clamber over wave-wet rock, leaping across clear pools that the tide had left. They came to a gully that split the narrow foreshore like a defense. This seemed to have no bottom and they peered awe-stricken into the gloomy crack where water gurgled. Then the wave came back, the gully boiled before them and spray dashed up to the very creeper so that the boys were wet and shrieking. They tried the forest but it was
thick and woven like a bird’s nest. In the end they had to jump one by one, waiting till the water sank; and even so, some of them got a second drenching. After that the rocks seemed to be growing impassable so they sat for a time, letting their rags dry and watching the clipped outlines of the rollers that moved so slowly past the island. They found fruit in a haunt of bright little birds that hovered like insects. Then Ralph said they were going too slowly. He himself climbed a tree and parted the canopy, and saw the square head of the mountain seeming still a great way off.
Then they tried to hurry along the rocks and Robert cut his knee quite badly and they had to recognize that this path must be taken slowly if they were to be safe. So they proceeded after that as if they were climbing a dangerous mountain, until the rocks became an uncompromising
cliff, overhung with impossible jungle and falling sheer into the sea." is a lengthy, but very vivid and enjoyable passage where I can truly suspend disbelief and imagine that I am on a scar in the middle of the ocean. I especially like Golding’s use of dark and light descriptors to influence the reader’s perception of the tracts used to get around the island. I completely feel like I am walking through the thick, wet air under a thick canopy of palm leaves, being blinded every few seconds when the tree tops break their coverage and let the sun’s harsh rays shine down to the forest floor.
"They surrounded the covert but the sow got away with the sting of another spear in her flank. The trailing butts hindered her and the sharp, cross-cut points were a torment. She blundered into a tree, forcing a spear still in deeper; and after that any of the hunters could follow her easily by the drops of vivid blood. The afternoon wore on, hazy and dreadful with damp hear; the sow staggered her way ahead of them, bleeding and mad, and the hunters followed, wedded to her in lust, excited by the long chase and the dropped blood. They could see her now, nearly got up with her, but she spurted with her last strength and held ahead of them again. They were just behind her when she staggered into and open space where bright flowers grew and butterflies danced ‘round each other and the air was hot and still.” (Page 135)
This particular part of the book stood out particularly because it showed just how far gone the boys really are. They showed no signs of sympathy for the animal they were mercilessly killing. True, it was for survival, but the section of how the ‘afternoon wore on’ makes it seem like the amount of time it took to kill the pig was inconvenient to the boys. At the end of the section, it mentioned the beautiful open field with flowers and butterflies, which seems to be somewhat of an ironic spot for an unforgiving murder to take place in.
“There were only a few more yards of stony ground and then the two sides of the island came almost together so that one expected a peak of headland. But instead of this a narrow ledge of rock, a few yards wide and perhaps fifteen feet long, continued the rock island out into the sea. There lay another of those pieces of pink squareness that underlay the structure of the island. This side of the castle, perhaps a hundred feet high, was the pink bastion they had seen from the mountain-top. The rock of the cliff was split at the top littered with great lumps that seemed to totter.” (Page 104)
This spot in the book stood out simply because it was a moment of suspense and intensity in the story. The words used to describe the jagged passageway to the top of the pink rocks even seem to be sharp and nerve-wracking.
William Golding is a very, very gifted writer. I consider William Golding to be a master of personification. He used so much of it, I found it to be very thrilling.
1.) “Maurice flashed a smile at Ralph who slid easily into the water. Of all the boys, he was the most at home there; but today, irked by the mention of rescue, the useless, footling mention of rescue, even the green depths of water and the shattered, golden sun held no balm. Instead of remaining and playing, he swam with steady strokes under Simon and crawled out of the other side of the pool to lie there, sleek and streaming like a seal. Piggy, always clumsy, stood up and came to stand by him, so that Ralph rolled on his stomach and pretended not to see. The mirages had died away and gloomily he ran his eye along the taut blue line of the horizon.” (Page 65)
I had to read this paragraph twice because if you do not pay close enough attention, you can get lost. I found this paragraph to be an excellent example of Golding’s elaborate and perfect grammar. He takes the time to tell you what is going on, how people are feeling about the thought of a possible rescue, and how things can change very quickly. In this paragraph, I found myself thinking about how I would react if I was stranded on an island and people were mentioning a rescue that you never absolutely knew was going to happen. I feel like I would try to shake off feelings like Ralph does.
2.) “Ralph shuddered. The lagoon had protected them from the Pacific: and for some reason only Jack had gone right down to the water on the other side. Now he saw the landsman’s view of the swell and it seemed like the breathing of some stupendous creature. Slowly the waters sank among the rocks, revealing pink tables of granite, strange growths of coral, polyp, and week. Down, down, the waters went, whispering like the wind among the heads of the forest. There was one flat rock there, spread like a table, and the waters sucking down on the four weedy sides make them seem like cliffs. Then the sleeping leviathan breathed out, the waters rose, the weed streamed, and the water boiled over the table rock with a roar. There was no sense of the passage of waves; only this minute-long fall and rise and fall.” (Page 105)
I found myself sitting on the edge of a cliff, watching the tide of the sea, rise and fall, as I read this paragraph. I feel like it would be a peaceful scene to watch and very inspirational at the same time. You can smell the salt in the air whenever Golding talks about the sea.
Duncanson 6
“At last Simon gave up and looked back; saw the white teeth and dim eyes, the blood--and his gaze was held by that ancient, inescapable recognition” (138). In this sentence, William Golding shows not only his outstanding dramatic descriptive ability, but also his perfect grammar. In this scene, Simon is looking back at the Lord of the Flies, who is posted just behind him. Golding chooses to place perfect grammar in this location to show the importance of what is about to take place. William Golding, being the outstanding writer he is, gets the readers attention through this passage. Just one sentence later, however, the scene switches back to Ralph and Piggy. William Golding does this to create suspense for the reader and draw them into the book. This was one of my favorite passages from the book because of the descriptive words used to describe the Lord of the Flies. Using words like “ancient” and “inescapable” grab the reader's eye and sucks them in.
“The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned o reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air” (9). This is the scene where Ralph first makes it to the beach. As this is the first view that the reader ever gets of the beach, it is very important for the author to give an excellent description to the reader. The first impression that the reader gets is the most important one. In this description, just based on the palm trees, William Golding gives an outstanding concrete image. I personally think fledged is an interesting but very effective word to use in this case as fledged means to be covered in feathers. This gives the reader an idea of how many trees there were without using empty words like “many.”
Throughout this novel Golding uses brilliant and perfect grammar in many places. One spot that stood out to me was when Jack was describing the pig hunt.
“We spread round. I crept, on hands and knees. The spears fell out because they hadn’t barbs on. The pig ran away and made an awful noise--”
“It turned back and ran into the circle, bleeding--”
All the boys were talking at once, relieved and excited.
“We closed in--”
The first blow had paralyzed its hind quarters, so then the circle could close in and beat and beat-- (74-75)
Golding uses elaborate and perfect grammar here because of how he arranges the dialogue. He has Jack talking, but he also tells us what is going on while Jack is talking. Because Golding uses great detail, I can clearly imagine in my head what is all going on in the scene. Also, this passage makes me feel a little disturbed because the boys are so excited about the dead, bleeding pig.
Golding also uses great detail throughout this entire novel. One spot that particularly uses great detail is when Golding describes Jack as he is in the forest after her has left the beach.
“Jack crouched with his face a few inches away from this clue, then stared forward into the semi-darkness of the undergrowth. His sandy hair, considerable longer than it had been when they dropped in, was lighter now; and his bare back was a mass of dark freckles and peeling sunburn. A sharpened stick about five feet long trailed from his right hand, and except for a pair of tattered shorts held up by his knife-belt he was naked. He closed his eyes, raised his head, and breathed in gently with flared nostrils, assessing the current of warm air for information. The forest and he were very still.’’ (48)
Because of Golding’s great detail, I can picture Jack and his surroundings in my head. I can imagine exactly what Jack looked like, with his long sandy hair, his peeling sunburn, and his freckles. Also, I picture Jack as looking like a homeless boy, with his ripped up clothes and his long hair. All the details Golding uses in the book help me understand the story clearer.
