Psychological Insights in Lord of the Flies

Psychological Insights in Lord of the Flies by William Golding

by K. M. Parivelan

As a novelist, William Golding developed a unique style characterized by simplicity and economy of expression. He deliberately refrained from excessive narration and consistent characterization. His treatment of the novel has been called 'anti-science' since he equated scientific and technological progress with dehumanization and traced the shortcomings of the modern society to the inherent negativity of human nature. His first novel, Lord of the Flies was published in 1957. The work features a group of schoolboys abandoned in an island and forced to survive without adult supervision. Initially the boys attempt to organize themselves on the lines of their parent civilization. Later, they transform to a more primitive societal pattern dominated by blood-thirst, cruelty, aggression and rituals. The underlying theme of the work is 'end of innocence'. In many ways, the novel has a fable-orientation, conveying morals allegorically, the most fundamental being the 'darkness of man's heart'. The author's psychological insights are brought to fore by concise depiction of perverted behaviour and degrading moral standards.

1. What is a “fable-orientation”?
2. How does Golding highlight his psychological insights?

The four major characters, Jack, Ralph, Piggy and Simon, represent passion, will, reason and consciousness respectively. On the basis of this 'human-self' analysis, Golding explores the mutual interactions of various characters. The revelations underline the basic antagonisms of human nature. The author firmly believes men must learn to live with the chaos of existence without attempting to reshape it towards his means or ends. While man cannot alter his nature, Golding feels, he can certainly be conscious of it. And it is this consciousness, according to him, that contains the supreme achievement and delight of being a human being.

3. What does "antagonism" mean?
4. What is the balancing act Golding highlights all men must perform?

A study of the psychological insights in the Lord of the Flies clearly underlines the degeneration of virtuous characters into diabolic. Golding's reflections on the darkness in human nature emerge life-like in his analysis of the microcosm of the unknown island. The work characterizes Golding's underlying theme 'man produces evil as a bee produces honey'. In all his works the author has relentlessly pursued the objective of making man face 'the sad fact of his own cruelty and lust' and has upheld the conviction 'man is a fallen being'. The fact that man is gripped by original sin and is in an inherently perilous state justifies evil and its innate fusion with human existence.

5. Why is "diabolic" an appropriate word choice here?
6. Lok up and explain "original sin".

Lord of the Flies is the story of death and the presence of destructive element in the blood's lust for blood. In Golding's own view, it is a story of the darkness in the heart of man. For adolescents and young adults, who have only recently come in contact with their self-consciousness, it is a new, intense, frightening and yet, fascinating encounter with darkness. The four aspects of human-self, as portrayed by Golding in the novel, can be likened to a phenomenological description of human nature.

7. Why is darkness of especial interest to adolescent boys?

Will as human self: Golding's vehicle of truth is the end of innocence experienced by Ralph, a high-spirited, confident, twelve-year old. Right from the beginning, Ralph is the only character who demonstrates his resolve for creating a democratic society. Initially, he is exultant due to the new freedom. At the end however, he longs for the tame and is bitterly at odds with others. Soon after being in the island, he finds the leadership of the community thrust upon him. He is antagonistic to Jack and intellectually inferior to Piggy. He is the quintessential symbol of democracy, torn between diverse forces. When he discovers a conch shell (a motif of authority) and blows it, he succeeds in gathering all the others. His leadership qualities are evident in his capacity to assemble others and organize meetings with confidence. Faced with disobedience, he reacts strongly. 'Choir! Stand still', so his order is obeyed. Immediately after Ralph is elected he organizes everything like; 'the choir belongs to you of course... They could be your army'. Then he says, 'listen everybody, I've got to have time to think things out'. (Pg. 31)

8. Ralph 2longs for the tame" - what does this mean?
9. What does the writer believe the main difficulty of democracy is?

