Lord Of The Flies Rhetorical Devices

A combination of two different nouns that are governed by a single noun or verb to create a new meaning or blend ideas together.
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise, friend called Piggy” (Lord of the Flies, P.202).
At the end of the novel, the boys are involved in a war against Ralph using fire to smoke him out of the thicket. Scared for his life, Ralph sprints away from the painted warriors before arriving at the beach. While the savages catch up, Ralph lays collapsed on the sand before seeing a naval officer in front of him. Because they were previously involved in a war, the naval officer has to wait for the boys to contain themselves. The arrival of the officer makes Ralph realize that he can’t go back to his old life after witnessing the murder of his only real friend on the island. Golding uses the rhetorical device zeugma to blend

For example, the verb “wept” refers to each noun, or thing that Ralph weeps for. By blending Ralph’s thoughts into one sentence, the reader can easily highlight each thing the boys discovered while on the island- the real world outside civilization, savagery, and death. Additionally, the use of zeugma intensifies the scene by emphasizing Ralph’s reflection upon the loss of civilization to savagery and losing trust in the human race. Zeugma also emphasises Ralph’s disbelief because he is in awe of the events he witnesses such as Piggy being hit by a boulder and falling off the cliff into the ocean. However, zeugma was not just a stylistic choice. In fact the use of zeugma has an effect on the rest of the novel. For instance, when Ralph weeps for “the end of innocence”, it connects directly to how Ralph witnesses undomesticated behavior. Essentially, Ralph is reflecting on Jack’s tribe dancing and shouting while harming first pigs, then Robert, Ralph, Piggy, and the attempt of killing Ralph. Ralph remembers that everyone,