Golding very artfully describes Ralph’s first viewing of the island throughout the first chapter. His grammar is descriptive, but not overly wordy. The entire novel could easily be reacted to as possessing impeccable grammar, but I will use a paragraph from page 12: “Beyond the platform there was more enchantment. Some act of God--a typhoon, perhaps, or the storm that had accompanied his own arrival--had banked sand inside the lagoon so that there was a long, deep pool i the beach with a high ledge of pink granite at the further end. Ralph had been deceived before now by the specious appearance of the depth in a pool, which clearly was only invaded by the sea at high tide, was so deep at one end as to be dark green. Ralph inspected the whole thirty yards carefully and then plunged in. The water was warmer than his blood and he might have been swimming in a huge bath.” Golding makes a point to describe not only what everything looks like, but also hypothesizes how it was created. The visualization of the pool comes in handy throughout the novel when trying to comprehend the geography of their base camp. Looking back at this passage after reading the entirety of the novel, I sense some foreshadowing. Already, in chapter one, we get a glimpse of Ralph. He’s been deceived by looks before. Jack appeared to be a competent, sensible boy in the beginning, but as the story progresses Jack is vengeful with a one-track mind. This possible foreshadowing also holds a little irony. Ralph learned after a run-in with a shallower pool to better inspect. But after Jack stabbed him in the back over and over, Ralph kept going back. He underestimated Jack’s will to kill and the obscene ease of the other boys to cross sides. He learns to examine a pool closer, but not a human with killing power. Another point of potential foreshadowing, or perhaps interesting coincidence, is the comparing of the temperature of the pool to blood. When people die. they go into the water. Simon is placed in the water, Piggy is placed in the water, and even the dead parachuter floats down the mountain into the water. I may just be over analyzing a short passage. But Golding does express a great deal of description finesse in this paragraph.
A longer passage on page 29 caught my attention as detailed description of the island: “The reef enclosed more than one side of the island, lying perhaps a mile out and parallel to what they now thought of as their beach. The coral was scribbled in the sea as though a giant had bent down to reproduce… There, too, jutting into the lagoon, was the platform, with insect-like figures moving near it.” (To save time, I omitted words, but will still be reacting to omissions.) The first bit of this passage is dedicated to the sea, and what is visible from the summit of the mountain. I can imagine standing at the peak and viewing the reef within the pool, and the dark open ocean beyond. This may be due to already viewing that image myself, but Golding’s writing accurately evokes that memory. Then the description shifts towards the forest, and the gash/scar. It is clear to map the geography of the forest, palms, beach, and sea with this short paragraph; this is helpful during the later chapters, knowing where they are to the safety of their shelters and proximity to the sea. Of course, every description Golding gives of the island is elaborate and stimulates intense visuals.
Eichelberg- 6
1.) (Page 85) “A thin wail out of the darkness chilled them and set them grabbing for each other. Then the wail rose, remote and unearthly, and turned to an inarticulate gibbering. Percival Wemys Madison, of the Vicarage, Harcourt St. Anthony, lying in the long grass, was living through circumstances in which the incantation of his address was powerless to help him.”
I think what Golding is saying in this passage is extremely powerful, at least to myself. I interpret his fluid and carefully thought vocabulary as a message. I believe he is saying that no matter who you are or where you live no one is exempt from fear. Living in an affluent versus destitute neighborhood will not protect the inner workings of your mind from the ever “creeping” fear that lurks.
2.) (Page 9) “The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, torn everywhere by the upheavals of fallen trees, scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings. Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and the open space of the scar. Ralph stood, on hand against a grey trunk, and screwed up his eyes against the shimmering water. Out there, perhaps a mile away, the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake- blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple. The beach between the palm terrace and the water was a thin stick, endless apparently, for to Ralph’s left the perspectives of palm and beach and water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost visible, was the heat.”
I believe this quote perfectly encompasses the central innocent turn ugly theme of the book. This is Ralph and Piggy’s first look at the part of the beach they will claim. They are taking in their surroundings and what they see is depicted above. From beautiful lagoons to luscious forests everything is portrayed as an inviting island paradise. This is fitting because right now it may look like calming paradise as it mirrors the lack of conflict that is currently in the novel. It is beautiful because their lives are still free from the issues that take away from the beauty such as fear and the beast.
When reading Lord of the Flies, Golding uses a variety of diction all throughout the novel. His word choice is impeccable and it really helps transfer you into the world of the abandoned boys on the island. There are many different aspects that Golding tells the story from but he tells all of them well because of his specific choice of words.
1. A spot in the novel that really stood out to me as perfect diction is on page 183. This is the part in the story where Ralph is hiding from the savages after Piggy dies. At this particular point, Ralph is curled up in a thicket below the mountain and he looks up to see Robert standing guard. “Behind him (Robert) a column of smoke rose thickly, so that Ralph’s nostrils flared and his mouth dribbled” (183). This spot really stood out to me because it is in the middle of an intense scene and Golding takes a second to slow down. Golding is taking a second to describe how Ralph feels at this very moment. His feeling is hunger. He realizes that in the action of the day, he has neglected to eat. With the smoke rising, fire burning, and pig roasting, Ralph realizes how hungry he is and it adds relief to the intense moments of the battle.
2. To me, the spot that explained the island best is on the bottom of page nine. “The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air” (9). This section is right away at the beginning of the novel where the reader does not really know what to expect yet. Describing the beach and the placement of the palm trees really helps describe the island and engage the reader in the novel. Describing the island helps set the mood for the rest of the book because it places the reader in the novel and helps him or her understand the challenge the boy’s face for the remainder of the novel.
I believe Golding’s grammar is elaborate and perfect for this moment in the book. “Then when you get here you build a bonfire that isn't no use. Now you been and set thee whole island on fire. Won’t we look funny if the whole island buns up? Cooked fruit, that’s what we’ll have to eat, and roast pork. And that’s nothing to laugh at! You said Ralph was chief and you don’t give him time to think. Then when he says something you rush off, like,like--”(Page 45). I really enjoy this part of the novel. Golding was able to change a light moment into a perfect serious, shocking moment. Golding used grammar that was perfectly set for the moment. Piggy, still being young, but intelligent, sounded exactly as I have come to picture him.
Golding’s word choice in this paragraph helps bring the island to life. He came at last to a place were more sunshine fell. Since they had not so far to go light the creepers had woven a great mat that hung at the side of an open space in the jungle; for here a patch of rock came close to the surface and would not allow more than plants and ferns to grow. The whole space was walled with dark aromatic bushes, and was a bowl of heat and light. A great tree, fallen across one corner, leaned against the trees that still stood and a rapid climber flaunted red and yellow sprays right to the top(page 56). I really thought this paragraph helped bring the island to life. Painting you a picture of what it looked and felt like. It transported you into the middle of a hot, humid, and vivid forest on an island in the Pacific. Bringing out the creepers mat, and how this portion was walled off by bushes and a fallen tree helped show how this area was also like a bowl.
Golding has created a book incorporated with symbolism and deeper meaning. A majority of the book has flawless grammar. One example of a perfect grammatical sentence would be on page 43, “The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid nearer and nearer the sill of the world. All at once they were aware of the evening as the end of light and warmth.” This passage has no errors in grammar but it also captivates the reader with imagery. Even though the boys are stranded on an island turning to savages, the author still has us picturing luscious gold dripping in the sky.
At many points in the book the imagery took me to the island in my mind. In this passage however, I felt more hopeless about the boys being rescued. “The lagoon had protected them from the Pacific: and for some reason only Jack had gone right down to the water on the other side. Now he saw the landsman’s view of the swell and it seemed like the breathing of some stupendous creature. Slowly the waters sank among the rocks, revealing pink slabs of granite, stange grows of coral, polyp, and weed. Down, down, down, the water went, whispering like the wing among the heads of the forest … the water boiled over the table rock with a roar. There was no sense of passage of the waves; only this minute long fall and rise and fall.” Pg 105 This is a prime example of when I felt as if I was on the deserted island. Golding captures the idea of the Pacific being the enemy here and makes it more of a savage predator by saying it boiled over with a roar. We know in the book that the ocean represents death because of the two boys that we know died, both bodies were washed away by the water.
1.