The humanistic view of psychological behaviour suggests that individuals are free to determine and choose their actions. Man is left free for his will and destiny. In Ralph's case he is free on will. Throughout, he displays his will for forming a democratic society despite impediments like sacrificing his close friend Piggy. Conceptually, will is defined as 'the mental power by which a person can direct his thoughts and actions or influence others'. Ralph is determined to achieve a civilized society. Civilisation is a human creation, restricting the cosmic or primitive in man by bounding it within moral awareness. Till the end, Ralph runs to save his life without succumbing to the barbarians, underlining his will power. He is symbolized by the author as the strong willed politician, exhibiting leadership qualities like selfless dedication, courage, conviction, fortitude and integrity. He tries to make full use of all these faculties in bringing back control to civilized society.

10. Do you agree that "civilisation is a human creation"? What are the hallmarks of civilisation?
11. Why doesn't Ralph give in and join Jack's tribe?

Ralph's pristine status is individuation. He has a social identity, correct manners, morality and sense of justice. All these are hallmarks of civilization imbibed in him. But because of his innocent state, he uses will to proceed with civilized manners. Eventually, Jack's domination forces him to forego innocence. His loss of innocence is accompanied by the progressive destruction of his distinct conscious due to degradation of reason. Golding clearly establishes that 'will power' would be relevant only in civilized and not in primitive society.

12. What does "pristine" mean?
13. "His loss of innocence is accompanied by the progressive destruction of his distinct conscious due to degradation of reason" - put this into your own words.

Passion as human self: Passion is connected with the character of Jack. According to psychologists, 'passion has got a division of thought and feeling'. This dichotomy is important in analyzing passion. In Jack, passion is embodied in a negative sense with Golding utilizing Jack for demonstrating the degeneration of civilization. The term 'doubling' is commonly used in psychological behaviour meaning split personalities for one person, or two relative autonomous selves. Doubling is easily applicable to Jack. His mind houses a number of primitive ideas and he can be called to possess savage traits. His features resemble those of a dictator, thirsty for power and hungry for authority.

14. What is a "dichotomy"?

Jack's passion for power is evident when he says; 'I ought to be chief because I'm chapter chorister and head boy'. In the Lord of the Flies, Golding takes recourse to an established literary method of examining human rights and polity through psychological insights. Nature in the tropics is sinister and threatening. The boys are led to the formation of a religion under Jack's leadership for largely personal selfish gains. Their theology is demonology and their god is devil. Jack has intuitive knowledge of the vilest elements of nature and the ways of exploiting them. He is prevented from his attempt to gain power in civilized, orderly society and takes recourse to the inherent traits of his nature i.e. dark means for gaining power. As Freud points out in his theory of psychoanalysis, human behaviour is determined by innate and immutable instincts that are largely unconscious. This is heavily exemplified by Jack. In terms of psychoanalysis, Jack is a schizoid, an irrational person suffering from delusions and withdrawing from normal social relationships. He is deluded by adult-free society and controls the savages. Passion centres on powerful emotions like drive, motivation, libido etc. The first two inspire him to leadership. Passion also induces hostility in his unconscious mind and makes it a conscious motive.

15. Do you agree that Jack's theology is demonology and his god is devil? Explain why.

In the beginning, Jack hunts pigs for sport. He resents killing of pigs due to the enormity of the knife and its cutting into living flesh. Kelly defines aggression as 'the active elaboration of one's perceptual field'. Aggression arises out of the willingness to risk in order to find out 'passion' for embodiment of action. Passion, the human-self of Jack, is embodied with aggression. His passion for power drives him to diabolism. He is Golding's quintessential metaphor for underlining darkness in human beings.

16. In what way is Jack a metaphor?

Rationality as human self: The name Piggy has an irony in it. He possesses both positive and negative attributes of a weak intellectual. He rationalizes Simon's death before his own and is the only one to rationalize all events. Together with Ralph, he attempts to create an orderly society. His rationality however, is ineffective in controlling the rest. His belief that science can explain everything makes him unable to comprehend the reality of the beast. Faith in science or rationality, with a marked disbelief in the supernatural, is typical of Piggy. He is fat and ugly with thin hair that never seems to grow and suffers from asthma and weak eyes that are common affiliations of age. His physical weaknesses and other characteristics are consistent with his 'adult' role in the novel. Though he is the clear thinker, he can't enforce his will like Ralph or Jack. The boys refuse to take him seriously due to his shabby appearance.

