The verbs which describe movement repeated.
- "Came"
- "Broke"
- "Struggled"
- "Fell"
- "Poured"
- "Tore"
3. The adjectives or nouns I think have negative connotations are
- "Frenzy"
- "Terror"
- "Whip"
- "Sulphurous"
- "Shrill", etc.
4. The language of this extract (and the effect) is: highly emotive and descriptive. It uses a lot of vivid imagery and strong verbs to create a sense of chaos, violence, and fear.
So, The repetition of certain words and phrases, such as "beast," "kill," and "blood," emphasizes the intensity of the boys' emotions. The overall effect is one of brutality and savagery.
See text below
Let's take a closer look at that important passage.
The dark sky was shattered by a blue-white scar. An instant later the noise was on them like the blow of a gigantic whip. The chant rose & Come in agony.
"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" Now out of the terror rose another desire, thick. argent, blind.
To the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" Again the blue-white scar jagged above them and the sulphurous explosion beat down The littluns screamed and blundered about, fleeing from the edge of the forest, and one of them broke the ring of biguns in
his terror.
"Him! Him!"
The circle became a horseshoe. A thing was crawling out of the forest. It came darkly, uncertainly. The shrill screaming that rose before the beast was like a pain. The beast stumbled into the horseshoe.
"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" The blue-white scar was constant, the noise unendurable. Simon was crying out something about a dead man on a hill.
him in!"
"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do
The sticks fell and the mouth of the new circle crunched and screamed. The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face. It was crying out against the abominable noise something about a body on the hill. The beast struggled forward, broke the ring and fell over the steep edge of the rock to the sand by the water. At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.
Then the clouds opened and let down the rain like a waterfall. The water bounded from the mountain- top, tore leaves and branches from the trees, poured like a cold shower over the struggling heap on the sand. Presently the heap broke up and figures staggered away. Only the beast lay still, a few yards from the sea. Even in the rain they could see how small a beast it was; and already its blood was staining the sand.
1. Underline any sounds or noises described.
2. Highlight the verbs which describe movement
repeated
3. Circle any adjectives or nouns you think have negative connotations.
4. Describe the language of this
extract (and the effect):
5. Who/what is 'the beast'?
6. Do the boys realize this?
7. Why or why not?
REREAD THIS PASSAGE AND THEN FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW
Chapter NINE
8. Describe the boys' behavior in one word:
9. Explain the irony found in this extract:
STACEY LLOYD 2016