SettingThe story takes place on an island somewhere in the ocean. The island is described by the author as tropical and boat shaped. Along the coast there are sandy beaches followed by a variety of vegetation and "creepers". There are also the orchards, which rise up to the treeless and rocky and rugged mountain ridge which extends out of the ocean. Judging from the predicament and dialogue in this story the date in which it takes place is probably the mid 1900's during World War II.
The mood created in this story is very complex and rapidly changing. It changes from that of a scary, recessive mood to a light, and cheery one. The way in which the story is written the mood can change literally from chapter to chapter. In the beginning it starts out light and happy and as the novel progresses and the boys start to battle, it starts to become dark and savage.CharactersJack is red-headed and thin he is also introduced as the leader of the boys' choir. To his dismay he loses the election for leader and he becomes the head hunter and is also in charge of maintaining the signal fire. As the story progresses he and his hunters begin to "slack-off" and abandon their duties in caring for the fire.
In the end Jack and his hunters leave Ralph and start their own tribe on the rocky side of the island.Ralph is a tall, blond and is one of the oldest boys on the island. In the beginning of the story he is pictured as the leader of the boys when he blows the conch shell to call the first assembly. During the course of the story he tries to maintain the structure of their civilization and is continually forced to compete with Jack for approval from the boys.Piggy is a fat, asthmatic boy with bad vision. Throughout the story his weaknesses are preyed upon by the other boys much like that of the "pigs" on the island, thus the name. But despite his appearance, Ralph begins to depend upon Piggy for intellectual and spiritual guidance.
Do to his vision, Piggy had unusually thick glasses, which was a benefit to the others on the island, and aided in the lighting of the signal fire and in the roasting of the pigs.Simon was a skinny, silent boy with black hair.
Jason acknowledges the role Dilsey assumes since she began working for the Compsons by declaring, “when [servants have] been with you for a long time they get so full of self importance […] Think they run the whole family” (207). Jason implies that Dilsey has assumed a leadership role within the family even though she does not deserve it. Contrarily, he gives his mother a role that she does not want, “You are the head of [the house] now” (257). (needs to tie in with rest of essay)
Every chapter, these three boys, have demonstrated they have great behaviour on the island in comparison to the rest of the group. But it was tiring to constantly have an acceptable attitude because the other boys would not be so pleasant towards them. First, Ralph represented democracy, from the time he crash landed upon the sand, strategies on how to be rescued flowed in his head. He was introduced to the conch and from that point he assigned daily tasks and rules that would be completed so the island would not go insane such as creating shelter, where to dispose waste and if the conch was in your hands, you were able to speak. Next, Piggy represented scientific facts.
and they both start off as the leaders. Later on the boys have a vote for leader and Ralph is selected. The first impression we get about Ralph is that he is active and doesn't like authority. When he found out that there were no grown ups on the island he "stood on his head and grinned" Piggy is the first of the other survivors that Ralph meets.
Lord of the Flies has several themes that are the key to understanding of literature. Three of the themes of this novel are the fear, courage and lastly survival. Fear has been surrounded throughout the entire novel. With the amount of fear because of an apparent beast, many of the people on the island have changed. Most of the boys have become more violent throughout the novel and have no sense of direction as what to do next. Jack was one of those people who had changed majorly throughout the novel. Courage is one of the most important things to have mentally and physically when you’re stuck in an unknown island. Ralph’s courage in the book became strong when he had lost two of his close companions in Simon and Piggy. Survival is the best theme in this novel simply because of the lack of tools and the laziness of the people throughout the book. These themes show how great and wonderful this book is, and if you read it thoroughly, you will understand the perils and the adventure of Ralph, Jack and the rest of the boys in Lord of the Flies.
"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways." (Buddha) Is man basically good or is man basically evil? In the popular novel, Lord of the Flies, William Goldings shows that man is basically evil, but that man can overcome those instincts if he tries. Simon, Ralph, and Piggy are prime examples of keeping their good character. In each of them there is a desire to do good. They show throughout the novel that it is possible, even when surrounded by evil, to put aside desires and keep good morals.
Often in our lives other people affect us in both negative and positive ways. In the case of Lord of the Flies, the kids influence one another while on the island, in mostly negative ways. These influences cause for mental changes in the brain. Most of the time, mental changes affect physical changes. However, in some rare occasions it is the other way around. While on the island the boys go through numerous physical and mental changes. Although mental changes are somewhat more significant than physical changes, physical changes are still very much apparent and can sometimes cause for mental change.
The main theme of Lord of the Flies is that moral nature is not instinctive in mankind. There is a capacity for evil in all people, and their morality is superficial. Nonetheless, it is this moral integrity that must continue in order for a person to be ethical, for society to be maintained, and to keep society from falling in on itself. Society holds everyone together. Without the rules and the structure, evil in everyone becomes more prominent, and ideals, values, and basics of right and wrong are forgotten. Without society's rigid rules, chaos and savagery come to light. There are also a number of secondary themes in the book such as: people will abuse power when it is not earned; people will degrade others to heighten their own sense of security; the fear of the unknown is powerful; it can make you turn to insight or hysteria. All of the themes are shown using symbolism.