17. Why does Piggy fail to understand the boys' fear of the beast?

Piggy symbolizes the force of reason among the boys. His gradual loss of sight and eventual death highlight the degeneration among the community. He is possessed with the strong urge to distinguish and order a manageable system and finds himself in conflict with the power of darkness. His wisdom could've been instrumental for achieving stability in the social order. But the leaders were reckless and thoughtless, more interested in momentary splurges rather than the steady glow of reason. When a chance for rescue goes begging, the boys focus on hunting, a primitive activity reversing civilization, trampling Piggy's intellectual views. Piggy remains indefatigably himself till his death using logic and reason. Though physically weak, he doesn't lack mental courage. Despite Golding's faith in science and rationality, he is sarcastic of Piggy for not accepting Simon's view that evil is present in every man's heart. With Piggy's death, the remaining not only get degenerated, but completely devoid of human control that comes from rational awareness.

18. Why was Piggy's wisdom disregarded?
19. What does "indefatigable" mean?

Conscious as human self: Simon is an embodiment of vision and forethought. This is clearly brought out when he points out that the beast that they all fear is not real and actually lies within them. He fails in convincing others and is eventually clubbed to death. He suffers from epilepsy, is visited by the Lord of the Flies, bears a touch of the mystic and is the voice of warning. He understands that evil can't be exonerated by pressurizing humans or by forcing them into primitive adaptations. The most self-conscious in his group, he is incapable of speaking in public and prefers solitude. In his epileptic bouts, he communicates with the Lord of the Flies and darkness. His self-knowledge imparts him the highest degree of consciousness among the boys. He is also intimately familiar with the darkness in man and is temperamentally alert to the limits imposable on a man's ego.

20. How might Simon's communication with the Lord of the Flies be seen in a religious light?

Lord of the Flies

I found this online and it's a pretty effective trailer for the film, even if the film isn't that great. The use of quotation is good, though.

Feel free to leave comments.

Punctuation

Learning the functions of the punctuation marks which follow should not take long as a lot of it is common sense.

Secure understanding of this will mean you can answer Analysis or Structure Questions in Close Reading with greater confidence and so score full marks.

The Comma
The comma is always an indication of a brief pause in speech. The reason for the pause may be one of many, but always the implication is that there is more of the sentence to follow.

The comma is necessary to avoid ambiguity or confusion. Its use ensures precise definition.
E.g. “This song is being sung in response to many requests by Robbie Williams.”
Here it is uncertain if the song is being sung by Robbie Williams or the requests are being made by him. The uncertainty is removed by the use of commas:
“This song is being sung, in response to many requests, by Robbie Williams.”

The comma more often is not strictly necessary to convey meaning, but convention demands that it is used. One of its most common uses is to separate simple items in a list. E.g. “She bought tea, sugar, butter, bread and milk”

The comma may also be used in a list to build up to a climax for dramatic effect or to an anti-climax for comic effect.
E.g. “I came, I saw and as it was Autumn I conkered.”

Another common use is to indicate information in parenthesis. This can be removed from the sentence and it will still read completely.
E.g. “His excuse, it seemed to me, was very feeble.”
The extra information in the example above indicates personal opinion. The reason for the use of parenthesis will vary from passage to passage so your answer must be specific.

The Semi-colon
This is used when the second part of the sentence, usually a complete clause, is an extension of the first part, but clearly belongs to the same sentence.
E.g. “Jack had little interest in Science or Mathematics; he was too imaginative for such factual subjects.”

The semi-colon is used to separate items in a list, often after a colon, when the items are quite lengthy or detailed.
E.g. “ The weather was showing its most wintry face: dark storm clouds that swept across the sky; gusts of wind that rattled the window panes; the touch of ice that made the flesh shiver.”

The semi-colon is often used in an antithesis, when the second part of the sentence following the semi-colon is in contrast to or balancing the first part.
E.g. “The nobles and wealthy merchants enjoyed the luxury of comfortable private boxes overlooking the stage; the working classes and apprentices were accommodated on uncomfortable stools in the pit of the theatre, below stage level.”
Here it is clear that opposite classes of people are being described on either side of the semi-colon.