The opener of Chapter Six (page 95) is perfectly written; the readers are to wonder what happened to the parachutist, and what the children will make of him, especially after all the talk about a “beast”.
“A sliver of moon rose over the horizon, hardly enough to make a path of light even when it sat right down on the water; but there were lights in the sky, that moved fast, winked, or went out, though not even a faint popping came down from the battle fought at ten miles’ height. But a sign came down from the world of grown-ups, though at a time when there was no child awake to read it.... The figure fell and crumpled among the blue flowers of the mountain-side, but now there was a gentle breeze at this height too and the parachute flopped and banged and pulled (95).”
Astonishing! William Golding tells of the peace that has fallen over the island after a fight between the possibilities of a beast, which is another topic in itself. He also brings closure to Ralph’s asking for a sign; he just does not see it. Golding’s description of the air-fought war, and the destroyed airplane is impeccable. He does not say it—he shows it. Now, the idea of a character that is already dead, is going to rot, and has the ability to move (because of the still-connected parachute), is sure to bring up questions of the so-called “beast”. These golden lines are some of the few that stuck out at me, because of the depth, color, and train of thought put into them.
2.
“[Simon] went on among the creepers until he reached the great mat that was woven among the open space and crawled inside. Beyond the screen of leaves the sunlight pelted down and the butterflies danced in the middle their unending dance (132).”
This little section is just one of the plethora of instances that William Golding shows us a taste of the island, and its depths. I enjoy this section immensely, because it tells of how Simon is enduring what seems to be almost like heaven. This “paradise” includes the idea of curtains flowing, which would be the bunch of leaves, plants blooming, which is exactly that, and the butterflies and sunshine bursting with bliss. But this is not exactly so; a few sentences later tell of Simon’s struggle:
“That other time the air seemed to vibrate with heat; but now it threatened. Soon the sweat was running from his long coarse hair. He shifted restlessly, but there was no avoiding the sun. Presently he was thirsty, and then very thirsty. He continued to sit (132-133).”
After the beginning of what almost seemed like bliss, the idea of really being lost on an island should captivate readers through Simon’s struggle. Not only does he start showing more physical problems, but these difficulties start itching at him, as well. This ultimately brings out Golding’s island, and the feelings that are supposed to be felt from it: heaven and hell, freedom and warfare, and finally, harmony and dissonance.
“The water rose farther and dressed Simon’s coarse hair with brightness” (Lord of the Flies, 154). Though this sentence is simply a Complex sentence, it is laced with symbolism. The simplicity of the sentence makes it much easier to find the symbolic meaning behind it. Though in truth it is really only describing something that water does very often, that being catching and reflecting light, it also has a very symbolic meaning when seen through a biblical lens. Like many paintings of Jesus, this simple sentence states that the water reflects off dead Simon’s hair like a halo. It also seems to dress him in light, much like an angel or, again, Jesus. I focused on Simon quite a bit, because he is seemingly so simple on the outside, but so complex when looked at scholarly. However, to get to Simon, one must first imagine the island. “Out there, perhaps a mile away, the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue.” (Lord of the Flies, 10) Though it only proves that the boys are on an island, it most certainly shows that they are in the tropics. When thinking of white sandy beaches, and deep blue oceans, one can only help but imagine a paradise. Adding the fact that there is a coral reef only adds to the idea of a tropical island. This idea of paradise is what makes the drastic turn for the worst so shocking to the audience. How could such a perfect place harbor such evil? To answer a question like this, a person must come up with their own theory to many of the symbols, events, and character types that reside within the novel. Weather those ideas be based more on biblical allegory, marxist findings, or feminist character typings, there are many theories that go along with the absolute horror that takes place within this perfect paradise.
Golding uses perfect grammar when he says,”Ralph turned and smiled involuntarily. Piggy was a bore; his fat, his ass-mar, and his matter-of-fact ideas were dull, but there was always a little pleasure to be got out of pulling his leg, even if one did it by accident.”(65) I think this quote really shows that Golding knows his stuff. He used a list to explain the characteristics of Piggy, but then turns the rest of the sentence to why people like to make fun of him. He doesn’t beat around the bush and goes straight towards the negative things that make piggy easy to make fun of.
A spot in the book that Golding’s word choice transports me to a remote island is when he says, “Ralph climbed out of the bathing pool and trotted up the beach and sat in the shade beneath the palms…. Simon was floating in the water and kicking with his feet and Maurice was practicing diving. Piggy was mooning about, aimlessly picking up things and discarding them. The rock-pools which so fascinated him were covered by the tide, so he was without an interest until the tide went back. Presently, seeing Ralph under the palms, he came and sat by him.”(64) In this passage Golding uses only a few words that would paint a picture of an island in my head but the way he placed them into the passage really made it seem like one was there. He used enough detail to make one feel as if they were watch Maurice and Simon swimming, while also watch Piggy walk around. The image give the feel of warmth because the thought of palms, beach, and water make the reader feel like they are on a tropical island. I thought it was really cool how he could do this.
“Ralph screamed, a scream of fright and anger and desperation. His legs straightened, the screams became continuous and foaming. He shot forward, burst the thicket, was in the open, screaming, snarling, bloody.” (p. 199) This sections grammar affects how the reader feels more so than the words at this point. This scene in the book is a very quick speed because Ralph is fighting for his life, so the reader is meant to read it in a very fast and choppy manner as it is shown by the number of commas and the use of two “and”s instead of a comma. When I read this my mind was jumping all over, trying to read as fast as I could while also processing how Ralph was getting away from the savage boys.
“Here, on the other side of the island, the view was utterly different. The filmy enchantments of mirage could not endure the cold ocean water and the horizon was hard, clipped blue. Ralph wandered down the rocks. Down here, almost on a level with the sea, you could follow with your eye the ceaseless, bulging passage of the deep sea waves. They were miles wide, apparently not breakers or the banked ridges of shallow water. They traveled the length of the island with an air of disregarding it and being set on other business; they were less a progress than a momentous rise and fall of the whole ocean. Now the sea would suck down, making cascades and waterfalls of retreating water, would sink past the rocks and plaster down the seaweed like shining hair: then, pausing, gather and rise with a roar…” (p. 110) This passage is one of the many in this book where Golding shows his ability to transform a book into another world. He uses the most descriptive words possible and everything you read seems to come in like a vivid movie in your head. He is a perfect example of how books can take you places you never thought you would go-- like a deserted tropical island in the middle of an ocean.
When reading Lord of the Flies there were times where I felt as if i was reading a island survival book, but for the most part when reading this book I felt and understood the hidden meanings. When Ralph, Jack, and the other hunters were searching the island for the beast I felt the most connected to the Pacific island concept, especially when the group was climbing and discovering Castle Rock, "He was surrounded on all sides by chasms of empty air. There was nowhere to hide, even if one did not have to go on. He paused on the narrow neck and looked downl. soon, in a matter of centuries, the sea would make an island of the castle. On the right hand was the lagoon, troubled by the open sea; and on the left (pg. 105).” The other time was when they were trotting along the pig-runs, “The pig-run kept close to the jumble of rocks that lay down by the water on the other side and Ralph was content to follow Jack along it. If you could shut y0our ears tot slow suck down of the sea and boil of the return, if you could forget how dun and unvisited were the ferny coverts on either side, then there was a chance that you might put the beats out of mind and dream for a while. The sun had sung over the vertical and the afternoon he was closing in on the island. Ralph passed a message forward to Jack and when they next came to fruit the whole party stopped and ate (pg. 109).” For me I like these two portions of the book, with the regards of calling them a remembrance of a South Pacific island, because of the calmness in the group and exploration. Along with great detail about the landscapes.
Ashley Guthmiller Pd. 6
1) One passage I found to be grammatically elaborate and perfect is located on page 123. "Behind them the silver of moon had drawn clear of the horizon. Before them, something like a great ape was sitting asleep with its head between its knees. Then the wind roared in the forest, there was confusion in the darkness and the creature lifted its head, holding toward them the ruin of a face." I also like this passage because it creates a pretty strong visual of the creature in your mind. I also like that he does not give you all of the creatures attributes but instead he leaves you to create your own creature. It also creates this dark and eerie feeling to the point where the reader may begin to fear for the boys.
