Peer Responses!

My Peer Responses were done on three different blogs with the links below:
http://dystopiannovellordoftheflies.blogspot.ca/2013/04/map.html?showComment=1365557949706#c1484462336393827474: Susan's Blog

http://lordoftheflies14.blogspot.ca/2013/04/section-4.html: Eric's Blog

http://lordofthefliesclassic.blogspot.ca/2013/04/journal-entry-1-ralph.html: Leon's Blog

:)

Glossary

Glossary

1. Contrite: feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

Ex. Simon's contrite face appeared in the hole.

2. Frond: compound leaf of a fern or palm 

Ex.  When these breezes reached the platform the palm fronds would whisper, so that spots of blurred sunlight slid over their bodies or moved like bright, winged things in the shade.

3. Disinclination: a certain degree of unwillingness

Ex. There had grown up tacitly among the biguns the opinion that Piggy was an outsider, not only by accent, which did not matter, but by fat, and ass-mar, and specs, and a certain disinclination for manual labor.

4. Swathe: wrap in swaddling clothes

Ex. Ralph was already clambering over the first smashed swathes of the scar.

5. Creeper: a long plant that grows along a surface (ex. the ground, or up walls or trees)

Ex.Then the piglet tore loose from the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth.

                   

6. Pinch(Slang): to steal, or take without asking

Ex. "You pinched Piggy’s specs...you've got to give them back"

Quotation #4

"The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away." Chapter 5, pg. 82

This quote in the story was at the pre-climax, when Jack was on the steps to becoming the island dictator. This line was symbolic after it was given to text when the conch was crushed, and Piggy had died.  This line showed, that the beginning of all that happened on the island, everything was fine, there was a plan, there was a mission, there was law and there was order, everyone knew what they were to do, and it didn't matter if they did it or not, all that mattered was if it had been clear that the objective is to get home. But then we were introduced to Jack's changes, and his savagery, and aggressive behavior towards living things. After many of his endeavors  Jack and his followers, started to twist the order on the island, and as soon as Jack started to kill people, his objective, the "islands" objective changed to "Start a civilization here, where there are no leaders to stop you, and become the leader of your island". This though misted out the fact of getting home, and introduced fear of being killed, and at all times plotting to kill/or bring peace amongst each other. 

A connection I could make to this quote was from the Harry Potter series when Dumbledore had died. As Dumbledore was living, society was established, Hogwarts was being run properly and there were laws and rules in place. But after his death, the enemy came and started to run Hogwarts as if it was a boot camp, and illegal spells were taught with no rules or laws to stop them.

Another connection I can make was from my experience as a pre-teen. This was when I my brothers were 7 and 2. My parents had gone out to do some shopping and they asked to take care of them, and everything was going great, they had lunch, they were clean, and they were tired. So, I put them to sleep, and started with my homework. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door, which startled me, as it was only half an hour since my parents left. So I looked out the window and saw no cars. So I didn’t know what to do, but I came downstairs and looked, to my surprise I had seen my parent’s family friends. They came with their 7 year old child, and I told them that my parents were out to go shopping, and as soon as they heard that they told me to wait here with their son, as the go to the shopping mall to my parents, without even knowing that my brothers were home too!

So I told the boy to just watch television, while I did my homework. But as soon as I got upstairs, BOOM, the sound of the television was so loud, and when I heard shrieks from my brothers’ bedroom I knew I was in trouble. They woke up kicking each other and ran downstairs crying, and since they were asleep, they forgot that mom and dad were gone so they started crying. I tried stopping them, but in front of the door, was the boy, and seeing them crying, he began to cry as well. So I called my parents because I knew I had lost control of the situation, and I needed help.

Quotation #3

“You’re no good on a job like this.” Chapter 1, pg. 21

This line was said when all the boys on the island had settled and regulated. This was when Jack, Ralph, and Simon were to go on an expedition to explore the area of the island. As they set off Piggy tagged along knowing that he was eligible since he was the first to be with Chief Ralph. This was when Ralph directed the line toward Piggy, and as an addition Jack also said that “We don’t want you”.

Now this happened because of many reasons. At the beginning it was only Ralph and Piggy, so whatever was done, needed to be done together, but after the newcomers joined, people could be evaluated on by their physique and intelligence. As Ralph and Jack were big tough boys, and Simon was quick and agile, Piggy could not meet up to their standards and was rejected.

