Author's Methods continued

Practice question for you guys: What methods are used by Golding to convey the idea that the boys are slowly using their identity.

The idea of moving from lack of understanding to understanding, from ignorance to enlightenment is a concept that is often explored in a variety of texts from 'Twilight' to 'The Day of the Triffids'.  This idea is used in Shakespeare's 'King Lear', in Ridley Scott's 'Alien' and a score of other texts.  Can you think of any?

In all these texts, their authors use various methods to explore the transition from unknowing to knowing.  It is important that you identify them in whatever text we're studying; you may think of them under the term 'technique'.  Think of similes, metaphors, alliteration, patterns in structure, imagery.

Use the board below to get you started.  It maps some ideas on imagery, specifically the imagery of light and dark, but for a better response do not confine yourself to a single method.

Author's METHODS

As part of your discussion make sure you talk about the author's methods.  The examiners want to know about ideas and attitudes, themes too, but they need to know how the author puts his ideas across.

In both the texts we are studying the authors use various methods to convey their intentions.  Golding is heavily reliant on symbolism and he uses several items to explore the ideas of civilisation, control, the breakdown of order and the irony attached to some of these.  For instance the glasses represent order, civilsation, control, knowledge, power, clarity, vision, perspective - they are the height of technology on the island as they can be used to provide fire for warmth, cooking and signalling however their use in this manner leads to destruction and power struggle.  Remember that the signal fire leads to a significant portion of the island being destroyed, as well as the assumed death of the boy with the mulberry birthmark.  Its importance also leads to the raid on Piggy and Ralph's camp by Jack and his followers.  What the glasses represent is somewhat ironic as it can be used by rational thinkers, but equally by 'savages' - perhaps the author is suggesting that technology does not breed civilisation and order, but also death and destruction; remember that the other references to technology include an atomic bomb and fighter planes.

Close Analysis (point 3 and 4)

So the 'Lord of the Flies' question is asking you to investigate the novel using the question they give you as a route.  Your question must be crafted, so spend a couple of minutes planning what you want to cover.  They want you to explore and the more insightful you are the closer you will be to those top bands.  Make sure that whatever you have to say relates to the question.  If you have time at the end of the exam check that your discussion is thoroughly related to the question.

Point Three covers an analysis of language.  This is where you dig down behind the meaning of the language that has been used.  Link whatever you have to say about the language to the question you've been asked.

Point Four covers what the writer meant the language to imply as well as the structure, so you could bring in Todorov's theory here.  They want to know what the effect of the language and structure is.  For instance is their a circular structure?  What does it imply?

Create your own mind map.  Take key language from the text and create a map of what it suggests to you.  Take a picture and upload it!

Happy Christmas!


 

From the Board

The idea of power in the novel is a great subject. Who has it? Who doesn't?

Arguably none of the boys have power as they are all at the mercy of the island and its effects on them; or they are at the mercy of instinct.

An interesting discussion might be whether Jack uses instinct as an excuse to actively descend into savagery and chaos having been at the antithesis (other end of the scale) of this at the beginning of the novel. He is certainly an extreme character, after all he will not allow his choristers to take of their gowns despite the fact it is baking: Ralph is so hot he trails his sweater behind him. One of the boys is close to passing out when they dutifully line up, in chapter one, as Jack demands to know where the "man with the trumpet" is.

So, does Jack actively descend into savagery? Do the other boys merely follow him from a sense of fear?

Ralph is naturally powerful: he is a natural leader, but this is not enough. Good leadership does not mean peace, harmony and safety will follow.

The conch is a symbol of power, but what does its destruction signify towards the end of the novel when it explodes "into a thousand white fragments and [ceases] to exist?


Simon is also arguably a powerful figure as he realises what the pig on the stick truly represents. It speaks to him, but this can be seen as his crazed imaginings or as a true supernatural event: that the pig is actually a devil made flesh by the boys. He has the ability to bring reason and understanding to the boys, to remove the power of ignorance and fear. He knows that the 'Beast' is just the body of the parachutist for instance and he also realises that the boys are worshipping a figure of evil that seeks to control and destroy them.

Does the need, by the author, to kill off Simon show that the author believes reason and freedom from ignorance and fear is not within the grasp of Mankind? That Mankind is doomed?

Simon can be likened to a Christ-like figure.  The important thing here is the word 'like'.  Christ was a saviour, but is Simon?  Christ died for our sins so that sin did not have authority over us and Christians believe that he accomplished that.  Now you don't have to be a Christian to appreciate that htis was the intention and is believed to be the outcome and then apply this to 'Lord of the Flies'.  Christ was successful, but is Simon successful in the same way?

Christ's death rescued our souls, but does Simon rescue the souls of the boys?

