SETTING

What is setting?

WHEN a story takes place

WHERE a story takes place

Surrounding CIRCUMSTANCES

Golding’s Use of Setting

Lord of the Flies

Fictional atomic warMirrors the Cold War

Context

Assume that it’s when Golding was writing.

Time Period

No adults, no civilization.Vital to the plot.

Place

Attention to detail.

Evident because of the long, descriptive passages in LOTF, Golding worked hard to include massive

amounts of detail about the setting. The places he describes will have huge importance as the story

progresses.

Place

Golding’s Settings

The Lagoon

• first settlement• “bright” and

“shimmering” • place safety and

entertainment on the island

• creates a mood of excitement

The Forest

• Dark, scary• Site of the hunts• Creates a sense of

danger• The darkness adds to

the mysterious nature of the unknown

The Open Ocean

• Huge, expansive body of water

• Separates the boys from civilization

• Creates a feeling of isolation

Simon’s Glade

• Tranquil place of safety• “honey-colored

sunlight” and “green candle-light buds”

• Spot is holy and pure• Invaded by the lord of

the flies, the beast

The Mountain

• Initially a place for fire• Site of beauty and hope• Invaded by the dead

parachutist• Allows Golding to

juxtapose (place near one another) the beauty of innocence with the ugliness of war.

Jack’s Beach

• On the rough side of the island near open water

• “brute obtuseness,” “hard, clipped blue” and “the ceaseless, bulging passage of the deep sea waves”

• Site of Simon’s death• Dark, dangerous mood

Castle Rock

• Detached pile of rocks at far end of the island

• Unstable ground• Place of Piggy’s death• Ralph hides nearby

when he’s being hunted• Events that happen

here create uncertainty

In Conclusion

Golding uses setting to…

– Reinforce themes of isolation and darkness– Mirror characters’ personalities– Set the mood– Create suspense (i.e. cliffs)– Exaggerate conflicts