IRB: Lord of the Flies Reading Section 1

                The first four chapters of Lord of the Flies presented an overarching theme of premonition and tension. William Golding makes it clear to us that the fragile bonds and friendships created by characters within the story are about to sever, and violently at that.

                The two strongest elements of rhetoric and fiction that Golding expands upon are character and setting. Upon the island that the British boys land on, the two leaders of them emerge as Jack and Ralph. From a rhetorical and fictional standpoint, the two boys are foils of one another. Jack, as the leader of the choir boys, represents irrational action, drive, exhilaration, and living in the moment. This is best displayed when he foils their chance of rescue by not having the signal fire up (as it was his duty to) while a boat passed by; he was too busy hunting a pig, a violent act he glorifies in a macabre way. On the opposite spectrum stands Ralph. As the (un)official leader of them all, he presents (as also backed by Piggy, an intelligent fat boy who despite Ralph’s thoughts is actually very important to him) rationality, calm action, wisdom, and natural leadership skills that depend upon respect and not fear. This connects to the theme of breaking bonds and friendships because the readers clearly see that as time passes, the distance between these two leaders are increasing and suggest the possibility of separation.

                Setting is also important to Golding in Lord of the Flies. The entire premise of the story centers on a group of young boys (who, as British, are supposed to be more civilized) who crash land upon a deserted island and must fend for themselves. An integral part of the setting is the isolation that leaves the boys alone, and with it, fear. Created first by a young boy on the island, there is a mental fear of what is known as the “beastie”. It starts as a simple myth, of an unusually large snake that prowls the forests of the island, but as time progresses and the boys start realizing the dangers surrounding their life on the island, becomes a more tangible fear, particularly among the “littluns”, children under the age of 6. This fear is eventually used by Jack to his advantage, as this irrationality fits perfectly with his symbolism and representation of the savage that exists in all men, even children.