All 3 Uses of
focus
in
Lord of the Flies
- Piggy stood behind him, islanded in a sea of meaningless color, while Ralph knelt and focused the glossy spot. Instantly the fire was alight, Piggy held out his hands and grabbed the glasses back.
p. 73..5 (definition 1)focused = concentrated sunlight rays by pointing them at the same spot
- Attention focused on Jack.
p. 114..2 (definition 2) *focused = concentrated
- For the first time on the island, Piggy himself removed his one glass, knelt down and focused the sun on tinder.
p. 130..6 (definition 1) *focused = concentrated sunlight rays by pointing them at the same spot (in this case, to start a fire)editor's notes: Tinder is dry wood or some other burnable material used to start a fire.
Definitions:
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(1) (focus as with technical usage) technical usage typically involves some sense of center or concentration such as:
- physics — a point where things come together such as the point where light rays meet
- geometry — a fixed reference point (as of a parabola)
- geology — the point of origin of an earthquake
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(2) (focus as in: Turn your focus to question #2.) verb: to concentrate, look at, or pay attention to
noun: the act of concentration, or the ability to concentrate
(to concentrate is to direct attention or effort towards a single thing)