An in-depth, essay answer to 'How is an increasingly violent world presented in Lord of the Flies'. An excellent example if you are unsure how to structure an answer to this question which could be the question to the 34 marker for Question 1 in AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 2.
*anything in quotation marks “” has been taken from Lord of the Flies by William Golding
How does Golding present an increasingly violent world in Lord of the Flies?
Golding presents an increasingly violent world through the decrease of the use of society’s moral compass in the
boys. This can be seen in “Became less a hunter than a furtive thing, ape-like”. The use of anthropomorphism
suggests that Jack is being stripped of his humane features and is becoming more alike to an animal. Golding has
done this to perhaps show us that the less we are exposed to society, the more we backtrack to our primate roots.
This may have been inspired by when Golding served in World War Two and how men became more violent and
were even praised for their savage, inhumane ways. The use of anthropomorphism may also be to heighten the
tension because Jack is no longer feeling the usual human emotions and is, therefore, more likely to act like a
predator- this makes us fear for the more vulnerable characters. Golding also shows a broken moral compass in
the boys through, “burst into noisy tears and was slapped by Bill till he choked”. The violent verb “slapped”
emphasises how cold and cruel the boys have become and the lack of justice, as no one stops Bill from
oppressing this boy. This also shows us that no one is bothered by the threat of death and so may foreshadow the
careless murders yet to come. Golding may have done this to support Nietzsche's theory that the weak are preyed
upon by the powerful and no one stops them.
Nature also helps paint this darker world, one example being in Chapter 2 where the fire gets out of control which
results in the death of a littleun. This can be seen in “The heart of flame leapt (...) and then went swinging and
flaring” because the fire is being personified, which shows us how the darkness in the boys has opened up the
darkness of the island. The use of personification may also be to foreshadow the beast; as well as help build up
this dystopian image where even the landscape is evil. Golding may have done this to help build a microcosm to
explain the human condition and how it affects everything, even nature. Nature also helps present the violence in
the boys through “There was a sudden bright explosion and a corkscrew trail across the sky”. Golding has written
this to also convey a dystopian landscape and imply that violence surrounds them, even if they haven't done
anything. This may have also been added to heighten the tension because now evil things, like death, are
happening unbeknownst to the boys, revealing to us the lack of justice; therefore enforcing how uncivilised their
community has become.
A significant event in Chapter 5 helps portray this increasingly violent world which is when Jack says “Bollocks to
the rules!”; because now we know for sure that Jack has shed any civilised features from himself, in order to
become a savage. The use of the swear word also reinforces this, because it contrasts to Jack’s former, well-
spoken self, which shows us how he is becoming less himself. Without any regard for rules, the boys can now do
as they like, without any consequences. Golding has done this to make the reader feel fear for the more vulnerable
characters. The disregard for a civilised manner is also presented in “Roger (...) picked up a stone, aimed and
threw it at Henry”. The use of the word “aimed” emphasises how Roger is purposefully attacking Henry and no
longer cares about any kind of repercussions. From this, we can infer that Roger has given up hope of any kind of
rescue which foreshadows the increased uncivilised manner later on. Golding may have done this to suggest that
the boys are embracing the Id from Freud’s theory, which may also foreshadow a lack of conscience later on.
The current theme of death also shows a more violent world in Lord of the Flies. This can be seen in “If an enemy
came (...) one heave (...) and- wheeee!”. Golding has done this to foreshadow the hunt for Ralph later as Jack in
his mind has already made enemies. Another interpretation is to heighten the tension as Jack is excited by the
idea of shoving someone off a cliff which also shows us the natural violence of Jack and how even the most
innocent, well-brought-up people can be evil within. This is also shown in “Kill him! Kill him!” the use of repetition
may be to highlight how the threat of death is not vanishing which makes the reader feel for the more vulnerable
characters.
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