Lord of the Flies- Thesis
When left to its own devices and given the opportunity, human nature will revert back to the inherent savagery that lies within everyone. In William Golding's Lord of the Flies this theme becomes apparent when, after a plane crash, a band of young boys are left stranded on an island. Without the guidance of adults and the structure of society the boys become lawless and barbaric. Chapter nine marks the turning point in the novel where the climax occurs with the killing of Simon. In the last four paragraphs of chapter nine, "A View to Death" Golding uses light imagery of the sky, the water creatures and Simons' body to show the apotheosis of Simon.Golding uses light imagery of the sky to show the apotheosis of Simon. At the storms worst point, Simon's death occurs. Afterwards "The clouds drifted away, so that the sky was scattered once more with the incredible lamps of stars." This storm and its ending at Simons' death parallels the storm that took place during the crucifixion of Christ on the cross. When Simon is killed during the boys' crazy dance he undergoes extreme pain and suffering, his crucifixion. "The clear water mirrors the clear sky and the angular bright constellations." The unen
Lastly, Golding uses the light imagery of Simon's body to establish him as the apotheosis. "The water rose farther and dressed Simon's coarse hair with brightness." These are Simon's last rites, an after death baptismal preformed by the ocean that will guarantee his entrance into heaven. As "the line of his cheek silvered" he became a saint, dressing his body in silver entitling him to reverence and respect in his after-life. His body is then healed, "the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble." As the sea's holy water washes over Simon's broken body, evidence of his brutal murder is erased, making his body resemble marble, smooth and white. In the last four paragraphs of chapter nine, "A View to Death" Golding uses light imagery to show how Simon is the Christ-like figure in Lord of the Flies. He uses the sky to show quintessence, the water to describe the heavens opening up to receive his body, makes a metaphor of the creatures to show how he dies as a savior, and imagery of his body to show how, after his death, he becomes a saint. With their thoughts taken over by the tribal beat of the dance, the boys silence the truth by sacrificing Simon to their savagery. His death is Golding's comment on human nature and reveals the theme in the novel- without the structure of society; man will revert back to savagery. The true beast is the ugliness t
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 921
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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