2) On page 29 you will find a passage that has such a beautiful description that it almost makes you feel as if you are with the boys, seeing what they are. William Golding writes about what Simon, Jack, and Ralph see when they travel around the island to make sure it is an island that they inhabit. "The reef enclosed more than one side of the island, lying perhaps a mile out and parallel to what they now thought of as their beach. The coral was scribbled in the sea as though a giant had bent down to reproduce the shape of the island in a flowing chalk line but tired before he had finished. Inside was peacock water, rocks and weeds showing as in an aquarium; outside was the dark blue of the sea. The tide was running so that long streaks of foam tailed away from the reef and for a moment they felt that the boat was moving steadily astern." I think this give a perfect description to the reader of what the island looks like by using the descriptor of the giant making the shape and then becoming too tired to finish it.
Throughout the book there are several different areas in which the author, William Golding, uses flawless grammar in The Lord of the Flies. However, my favorite area was on page 110.
It says: “He discovered with a little fall of the heart that these were the conditions he took as normal now and that he did not mind. He sighed and pushed away the stalk from which he had stripped the fruit. Already the hunters were stealing away to do their business in the woods or down by the rocks. He turned and looked out to the sea.” I liked this area because of the parallelism within the paragraph. The parallelism is there but is “fluffed” up with prepositional phrases. However, when you cross out the prep phrases, the parallelism is there. I also appreciated the way in which the first line was written. You can almost feel his heart drop by the way it is presented to the reader, it made it really easy for me connect with the characters at this point in the story. I could almost feel the despair that he was feeling!
The spot that (in my opinion) had the best diction in the book was on page 44. It says “ Smoke was rising here and there among the creepers that festooned the dead or dying trees. As they watched, a flash of fire appeared at the root of one wisp, and then the smoke thickened. Small Flames stirred at the trunk of a tree and crawled away through leaves and brushwood, dividing and increasing. One patch touched a tree trunk and scrambled up like a bright squirrel. The smoke increased, sifted, rolled outwards…” (that was not all of the quote but the quote continues until the end of the paragraph that it started on.) I was able to create a pretty vivid image of the forest and the smoke with this description. Golding writes it in a way that creates the picture in the readers mind so that the reader can feel and see what the characters in the book are seeing and feeling. The imagery is phenomenal, and like I said, helps the reader really grasp what is going on!
"Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take place in this demented but partly secure society." (152)
This line perfectly describes the feelings of Piggy and Ralph throughout the entire conflict between Jack's tribe and Ralph. They know that if they go to Jack's tribe it would be more secure, but they also enjoy the power and stability of their group. But with the big boys leaving to Jack's tribe, they are hesitantly realizing that they are probably no longer safe by themselves. They are in awe of the procession of dancing in front of them, though demonic in some ways. They still wished they had to safety of all the boys, but it will hurt Ralph’s pride to agree to be in Jack’s tribe because he was the chief before. Also I just like this sentence because demonic and secure usually do not end up in the same sentence, let alone describing the same thing. It is almost a paradox in a way. They only think it is secure because of the familiarity of the boys all together again and the promise of meat on a regular basis.
Golding's diction in the passage,"Here, on the other side of the island, the view was utterly different. The filming enchantments of mirage could not endure the cold ocean water and the horizon was hard, chipped blue." (110) indicates strong verbiage in a way that brings you to the island itself. Also the sentence, "...you could follow with your eye the ceaseless, bulging passage of the deep sea waves." (110) I think the word choice in not only these parts, but the whole book, transforms the imagery of the book in our minds. It gives a vivid color detail with the adjective “chipped blue” while also having us feel the ocean temperature with “cold ocean water”. The the ocean imagery is good because it describes the ocean as infinite and “bulging passage of the deep sea waves.” Here in SD, we usually don’t see oceans so describing it in this detail gives us a good picture.
Golding is an excellent writer. He really pulls you into the book and makes you want to read more and more. Golding makes the book easy to read because of the effortless writing he has. He has flawless writing throughout the entire book so to find just one spot that stood out to me is like asking me to decide what doctor is my favorite on Grey’s Anatomy. It is nearly impossible. Although, one line I found impeccable grammar was on page 181: “Which is better--to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?” He properly uses the dash and it is very easy to understand. He also has perfect parallelism by having two infinitives and then two verbs. Golding is a master at what he does, no doubt about that.
Golding is a very vivid writer. There is a lot of detail in his writing. He often will detail things enough to leave you with a hook to imagine and wonder what the rest is like in your own way. The part of the book that really enthralled me in the story was when the parachutist had fell from the sky. My absolute favorite part is when he writes on page 96, “Here the breeze was fitful and allowed the strings of the parachute to tangle and festoon; and the figure sat, its helmeted head between its knees, held by a complication of lines. When the breeze blew, the lines would strain taut and some accident of the pull lifted the head and chest up right so that the figure seemed to peer across the brow of the mountain. Then, each time the wind dropped, the lines would slacken and the figure bow forward again, sinking its head between its knees. So as the stars moved across the sky, the figure sat on the mountaintop and bowed and sank and bowed again.” During that paragraph, I just imagine and dead, limp body rising and falling in the wind sitting on a mountaintop. His detail goes beyond the book; it paints a picture for you in your mind.
1) In chapter 3, once Jack comes back from trying to find meat, he and Ralph have an argument. It begins on page 51 and continues onto page 54. Throughout this argument, Golding does a great job of showing a sense of exasperation and frustration between these two boys. The way he goes from one boy to the next, making their dialogue interrupt each other’s and keeping their turns in talking short, helps to make their upset feelings obvious. It is a quick read but within it you can tell almost exactly what the boys are feeling.
2) The last paragraph on page 9 that continues onto page 10, uses very good word choice in describing the island. Golding uses amazing imagery to describe the palm trees, commenting on how they “stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air.” This helps me to picture standing on a beach looking up at all the tall palm trees. It reminds me of how it felt to be under the tall trees on the beaches I have visited. He also describes the water well using phrases like “shimmering water,” and “the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake--blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple.” This also helps with imagining this place in my mind, using vivid colors.
All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. The chant rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or a hunt.
"Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!"
Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering. (7.74-76)
This passage made me feel as though I was there witnessing the fight go on. I could her the Robert (pig) squeal figuratively and could just imagine what the boys were trying to accomplish. I picture Roger and Jack with frenzied eyes trying to kill the “pig” namely Robert. I see Ralph start to get those frenzied eyes as he joins in on the beating. I felt terribly bad reading it, how could they possibly do this to another one of the their own.
They surrounded the covert but the sow got away with the sting of another spear in her flank. The trailing butts hindered her and the sharp, cross-cut points were a torment. She blundered into a tree, forcing a spear still deeper; and after that any of the hunters could follow her easily by the drops of vivid blood […].
I found this text extremely graphic it uses great word choice and vivid language. I really enjoyed the use of his connotation, some positively or negatively. I picture the pig running for its life as many boys are trying to chase it down. The text shows me an exact layout of where the pig is and what the setting on the island looks like. I can picture the pig running into the tree, the slowing stumbling through the forest with a trail of blood behind it. Allowing the boys to track down the poor creature.
On page 81 at the top of the page, Ralph is speaking at an assembly he called at night for the first time, because he is angered with everyone and their performance. When he starts his speech, he is scattered in thoughts. He sounds choppy and uneducated, but then the mood changes and he gets more riled up. Jack pisses him off a bit because he shows that he does not care about what Ralph says through his actions: chipping at a piece of wood and whispering to Robert. All of a sudden, his speech and grammar change into being fluent and passionate. He is direct with the points he is trying to get across. Ralph goes into a psychological stage of where he does not think about his speech anymore, but he just says the first things coming to his mind drawing the attention of everyone and being an inspirational figure whether anyone wants to listen or not. Golding uses this more fluent language to unconsciously change the reader’s view of the meaning of the speech. At that point ralph gains good grammar and fluency, and when you look at any other grammar used by Ralph or the other kids at other points in the story, it is usually bad and childish. This whole change shows Ralph’s transformation into a true leader or motherly figure. Also, on page 56 paragraph number four, Simon goes out on his own into the woods for the first time tired of all his peers. He stumbles upon his miniature cave in the forest. Golding uses more description in this section as he says, “The whole space was walled with dark aromatic bushes, and was a bowl of heat and light. A great tree, fallen across one corner, leaned against the trees that still stood and a rapid climber flaunted red and yellow
sprays right to the top.” When I read through that for the first time, all I saw was images in my mind. Same thing happened layer when he went back to the same spot. It really allows me to become simon and connect with him. Even though it may not say his exact traits, I feel like I relate to Simon the most. He becomes me, therefore when he dies. I feel more negative emotion towards the irrational savages.
