Foreshadowing in Lord of the Flies essays

Foreshadowing in Lord of the Flies essays Foreshadowing is a device often used in literature to hint at major events of a piece of writing, or the climax. William Golding masterfully uses this technique in his novel many times to grab the reader's attention, and add depth. Lord of the Flies, his 1954 work about a group of boys stranded on an island, where bedlam is ever present, has foreshadowing to the myriad of crises that occur. This foreshadowing hints at how quickly a utopia will dissolve into dystopia, and the marooned boys losing their innocence. Such events include instances of savagery, death, and societal degeneration. From the moment they get their bearings on the island, the savagery of these boys starts to rear its ugly head. The poor, unappreciated Piggy is the first to bear the brunt of apathy, when Jack berates him and strikes him hard enough to break his glasses. In this instance, Jack is infuriated by Piggy's scorn at the fire being let out. Jack is then driven to violence. He took a step, and...[struck Piggy down]...and Jack smacked Piggy's head,? (GOLDING 71). Piggy's glasses then fly off, and break on a rock. Jack shows no remorse, and even mocks Piggy. Although Jack is the best example of morals unravelling, other castaways show an underlying truculence that later engulfs their entire personality. Roger, one of the boys from Jack's choir, starts to enjoy taunting the littl?uns. Despite being still hindered by the social mores with which he was raised, his sadistic side starts to show, especially in his dealings with young Henry. Roger stopped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry - threw it to miss...Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them? (62). This event grimly foretells of Roger's stone throwing in later chapters. Perhaps the best example of initial savagery is the rage Jack feels when he fails to kill the first pig. Jack sits, waiting for a pig,down like a sprinter...his face a few inches fr...