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)