Danny Eitreim
Period 2
“Ralph found himself taking giant strides among the ashes, heard other creatures crying out and leaping, and dared the impossible on the dark slope; presently the mountain was deserted, save for the three abandoned sticks and the thing that bowed.” (123) This passage really stands out to me as having excellent grammar--not just because it follows grammatical rules but also because of the way that Golding skillfully replicates the panic in Ralph’s mind through the grammar. Instead of telling the reader that Ralph is terrified by what he sees on the mountain, Golding shows the reader and almost makes them feel alarmed with his excellent use of commas and semi colon.
“It was roughly boat-shaped: humped near this end with behind them the jumbled descent to the shore. On either side rocks, cliffs, treetops, and a steep slope: forward there, the length of the boat, a tamer descent, tree-clad, with hints of pink: and then the jungly flat of the island, dense green, but drawn at the end to a pink tail. There, where the island petered out in water, was another island; a rock, almost detached, standing like a fort, facing them across the green with one bold, pink bastion.” (29) This description accompanies the boys’ first ascent of the mountain on the island, and is their first view of the island as a whole. Golding’s word choice is quite good here, with even the shape of the island reminding the reader that these children are stranded in the middle of the ocean and their new home could be a luxury cruise or a repeat of the Titanic. The rest of the description confirms that this island is the stereotypical tropical “castaway” island, filled with untamed foliage and surrounded by ceaseless ocean. Golding is clearly careful with his diction concerning the second island “almost detached” from the first. By calling it both a fort and a bastion he sets the stage for Jack and his tribe to occupy it later in the novel. This subtle foreshadowing is certainly the mark of an excellent author.
“‘The rest are making a line. Come on!’
‘But-’
‘-we-’
‘Come on! I’ll creep up and stab-’
The mask compelled them.” (pg 64) I love the way that Golding wrote this specific dialogue and how he ended the paragraph. He cuts off the twins who are trying to reason with Jack after he put his mask on and the dialogue is very choppy. Leaving the paragraph stating the mask compelled him is very eery. There is no explanation as to how, or what fully happened and it’s very thought provoking.
“Here the beach was interrupted abruptly by the square motif of the landscape; a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high. The top of this was covered with a thin layer of soil and coarse grass and shaded with young palm trees. There was not enough soil for them to grow to any height and when they reached perhaps twenty feet they fell and dried, forming a criss-cross pattern of trunks, very convenient to sit on. The palms that still stood made a green roof, covered on the underside with a quivering tangle of reflections from the lagoon.” (pg 12) Golding does a fantastic job describing the beach. The detail used really helped me to fully picture what the island looked like from the perspective of the platform. In the very beginning the island seemed very inviting and beautiful, but from the platform it would be suggested otherwise. With the criss cross of dead palm tree to the tangled reflections from the lagoon. It is different from what we were first introduced to.
Palmer Pd. 3
While Golding uses superb grammar throughout the entirety of the novel, there were a few areas where his grammar was exceptionally more influential and/or descriptive. On pages 146 and 147, in chapter nine, Golding demonstrates excellent grammar. He writes:
“Simon felt his knees smack the rock. He crawled forward and soon he understood. The tangle of the lines showed him the mechanics of this parody; he examined the white nasal bones, the teeth, the colors of corruption. He saw how pitilessly the layers of rubber and canvas held together the poor body that should be rotting away. Then the wind blew again and the figure lifted, bowed, and breathed foully at him. Simon knelt on all fours and was sick till his stomach was empty. Then he took the lines in his hands; he freed them from the rocks and the figure from the wind’s indignity.” What I like most about Golding’s writing in this section is the diversity in the sentence structures. In this short paragraph, one can find several varying different sentence types. Also, this paragraph exemplifies wonderful diction and semicolon usage.
Since the setting of this book is on a forested island, Golding often describes the land in detail. One paragraph that stood out to me in the book was when he was describing the mountains. This happens on page 26 of chapter one. Golding describes:
“Some unknown force had wrenched and shattered these cubes so that they lay askew, often piled diminishingly on each other. The most usual feature of the rock was a pink cliff surmounted by a skewed block; and that again surmounted, till the pinkness became a stack of balanced rock projecting through the looped fantasy of the forest creepers. Where the pink cliffs rose out of the ground there were often narrow tracks winding upwards. They could edge along them, deep in the plant world, their faces to the rock.”
I believe this section stands out to me because of how odd the scene is. While Golding uses much description, there is still much for our minds to imagine in this setting. He often speaks of these odd, pink rocks, which would be very rare and abnormal in real life. The reader is allowed to create their own image in their mind about the shade of pink, the arrangement of the rocks, the size of the rocks, and much more. Even with such descriptive language, Golding is encouraging the reader to use their imagination.
Throughout the novel, I felt that almost every sentence was structured with great finesse. This makes it challenging to choose one that stood out to me; so instead, I took an excerpt that had elaborate grammar, but also connected me to the book. This section made me nervous and intertwined with the character's emotions, while keeping flawless grammar.
“In front of them, only three or four yards away, was a rock-like hump where no rock should be. Ralph could hear a tiny chattering noise coming from somewhere-- perhaps from his own mouth. He bound himself together with his will, fused his fear and loathing into a hatred and stood up. He took two leaden steps forward.(123)” While reading this I felt a sense of nervousness and fear. This I believe is brought on from the way that it is written. The mix of intensity with added comic relief was enticing. Another notable stand-out in this paragraph, was the words he used. Unlike much of the book, this section was easy to understand and visualize without trying to over think it.
Various times in this novel I felt as if I were stuck on this island with them. Golding has many ways of creating this vast imagery: contrasting, vivid adjectives, VERY thorough explanations.. The selection that stood out to me was from page 57, and the reason I found myself amazed by it is because of the drastic dark to light contrasts. It gives the reader an extremely specific, image through the descriptions.
“Darkness poured out, submerging the ways between the trees till they were dim and strange as the bottom of the sea. The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the first stars. Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island. (57)”
As I read through William Golding's classic, I feel very immersed into the story he presents. He does this extremely well because of his attention to detail and his knowledge of the pacific scenery. My favorite part in his explanations of the island is in Chapter 4 where he talks about life on the island and the vast difference in temperatures and events throughout the day. "The first rhythm that they became used to was the slow swing from dawn to quick dusk. They accepted the pleasures of morning, the bright sun, the whelming sea and sweet air, as a time when play was good and life so full that hope was not necessary and therefore forgotten. Toward noon, as the floods of light feel more nearly to the perpendicular, the stark colors of the morning were smoothed in pearl and opalescence; and the hear-- as though the impending suns' height gave it momentum--became a blow that they ducked, running to the shade and lying there, perhaps even sleeping..." I love this part because it explains the life on the island and it shows that they are starting to get into a daily rhythm. It also talks about the harsh heat and how they sometimes sleep during the hot times of the day. I also like how he talks about the mirages on the water and piggy's opinion on them. He starts of each chapter with great detail similar to how John Steinbeck wrote his chapters in Of Mice and Men . I also really enjoy the simile in chapter four when Golding writes "When the sun sank, darkness dropped on the island like an extinguisher and soon the shelter were full of restlessness, under the remote stars. Wow! I really love that sentence for multiple reasons. It is a interesting and original way to convey information that would seem boring otherwise. Also, it implies that the kids in the shelter are restless from the fear of the thought of a beast or because of nightmares of the beast.
Grammatically, Golding is also talented. The part where they are waiting for the beast(Simon) to come out of the shadows and they chant “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!” is great and it is a good use of simple sentences that convey how crazy they are becoming.
