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how is violence presented in lord of the flies

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How is violence presented in Lord of the Flies?
Planning (remember to get quotes):
Key ideas:
Introduction
Setting -> This island -> pathetic fallacy, descriptions
Binary oppositions: Civilisation vs savagery (breakdowns). Zoomorphism
Binary oppositions: Dictatorship vs democracy (juxtapositions)
Deaths of Simon and Piggy – animalistic, savage chanting, violent behaviour when they let their temptations get the better of them.
Simon and the beast?
Conclusion – end of the novel

William Golding explores the theme of violence throughout his novel ‘Lord of the Flies’. He believed that every individual has the potential to bring out their inner evil, and that every human being is flawed in their nature. Hence, he wrote a novel with …show more content…

Simon’s allegorical role or function in the novel includes biblical insinuations. “…and was covered with a coat of pearls…” these divine allusions emphasise the violence present, as they contrast with the angelic and Christ-like quality of Simon, whom the savages mercilessly murdered. Following this incident, the conch is shattered and when Piggy’s glasses are broken (along with the death of the fire that previously occurred), it foreshadows the total destruction of any possible civilisation ever returning back to the island, showing the demise but need of law, order and reason in society). Hereafter, Ralph is left alone to face the savages. This all underlines Golding’s ideas that humans have evil and hatred deep inside of them, and could let the inner beast completely and violently take over if they be submissive to even a bit of temptation.
The other binary opposition also prevailing in this novel is dictatorship versus democracy. This juxtaposition is also used to portray violence across the novel. For example, “………….” Here, we can see the development of the behaviour of the, as turning more and more violent as soon as they lose sight of the conch, and the sense of democracy is broken down or lost.

Violence is presented in the novel through the very diverse deaths of both Piggy and Simon. Prior to Simon’s murder, the boys had been chanting “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” in “complementary circles”. These are powerful phrases which

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