Thursday, May 29, 2014

What is the signifcance of the scar in "Lord of the Flies"?

What is the importance of the "scar"?

I'm assuming you mean the "long scar smashed into the jungle" described at the beginning of the novel? There are a couple of reasons Golding places such import on that word.

First, we, as readers have to understand exactly how everyone ended up on the island. The violence of their arrival is key, as it starts the process of their "decivilization". (Think how different the novel would be if a luxury liner pulled up the island on shore leave, and all the characters filed off). Second, Golding is letting us know that by scarring the jungle, humanity will now be in a battle against nature (one of the classic conflicts).

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