The Island In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding
Many writers choose to include a distinctive opening in their books so as to clearly establish the atmosphere of their novel, the characters they include in it and the scene these characters are discovered in. One such writer is William Golding. He includes an extremely striking opening in his novel “Lord of the Flies.” This book is set in the 1940's during an atomic war. A group of English schoolboys was evacuated before their homes were bombed, but their plane crashed on a tropical island. There are no adults left alive, and the boys learn to fend for themselves. They see the island as paradise by day, but by night are terrified by rumors of a strange beast on the island. The boys soon lose the civilized customs they were brought up with
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The island the boys are stranded on serves as a microcosm for wider society - a place far from civilization and free from adult supervision. The beauty of the island paradise the boys are stranded on is astounding. Golding quickly shows just how magnificent the island is;
“(The lagoon) was clear to the bottom and bright with the efflorescence of tropical weed and coral.”
As the boys explore the island its beauty is clear to them. All around them is a jungle paradise; there is only one flaw with the island;
“the long scar smashed into the jungle”
This new clearing was created by the plane the boys came in, crashing onto the island. As soon as the boys arrived some of the island's beauty was destroyed. This reveals one of the novel's main themes; mankind 's destructiveness. It also unveils more information about the distinctive setting of “Lord of the Flies;” although the island is beautiful, it is now endangered because of the boys', and therefore mankind's, arrival.
Additionally, Golding's opening chapter introduces the reader to the central characters in the text. His protagonist and antagonist are vividly drawn and prepare us for the conflict which will later develop between them, and the rest of the boys on the island;
“There was a mildness about his eyes and mouth which proclaimed no
The island the boys are stranded on serves as a microcosm for wider society - a place far from civilization and free from adult supervision. The beauty of the island paradise the boys are stranded on is astounding. Golding quickly shows just how magnificent the island is;
“(The lagoon) was clear to the bottom and bright with the efflorescence of tropical weed and coral.”
As the boys explore the island its beauty is clear to them. All around them is a jungle paradise; there is only one flaw with the island;
“the long scar smashed into the jungle”
This new clearing was created by the plane the boys came in, crashing onto the island. As soon as the boys arrived some of the island's beauty was destroyed. This reveals one of the novel's main themes; mankind 's destructiveness. It also unveils more information about the distinctive setting of “Lord of the Flies;” although the island is beautiful, it is now endangered because of the boys', and therefore mankind's, arrival.
Additionally, Golding's opening chapter introduces the reader to the central characters in the text. His protagonist and antagonist are vividly drawn and prepare us for the conflict which will later develop between them, and the rest of the boys on the island;
“There was a mildness about his eyes and mouth which proclaimed no