The Colon
The colon is used when a general statement is given first and is followed, after the colon, by examples or proofs or details explaining or supporting that general statement.
E.g. “There are only two possible explanations for your behaviour: either you are very stupid or you are very rude.”
E.g. “For this recipe you will need the following ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, eggs and milk.

The colon is used to introduce a quotation: “To be or not to be, that is the question.”
The colon is used to indicate the balancing of one phrase or idea against another.
E.g. “Man proposes: God disposes.”
E.g. “Those who can, do: those who can’t, teach”

Brackets
Brackets are always in pairs. They are used to mark off an additional piece of information, an afterthought, an aside, a parenthesis or an extra example from the rest of the sentence.
E.g. “There was a man there (I recognised his face but couldn’t think of his name) who argued very strongly against the suggestion.”

Dashes
Double dashes can be used in a similar way to brackets, as explained above.
E.g. “After the final – the last match of the season – the referee retired.”
A single dash may precede additional information at the end of a sentence.
E.g. “She gave a magnificent performance – no one could equal her.”

A single dash is sometimes used instead of a colon, when it is followed by examples or details supporting what has been stated before.
E.g. “All of these people have the same responsibility – to serve the public.”

Inverted Commas
Inverted commas are used to mark off Direct Speech.
E.g. “Where have you been?” she demanded.
Inverted commas mark off a quotation, for example in a critical essay.
Inverted commas mark off titles of poems, novels, ships, trains etc. “The Flying Scotsman.”

In handwriting, inverted commas mark off the name of some group of people.
E.g. “Girls Aloud”, “Manchester United.”
Inverted commas indicate a word or phrase is from a foreign language.
E.g.“Verboten!”

Inverted commas are used when an author wishes to make it clear to the reader that he does not agree with the word or phrase he is using.
E.g. “His “generosity” consisted of throwing a few coins to the assembled beggars.”
Inverted commas also indicate when a word or phrase is not formal English but is slang.
E.g. She’s been touched by the “ugly stick.”

The Question Mark
The most obvious use of a question mark is to indicate a question for which an answer is expected.
E.g. “What time is the next direct train for London?” he enquired.

Another use of the question mark is one which is commonly used by public speakers and politicians. This is the Rhetorical Question, which is phrased as a question for which no answer is expected as it is too obvious.
E.g. “We are badly paid and over-worked! Are we going to put up with this any longer?” the Union Rep shouted at his Members.

The Exclamation Mark
An exclamation mark is used to indicate drama or increased emotion. In Direct Speech it emphasises the tone of voice to be used.
E.g. “You are not leaving this house dressed like that!” the father growled at his teenaged daughter.

Capital Letters
A capital letter marks a Proper Noun such as the name of a person, street, country or title of a book etc.
E.g. “Swear on the Bible that you will tell the truth.”

If an entire word is printed in capital letters then the effect will be to add importance or drama to it. Terry Pratchett uses this in his Discworld novels in which Death always speaks in capitals.
E.g. “IT’S TIME TO LEAVE,” he stated.

S1 - Grammar

The gerund is the –ing form of the verb.
A clause makes a single point in a sentence.
A conjunction joins clauses together.

First-person narrative - I
Second-person narrative - You
Third-person narrative - He/She/It/Red Riding Hood

S1 - Character Sketch of Maurice

Answer each of the questions below.

1. What does the character look like? (Three sentences)

2. Where do you get this information from? (Three sentences)

3. What kind of personality do they have? (Two sentences)

4. What is special about this character? (Three sentences)

5. How do they feel about some of the other characters? (Four sentences)

6. What challenges do they face in the play? (Four sentences)

7. How do they overcome them? (Four sentences)

8. What happens to the character at the end of the play?

Lord of the Flies - Quotation Analysis

1. “The Conch was silent” This shows personification as it gives the conch human qualities – it also provides a contrast to the heated debate that the conch has been used for in the past.