William Golding is one of the most descriptive authors I have ever read. He creates an image that sticks in my head through the entire novel. Using this technique, he really draws the reader into the story; making me feel as if I am actually on the island. Not to mention the great grammar involved that aids in giving your mind its own setting. Another thing I like about his style of writing, is he allows you to make the setting however you see it. Some authors are rather bland when it comes to setting, but William Golding uses so many different descriptive words, that anyone can picture the same setting a hundred different ways.
" The rest of the boys watched intently. Piggy, finding himself uncomfortably embroiled, slid the conch to Ralph's knees and sat down. The silence grew oppressive and piggy held his breath."(102)
William Golding's grammar here is outstanding. Absolutely artful in every way possible. I feel when I am reading this book, that I am being bathed with an intellectual masterpiece that furthers my education. I am truly smarter than I was before reading this book. I hope to learn from him and take this level of high intelligent writing into consideration when writing my own pieces.
".. Inside was peacock water, rocks and weeds showing as in an aquarium; outside was the dark blue of the sea. The tide was running so l that long streaks of foam tailed away from the reef and for a moment they felt that the boat was moving steadily astern."(29)
I feel that this usage of imagery sets me directly in Hawaii. Having visited there, I know the beauty and relaxation associated with pacific islands. I can't help but picture myself on an island such as this one, laying on the beach enjoying the sounds, sights, and smells of the island. This further proves that William Golding has excellent word diction and uses astonishing detail.
“Occasionally they sang softly; occasionally they turned cartwheels down by the mobbing streak of phosphorescence. The chief led then, trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement. He was chief now in truth; and he made stabbing motions with his spear. From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses. (P 168)”
When I came upon this part of the novel and could help myself feeling a bit eerie and uneasy. I imagined Jack and his “savages” running away in the darkness along the beach. They seem to have no feeling of regret or remorse as they are singing and trotting along. For me this was a turning point of the novel. I knew that at this point in the novel that there was no going back. Jack and Ralph would never come together again. Jack had simply moved completely away from civilization while Ralph was desperately trying to cling to the little amount of civilization he had left. When Jack took Piggy’s glasses he also took one of the last pieces of civilization that Ralph had, fire. Without fire Ralph could no longer signal ships for rescue.
“Over the island the build-up of clouds continued. A steady current of heated air rose all day from the mountain and was thrust to ten thousand feet; revolving masses of gas piled up the static until the air was ready to explode. (P 145)”
The descriptive language that Golding uses here really makes the reader feel like they are stranded on an island. This specific example of descriptive language gave me an eerie feeling. Clouds were coming out making everything dark and gloomy, just like the relationship between the boys was becoming. Gas piled up in air and was ready to explode just like things were about to explode between the boys. Simon was soon to be killed and this use of descriptive language almost foreshadows his death.
WIlliam Golding uses elaborate writing throughout his book. Wisely, he creates similes quite often. Similes help the reader visualize and understand what the reader is saying easier. My favorite simile in The Lord of The Flies is from page 181 when Mr. Golding states, “Piggy’s arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig’s after it has been killed.” He is being brilliant here not only by using a simile, but also he connects the Piggy’s nickname to the animal itself. He makes my mind picture Piggy as an actual pig, instead of a chubby little boy. Golding never writes cliches in his similes, which makes The Lord of The Flies more interesting.
“Flower and fruit grew together on the same tree and everywhere was the scent of ripeness and the booming of a million bees at pasture.” (56) Golding writes this quote describing the remote island in the South Pacific in a bright cheerfully way. He did not include the scar or anything negative about the island. William Golding makes it seem like the island is a superior island to live on and not like an island where a massive amount of young boys were crashed by a flame filled airplane. He gives the vibe in this quote that the island is not that bad after all. Flowers give a sense of beauty and the word pasture sounds peaceful, but we soon realize that the boys do not connect with the way he first describes the South Pacific Island. By describing the fruit on the tree, Golding makes the reader think there is plenty of food for the boys to eat. When Golding says that there are millions of bees you can conclude that the island is uninterrupted and really a creation of God’s land. If I read this as a description for an island to go on vacation to, I would definitely want to go!
1)I found the task of selecting one passage with exquisite grammar extremely difficult as I felt nearly all of Golding's writing was grammatically correct and impressive. However, I chose the following passage due to the use of spectacular vocabulary and the flawless sentence flow. The passage uses varying sentence structure to keep the reader captivated.
"Far off along the bowstave of the beach, three figures trotted toward the castle rock. The chief led them, trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement. He was a chief now in truth; and he made stabbing motions with his spear. From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses." (Golding 168)
2)As I was reading the book I was impressed by Golding's remarkable use of imagery and description of the setting. There were many passages that I would find myself caught up in as the use of vocabulary and description were so strong that I would have to reread them to fully comprehend. One particular passage that struck me immensely in terms of detail and portraying a setting was found in Chapter 8. The vocabulary, adjectives, and word flow are so vivid it is almost impossible not to imagine yourself on the island with the boys at this particular dark moment:
"Up there, for once, were clouds, great bulging towers that sprouted away over the island, grey and cream and copper-colored. The clouds were sitting on the land; they squeezed, produced moment by moment this close, tormenting heat. Even the butterflies deserted the open spaces where the obscene thing grinned and dripped. Simon lowered his head, carefully keeping his eyes shut, then sheltering them in his hand. There were no shadows under the trees, but everywhere a pearly stillness, so that what was real seemed illusive and without definition. The pile of guts was a black blob of flies that buzzed like a saw. After a while these flies found Simon. Gorged, they alighted on his runnels of sweat and drank. They tickled under his nostrils and played leapfrog on his thighs. They were black and iridescent green and without number; and in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned. At last Simon gave up and looked back; saw the white teeth and dim eyes, the blood--and his gaze was held by that ancient, inescapable recognition. In Simon's right temple, a pulse began to bead on the brain."
Golding’s Grammar is phenomenal throughout the entire essay. How else could you become such a rockstar writer without great grammar. He would realize the correct spots where things would become dim and then strike up the momentum in such a way that was remarkable.
I found on page 130 where I enjoyed his writing greatly describing the wood on the island in such great detail that you can feel it.
“The wood was not so dry as the fuel they had used on the mountain. Much of it was damply rotten and full of insects that scurried; logs had to be lifted from the soil with care or they crumbled into sodden powder. More that this, in order to avoid going deep into the forest the boys worked near at hand on any fallen wood no matter how tangled with new growth. The skirts of the forest and the scar were familiar, near the conch and the shelters and sufficiently friendly in daylight. What they might become in darkness nobody cared to think. They worked therefore with great energy and cheerfulness. They built a pyramid of leaves and twigs, branches and logs, on the bare sand by the platform. For the first time on the island, Piggy himself removed his one glass, knelt down and focused the sun on tinder. Soon there was a ceiling of smoke and bush of yellow flame.”
This is just an amazing paragraph and Golding wants to make sure that you truly understand what the wood was like, the way it burned, and the work they went though to get it. When someone puts this much energy into writing about wood you know it is an important thing to hold on to.
On page 28 Golding describes a rock falling. He does not simply say the rock falls he goes into great detail and wants us to know exactly how the rock fell. The first sentence of the paragraph describes the rock as, “The great rock loitered, poised on one toe, decided not to return, moved through the air, fell, struck, turned over, leapt droning through the air and smashed a deep hole in the canopy of the forest.” This is absolutely amazing word choice and description. When I read this sentence I felt as if the rock was falling around me with the phenomenal word choice Golding used to describe this foreshadowing rock that we hear about later.
Multiple times throughout the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding used multiple different literary techniques to attract and trap the reader into reading the book to discover the fate of these young boys stranded on an island without any adult supervision.
In the final chapter of the Lord of the Flies, Golding provides a very descriptive use of imagery to help the reader understand what Ralph is looking like after his encounter with a spear. On page 183, Golding says, “The bruised flesh was inches in diameter over his right ribs, with a swollen and bloody scar where the spear had hit him. His hair was full of dirt and tapped like the tendrils of a creeper. All over he was scratched and bruised from his flight through the forest,” which, with its vivid detail and flawlessly written imagery, the reader develops a sense of what Ralph looks like after this traumatic, energy-draining event and what he went through.
