1. "The island was a coral island, of a kind common in that part of the Pacific; a flattish, almost circular plateau, girt with cliffs and fringed with a coral reef. The plateau was about a mile across and its highest point, a bare, white peak, rose to scarcely two hundred feet. The ground was covered with coarse grass, dotted with clumps of trees and bushes." (Page 1)
Personification: The island is described as having a "peak" that "rose" and a "plateau" that is "girt" and "fringed."
Why: By using verbs typically associated with living things, Golding imbues the island with a sense of agency and a presence, foreshadowing its later role in the boys' descent into savagery.
2. "The conch, now a thing of beauty and power, was a symbol of order and peace. It lay on the platform, shining, a promise of good things to come." (Page 33)
Personification: The conch is described as "shining" and a "promise," giving it a life of its own.
Why: This emphasizes the conch's symbolic significance, suggesting that it possesses an intrinsic power to inspire hope and order. The personification underscores the hope that the boys initially have for maintaining civility.
3. "The silence of the forest was broken by a loud, sharp cry. It was repeated, and then again, and presently a group of boys, their faces smudged with colour, emerged from the trees." (Page 104)
Personification: The forest is given the human characteristic of "breaking" the silence.
Why: This personification links the forest with the growing savagery among the boys. The forest seems to possess an agency, reflecting the boys' primal instincts and the increasingly violent nature of their actions.
These are just a few examples of personification in _Lord of the Flies_. Golding uses this literary device throughout the novel to create a powerful and evocative atmosphere, emphasizing the symbolic nature of the island and the boys' descent into savagery.