2. "The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” Symbolism as the conch symbolises law and order and now that the conch does not exist, neither does order on the island.

3.”I got the conch,’ said Piggy indignantly. ‘You let me speak!’” This is the use of motif. As the conch is important and reoccurs several times through the novel.

4. “the fire reached the coconut palms by the beach and swallowed them noisily” This quote uses personification when describing the fire’s actions. The fire is also a symbol, representing the complete breakdown of society.

5. The water rose farther and dressed Simon’s coarse hair with brightness. The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble.” The metaphorical “marble” and “silver” of Simon’s corpse present a strong image of the boy as a monument, a statue. At this point he is achieving a religious icon status.

6. “We’re going to get buckets of rain.”
This here uses imagery, hyperbole and colloquialism.

7. “The lagoon had protected them from the pacific” Personification- gives the lagoon hunter like qualities. Also suggests the island is a protected and safe place – this is later destroyed completely.

8. “His voice rose to a shriek of terror”
This is onomatopoeia. Use of “shriek” suggests a high-pitched shouting, possibly indicating, and reminding us, that the boys are still very young.

9. “…Piggy was standing cradling the great cream shell” This quote symbolises Piggy’s dependency on the conch and his need for democracy. The word “cradling” indicates the preciousness of the conch. The death of Piggy also marks the death of civilisation. Piggy and man’s intellectual instinct are synonymous.

10. “We’ll have rules!” He cried excitedly. “Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ‘em.”
This is foreshadowing of the inevitable collapse of the boys’ society. As soon as the rules are established, they anticipate that they will be broken.

Second Years

To Kill a Mockingbird – Scout’s Diary

27th December, 1934

Dear Diary,

I’m staying with Uncle Jack and his kin for the holiday. It snowed last night and we all got pretty excited. There wasn’t enough snow to build a snowman but Jem made one from mud and we covered it in the snow we had. It looks great! Jem is really smart.

For Christmas, Atticus bought me and Jem air-rifles so we can shoot critters at home. Cousin Francis got some shirts and a tie. I think he’s real sissy.

Earlier today he was calling Atticus names and when we started fighting he said I started it. Uncle Jack was pretty mad about it. Afterwards, I was passing Uncle Jack’s room and I heard him talking to Atticus. He said that things are going to get real hard for me in the town when the trial starts.

He’s defending a black man, Tom Robinson, and most of the townsfolk already think he’s guilty. Atticus is brave for helping this man, but he’s worried that it’s going to be too tough for me. He thinks I’m a “hot-head” and I get mad too easily. He’s probably right. I’ll try to make him proud, though, and won’t get in any more fights.

It’ll be good to be home again after Christmas. We’ll get the chance to go back to the Radley house and see if Boo will come out one night. I’m sure Boo was the one who was leaving the gifts in the tree for us. I just don’t know why he would do that. I definitely won’t be playing the Boo Radley game again – I think he’s been watching me and Dill and Jem. It scares me to think about him watching us.

When I get home I have to go back to school and see Miss Caroline again. I hope she’s learned her lesson from last time, and she won’t expect us country kids to be all neat and tidy like the kids in the city. I also hope she won’t embarrass none of us like she did Walter Cunningham. It was such a shame the way she talked to him without knowing him none.

Well, I got to get to sleep now ‘cause we’re leaving early tomorrow. It should be good to get home; I’m excited to know what might be coming next.

Scout Finch

Porphyria's Lover - Sketch Essay

This essay has almost NO quotation. Add some in to the relevant paragraphs to strengthen the argument.

Choose a poem that creates pity or sympathy in you.

Show how the feelings of pity or sympathy are brought into focus by the use of poetic techniques.

Robert Browning wrote the poem, Porphyria’s Lover in the 1800s. The poem is about how wealth, class and status affected relationships at the time; it also deals with obsessive love and the destruction it brings. This essay will show how the poem creates pity and sympathy in a reader, despite the awful actions of the narrator.

The poem starts with Porphyria making her way to a small house in the woods, which is her lover’s home. On arrival, she lights the fire and they decide they can never be with each other. Her lover murders Porphyria and believes he has done the right thing, saying “God has not said a word”.