Eventually Ralph says 'That was murder', in relation to Simon's death.  He recognises that he partook in the murder of his friend despite the frenzied nature of the attack, he acted savagely and killed another person.  Perhaps this revelation rescues Piggy and Ralph, but the other boys don't seem to be bothered by the death or simply try to escape the truth by ignoring it.

Unpicking the Detail

In Section A of the exam you will be expected to respond to a question in a very familiar style.  We have taught all of you, over the years, to use the PEE(E) paragraph structure: Point, Evidence, Explain and Extend.  As your teachers have told you the extension portion of this paragraph style is extremely useful to signpost to the examiner that you are going deeper, by either examining structure, meaning or attitudes.  For instance in your extension you might unpick why Golding uses the word ‘fair’ to describe Ralph:

For example: “When Ralph is introduced Golding uses the word ‘fair’ to present his hair colour, of course, but not only does he create the image of a somewhat Aryan and perfect child in appearance, by using the word ‘fair’ he could actually be portraying Ralph as someone who is able to make reasonable judgements, who has a good moral and ethical understanding and who, by nature, looks for and provides equality and justice.”

This is ‘unpicking’, where you make a meal out of something that seems small, but actually has a wider relevance to the novel.  Also, if you look up the word ‘Aryan’, you’ll find that you could expand this extension teaser.  Be mindful that the word ‘Aryan’ is not supplied by the author, but this is a post-war text so the term is extremely relevant.

In the comments box below show your ability to unpick language used in a section chosen by you.

Past Essay

Student response to:

How does Golding present death in Lord of the Flies?

 The candidate strays at times from the focus of the question and, at times, the piece feels like a review rather than analysis of the text.  Though the candidate achieves a high mark there is room for development through language and structure.  They have not discussed how the deaths and the brutality and awareness of actions builds from ignorance to 'demented' ecstasy to rational murder.  Moreover the candidate has not opened up the language used by Golding in the deaths to a secure Band 6 standard.

 ...
Throughout Lord of the Flies Golding does not shy away from presenting to the reader the consequences of human interference with nature and how, ultimately, this can lead to death.

Death is presented to us as surrounding humans wherever they go and is something that, because of who we are, will surround us forever. From the moment the boys set foot on this seemingly beautiful paradise they cause destruction. Golding writes 'All round him, the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat', and this being one of the first sentences of the first chapter, we can see it is something Golding wished to portray from the outset. The scar is of course the trail of destruction caused by the plane as it plunged into the island, like an enormous wound on the face of 'paradise'. It isn’t long before the island claims its first victim.

It is in chapter two that death manifests itself within the boys, as a child is killed by a fire that got out of hand. The fire had been built to save them, yet through the boys' own foolishness and lack of foresight, their huge pile of dead wood sets the forest alight, trapping a little'un. Instead though, of panicking or attempting to douse the flames, the boys' first reaction was to break into 'shrill, excited cheering' as they witnessed the devastation of their paradise. This could relate to Golding's belief that man's nature is one of destruction, and the boys' cheering symbolises all of our naivety of that fact. The characters don't yet see the trouble they have placed themselves in, or its consequences. Golding describes the noises of this fire as 'a drumroll that seemed to shake the mountain'. This metaphor draws up animalistic and tribal images of warriors and ignorance, and is a brilliant example of foreshadowing the boys' descent into eventual anarchy and chaos. Nothing describes this eventual decay of morals like the tragic murder of the character Simon.

By chapter 9, 'A View to a Death', the innate savagery within the boys is starting to eat through them. Jack has announced his formation of a new tribe, shunning the democratic and 'civilised' Britishness of Ralph and Piggy and replacing it with tribalism. This rejection of authority and civilisation is just the start. Upon hearing the thunder, the boys begin to chant, done in circles and mime slaughtering a pig. Suddenly a figure emerges from the forest and the 'demented but secure society' becomes a horse-shoe, trapping and killing the beast that had crashed out of the woods. Simon lay dead on the sand, and it is in this frenzied and unjustifiable killing that we really see the true capabilities of man.

Following Simon's death, Piggy comments 'It was an accident...he asked for it'. This is yet another of Golding's examples of human ignorance about death, as despite playing a role in Simon's killing, Piggy will not take responsibility. This could be because despite the tribal urges that compelled him to take part in the killing, he cannot escape the entrapment of his upbringing in mainstream society so he is feeling guilty. Unable to deal with these feelings, he attempts to blame Simon for his own killing. Piggy's feelings here could be argued further substantiate Golding's opinion that man, although cultured into civilisation, could easily slip back into animalistic tribalism without rules and justice that prevent this. It also shows that despite everything, men can still feel guilt.

Although just a novel, Golding intended us to realise that once we escape entrapments of our 'civilised' society, we are all still animalistic beings we once were, and death as a consequence will always surround humanity. After all, even if good should prevail, death will still meet us at the end anyway.

 
All band 5 with 6.5 26/30

6.5 Convincing/imaginative interpretation of ideas/themes