Lord of the Flies: Golding’s Imagery
Chapter 9: “A View to Death”
The following quotations are either similes or metaphors. Fill in the chart with the required information. The first one is done for you. You may
have to look up the quotation in your novel in order to get context.
Quotation
“The Lord of the Flies hung on his stick
like a black ball.” (p. 160)
“… and he walked with a sort of glum
determination like an old man.” (p. 161)
“… and Jack, painted and garlanded, sat
there like an idol.” (p. 164)
“Immediately, Ralph and the crowd of
boys were united and relieved by a storm
of laughter.” (p. 165)
“So they sat and ate beneath a sky of
thunderous brass that rang with the storm
coming.” (p. 165)
“… Jack rose from a log that was his
throne …” (p. 165)
Literary
Device
Simile
Things Being Compared
Lord of the Flies to a black
ball
Qualities Being
Compared
colour and shape
Why is this image
effective?
-helps us to picture
the blackness and
roundness of the pig’s
head
Quotation
“A wave of restlessness set the boys
swaying and moving aimlessly.” (p. 167)
“The dark sky was shattered by a bluewhite scar.” (p. 168)
“An instant later the noise was on them
like the blow of a gigantic whip.” (p.
168)
“Then the clouds opened and let down the
rain like a waterfall.” ( 169)
“… so that the sky was scattered once
more with the incredible lamps of stars.(p.
169)
“The line of his cheek silvered and the
turn of his shoulder became sculptured
marble.” (p. 170)
Literary
Device
Things Being Compared
Qualities Being
Compared
Why is this image
effective?
Chapter 9: “A View to Death”
Quotation
Literary
Device
Things Being
Compared
Quality(ies)
Being
Compared
“The Lord of the Flies hung on
his stick like a black ball.” (p.
160)
Simile
Lord of the Flies to a
black ball
colour and shape
“… and he walked with a sort
of glum determination like an
old man.” (p. 161)
Simile
Simon to an old man
the posture and
personality of an
old man walking
“… and Jack, painted and
garlanded, sat there like an
idol.” (p. 164)
Simile
Jack to an idol
something that is
worshipped and
admired
Why is this
image
effective?
-helps us to
picture the
blackness and
roundness of the
pig’s head
- we see that
Simon isn’t like
a young boy
going up the
mountain –
more mature –
gives us more
insight into his
character
- shows us that
Jack has finally
got what he
wanted – to be
chief and adored
(and followed)
“Immediately, Ralph and the
crowd of boys were united and
relieved by a storm of
laughter.” (p. 165)
“So they sat and ate beneath a
sky of thunderous brass that
rang with the storm coming.”
(p. 165)
“… Jack rose from a log that
was his throne …” (p. 165)
“A wave of restlessness set the
boys swaying and moving
aimlessly.” (p. 167)
Metaphor
Ralph and the boys to the sound and
a storm
intensity of a
storm
Metaphor
Sound of the coming
storm to brass
instruments
Metaphor
A log to a throne
Metaphor
A wave to the
movement of the
boys
- allows us to
imagine that the
boys were loud
in their laughter
- it clearly
the loud sounds
defines the
that trumpets,
noise of the
tubas, etc. make coming storm
(pathetic
fallacy)
- it continues
a throne is
the image of
valuable and used Jack as
for royalty /
something to be
leaders
worshipped and
admired
- allows us to
the length and
picture how the
flow of an ocean restlessness
wave
moved from boy
to boy like a
wave rolling
onto the sand
“The dark sky was shattered by
a blue-white scar.” (p. 168)
Metaphor
“An instant later the noise was
on them like the blow of a
gigantic whip.” (p. 168)
“Then the clouds opened and
let down the rain like a
waterfall.” ( 169)
a scar to lightening
the destruction
and permanency
of a scar
Simile
noise to a whip
the power,
violence, and
pain of being
whipped
Simile
rain to a waterfall
the amount of
water falling
- tells us that the
lightening is
like a healed
wound (not
usually seen as
a good thing)
and stays in the
night sky
instead of
disappearing
quickly – adds
to the boys’
terror
- allows the
reader to
imagine the
shocking noise
that the thunder
is making, like
being whipped
- lets us picture
the amount of
water, not just
drops but
gushes
“… so that the sky was
scattered once more with the
incredible lamps of stars.(p.
169)
Metaphor
“The line of his cheek silvered Metaphor
and the turn of his shoulder
(2)
became sculptured marble.” (p.
170)
lamps to stars
cheek to silver
shoulder to marble
- it is as if the
light and comfort stars are lighting
the night for the
boys, like lamps
would light their
houses
(provides
comfort)
colour
- both
emphasize
texture, colour,
Simon’s worth
richness of
(silver and
marble (like a
marble) – he
statue)
was a good
character who
didn’t deserve
to die