There are two main characters in the poem: the first being Porphyria, a woman, and the second being her lover, whose gender is never revealed. We know that Porphyria is well-off and a woman but we know about her lover that they are quite strong, not as well-off as Porphyria and a bit disturbed.

Imagery is used throughout the poem, most notably at the beginning when the weather contrasts the two characters, and reveals the nature of their personalities. The weather also reflects their relationship, which is stormy, dark and confusing. The imagery gives a clear idea of what is going to happen, especially when she enters the cottage and it is cold and dark. This gives you an idea of the uncertainty.

The poem uses symbols such as when Porphyria enters a room and she lights the fire. This makes it warm and light and symbolises the warmth she brings to her lover. Like the weather outside, cold and dark and angry, this means her lover is angry and mad and obsessed. When she comes in she lights up her lover and makes him happy, as she does the room. She brings happiness to him and warms his “cheerless grate”.

This poem shows a form of prejudice that would have been acceptable in the 1800s but not now. If her lover is a man, then he is from a lower social class, and their relationship was against social conventions because he is not as wealthy as she. But if her lover is a woman, it would go against social conventions because homosexual people are not accepted. Either way, the affair is forbidden and Porphyria rejects her lover.

In order to make hi ideas more clear, Browning uses a variety of symbols, from the heat Porphyria brings to the status shown in her clothing. This shows her wealth. However, it is important to note that her gloves are “soiled”, showing that her status has been tainted by contact with her lover. The gloves become a physical, tangible embodiment of the condemnation of her class. They remind her of her ruined status.

Browning also makes use of ambiguity to change the way the reader feels. By not telling us the gender of Porphyria’s Lover, we are not able to fully take a side in the argument. We cannot condemn her lover because we can never fully know their situation. This also works to make a reader think of several possibilities at once.

Ambiguity is also used so as to make it difficulty to judge either Porphyria or her lover. On the one hand, her lover has murdered her, but on the other, she has also rejected him/her after stringing him/her along. Her lover is brave (or mad) enough to break the rules of society, but Porphyria cannot do this. It is very difficult to decide who the victim is in the affair. Porphyria is murdered but her lover has been wronged by her superficial values. Browning also maintains our interest by suggesting (through the narrator) that Porphyria may even have wished death for herself, in order to end her torment. This many different readings can change radically who we feel sympathy for.

Another strategy employed by Browning to sustain our sympathy is the use of parallel. In the first part of the poem, Porphyria gives peace to her lover by resting his head on her shoulder. This is a very tender moment before the violence. Her lover’s mood has been improved by her presence. In the second part of the poem, the roles are reversed with Porphyria’s dead head resting on his shoulder. The calm is reversed.

By constructing his poem in this particular way, using iambic tetrameter and a regular, though unusual, ABABB rhyme scheme Browning tries to get the reader to feel some of the physical difficulties of the characters. The second syllable of each foot is stressed, giving a very regular, hypnotic effect. However, the unusual rhyme scheme breaks the rhythm and causes a reader to stumble within the framework, as the lover does within the social boundaries.

S3 Death Penalty Example Essay

The death penalty has been a subject for debate for many years. Even when it was legal, people would debate whether it ought to be or not. In this essay I will look at some of the reasons in favour and against this dramatic form of punishment, and discuss their merits.

The first point to consider is that many people believe that the death penalty can act as a deterrent to criminals. Specifically, the punishment is believed to scare criminals from committing serious crimes such as rape and murder. The logic is that the fear of punishment would deter criminals. As such, the fear of punishment would do more work than punishment itself. In addition, many serious criminals re-offend when they are released. The death penalty would remove serial criminals from the streets, making society safer.

Another argument in favour of the death penalty is the cost of prison. If we factor in the cost of construction, electricity, guards, clothing, food and leisure pursuits it is easy to see that keeping criminals in prison for a long period of time is extremely expensive. Compared to the cost of, say, hanging a person, it is clear that the government could save a significant amount of money by re-introducing the death penalty and this money could be re-directed to our public services. This also links with the idea many people have of prison as a place which is not a punishment. The conditions in prison, it is said, are clean and comfortable and this does not represent a punishment to those imprisoned. If prisons are to act as a deterrent, surely they should also be less pleasant than conditions outside prison.

