In the first page of Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses a lot of imagery pertaining to a forest. It creates the scenery for the reader to imagine. It affects the readers view on how the first character feels about his surroundings. Apparently, Ralph feels a bit stunned and afraid when not being guided by anyone. The story shows this by the quote, "clambering heavily among the creepers and broken trunks when a bird, a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch-like cry; and this cry was echoed by another." The effect of this on the reader is the uncertainty of events that will occur next, which captures the readers attention. The story then feeds on the readers feelings (fear, anxiousness, and thoughtfulness).
Golding also uses the title of the chapter itself to give us a hint as to what the events were going to sum up to. The title which is "The Sound of the Shell" foreshadows already what a character (Ralph) is about to do later in the chapter. The "Shell" is the symbolic icon of power which is introduced immediately in the chapter title itself. The author might have made this decision to show that the influence of civility is still strong at the start when the kids are initially abandoned. This creates a sense of support and control which would be demonstrated in key parts of the novel such as when Ralph calls the first assembly on the island. This sense shows the strong retention of behaviors accepted in society as shown in Ralph's original group.
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