Human nature has been debated for centuries, everyone coming up with their own theories, pulling their sources from religious texts, wars, experiments, or daily life. William Golding and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, born in very different times and countries were very opposite in their views compared to one another. William Golding believed that human nature was immoral and evil, and there has been evidence of this all the way to the beginning of human society. Without laws or moral boundaries, humans would plunder, steal, and murder to their hearts content, delighting in their new found freedom to let go of social philosophies imposed upon them. Rousseau, however, believed that human nature was naturally just and moral, and it was society’s laws that made them immoral. Social norms and laws create limitation and superfluous need, and it is within those boundaries that humans become enslaved to “moral inequality.” Without laws and social norms, humans will revert back to their natural goodness. It is the polar opposite of Golding’s belief. Golding’s philosophy, however, is more in line to my own, as in my opinion, Rousseau’s belief is a rather naïve outlook on life.
At the beginning, clearly Ralph feels that Jack is an ally, a companion; not a rival for leadership, "Ralph found himself alone on a limb with Jack and they grinned at each other ... that strange invisible light of friendship". The chosen leader of the group, Ralph tried to lead the stranded boys into some kind of order. The authority of Jack and the sensibility of Piggy easily sway him. When Ralph first meets Piggy, he sees him as a lower person who should be ridiculed. He starts off by asking for his name and he is told that people used to make fun of
The first two boys to meet each other were Ralph and another boy who although he protested, reluctantly accepted the nickname “Piggy”. The boys romped around, having fun swimming and running around until they chanced upon a conch. Piggy suggested to Ralph that he blow the conch to call the others. Ralph figured out how to blow the conch and proceeded to call the others. Slowly but surely, all the remaining survivors started trickling in to the cove where Ralph and Piggy had found the conch. Ralph proposed that they vote for a chief, and the all the boys except for the choir, voted for Ralph. Ralph’s first matter of business is to go on a hunt to make sure that this really is an island. He takes Jack and another boy, Simon and goes to the highest point on the island to scout out their newfound home. The trio confirms their theory that this is an island and they are indeed the sole inhabitants.
In the novel, "Lord of the Flies," a group of British boys are left on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. Throughout the novel, they have conflicts between civilization and savagery, good vs. evil, order vs. chaos, and reason vs. impulse. What would it be like if the boys were replaced by a group of girls? Would they behave the same way they did in the novel? I believe that the girls would act in the same behavior as the boys in all ways because, everyone is installed with evil inside them which is their natural instinct, also because in life there is always a power struggle in all manners, and the outcome with the girls would be similar-since both sexes would plan on getting rescued.
A common saying goes, “we are what we eat;” but what exactly that makes us eat in the first place? What are the factors that influence our eating behaviors? If the food that we eat defines our personality and being as a whole, it should then be vital to identify the factors that push us to eat certain kinds of food. I think that social psychology has the answer. As broad as this field may seem, yet this science of explaining human behavior takes it reference on the influence of the environment, people, the media, and almost about anything that can contribute to how people think, feel, and act. In this paper, we will explore the factors that influence our eating
Jason pictures himself in a world where he won’t be distracted, which will give him the opportunity to focus and achieve his goals. He started thinking about it, planning what he’ll do and how he’s going to make the best out his second chance. “He won’t be like his dad, he thinks, he won’t waste his chances. He’ll grab what comes and run with it” (Allison 34). It will be all about him and the basement, who he will become, who he was meant to become. “In the basement, they won’t feed him much, so he will get all dramatic skinny. He could learn to eat imaginary meal meals and taste every bite-- donuts and hot barbecue wings and stay all skinny and pure. He’s going to come out that basement Brad-Pitt handsome and ready for anything” (Allison 34-35). In his mind, these are all the opportunity that he’ll get to become who he wants to be.
Golding believes that all people are selfish, wanting to satisfy their own requirements and desires before considering others. Jack, the leader of the choir, has a selfish desire for power. With “simple arrogance” Jack says, “I ought to be chief because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C-sharp” (22). His motives for wanting to become leader are ultimately egocentric as he mentions nothing about his utility or his contribution to the group of boys. However, Jack's wish to become leader is partially granted when he leads a hunting expedition. As a result, the boys' unattended signal fire burns out, but when Ralph mentions this, Jack becomes “vaguely irritated by this irrelevance” (69) but is also “too happy to let it worry him” (69). The self-absorbed boy has no desire to be rescued and even wants to stay on the island, thus he puts his desire to hunt before everything else and endangers everyone by not tending to essential chores. The boys who hunted with Jack also seem enjoy the experience selfishly, albeit not without regret (some hunters agree that the signal fire should not have been let out) – this i...
From the time that the boys land on the island, both a power struggle and the first signs of the boys' inherent evil, Piggy's mockery, occur. After blowing the conch and summoning all the boys to come for an assembly, an election is held. "I ought to be chief , said Jack with simple arrogance, because I'm chapter chorister and head boy"(Golding 22). After Ralph is elected Chief, Jack envies his position and constantly struggles for power with Ralph throughout the rest of the novel, convincing the rest of the boys to join his tribe rather than to stay with Ralph. Also, soon after the boys arrive at the island, Piggy, a physically weak and vulnerable character, is mocked and jeered at by the other boys. After trying to recount all of the liluns' names, Piggy is told to "Shut up, Fatty," by Jack Merridew. Ralph remarks by saying, "He's not Fatty. His real name's Piggy." All of the boys on the island, except for Piggy, laugh and make themselves more comfortable at Piggy's expense. "A storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in. For a moment the boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy outside."(Golding 21). The boys instinctively become more comfortable with one another after Piggy's mockery and create a bond, leaving Piggy on the outside.