This scenario is seen everywhere, anywhere in everyday life. People apply for certain roles and responsibilities and are rejected due to their physique/appearance being ineligible to get the job. For example: Unless the short skinny boy with nothing but skin and bone, can shoot better than everyone in the sport of Basketball, he would be ruled out right away, as he is not physically eligible to compete with the others. Piggy was the short skinny boy(symbolism) and Ralph, Jack and Simon were his competitors.

This also happens in the book “The Fear” by Charlie Higson. Where the scenario is taken to higher extremes, when a fat short boy who was 8 years old named Small Sam was very immature and was being a “dead weight” to his mates. So whenever the group tries running from the enemy, they have to slow down and wait for Small Sam, which is a hazard for everybody. So one day Sam was hurt and was limping and since the enemy were decayed humans, they wanted to eat kids. The others rejected Sam as a person and left him behind to get rid of the dead weight and also get further away from the enemy. Again, this was a very extreme example, but it gives the same stereotypical message. That people are always judged right away before being evaluated thoroughly and can be ruled out at first look. 

Quotation# 2

"The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering." -Chapter 7

This was when they went out to look for the beast, and they haven't known of its true existence. Ralph believed that he had found it, but it was just a boar. This is when the line came in, as all the boys started to jab Robert. The line then came from Ralph when he tried to get in on the action and jab at Robert.

This happened because the boys were now in shock and trauma because they fear the "beast" and this trauma cause much anger and is leading them into becoming a savage. As  Ralph is shown screaming at the others when he was not listened to, that showed he was hesitating in fear. Ralph changed a lot under stress, because he wanted to lead the kids home, and wasn't prepared to cope with such problems. This happens a lot in life. When someone takes a role and then doesn't understand the dangers and responsibility that comes with that role until the unexpected scenario appears. For example, there have been many people who enlist as policemen just be able to enjoy the thrill of catching bad guys and getting paid, while eating donuts. Though they didn't enlist for the heroic part of the profession, where they could die any day, but whiling protecting their city. 

Quotation #1

"'Maybe there is a beast....maybe it's only us.'" Chapter 5, pg. 80

This quotation is huge in this story. This is one of the hidden messages that Golding wanted the readers to hear.  This is because throughout the book, there have been rumors of the beast and the "beastie" which has gotten everyone afraid and alert as they live on the island at all times. When this line was said, Golding wanted the message to be clear, there is always a beast hidden inside of ever person, as there actually was no beast, the thing that everyone was afraid of in the book, was their own actions.

Once there was a time in my life, when my cousin had told me that there was a monster in the house. During this time I was very small, and I was very wreck less, clumsy and I never cleaned up after myself. So as I remember, I was asleep after a full afternoon of shenanigans and while I was asleep, my uncle and aunt came with my 16 and 14 year old cousins. Since I left a mess in the house, my cousins were responsible, and as a teenager I wouldn't even want to clean up after a child like me(in the past). So they waited for me to wake up, and they told me that there was a monster in the house, and he left a mess, which I would have to clean up, or else he would eat me. Now, as a kid you wouldn't even want to think about being eaten, so while I was cleaning up, I didn't even notice that I had done such a mess. This experience shows that people can do "beastly" things without even knowing it, there is always going to be a rebel in every person, and as the boys tried to create a civilization, they unleashed that beast.

Another connection I can make is of this book I read called "The Enemy" by Charlie Higson. This book is another dystopia, where the world goes bad, as every person over the age of 14 die, or turn into a decayed zombie. So while some remaining kids try to figure out how this epidemic happened, a character, Jack says a similar line "maybe this was meant to happen, maybe it was just waiting to be unleashed, and now anyone who passes the 14 year old time limit will perish..." This also gives a sense that these sorts of beasts are in you, they just need to be released and triggered by the right things at the right time.

Journal Entry #4 (Simon)

Simon

Now that we have been here on this island for a couple of weeks everything starts to get worse. The littluns fear an imaginary beast and the biguns, even Ralph, fear Jack. But it is another thing that makes me feel afraid: Today they (Jack, his hunters and Ralph) did something that reminded me of religious rites. They danced and chanted and pretended that Roger was a pig and pretended to stab him with their wooden spears. Robert cried with fear but they didn't seem to care. Even Ralph, who is one of the more intelligent ones on this island, took part in this game. Today there was a kind of excitement in the air that drove people mad.
What would they do if they had really killed him? Would they even care? And, yet more important, what are they able to do? Will they really take a littlun, like Jack said? Will they kill a human being?


