Lord of the Flies Life Cycle Symbolism Chapter Four

Morning Morning in the first pages of chapter four is synonymous with youth. Write down the underlined words: “They accepted the pleasures of morning, the bright sun, the whelming sea and sweet air, as a time when play was good and life so full that hope was not necessary and therefore forgotten.” Analysis: Youth or childhood is a time of pleasure, play, fun, fullness, intensity, hope, and it is carefree. Golding is commenting on the nature of youth. Also, the boys’ first hours and days on the island are like “childhood” They approach the island as a plaything, and are optimistic about the future. They are silly and act like kids. Even Piggy is relatively “happy” at the beginning of the book.

Noon Noon is synonymous with the young adult years. “Toward noon, as the floods of light fell more nearly to the perpendicular, the stark colors of the morning were smoothed in pearl and opalescence; and the heat— as though the impending sun’s height gave it momentum—became a blow that they ducked, running to the shade and lying there, perhaps even sleeping.” Analysis: there is less of a carefree feeling now. The fun and intensity of childhood has worn off. The “sun,” symbolic of hardship or evil, is something that young adults have learned to run from. Some find means of “escaping” by sleeping, or distracting themselves in other ways. In the book: The children begin to recognize that this island is more than “fun and games.” They have no food but fruit, it takes work to keep the fire going and to get rescued, and they are now afraid of the “beastie."

Midday Midday is likened to mid-life. “Strange things happened at midday. The glittering sea rose up, moved...in planes of blatant impossibility...be plucked apart, run like raindrops on a wire or be repeated as in an odd succession of mirrors. Sometimes land loomed where there was no land… Analysis: In mid-life, people can experience a“mid-life crisis.” This often occurs because people become disillusioned by the life they thought they would have, and the reality that has set in. Dwelling on past “glory days” can cause people to become depressed and out of touch with reality.

Midday “Piggy discounted all this learnedly as a ‘mirage’...” Analysis: Piggy is the “smart” one. He cannot understand the strange things occurring any more than anyone else. Often, when people cannot understand something, or don’t want to confront issues, they tend to sweep it under the rug. Problems are not really problems if mankind can just say they never existed. Also, “smart” people are consoled by putting labels on things and people. On the island: watch characters such as Piggy and Ralph, who are “smart” enough to try to logically explain issues away.

Midday “...no boy could reach even the reef over the stretch of water where the snapping sharks waited, they grew accustomed to these mysteries and ignored them, just as they ignored the miraculous, throbbing stars.” Analysis: The snapping sharks definitely represent evil, or danger. They could also represent death, or the afterlife. No middle aged person has known death, yet it is a preoccupation for many people. Ignoring mysteries and the stars represents ignoring the beauty life has to offer, which is commonly a problem in middle age. People become so “busy,” they are unaware of their most precious surroundings and loved ones. On the island: Watch to see how the boys begin to ignore their beautiful island surroundings, and to even abuse it.

Midday “At midday the illusions merged into the sky and there the sun gazed down like an angry eye. Then, at the end of the afternoon; the mirage subsided and the horizon became level and blue and clipped as the sun declined.” Personification and simile combine here to create an image of an angry sun. The sun could represent any hardship or obstacle in life, angrily glaring at a person. This sun is very much in contrast to the one in childhood, which is the backdrop to play and lightheartedness. Finally, the mirage subsides, meaning that the middle aged adult has stopped seeing things for how they might have been. This person is now settling in, and beginning to accept life. On the island: look for examples of hardships and also acceptance of less than ideal situations.

Evening Evening is like old age. “another time of comparative coolness but menaced by the coming of the dark. When the sun sank, darkness dropped on the island like an extinguisher and soon the shelters were full of restlessness, under the remote stars.” Analysis: Old age can be “cool,” meaning less dramatic. BUT, there is also a feeling of impending doom, as death approaches. Darkness (old age) approaches quickly, like an extinguisher. People feel uneasy, and are less able to sleep well. The stars, symbolic of spiritual certainty, are far away. On the island: towards the end of the book, things may wind down. Look for characters to feel a lack of security, and a lack of closure, though.

Greek Myth: The Sphinx’s Riddle What creature speaks with one voice and walks with four legs in the morning, two legs and noon, and three legs in the evening?

Morning

Noon

Evening