Throughout the first three chapters setting is used to establish the overall plot of the book. Setting is literally what creates the situation that the children are facing as well as preparing for, and symbolizing many of the reoccurring themes within the story. Golding’s use of imagery greatly contributes to the overall feel of the setting and the novel.
The setting establishes a sense of hopelessness in the children during the first few chapters that will continue throughout the book, at first the children feel the need to search the island looking for a means of escape. When they discover that they are in fact on an island some of the children immediately give up and spend their days “lounging around”(Golding 51). However, some of the characters like Ralph, Simon, and Jack begin to work at “creating shelter”(50) and “hunting”(49) for food. In this way the main characters are firmly established.
Certain objects in the setting begin to symbolize certain themes within the story. On the first page the crash site is referred to as a “scar in the jungle”(Golding 1), and the undergrowth is described as being “creep[y]”(1). When the children reach the beach they notice beautiful “coral reef[s]”(4) and palatial lagoons. The contrasting imagery establishes the theme of fear in the unknown. When Ralph discovers the conch and sounds it for the first time the children are drawn to it. Later on in the novel, it is decided that only the person with the conch in their hands may speak; immediately associating the conch with leadership. Finally, the grassy platform becomes a symbol for safety as the children begin to explore the island. While on the platform the character Piggy is “not interrupted”(31), however off of the platform Jack and the rest of the children “fiercely”(42) tell “shut up”(42). The idea of safety in the platform is also demonstrated when the young ones run to it as a place of refuge when they say the saw a monster.
It should be interesting to see how these early setting themes will impact the outcome of the novel.
2 comments:
Jordan, I completely agree that it will be neat to see how the setting of the story will change the theme of the novel as we read more of the book. When reading that the theme of the story created a sense of hopelessness for you, I also would say that that the children also feel a sense of freedom and discovery while feeling this hopelessness. Although the boys seem to feel this way, there is also the fear of the unknown of what might happen. They are on a confined island and are all quite young, and one could expect they are inexperienced in taking care of themselves. I found a quote very interesting: “Trees, forced by the damp heat, found too little soil for full growth, fell early and decayed” (Golding 38). From Golding describing the setting of the story, it makes me wonder if the trees might reflect what ends up happening to the boys at the end of the story. Do they also “[fall] early” (38)? If they do, what would cause this?
In paragraph two, when you were describing how the characters respond in response to the situation they are in, I agree that through this the characters are strongly established. When reading, I could almost sense the way characters might progress throughout the novel. For example, Piggy is already being isolated and feeling a sense of separation from the other boys. They are not listening to him when he has his smart and intelligent words to say to the group. This makes me wonder how Piggy might act towards the other characters throughout the remainder of the novel.
I agree with you, Jordan, that through chapters one to three, the setting allowed for a theme in the novel.
Kaela
=)
Your comments on the imagery used are insightful. The setting certainly assists in developing the theme. I also like how you focused on some of the items from the story. Golding picks his chapter titles very carefully.
For improvement, try to tie your ideas together for one purpose more clearly.
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