Towards the beginning of the book on page eighteen, Golding describes a view of the island by saying, “Signs of life were visible now on the beach. The sand, trembling beneath the heat haze, concealed many figures in its miles of length; boys were making their way toward the platform through the hot, dumb sand….” By saying this, the reader obtains an understanding of what Golding was trying to portray when describing such a unique, beautiful, untouched South Pacific island. On an island, such as the one the boys became stranded on, any sign of life is a relief. Golding’s use of descriptive words in phrases such as how he describes the sand trembling on the beach beneath the haze of the South Pacific heat or how the boys slowly made their way through the heat and dumb sand to the platform makes this work of literature more enjoyable for the reader and helps clear up an misunderstandings as to what might be occurring in a specific scene.
William Golding is an amazing writer in the book and has the reader imagining a highly descriptive world throughout the entire book. He uses great moments of extraordinary description to give you all your senses as if you were on the island too.
“Here the beach was interrupted abruptly by the square motif of landscape; a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high.” (12) I think this sentence is very well put together because of the way there is a descriptive word for every noun and Golding is able to pack so much information into one sentence. It displays that he goes over the top when it comes to giving the reader knowledge, while also attracting the reader to read more. He also uses and instead of commas to tell the reader how many things the platform is raised above. He also has a very amazing talent for being able to make sentences flow and he makes the book very attractive by mixing up his grammar usage through the book in order to make the reader keep reading.
“The great rock loitered, poised on one toe, decided not to return, moved through the air, fell, struck, turned over, leapt droning through the air and smashed a deep blue hole in the canopy of the forest.” (28) I really enjoyed this paragraph because it put me on the island as I witnessed the rock falling. Golding gives you so much description starting from the rock tipping over, and to it smashing through the forest. I also love his use of personification to connect the reader even more: he said that the rock finally fell over because it choose not to sway back towards the kids. Its just amazing how he was able to fit description into every line of the book and thats what keeps the reader so connected.
William Goldberg is an extremely talented author and uses incredible, specific, and vivid diction all throughout his novel to give the reader the most enlightened experience possible. One moment in The Lord of The Flies that I found this talent shining through was on page 17 where Goldberg writes:
Ralph grasped the idea and hit the shell with air from his diaphragm. Immediately the thing sounded. A deep, hard tone boomed under the palms, spread through the intricacies of the forest and echoed back from the pink granite mountain. Clouds of birds rose from under the treetops, and something squealed and ran in the undergrowth.
It is not hard to create a picture using diction in a reader’s head, all you must do is describe the details until a clear picture can be seen. To create a sound for a reader, however, is much more challenging. Goldberg uses wonderful adjectives such as “deep”, “hard”, and “echoing” to describe the sound and is able to make the reader get as close to hearing the conch as possible without them physically being on the island. This takes skill, and I was highly impressed by it.
William Goldberg also uses great grammar throughout his work. I found this stand out on page 89, which states:
“You, Simon? You believe in this?”
“I don’t know,” said Simon. His heartbeats were choking him. “But…”
The storm broke.
“Sit down!”
“Shut up!”
Take the conch!”
“Sod you!”
“Shut up!”
With all of this banter going on between the boys, it would have been very easy to get lost in the argument and be more concerned with who is saying what instead of the context. Goldberg does a great job of using proper spacing, quotation, and punctuation to ensure the reader can keep up with the caos.
Gillespie
His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink.(pg.62)
This passage is very well constructed towards showing the violent nature of Jack. Jack is finally able to commit the deed of killing and had fully-turned into a true savage, his taking of life is compared to a drink. Golding uses the pig to show that Jack is attacking the weak and enjoying his time. I believe that Golding is an extremely smart author, his use of symbols causes the reader to rethink and reflect. This passage brought a powerful image and still brought the idea of how Jack had changed.
"The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air. The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, town where by the upheavals of fallen trees, scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings. Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and open space of the scar."
This image is strong and describes the ecosystem that the boys are living in. The island is full of evil and is described by the darkness. The blueness described is a coolness that exist in the island, and how the flow of life is. The green described the dense vegetation that the island had. The scar is describing how the presence of the boys has caused for the motif to show that human interaction destroys beauty and nature, this can be seen again when Simon(nature) is killed by the savages.
Huizenga 7
1)William Golding is undoubtedly very talented with a man with a high proficiency for writing and this passage on page 59 really stands out to me, because not only is the grammar perfect, but his description of the lives of the littluns is so well written.
“The undoubted littluns, those aged about six, led a quite distinct, and at the same time intense, life of their own. They ate most of the day, picking fruit where they could reach it and not particular about ripeness and quality. They were used now to stomach-aches and a sort of chronic diarrhea. They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort. Apart from food and sleep, they found time for play, aimless and trivial, in the white sand by the bright water.”
His description makes one feel for these littluns, even though they are not necessarily major players in the story--he does not even mention one by name, but simply by the collective group. The roughness of their days is mentioned almost trivially, as if it does not even matter because they have already acclimated to this, but it still manages to horrify the reader with how these children are living.
2)Throughout this novel Golding uses beautiful imagery to transport the reader to this deserted island with the boys, allowing us to more accurately experience what they go through, and this quote--
“Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake—blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple. The beach between the palm terrace and the water was a thin stick, endless apparently, for to Ralph’s left the perspectives of palm and beach and water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost visible, was the heat”
--found on page ten depicts for the reader one of Ralph’s first sights of the strange location he has landed on and even explains why Ralph believes this to be an island. Because of Golding’s depictions we are able to grasp the true beauty of what they are seeing, an uninhabited land that is completely natural and untouched by the human hand.
On page 17:
“His ordinary voice sounded like a whisper after the harsh note of the conch. He laid the conch against his lips, took a deep breath and blew once more. The note boomed again: and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up an octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before. Piggy was shouting something, his face pleased, his glasses flashing. The birds cried, small animals scuttered. Ralph’s breath failed; the note dropped the octave, became a low wubber, was a rush of air.
“The conch was silent, a gleaming tusk; Ralph’s face was dark with breathlessness and the air over the island was full of bird-clamor and echoes ringing.”
The language displayed here, the hints of an almost-parallelism, the structure of the sentences and the way the passage reads--it feels similar to my own style, in a sense. Perhaps that’s why I’m so drawn to it. But the manner in which the note sounds, loud and strong, then shifts and flows as it sharpens and dies out… There is something very beautiful about it. Like a flowing rise and fall motion, a movement to match the conch’s note. The conch is seemingly portrayed here as a powerful, majestic thing, as it should be and as it is treated by the saner, more mature boys. This passage almost urges you to respect the conch, in a sense.
On pages 56 and 57 can be found a description of Simon’s pretty little tropical hideaway, a stunning grove deep in the jungle, peaceful and green and light. A place where “the slope of the bars of honey-colored decreased; they slid up the bushes, passed over the green candle-like buds, moved up toward the canopy, and darkness thickened under the trees.” Golding uses precise, vivid imagery to describe the spot, which was “walled with dark aromatic bushes, and was a bowl of heat and light.” My favorite descriptions are about “the green candle-like buds” that stir in the golden light, as “their green sepals drew back a little and the white tips of the flowers rose delicately to meet the open air,” as they “opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the first stars.” The descriptions aren’t too much, nor are they lacking in impact. They paint a lovely view of a lovely hideaway with rapid climbers that “flaunted red and yellow sprays right to the top” of tree trunks, with creepers that “shivered throughout their lengths.” He writes that the scent of the candle-buds “spilled out into the air and took possession of the island”--a rather perfect, calm ending to a chapter, a line to close away the fading daylight, and welcome in the oncoming night.
Throughout the entire book Golding creates very vivid images in the readers head. I admire his vocabulary and the words he uses to describe different situations. One passage that caught my eye was "They found a piglet caught in a curtain of creepers, throwing itself at the elastic traces in all the madness of extreme terror. Its voice was thin, needle-sharp and insistent. The three boys rushed forward and Jack drew his knife again with a flourish. He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream and the creepers to jerk, and the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony arm." (Lord Of The Flies pg 31) Throughout that short passage I could easily paint a picture of that situation in my head. When an author is that good at describing things it makes the book that much more enjoyable.
