How is Golding usingthisto contribute to the meaning of the book? Ashley Hartzell and Samantha Lockhart
William Golding uses the fire to portray the civility of the island. The fire changes positions on the island and also changes its meaning as the novel reaches its end. Placed on the mountain and then changed to the beach portrays the desire of the young boys to be rescued. The fire is used as a signal to guide ships to the boys, but later is used as a sacrificial symbol as Jack and the boys hunted for Ralph to kill him. Towards the beginning of the novel the boys do everything they can to keep the fire going, also symbolizing how much they absolutely desired to be off that island. The fire went out and the boys believed they would not be rescued and they had no choice but to accept civilization on the island as it was.They understood that they would have to learn to live on the island. As the novel goes on the fire is no longer lit and the boys begin to betray Ralph, who was once the one who kept them going and lead them to where they were.The fire also symbolizes hope in the boys, which is destroyed by Jack when he goes out of control and desires to hunt and kill Ralph, which is like the way the fire goes out of control. At the end of the novel the boys are rescued, but not from a signal fire, but from a fire Jack started in order to catch Ralph.
1 “If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire(Golding 30).” The boys decided that a signal fire was going to be the only way to be rescued. Piggy used his glasses to start the fire because they had no other way to begin the flame. With the flame and smoke, it gave the boys a greater chance to be rescued and seen by ships that were passing by.
2 “We’ll put green branches on, then there'll be more smoke (Golding 34).” Suggested by Jack, the boys placed green branches on the flame to produce more of a smoke on the mountain. With more smoke and less flame the boys can increase their chance to be seen by a passing ship. It makes the fire more useful to the group. The way the boys do things to add smoke to the fire symbolizes their desire to leave the island.
3 “You got your small fire all right”(Golding 35) The fire was running through the forest, burning up all of the underbrush. Piggy was telling everyone that their small fire was burning all of the underbrush that they could have used to make another fire when the other fire burns out and now they only have the fire that they are using now to use to attract a ship.
4 Ralph said “There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out! (Golding 59) ” to Jack. They almost had a chance to get off the island and the fire was their only hope, but it got left and went out. This made Ralph very angry with Jack.
5 “They tried holding the whole carcass on a stake over the fire, but the stake burnt more quickly than the pig roasted (Golding 62),” which shows that the fire is not only a symbol of rescue, but a symbol of survival and feeding.
You didn't include whether they are major/minor events, and you didn't explain how the events change the story, so 6/9.
Chase Guthrie
How is Golding using this to contribute to the meaning of the book?
Ashley Hartzell and Samantha Lockhart
William Golding uses the fire to portray the civility of the island. The fire changes positions on the island and also changes its meaning as the novel reaches its end. Placed on the mountain and then changed to the beach portrays the desire of the young boys to be rescued. The fire is used as a signal to guide ships to the boys, but later is used as a sacrificial symbol as Jack and the boys hunted for Ralph to kill him. Towards the beginning of the novel the boys do everything they can to keep the fire going, also symbolizing how much they absolutely desired to be off that island. The fire went out and the boys believed they would not be rescued and they had no choice but to accept civilization on the island as it was.They understood that they would have to learn to live on the island. As the novel goes on the fire is no longer lit and the boys begin to betray Ralph, who was once the one who kept them going and lead them to where they were.The fire also symbolizes hope in the boys, which is destroyed by Jack when he goes out of control and desires to hunt and kill Ralph, which is like the way the fire goes out of control. At the end of the novel the boys are rescued, but not from a signal fire, but from a fire Jack started in order to catch Ralph.
1 “If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire(Golding 30).” The boys decided that a signal fire was going to be the only way to be rescued. Piggy used his glasses to start the fire because they had no other way to begin the flame. With the flame and smoke, it gave the boys a greater chance to be rescued and seen by ships that were passing by.
2 “We’ll put green branches on, then there'll be more smoke (Golding 34).” Suggested by Jack, the boys placed green branches on the flame to produce more of a smoke on the mountain. With more smoke and less flame the boys can increase their chance to be seen by a passing ship. It makes the fire more useful to the group. The way the boys do things to add smoke to the fire symbolizes their desire to leave the island.
3 “You got your small fire all right”(Golding 35) The fire was running through the forest, burning up all of the underbrush. Piggy was telling everyone that their small fire was burning all of the underbrush that they could have used to make another fire when the other fire burns out and now they only have the fire that they are using now to use to attract a ship.
4 Ralph said “There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out! (Golding 59) ” to Jack. They almost had a chance to get off the island and the fire was their only hope, but it got left and went out. This made Ralph very angry with Jack.
5 “They tried holding the whole carcass on a stake over the fire, but the stake burnt more quickly than the pig roasted (Golding 62),” which shows that the fire is not only a symbol of rescue, but a symbol of survival and feeding.
You didn't include whether they are major/minor events, and you didn't explain how the events change the story, so 6/9.
Chase Guthrie