These first arguments suggest the positive role that the re-introduction of the death penalty would have. There are, though, just as many people who believe the death penalty was rightfully abolished and should not be brought back. Simply, the death penalty is a form of killing, and if we accept that it is wrong to kill a person it seems wrong to suggest that it is okay in other circumstances. Killing someone doesn’t become acceptable just because it is approved by the government. In addition, it must be noted that “justice” and “revenge” are different ideas and should not be confused. While some say that justice would be “an eye for an eye”, perhaps Gandhi was right when he said that “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. We are human beings and we are above the animal brutality of revenge.

Finally, I would like to address the idea of rehabilitation. The death penalty is final and there can be no further progress. It eliminates the idea that people make mistakes and feel remorse for their crimes; and that they cannot change. Rehabilitation is surely something everyone deserves the chance of? A child who does something wrong at school is not immediately removed from school; they are allowed the chance to make up for their mistakes. This idea of the death penalty being irreversible is a very important one. In the event of the police making a mistake and prosecuting the wrong man, as in the case of the Birmingham Six for example, the death penalty would kill innocent people.

Ultimately, I believe that the death penalty has too many question marks over it. The possibility of the police making a mistake and sending an innocent person to the electric chair or gallows is too much of a risk. I also believe that the principle of killing people is wrong and that, as humans, we should try to show that we do not need to rely on such barbaric practices. Satisfying the bloodlust and revenge of a bereaved family will not bring their loved one back to life. Besides which, revenge and justice are not the same thing. While prisons may be more expensive than the death penalty, it seems a small price to pay for a society that tries to be better than brutal.

Porphyria's Lover - Thoughts

“Porphyria’s Lover” was written by Robert Browning in 1836. It forms a story of the lover of a wealthy woman who strangles her to death.

The poem is written as a single stanza in iambic tetrameter, with each line made up of eight syllables with the stress on every second one. The rhyme scheme runs ABABB and despite being a regular form, the extra rhyme does make suggestion of something unusual about the speaker. By keeping within this form we are given an idea of the speaker struggling within a greater structure, which reflects the source of their tension, being buttoned-in by the rules of society.

Early in the poem we are shown a variety of images centred around a storm and, whilst this sets the scene very accurately, it also represents the metaphorical storm the lover is suffering from. However, the presence of Porphyria calms this, symbolising the peace and harmony she brings. There is a strong sense of Porphyria being the lover’s only source of peace.

Porphyria’s clothing indicates that she is a woman of wealth. However, it is important to note that her gloves are soiled, indicating that her status is tainted by her touching of something; specifically that her affair has caused her to lose face socially. This is confirmed when we learn of the “vainer ties” she cannot sever. She is unable to remove herself from the force that prevents her fulfilling her relationship. These may be ties of money or ties of status.

When her lover suggests that “passion would prevail” we are given two possibilities of meaning. The first is that the love between the two would navigate the ties Porphyria cannot escape. Another possibility is that the passion may be a loss of control by her lover, and that this will “prevail” resulting in her murder.

The love of Porphyria’s lover is commonly believed to be that of a man of lower status, and thus cannot be satisfied because of the social divide between them. However, other theories suggest that their love may be disqualified for other, less obvious reasons.

When Porphyria is killed we are offered an image of her eyes “as a shut bud that holds a bee”. This shows that while there is no sign of pain or life on the surface of her face, there is something beneath it. The image of her eyes is continued as her lover personifies them. They “laughed without a stain.” Again, we are offered the explanation that Porphyria is now happy, removed from pain or torment.

Mirroring Porphyria’s earlier show of affection to her lover, after she is dead, the lover props her dead head against his shoulder, the description becoming sinister when she is described as “the smiling rosy little head”. The cheerful, childlike happiness of the tone here is entirely at odds with the reality that she has been murdered. Her lover believes to have finally satisfied Porphyria’s desire to be murdered, to end her torment and free her, describing her death as “her utmost will”.

