Tuesday, August 12, 2014

What is an example of synecdoche on page 63 or 64 of Lord of the Flies?

A synecdoche is a figurative substitution of a part of
something for the whole. For example, if one refers to a woman as "the blonde walking
into the room," he means the entire woman but refers to her by only a part of her. From
an analytical perspective, synecdoche often demonstrates directly or indirectly one's
identity--a person's view of himself or someone else's view of him or her. This is true
of the synecdoche in Lord of the
Flies.


In Chapter 4 (where pages 63 and 64
fall) of the novel, Jack furthers his role as a predator by creating a mask for himself.
As he makes it, his obsession blocks out those around him, and the mask swallows up his
identity, liberating Jack from "shame and self-consciousness"  (Golding 64). Jack uses
the mask to frighten some of the other boys, and they begin to see only the mask and not
Jack. In fact, the mask section closes with the
statement,


readability="6">

"The mask compelled them"
(64),



demonstrating that a
part (the mask) has actually taken over the whole (Jack). It not only changes how Jack
views himself, but it also begins to change the boys' view of
Jack.

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