violence

• “Simon’s effort fell about him in ruins; the laughter beat him cruelly and he shrank away defenceless ” 


  -“laughter beat him cruelly” personifies the laughter, turning it into a weapon of emotional violence. Laughter, which is normally associated with joy, is twisted here into something brutal and punishing

  -he shrank away defenceless” captures Simon’s vulnerability and isolation.

  -“Simon’s effort fell about him in ruins” metaphorically compares Simon’s attempt to speak or express himself to a crumbling structure, symbolizing the collapse of his confidence and the destruction of his courage.

  -“beat” evokes physical assault, making it clear that Simon is being psychologically battered by the group.

  • he is powerless in the face of communal scorn
• the sow staggered her way ahead of them, bleeding and mad, and the hunters followed, wedded to her in lust, excited by the long chase ...The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her.”


  -“wedded to her in lust”, a deeply unsettling metaphor: “wedded” implies a twisted kind of union, while “lust” introduces sexual violence. the boys are deriving pleasure from dominance and bloodshed.

  -“Excited by the long chase and the dropped blood” reveals their addiction to violence.the chase becomes a thrilling ritual they are losing their moral compass and embracing savagery.

  • “The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her” is suggestive of a gang rape metaphor.They are “fulfilled”, as if this violent act has satisfied a dark, primal hunger.
• “Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back . His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. Piggy’s arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig’s after it has been killed.”

  -golding uses“stuff” to describe his brain — reducing Piggy to flesh and matter, stripping him of identity and dignity.

  -The color “red” symbolizes violence, death, and bloodshed, reinforcing the horror of the moment.

  -"like a pig’s after it has been killed” is deeply symbolic. It compares Piggy — the most intellectual and rational character — to an animal, mirroring the slaughter of the sow earlier in the novel.

  -simile also highlights the irony of his name — Piggy, now literally killed like a pig. This marks the point where all remnants of order, logic, and democracy are utterly destroyed. turning point: final triumph of savagery over civilisation.
• “They hate you Ralph. They’re going to do you. They’re going to hunt you tomorrow.” -samneric


  -“They” creates a sense of faceless threat ,group has become a single, dangerous entity. Individual identity is lost — this is the mob mentality, fully formed.

  -“They’re going to do you” is a euphemism for murder, which makes it even more terrifying. The vagueness of “do” implies a kind of unspeakable violence.death is now casual, expected

  -“They’re going to hunt you tomorrow” reduces Ralph to the level of an anima. this line draws a terrifying parallel: Ralph is now the prey, and the “hunters” — they are predators

  -climax of the novel’s theme of civilisation vs savagery. Ralph, the symbol of order and leadership, is now alone and hunted:destruction of morality, logic, and innocence.