I hope that we will be rescued soon. I can’t cope with this any longer. To be on an island together with foolish boys who think that they are adults and that their actions are reasonable. I don’t know how to tell them any longer that we won’t be rescued if there is no fire on the mountain. And there will be no fire as long as they believe that there is a beast on the mountain. How can I show them that the beast only exists in their imagination? That the only beasts in this island are some of us? What can I do to help the littluns and Piggy?

This is the journal of Simon, another boy who was stranded on the island. Now, Simon was a very symbolical person, he saw things differently throughout the story. The setting of the journal was after the introduction to the beast had already happened, which was a huge part in the story. It also talks about his reaction to Ralph and the others' action on Robert, when they were re-enacting a hunt. Simon was the person who was also very sensible in the book, though he may be a little delusional, he knew what to do, and how to do it. 

I just thought of Simon as a boy who frowned towards conjured up things like the "beast". He also reacts negatively towards nonsense like what Ralph and his group did towards Robert, which the hurt him, forgetting that Robert was human and not the sow. 

Journal Entry #3 (Piggy)

Dear Journal,

I write to you now from an island that I have reasoned is somewhere near the equator in the Atlantic ocean. We crash landed here during the evacuation from England. My auntie told me that I would be safe once I had gotten on the plane. I don't think that we are safe here, especially without my inhaler. I have told the others about my asthma but they don't seem too concerned. I shall now tell you about the others. The first boy I met once I had woken up (I was unconscious after the crash) was Ralph. I was about to introduce myself but he fixated on my terrible nickname as all people my age do. He didn't worry about our predicament until I explained to him that the adults probably don't even know that we're missing, let alone searching for us.

After that we found a way to call the other boys to the beach where we were. Ralph blew a conch shell even better than my friend ever blew his! I wanted to make myself useful while Ralph was calling everyone. I tried to remember each and every person's name as they joined us. After some stragglers showed up Jack's choir marched onto the beach. Jack was the leader of his choir and I must say I admired their discipline. They followed him completely. I was worried that Jack and Ralph were practically going to have a fist fight over leadership but the kids all voted for Ralph (except the choir of course) so it didn't come to that. I agreed with Ralph when he told Jack that rescue was far more important than hunting and killing.

Now we keep on trying to get the others to work but they don't care, all they want to do is frolic and run and play like kids. They don't understand that work needs to be done, if surviving is in everyone's interest. At this point the only people working are Ralph, Jack, Simon and I. And Simon wanders off most of the time.  These kids need to understand that in order to survive, they need to work, and listen to the chief and I. Even though everything seems normal, I sense that bad things may happen on the island. I'll do my best to keep this journal updated, and when I'm home I hope to publish it.  

Peace,

Piggy out.

This is the journal of out protagonist's right-hand man, Piggy. Piggy is a sort of character who wants to help get the job done, he and Ralph were the ones who were carrying the workforce to do what was their ideal mission, get back home. I chose Piggy because he is the one who handles things with brains, while he is physically declined. This journal was written after the jobs were settled and the direction on what to do was determined. 

I used the characteristics of a smart but inactive person, and then used the fact that hes more of a momma's boy and then I thought of how he would react to people not doing what they were told, and then I was able to write Piggy's journal in role.

Journal Entry #2 (Jack Meridew)

Jack Meridew

What happened? Are we stranded on this island or something? Well, whatever happened, I guess I'm on an island now with a bunch of other kids, like Ralph. That Ralph kid seems to think he's our leader or something, but I guess he got that title fair and square. But how come he's calling me "Jack" now? I told him, I'm Meridew! And I told him I wanted to be chief, but Ralph just stole that position from me! Well, no sense in worrying about it.

And who's this Piggy kid? Well, it doesn't matter; he's just a fat idiot. What didn't he understand when Ralph, Simon and I were going into the woods to collect some firewood? We told him three people were enough, so why did he keep saying he wanted to come!