The final line is enigmatic, having a number of possible meanings. The suggestion seems to be that, without any apparent consequences of killing Porphyria, the lover has not committed a crime that God would disapprove of, believing that if the crime were against God’s laws, some kind of reaction would have occurred.

Porphyria's Lover - Essay Plans

Choose a poem which deals with a happy experience.
Briefly describe the experience and show how the poet has communicated the feelings of happiness by the use of various poetic techniques.

Introduction
Title, Writer, Date, Main Themes, Intention of essay.

Overview
Quick summary of plot/ themes.

Para 1
P’s L is not an obviously happy poem.
Where is the love? The aftermath of the murder.

Para 2
Social constraints.
Denied love.
Contrast: misery when following the rules/ Happiness when liberated from them.

Para 3
Morality and happiness.
Happiness through religion/ happiness through individuality/ happiness through amorality.

Para 4
Unhappiness.
Does Porphyria really love him/her?
Murder.
Tormented mind/ calm.

Para 5
Imagery that is positive – her arrival.
Imagery when she is dead.
Word choice.

Conclusion
Address the question!
Summarise your answer.

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Choose a poem which increased your understanding of any aspect of life in the modern world.
State what aspect of life in the modern world the poem illustrates and go on to show how the poem, both by its content and by its style, increased your understanding.

Introduction
Title, Writer, Date, Main Themes, Intention of essay. Which aspect of the modern world will you look at? (Obsession/ Love/ Class/ Status?)

Overview
Quick summary of plot/ themes.

Para 1
Status – developed since 19th century
Division in class prohibits relationship
Unacceptable social morality

Para 2
Extreme behaviour brought about by people separated by class.
Violent reaction to prejudice.
Would the relationship have survived in the contemporary world?

Para 3
Isolation of an individual by status – misery that follows.
Alienation as a destructive force.

Para 4
Misery which is derived from being forced to live on someone else’s terms – Porphyria.
The privilege of individuality – P’sL

Para 5
Reflection of isolation and fractured personality reflected in metre and rhythm.

Conclusion
Address the question!
Summarise your answer.

Porphyria’s Lover - Analysis

Metre
The metre is iambic tetrametre – a form that is conversational. The stress falls on each second beat. This conversational style suits the dramatic monologue, emphasising the idea that her lover is talking directly to us.

Setting
“It tore the elm-tops down for spite,/ and did its worst to vex the lake.” This setting is heavy with stormy imagery. This acts as a metaphor for the tormented lover’s state of mind without Porphyria.

The metaphorical meaning continues when Porphyria arrives. “She shut the cold out and the storm,/ And kneeled and made the cheerless grate /Blaze up, and all the cottage warm”. On one level she has brought warmth to the cottage, but on another she has brought calm to the tormented lover.

Clothes
We can tell a lot from Porphyria’s costume: “cloak and shawl… gloves… hat”. These are articles from a woman of wealth and status. From this we can see that there is a distance in class between her and her lover.

This is later given a further metaphorical meaning when the narrator refers to her “soiled gloves”. Again, this could be a reference to the gloves being dirty, but it also has the symbolism of showing her class being “soiled” because of her relationship. The gloves show that the relationship is not socially acceptable.

Status
Porphyria is “Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour,/ To set its struggling passion free/ From pride, and vainer ties dissever,/ And give herself to me forever”. The literal meaning here is that Porphyria cannot break away from the ties of her own vanity – her social status. She simply does not have the courage to maintain the relationship. The rhyming syllables emphasise the depth of the narrator’s love, echoing “…ever, ever, ever.”

After the murder, the narrator is careful about opening Porphyria’s eyes. He says, “As a shut bud that holds a bee, I warily oped her lids”. The simile in the line shows that the narrator was afraid of what he would find under the eyelids. When they are opened his fear is confirmed as “again/ Laughed the blue eyes”. The personification shows that Porphyria may be dead, but her eyes still mock him.