Important Passages from Golding's Lord of the Flies
For each of the following passages:
1: Identify its CONTEXTUAL significance.
The contextual significance has to do with its importance related to PLOT EVENTS
AND
2: Identify its TEXTUAL significance.
The textual significance of a passage has to do with HOW IT REVEALS MEANING.
1. CONTEXTUAL significance
Find when it occurs in the PLOT. WHO is the speaker?
IDENTIFY what happens before, during and after this passage.
WHY IS this moment important at this point in the plot?
2. TEXTUAL significance
WHAT IMPORTANT IDEAS DOES IT SUGGEST?
about a character’s development or significance,
about important ideas related to theme,
about irony,
about symbolism
A.
"There's nothing in it of course. Just a feeling. But you can feel as if you're not hunting, but--being
hunted; as if something's behind you all the time in the jungle."
B.
"I'm scared of him…and that's why I know him. If you're scared of someone you hate him but you
can't stop thinking about him. You kid yourself he's all right really, and then you see him again…"
C.
Neither of the boys screamed but the grip of their arms tightened and their mouths grew peaked.
For perhaps ten seconds they crouched like that while the flailing fire sent smoke and sparks and
waves of inconstant light over the top of the mountain.
D.
…was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze
and hurt was over-mastering.
E.
The great wave of the tide moved further along the island and the water lifted. Softly, surrounded
by a fringe of inquisitive creatures, itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon's
dead body moved out toward the open sea.
F.
But then the fatal unreasoning knowledge came to him again. The breaking of the conch and the
deaths of Simon and Piggy lay over the island like a vapour. These painted savages would go
further and further.
G.
The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down
from the first stars. Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island.
H.
He lost himself in a maze of thoughts that were rendered vague by his lack of words to express
them. Frowning, he tried again.