After we finally lost Piggy, the three of us found a rocky part of the beach with a large mountain. For whatever reason, the three of us decided to climb it. We finally got to the top after having to go through a bunch of problems on the way up. We got a clear view of the whole island and found the quickest way back down. It was up there that we decided we needed to start hunting very soon. We started by going through a thick jungle where we saw a piglet entangled in some vines. That would have been a great time to strike the piglet with a knife and get food from it, but I didn't. The fact is,  I was way to agitated by Ralph, and I guess I just wasn't in the mood to kill it, but I'll kill one next time, don't you worry about it.

A while after that, Ralph blew our conch and started the first meeting on the top of the mountain. At that meeting, Ralph established the fact that we were on an uninhabited island and that we would have to look after ourselves. Ralph also came up with the idea of only one person talking at a time, so whoever has the conch shell would be the one to talk. I tried to tell everyone there would be rules on this island, but that only created an uproar. Then that stupid Piggy brought up the idea that no one knows we're stranded and no one is coming to rescue us. Ralph claimed he was just getting to that, but told us that the island we were on was a good island.

The meeting got out of control when one of the little kids got the conch and started talking about this giant snake in the woods that he calls "Beastie". What the heck is he talking about! The kid said beastie only came out at night, but Ralph said that he shouldn't have been able to see it. Ralph found out the kid wouldn't believe him, so he instead said that while we're on the island, we might as well have fun. He then ranted on about his dad being in the Navy.

After the meeting, I went with Ralph and some other kids to collect some firewood. Ralph made it really clear that I should be keeping a close on the fire at all times. Just in case a ship happens to come by, Ralph wants a fire to be ready so the ship can see us. Ralph and I crashed the heavy logs when we got to the top of the mountain for firewood, and for whatever reason, we both started laughing.

Unfortunately, we had nothing to start a fire with once we got the wood, but Ralph seemed to have an idea. He took Piggy's specs and started using the sun's glare to start a small fire. Ralph and I saw a fire starting, and we both started blowing on it to make the fire start. Piggy was having a meltdown and complaining that he couldn't see without his specs, but I could care less. We got fire! Everybody, including the littluns, was rushing to get firewood to keep the fire burning. But it was noted that there was no smoke, so no one would see us. Then that fat oaf Piggy started complaining about it and that we made a fire that was no good. I can't remember how many times I had to tell him to shut up. He thinks he can say what he wants just because he has the conch. The idiot! Doesn't he know it doesn't matter when we're not on the island during a meeting?

I decided to split up my hunting team, and part of that group would be responsible for making sure the fire would still go strong.

The scariest part of the whole thing was that the little kid with the paint all over his face was nowhere in sight when that huge fire was burning. Was he in those woods when the fire was burning and that tree exploded? I seriously hope he was not in those woods when that all happened.

I can tell this is going to be a terrible time on the island. Ralph certainly seems like a competent leader, but I can't stand that Piggy kid. And what is with the littluns saying that this giant snake they call "beastie" is living in the woods. There is no way a giant monster like that can exist. Surely they know that?

This was the journal of our antagonist, Jack Meridew, well at least before he had the properties of an antagonist. Jack is the sort of person who wants to do things against the rules, without parents to get in his way, and being stranded on an island was a great option with that criteria. The setting of the Journal is at the beginning of the book, where Jack and his choirboys meet up with Ralph, Piggy and some others. The journal gives his opinion on what was happening in the introduction, and how he felt about it. This part of the book was very vital, as this the pre-rising action, before Jack turns into a savage, so get a good  look at this profile, because it is going to go in a few chapters!

I conjured up this journal by thinking of the type of person that Jack is throughout the overall book, and then I tried using those attributes with typical emotions and then add the setting to the profile and then I got Jack's journal. 

Journal Entry # 1 (Ralph)

Ralph 

It's over, I'm going to die, and that's it. I'm trembling with sweat running down every part of my body, all I can think of is if I am going to die like my fellow friends Piggy and Simon. All I hope for is to die peacefully, but knowing that this island is going to hell, and with it, Jack Meridew. I hope he gets punished for going against me and screwing up, everything that I had in my grasp, by sabotaging me and my strengths, and luring more and more children to join his tribe. All I can tell is that Jack Meridew was never like us, he may have had the intention to leave the island at first, but now all he wants to do is run his own civilization, and get rid of anyone in his way. Hes gotten every kid on the island on his side, and the ones who stay are killed, and all he offers is pig meat in return for their servitude.

