Lord of the Flies - WR3: The Beastie

Inside every person is a darkness, a part considered hell in a place called heaven. For Ralph and all of the other survivors in Lord of the Flies by William Golding their darkness, their hell burns through. They are able to unleash the evil hidden within us since birth. While most beasts lurk beneath the surface of the soul with no chances of escaping, the boy’s are less fortunate having their inner demon escape on the island that lacks a sense of society - simply showing how a life without the existence of a society would cause total chaos.

            The island, with no social order, brings out how animalistic a world would be with no guidelines. Although it is harsh to face the evil that the island conveys in the boys, they still must face their fears. Many biblical references compare the ‘beastie’ to the devil, exactly how the boy’s ‘beastie’ is portrayed as darkness. Inside of them “… four unwinking eyes aimed and two mouths open… (98)” shows the devil living inside them. The twins up on the mountain faced their devil, a monster beyond recognition-themselves. Those moments on the island when they had to face the appalling side of them, the realization hit of why they hid behind the masks in the first place, “If faces were different when lit from above of below-what was a face what was anything? (78)” The island is all about choices, the option for below, a burning pit of hell, or the option for a glistening light of heaven with arms wide open. Although the boys will never be able to overcome their weaknesses, their fatal flaws, if they cannot even face the uncertainties.

Lord of the Flies - WR2: Significance of Facepaint

Humanity shields the truth behind masks, frightened of showing what lays beneath. Yet every so often their true colors shine through. Lord of the Flies by William Golding expresses how Ralph hides behind a painted mask cautious not to show the beast that’s within. The red, black and white paint on Ralph’s face signifies the concealed secrets behind the disguise.

            Society on the island gained an entirely new viewpoint, transforming Ralph into a beast just by the application of paint; paint he hides behind that conceals the creature within, the paint that covers the face of a stranger he turned out to be. However, the island gradually demolishes the barrier Ralph built that formerly masked the beast nobodies seen before. Although Ralph was portrayed as an innocent choir boy he proved the speculations wrong by showing the demon that rests inside him, “He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but an awesome stranger.” (63) Finally the beast emerged from within. The mask could no longer hide the untamable animal, but allowed for the demon to show itself for all to observe.

           

Lord of the Flies - WR1: Motifs

In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding many motifs are shown but above them all a certain color sticks out the most; the color green.

          The way green is able to represent the beautiful island which the boys are now stranded on but the way it’s also shown as the burning jealousy always blaring between the main characters Ralph and Jack. They both wanted to be leaders yet only one could come out on top, “I’m chief then.” (p.23) spoke Ralph as the boys voted. Of course throughout all the craziness of already being trapped on an island the boys add more chaos with the rivalry between the ‘frenemies’. Although when Ralph becomes the official leader the color green appears more just as the tension amongst the boys does.

          Overall the main motif is green because it has more than one set meaning. It shows how throughout the island not only among the scenery is green, but deep within the boys as well.