The Spire: How Does Golding Use Chapters 10 and 11 to Prepare the Reader for the Ending?

There are many ways in which chapters 10 and 11 prepare the reader for the end of the novel. Golding uses a number of plot points and literary techniques to convey a sense of finality and emphasize the feeling of impending doom which pervades large swathes of the novel in previous chapters.

Firstly we must consider the condition of Jocelin, the main character through whom Golding expresses his story. Following the events of chapter 9 in which Jocelin experienced what could be considered either a fit of delirium or a divine rapture, Golding has him obviously weak and confused, talking to himself and forgetting about his plans for the day “what woman?”. The descriptions of Jocelin are never placed in a context of illness but are cached in with religious ideology and powerful emotions from a view point lacking scope. However when we gather such statements as “and a shuddering of his body to his very fingertips” and consider them objectively it becomes apparent that Jocelin is indeed a very ill man. Prior to the closing chapters these incidents were fleeting and far between but as the book draws to a close Golding seems to increase the frequency and intensity of his descriptions of Jocelin’s health using more and more emotive and vivid lexis. “Struck him from arse to head with a white hot flail”. As much of the story is told from Jocelin’s view point this technique almost unconsciously prepares the reader the finish, coinciding with Jocelin’s death.

There are a number of key events in the chapters which Golding uses to draw together the various threads of plot into a cohesive stage for the final chapter. The meeting with Alison becomes a focal point for Golding in the expression and culmination of Jocelin’s repressed sexuality which became apparent with his fixation on the death of Goody “I will see her. She may know something; It was her whole life, after all”. Golding manages to give the scene an entirely uncomfortable feeling with the reader, as not only do we see Jocelin’s hopes and dreams systematically dismantled by Alison, but he also creates an almost sexual tension in the conversation through is use of detailed description “Black dress, full. Pearls also at her throat” and the innuendo and sexual connotations of Jocelin refusing to be left alone with her. This is finally resolved with Jocelin’s conclusion that the effect Goody had upon him was witchcraft which, to a modern audience, is an entirely unsatisfactory explanation but does still serve to give the feeling of finality to the book. Another way this event prepares the reader for the end is by suddenly and violently changing the core values of the central character, Jocelin, whose religious faith and zeal had persevered diffidently throughout previous chapters in face of rational argument (usually presented by Roger). The revelation that his aunt actually appointed him dean rather than god and more importantly Jocelin’s acceptance “I always figured to sacrifice my life to the work, perhaps this is an unspeakable way of doing it” has an powerful effect upon the reader and again adding a tone of conclusiveness which was otherwise lacking.

The discovery that the four pillars are hollow is profoundly symbolic in terms of drawing the novel to a close as throughout previous chapters Jocelin compared himself to them, holding the cathedral up, solid and trustworthy. Again this is Golding preparing the reader for a final tragedy as we see the various devices and themes we relied upon as immutable being stripped away. Golding uses this discovery as almost a metaphor, building upon Jocelin’s precedent of comparing himself to them to express how near the end is for Jocelin. It is no coincidence that the discovery was made just after Jocelin has his faith rocked by Alison’s revelation and it begs the appraisal that now both the pillars and Jocelin are entirely hollow, emphasized by Golding’s use of personification “stone skin”. This, combined with the fit of agony Jocelin is then subjected to, leaves the reader in no doubt that the end is nigh. Golding’s writing reflects this as his sentence structure becomes shorter and more disjointed, with broken fragments of text creating a tone of delirium and illness. The constant references to “The angel” never allow the reader to forget for a minute that Jocelin is indeed on his last legs which is also comparable to the condition of the spire itself, with lines such as “There is a great deal of broken stone” and “It has not fallen yet” used to heighten