But in a way, I feel what he is going through, I understand that us boys should not be given such responsibility  because we can't even look over ourselves properly, and that is why a rebel came out of him, out of everyone, which gave a negative influence. 

Though I still live, at the moment, I most certainly might be dead before anyone lays hands on this book, and if anyone does read this, I want them to understand that we had something going, we had leaders, jobs and ideas onto how to get back home, back to civilization. And that there is something I learned on this island, no matter how cool, or cunning you are, you have to know how to survive, in any condition, without hesitation. Even though I am hiding, i'm not hiding because I know i'm going to die, I am hiding because my instinct tells me that nowhere is safe anymore. I hope I don't die though, but then again it would be nice to see Piggy, and maybe even Simon, and be able to watch this island rot and burn, with Jack aboard. 

Now that was the last journal seen from Ralph, our protagonist. Ralph was a boy, who had the attributes of a leader, he knew how to get around problems and lead the rest of the people. For a young boy, Ralph showed great determination and bravery as his goal was to get home. He had a well-shown creative aspect which helped on his way to build fires etc. I chose this scenario, the end  of the book, where Jack has either killed or manipulated every last on of Ralph's people.  Which led Ralph into hiding, with Jack and his followers on his tail. 

This was a vital journal because it gives a recap of the climax, and as well gives a vivid description of Ralph on his verge to death, and how far Jack had gone just to become the leader, and start a civilization. It was fairly easy to create the journal for Ralph, because of his leader-like attributes and his maturity towards the others. All i needed to do though was show a scared but strong character who knew what was coming for him.

Newspaper 2

The above new article was made by me. This article discuses the social injustice of dictatorship and thirst for power. I also used and interesting perspective on how the article would be written. I made the article so that the readers would know the authors were Sam and Eric, two twins who were some of the only survivors on the island. It just how unjust he is using bribery, manipulation, and threats to force people to do his dirty work o his reign into stealing more power.

This article shows readers that this book, and of course the creator of the book, are very intelligent and creative by setting up a scenario with a child like Jack in it.  It praises the fact that lord of the flies, is a book showing kids on an island, and what in fact they can do with all the responsibility of adults and the behavior of immature children. This does no affect my perspective on this novel. The reason is that when I was going to read this book, I knew my fate (in the book) was to read an outline with such characters as Jack, this news article may want me to read this book even more! (If I hadn't already)

Newspaper 1

Newspapers About Lord Of the Flies

Wonderful Homecoming

45 children rescued from uninhabited Caribbean island

London (AP) - After many days of fear and loneliness 45 boys have been rescued from one of the uninhabited Caribbean islands. One of the cruisers of the British navy saw smoke at the horizon and, only by chance, discovered survivors from an airplane crash that happened one week ago. One naval officer reported that there were no other people alive except for the 45 boys.

It’s more than one week ago that flight number 7741 (British Airways) disappeared from the flight control’s radars. British Airways said that there had been no survivors because the plane had crashed in an area where nothing, just water, existed. But a group of 45 small boys and teenagers could find a hiding place on a near small island which wasn’t registered with the radar system.

On that island they built shelters and could find something to eat. The boys also lit a fire to be seen and rescued. One naval officer reported that the boys were in a poor condition when he found them on the island, and that the whole island was burning. But as the boys accounted, the situation was peaceful all the time, but that it got more and more difficult to find food, which caused their bad condition.

Jack Merridew, the oldest of the boys, said that “all boys did a great job in finding ways to survive” and that “all boys worked together and no one ever focused on other things than being rescued”. Though some of the smaller children told the officer that Jack and his people were responsible for the killings, and that no work was done, only plotting and eating. They also stated that they, as kids tried to create a sort of civilization in which they had a leader named Ralph. They also said that Ralph used a conch, and people could only talk at their "assemblies" while holding it. The young ones also said that they could not talk anymore at the assemblies because they were foolish and immature, which they found unfair, and in return they did not help the others with jobs.

Although the situation on the island seemed to be very calm, the boys, especially the smaller ones, are glad that they can return to civilization and that now their parents can take care and responsibility for them again.

http://www.heilmile.de/lotf/wordpress/?p=16

This article was found on the internet, with the link above. The social injustice which is within the lines of this article was the loss of Freedom of Speech. It stated " They also said that Ralph used a conch, and people could only talk at their "assemblies" while holding it." This meant that everyone at one point were allowed to speak as they please, but when they stated " The young ones also said that they could not talk anymore at the assemblies because they were foolish and immature, which they found unfair, and in return they did not help the others with jobs." 

