Epithets In Lord Of The Flies Chapter 1 Essay

Throughout Chapter 1, Golding creates an environment that is eerie and menacing, especially through the literary device of epithets. In creating a setting for the characters to explore, play in, and live in that has menacing undertones, this further isolates the children from the outside world and traps them in a world that is devoid of moral guides. This was especially done through the use of epithets such as “coarse grass”, “decaying coconuts”, and “fallen trees”, which creates an image of untamed and decaying aspects of the existence of the boy’s humanity. Like the decaying coconuts and the falling trees, being cut off from their moral guides and role models caused decay in the boy’s humanity while also causing a slow fall from grace, especially among Jack and his hunters. The island itself is used symbolically to represent this evil force sucking the humanity out of the characters and was shown to “whisper”, hinting that the island is telling itself about the arrival of the characters and its …show more content…
This clashing language was shown in the description of Jack, who was shown in the quote,“Inside the floating cloak he was tall, thin, and bony: and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness.” In this sharp contrast in sounds, this hints at future violence occurring on the island, as the battling words used in describing the landscape and characters serve as a way to foreshadow the battles between the characters and between the characters and nature. Through these literary angles, Golding creates a menacing atmosphere and an underlying uneasy feeling among the audience members, which ultimately allows the audience to see the reflection of human nature in the destruction of the character’s naivety due to the menacing environment and the ideas for the atrocious acts that the island whispers into the ears of characters such as