Read the passage from Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The sound of mock hunting, hysterical laughter, and real terror came from the beach. "Blow the conch, Ralph.&quo…

Question

Read the passage from Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

The sound of mock hunting, hysterical laughter, and real terror came from the beach.

"Blow the conch, Ralph."

Piggy was so close that Ralph could see the glint of his one glass.

"There’s the fire. Can’t they see?"

"You got to be tough now. Make 'em do what you want."

Ralph answered in the cautious voice of one who rehearses a theorem.

"If I blow the conch and they don’t come back, then we’ve had it. We shan’t keep the fire going. We’ll be like animals. We’ll never be rescued."

"If you don’t blow, we’ll soon be animals anyway. I can’t see what they’re doing but I can hear."

The dispersed figures had come together on the sand and were a dense black mass that revolved. They were chanting something and littluns that had had enough were staggering away, howling. Ralph raised the conch to his lips and then lowered it.

How are the universal themes "the importance of hope to human happiness" and "the conflict between an individual’s desires and the community’s needs" best developed in this passage?

-Golding uses description to show how fear affects the boys’ actions.
-Golding uses internal conflict to show Ralph’s worry about the other boys’ behavior.
-Golding uses dialogue to emphasize the different perspectives of Piggy and Ralph.
-Golding uses the actions of the boys on the beach to show the danger of abandoning authority.

Answer 1

The themes of hope and the tension between individual desires versus community needs in 'Lord of the Flies' are showcased by Ralph's internal conflict over using the conch, the dialogue between characters, and the description of the boys' actions on the beach.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the passage from Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the universal themes of "the importance of hope to human happiness" and "the conflict between an individual’s desires and the community’s needs" are developed through various literary techniques.

Firstly, Golding uses internal conflict to show Ralph’s hesitation and worry over blowing the conch, which reflects the precarious balance between maintaining order and succumbing to chaos. Secondly, the passage exhibits Golding's use of dialogue to highlight the contrasting views of Piggy and Ralph regarding the necessity and the risk of using the conch as a symbol of authority and hope.

Lastly, Golding uses description to portray the boys on the beach, whose engagement in mock hunting and chants, juxtaposed with the desperation of the remaining boys, underscores the theme of societal breakdown and the danger of ignoring the needs of the community for individual desires.