This meant that Freedom of Speech was taken away from these kids and was isolated to certain members, which is a big injustice. Being ignored to talk, is one of the most essential freedom aspects needed, and if it is taken away, you will never be considered "free".

 I believe that this also praises the author, because again, social injustices like these really help readers read this book. The book is very interesting with this included in it. The article did not change my view of the book because the book needs aspects like these, where something good turns rotten.

Chart/Timeline

Chart/Timeline

http://prezi.com/ew8dnras4b4n/lord-of-the-flies-timeline-chart/

My chart was done as a prezi, the chart shows a timeline of every event on each day that the boys stayed on the island. This gives and in-depth look on what happened throughout the book. The chart has pictures which help you visualize the story in your mind, while taking in words as their descriptions.
When you look through a timeline, you see things that you may have overlooked in the story, like details on a certain death that was confusing at the time, and that is why I feel that the timeline would be very effective.

Image Citation on Prezi:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch: Day 1

http://bestclipartblog.com/23-knife-clip-art.html/knife-clipart-1: Day 2

http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-14249331-forest-fire.php: Day 3

http://www.lisisoft.com/tools/forest-river.html: Day 4

http://oneforthetable.com/Stories/the-pig-roast.html: Day 5

http://truthoftsuzuki17.deviantart.com/art/Beast-Inside-344952122: Day 6

www.vectorstock.com: Day 7

http://globegazette.com/brittnewstribune/news/local/kids-chase-after-pigs-in-greased-pig-contest/article_d9d8fd58-db42-11e1-9949-001a4bcf887a.html: Day 8

http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/198797845?view_mode=2: Day 9

http://www.123rf.com/clipart-vector/amazon.html: Day 10

http://www.sodahead.com/living/was-this-8th-grader-justified-in-beating-up-the-6th-grader/question-246077/: Day 11

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24582582@N02/3872015129/: Day 12

http://www.clipartguide.com/_pages/0060-0808-1313-1334.html: Day 13

Authors Message

William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies, has a very clear message, he wants his readers to know that every person has a sort of "savage" inside of them, a person who thirsts power over others. This thought reverts to the theme of how everyone is capable of evil, and that it is only society's rules that keep individuals from acting on that evil. To express this thought, he uses children, who are thought to only be happy, and incapable of murder. He also tries to convey the fact that the minors in the book did not have any adult, or senior, which they can follow and look up to, and in these circumstances they had to choose a chief, which even in our current world is very hard to fulfill with unanimous decision and liking.  The part that I really loved in his message was that he symbolized the beast, and that was a symbol that the beast was the lord of the flies, who is inside of every human, he explains that the thing that boys feared was already amongst them.

Lord of the Flies Society vs Our Society

Even though Lord of the Flies is just a fictional story, many of the issues faced by the boys are injustices we see today. Lord of the Flies was published in 1954. During its writing process, World War II was currently going on, which Golding had participated in. Inspired by the true evil nature of humans, he was able to write such a book, Lord of the Flies. This post describes on how they symbolical characters and events of Lord of the Flies relates to our daily society. 

The conch was the most important symbol that Golding used in the novel. Originally, whoever held the conch, they had the right to speak. It showed freedom, and right to speak. When blown, all the boys would respond to it. This was when their civilization was still intact. Then as is started to fall apart, the colour of the conch starts to fade, and so did it's use and effects, showing how the right to speak was being abolished and freedom was being taken away.  In many societies, people can not voice their thoughts and express themselves. They don't have that right and Golding described that injustice with the conch, as Piggy was rejected from the conch's effects. While everything was going smoothly, the system became corrupt like current world politics, and rights started to linger and become more variant.

Jack was the person who was always going out and seeking more power, and due this there was always a power imbalance. He didn't want to be under Ralph's supervision, as he wanted to be chief, so he made his own tribe where he welcomed more people to join, using oppression. When doing this he gains more power, and he threatens and forces outsiders of his tribe and abuses the ones that joined. He will never let anyone gain more power than him, and that's where he uses oppression. This is an example of a typical dictator and a party that is known to be "good", and as the dictator threatens others to join him, he gains more power, and it ends with the dictator winning.