William Golding is an extremely talented author and uses incredible, specific, and vivid diction all throughout his novel to give the reader the most enlightened experience possible. One moment in The Lord of The Flies that I found this talent shining through was on page 17 where Golding writes:
Ralph grasped the idea and hit the shell with air from his diaphragm. Immediately the thing sounded. A deep, hard tone boomed under the palms, spread through the intricacies of the forest and echoed back from the pink granite mountain. Clouds of birds rose from under the treetops, and something squealed and ran in the undergrowth.
It is not hard to create a picture using diction in a reader’s head, all you must do is describe the details until a clear picture can be seen. To create a sound for a reader, however, is much more challenging. Golding uses wonderful adjectives such as “deep”, “hard”, and “echoing” to describe the sound and is able to make the reader get as close to hearing the conch as possible without them physically being on the island. This takes skill, and I was highly impressed by it.
William Golding also uses great grammar throughout his work. I found this stand out on page 89, which states:
“You, Simon? You believe in this?”
“I don’t know,” said Simon. His heartbeats were choking him. “But…”
The storm broke.
“Sit down!”
“Shut up!”
Take the conch!”
“Sod you!”
“Shut up!”
With all of this banter going on between the boys, it would have been very easy to get lost in the argument and be more concerned with who is saying what instead of the context. Golding does a great job of using proper spacing, quotation, and punctuation to ensure the reader can keep up with the caos.
Jeremiah Burkman P2
One specific spot I found to contain elaborate and perfect grammar of William Golding is on page 173. The last paragraph on that page is so specific, detailed, and brilliantly organized. “They set off along the beach in formation. Ralph went first, limping a little, his spear carried over one shoulder. He saw things partially, through the tremble of the heat haze over the flashing sands, and his own long hair and injuries. Behind him came the twins, worried now for a while but full of unquenchable vitality….” This paragraph helps me visualize what the boys are doing at the current time. Details go down to make sure the reader knows who is in front of who and doing what. The details were not plain nor simple either. They were sophisticated and carefully planned out.
William Golding’s diction at the beginning of chapter eight, Gift for the Darkness, or page 124, sparks my mind to an untouched beach being explored by Ralph and Piggy. The two had escaped and seeked refuge on this beach. The thoughts of when the boys escaped the beast helps me visualize the setting. “Ralph jerked away from him and walked a few paces along the beach. Jack was kneeling and drawing a circular pattern in the sand with his forefinger….The conch glimmered among the trees, a white blob against the place where the sun would rise….He remembered the panic flight down the mountainside.” The beach is one of the main factors when it comes to describing a remote island. The placement of the mountains and trees right next to the beach assisted in the process too. I have seen television shows and movies similar to this setting in which they were on a remote island. The past experiences transformed my mind to visualize the island the boys are on.
William Golding portrays correct and flawless grammar over the duration of the novel Lord of the Flies. He often brands images into your head through the creative use of his writing. I found myself visually connected to the island and the boys (savages) as I read the story of obvious chaos and self conflict. By using dramatic and sometimes lengthy sentences, he was able to make out particular details that I found useful when interpreting the story. Golding also allowed for the reader to make a countless number of symbolic connections, making the book full of “flavor” if you may. Due to these specific reasons paired with his appropriate use of grammar, I found much pleasure in reading his work.
I found the previously stated qualities in the quote “A sliver of moon rose over the horizon, hardly large enough to make a path of light even when it sat right down on the water; but there were other lights in the sky, that moved fast, winked, or went out, though not even a faint popping came down from the battle fought at ten miles’ height.” found on page 95.
The quote “Tall trunks bore unexpected pale flowers all the way up to the dark canopy where life went on clamorously.” found on page 56 of the novel placed me, the reader, into a place where I could truly visualize the eerie yet beauty filled nature that surrounded the boys on the island. As I had read this sentence the first time, I put myself into the setting of this quote where I depicted myself as a miniscule bug staring up at everlasting trunks sprouting splashes of color, painting a mysterious canvas of life above. Being allowed the opportunity to create these images from just words made my reading experience significantly more enjoyable.
“He had learned as a practical business that fundamental statements like this hat to be said at least twice, before everyone understood them. One had to sit, attracting all eyes to the conch, and drop words like heavy round stones among the little groups that crouched or swatted. He was searching his mind for simple words that even the littluns would understand what the assembly was about. Later perhaps, practiced debaters--Jack, Maurice, Piggy--Would use their whole art to twist the meeting: but now at the beginning the subject of the debate must be laid out clearly (Lord of the Flies, pg 79)” In this instance, Goulding’s grammar is both clear and useful. His word choice in this section helps the reader understand how exactly Ralph is thinking of presenting his speech. By using sentence structure as such, Goulding is making Ralph more accessible and understandable for the readers, as it would be uncharacteristic for a child like Ralph to give an impressive inner monologue.
“The subsoil beneath the palm trees was a raised beach, and generations of palms had worked loose in this the stones that had lain on the sands of another shore. (Lord of the Flies, pg 62)” This sentence, while simple, provides an excellent picture of a setting on the island. It gives us three things that most people can identify, palm trees, stones and beach, and describes their relationship to each other. It is also incredibly concise, which is an important thing when writing. This open space also goes well with setting Roger, who is in the forest surrounding this section of beach, and Henry, who is both in the open and surrounded by sand and a ring of civilization. The open section of beach is meant to show safety, while the forest is danger and violence, with Roger, a sadist, throwing rocks from the trees.
“As if it wasn’t a good island.” Said Ralph slowly.
“Yes that’s right.”
Jack sat up and stretched out his legs.
“They’re batty.”
“Crackers. Remember when we went exploring?” (Pg. 52)
This is just a short part of the dialogue in the chapter Huts on the Beach. I like this section of the book for it's grammar. He keeps the dialogue flowing by having a continuous stream of dialogue without mentioning who's saying what. At the same time we can guess who is saying what because of how he sets up from the beginning how each character speaks. Besides that he also keeps the grammar to perfection, allowing us to read the sentences and pause when the character would pause and not get caught up by seeing grammar mistakes or wondering how the character would have said this or where they would've pause.
“Strange things happened at midday. The glittering sea rose up, moved apart in planes of blatant impossibility; the coral reef and the few stunted palms that that clung to the more elevated parts would float up into the sky, would quiver, be plucked apart, run like raindrops on a wire or be repeated as in an odd succession of mirrors. Sometimes land loomed where there was no land and flicked out like a bubble as the children watched. Piggy discounted all this learnedly as a “mirage”…. (pg. 58)
I really liked this scene because it really transports you to the island. The way the mirages are described make it seem so realistic and you can so easily imagine what it looks like. It also adds realism to the book, because if you were trapped on an island with mostly just fruit to eat, with it being so hot and being stuck there for a good amount of time, it’s very possible to start seeing mirages and illusions. I think the way he describes all of this while talking about how they get used to seeing these mirages, it shows the passage of time without actually saying it. When I first read this section it seemed really out of place, the descriptions make it seem so dreamlike compared to the rest of the book, and it makes sense as it is describing a mirage. He does a great job of giving that dreamy feeling to the narration.
Tristin Pliska 6
Pages 187-189 are a great example of grammar used be Golding. Within these pages is a conversation between Ralph, Sam, and Eric. Whenever there is a conversation involving Sam and Eric, exceptional grammar is used as they finish each other's sentences. Golding uses dashes when one ends and then when one continues off of what the other was saying. This requires good grammar, otherwise it would be unintelligible. Golding does it exceptionally as he is able to write out an important conversation, while still providing imagery and description. I have never read a book where two characters finish each other’s sentences like this. I imagine it would be difficult to write that way, all of the dialog with different people speaking would overwhelm me if were the one trying to write it. But regardless Golding does it, and does it well.
Pages 9 and 10 have some very descriptive imagery. He is describing everything that Ralph can see from palm trees whose “green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air” to the “shimmering water”. I appreciate how he includes different colors in his various descriptions too, it makes things easier to visualize. He also uses references to approximate measurements with feet and miles. I really like the last part of the first paragraph from page 10, it goes: “to Ralph’s left the perspectives of palm and beach and water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost visible, was the heat.”. This sentence really helps you visualize being on an island and all you can see is palm trees, a beach, and water, that seemingly goes on forever. Then the last part about the heat being almost visible really describes the feeling when it is really hot outside and you feel it all over, making it almost seem tangible.
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