Two separate illustrations of an animal head and a fire on a mountain

Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

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Can you find an example of synecdoche on page 63 or 64 of Lord of the Flies?

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Synecdoche in Lord of the Flies includes the use of the name "Piggy" to represent the overweight boy, highlighting just a part of his physical appearance. Another example is when Jack is referred to as "the mask," using a part to represent the whole character. These examples illustrate how synecdoche is employed in the novel to emphasize specific traits or transformations of characters.

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Synecdoche is a literary device in which a part of something is used to represent (or indicate) the whole. Synecdoche works on the reverse, as well. It can be used in such a way that the whole represents the part. An example would be a car being referred to as "wheels."

William Golding's novel The Lord of the Flies was first published in 1954. It didn't sell many copies and went out of print in 1955. After it's lackluster beginnings, the novel has never again gone out of print; this means that there are many editions of the novel circulating today. I will give you a couple of examples of synecdoche from the novel, along with chapter references, as it is likely that the edition I am working from is different than the one you are working from, and therefore page numbers may not align. 

One example of synecdoche...

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comes early on in the novel, in chapter one. When the overweight boy is referred to asPiggy, this represents only a part of him—his physical size. 

Ralph did not take the hint so the fat boy was forced to continue. "I don't care what they call me," he said confidentially, "so long as they don't call me what they used to call me at school." Ralph was faintly interested. "What was that?" The fat boy glanced over his shoulder, then leaned toward Ralph. He whispered. "They used to call me 'Piggy.'" Ralph shrieked with laughter. He jumped up. "Piggy! Piggy!" "Ralph—please!"

In chapter 4, entitled "Painted Faces and Long Hair," Jack makes a mask and wears it to become something other than he had been. 

He spilt the water and leapt to his feet, laughing excitedly. Beside the pool his sinewy body held up a mask that drew their eyes and appalled them. He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness. The face of red and white and black swung through the air and jigged toward Bill. Bill started up laughing; then suddenly he fell silent and blundered away through the bushes. Jack rushed toward the twins. 'The rest are making a line. Come on!" "But—" "—we—" "Come on! I'll creep up and stab—" The mask compelled them.

Jack is referred to as the mask and that is an example of synecdoche. 

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