In Lord of the Flies, oppression was a big factor, and oppression  is an issue today. Gay couples are discriminated and oppressed, as they are different from society. They do not have the same rights as straight people, and laws show that they may not be able to marry in areas of the world, and they may be detained or restricted from societal events. Jack in the story abuses his tribe members, like they are slaves and must do whatever he says. In the story, the littluns are known to be foolish, insolent kids who are no use, due to their age, and this stereotype is used in current society where kids or the elderly are left out of the equation when it comes to doing certain jobs. 

Lord of the flies is a book that was written in 1954. Though it may be an old book, William Golding did represent all events with certain events that were going on currently then, and may still be going on currently now, and the book still shows what humans are capable of, they may be able to sustain, or ruin.

Lord of the Flies: Social Injustices

• The conch at first was the item that brought the boys together so it was regarded as sacred. To give it a role in their society Ralph decided to make it the object that gave a person the permission speak. Whoever had it could talk, whoever didn't couldn't. Later, the conch became an item which was only allowed to certain people including Jack, Ralph and the hunters. The conch began to mute the people that didn't fit that description. Some due to their fears of the beasts and others who weren't determined to speak up. But, as time passed the conch soon lost its power. Jack didn't use the rules of the conch on his territory, when Piggy tried to use the conch on Castle Rock it was of no use. 

•  Jack is running a dictatorship where he keeps himself above all others. He always wants to look like he is better and he always wants to feel like he is better.  He also doesn't let his tribe express their ideas but those who came by choice stayed because they receive meat as bribery. Jack also forces people to do things against their will; he forced some of Ralph's closest friends, (the twins) to join his tribe and to work for him. Finally Jack is truly a dictator because of the way he brought himself towards the top, by forcing, and cheating.

• Jack opposes anyone who gets in his way. He finds ways to manipulate the other boys and when someone steps up and gets in the way of his process, he, in some way oppresses them so they can not obtain any more power over him. Examples of such:
• When Simon found out that there was no such beast, during the time when Jack was manipulating the others with this thought of the beast, he killed Simon, so the truth would never be exploited and Jack could continue going up the ladder.
• After taking Piggy's glasses away, that was a symbol of Jack taking his knowledge away, because without his glasses Piggy could not see, and therefore was not much use later on.
• By the time most of the people joined Jack, he called Ralph a coward for not being able to hunt for the beast, and when he did this, the remaining boys also believed Jack and left Ralph.
• During the beginning of the story, after Ralph was appointed as Chief, he gave the responsibility of the hunters to the choirboys and their leader, Jack. This position, "hunter" became more prestigious throughout the book as Jack began to start his dictatorship, as they were the only people who had the stature to hold the conch (later on) other than Jack and Ralph. Anyone could of had this position and it was an injustice for the choirboys to receive it.
• The hard and risky jobs were given to the biguns as they were the most fit for the position, and the lilnuns were usually never doing anything that they were supposed to do as they were mere kids who spent their days eating and playing. The only people who did real work was Jack, Ralph, Samneric, Simon, and Piggy, as most of the others chose not to.

Book Review for Lord of the Flies

 When reading such an old timer, you think of what creativity such people had then. Lord of the Flies, an astounding read, an allegory, gives the book much taste and flavor. I mean, it isn't your average book that you would randomly find in the teens section. I love dystopian books, no doubt about it, and when I was told of the setting and outline of Lord of the Flies, I thought of it as a normal setting which was typical for dystopias, but the funny thing was, I was in for a surprise. Lord of the Flies isn't just a book showing an authors point of view for young boys screwing up everything, it holds more of a symbolic trait for every event and person in the book. I absolutely recommend this book for any teens out there who look for either a good read in dystopian fiction or need a new taste in books, because these old-timers, are going to show people how authors thought then compared to now.

No you ask, how such and author portrays symbolism in this book? Well  think about each character given a specific role, a responsibility which they portray throughout the book, and it gives the reader an idea of what this author wants to be visualized. Like when Jack starts to grow more aggressive and violent, and quenches for power, he grows apart  from Ralph's crew and this shows that now that he isn't under his wing, Jack can start to tear Ralph apart, seeking more power.

Golding manages to show the transition as the boys turn from civilized British school boys to almost primitive beings with great skill. The development of each character is well planned out and that just makes their loss of innocence even more intriguing. The fact that all of the boys were under 12 is what makes them so innocent because they have not fully grown and they are not adults, but they have minds of their own. While the story at times can be confusing, the symbols and hidden meanings in this novel only makes it more fascinating.  For a book that received the Nobel Prize in Literature, it certainly did earn its achievements, because this entertains many audiences, and I believe that we should read more of these classics, because its funny how what people think of in the past, may be slightly related to our near future.

-The NC Guardian

The Dystopian Society of Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies is a dystopian novel, plain and simple. This novel shows characteristics of children left alone on an island, who try to create order amongst each other  A dystopia is state in which the condition of life is abnormal and horrible for the environment. 

-The first point of a dystopian environment was when Ralph took over the society and was trying to control it in a civilized matter, while another boy, Jack was a hunter, and after killing a pig, he started to grow fond of bloodshed and he became more and more of a savage everyday. This would have been okay until measures went to extremes where Jack started to become more violent, and started killing his island mates and bringing the neutrals to choose over civil or savage. This then took the concentration off being rescued and gave more thought to being the last man standing.

-Ralph's obsession at being "in control": an example of this was when he was trying to get the boys to light the fire, and when the started to fool around, he took control and started to shout and take command.

-The conch- The conch was the only symbol of order. When this was blown, all members on the island came to its destination, but after the time where Jack starts to become more aggressive and violent, Ralph knows that the conch's effects are now worn off, because if he blows it he knows that nobody will respond, as they are now in their own ambitions, forgetting the fact of being rescued. When the conch broke, this showed that order of the society was over.

-Ralph's response towards nearly killing a pig-  Ralph was very sick of being on the island and started acting the littluns. He, like them, was getting dirty and wanted to return to his old life. When he got home, he “would like to have a pair of scissors and cut his hair-he flung the mass back-cut this filthy hair right back to half an inch. He would like to have a bath, a proper wallow with soap”. Ralph is being uncivilized because in our eyes, being clean is civilized and Ralph was unclean and therefore uncivilized. Ralph is also becoming uncivilized because he is starting to actually hunt. He helped hunt a pig and almost killed it: Then, there was a creature bounding along the pig track toward him, with tusks gleaming and an intimidating grunt. Ralph found he was able to measure the distance coldly and take aim. With the boar only five yards away, he flung the foolish wooden stick that he carried, and he grazed the boar. Then in such excitement Ralph re-enacted this scene with his mates, with Robert being the boar. The boys were so into the re-enactment that they nearly killed Robert not knowing that he was human. This aggressiveness showed that everything was going to become out of hand.

-Each day these boys are in fear of the imaginary beast lurking the island, and this fear blurs their actual vision like when Sam and Eric saw the paratrooper, and with all the talk about a beast, the thought that it was the beast itself. After, Jack found a way to manipulate this fear, to be used for his own advantage, to bring neutrals to his side.

-When Ralph was in charge of the island inhabitants the setting was more of a utopia, but after Jack started to become a savage, he gained more respect from the followers of Ralph, and when Jack started to supply meat to boys, more started to follow him and his savage ways, until Ralph became less of a leader, and when Jack became more of a leader, the island started to go out of hand, and this lead to a clear dystopia.

-As Jack attracts most of the boys, with such offers like stay on the island, eat food, and do little work, but he was a very bad leader himself, as he would abuse his tribal members and the environment when he wants for his own ambitions to become the most powerful. Like when he forces Sam and Eric to tell him where Ralph had hidden, and when he tied up his own member.

- At the beginning of the story, Ralph established order and allowed people to talk while holding the conch, but this became abolished and freedom of speech was not given to the littlnuns as they made foolish and immature comments. This freedom of speech then downsized all the way to just Jack, Ralph, and some hunters, which only gave a certain point of view on things.

Introduction to my Blog!

Welcome viewers to my lord of the flies blog. I suggest you read this very dystopian novel by William Golding, a stupendous author. I will do my very best to keep this blog updated (and not procrastinate) with summaries of pretty much every chapter in this awesome book.

After reading this introduction, I humbly hope you enjoy the rest of the content on this blog, and that when this blog is finished, you can visualize the book like you read it a few hours ago! 

Best Regards,

Author.