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Post by hollis on Aug 18, 2014 11:59:44 GMT
From today - WHAT IS THE WHOLE BOOK ABOUT? #CONFUSED The dark side of humanity How and why society and humanity breaks down How much harm a group of boys can bring upon an island and the bad side of humans How society adapts in order to survive How humanity depicts what the boys are really like Society’s inner beast What we would become without society Our human instinct MAIN SYMBOLS THE SIGNAL FIRE - represents the connection / link with the outside world THE CONCH - represents society / order / rules PIGGY’S SPECS - represents technological advancements in society / a society that takes care of itself PAINTED FACES / ULULATION - represent the regression from society / order, the desire to return to a primitive society THE PIG’S HEAD / THE LORD OF THE FLIES - represents the innate evil in humanity / mankind's capacity for evil THE BEAST - represents the above, but also a personification of the boys' fear on the island. And if you fancy looking at our comic again, the link is here
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Post by hollis on Aug 20, 2014 11:55:00 GMT
CHAPTER 1 THEMES FROM TODAY - Order
- Chaos
- The importance of rules
- The barbaric nature of people
The conch – this is discovered by Ralph and Piggy, and it is immediately seen as prized and important.
“We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us – “ The conch is immediately shown as a symbol of order – it is used to have “meetings” which suggests that the boys are, at this point, happy to work together in a structured way.
JACK Jack is shown as a character who wants power. “I ought to be chief’ said Jack, with simple arrogance.” The word “ought” shows that he is superior to others and feels he has a right to lead. PIGGY He is unhealthy, shy, awkward, picked on, and has asthma. “He went very pink, bowed his head, and cleaned his glasses again.” Piggy goes ‘pink’ as he doesn’t like attention and again suggests this happens often. RALPH He is shown as a strong leader and self confident, and responsible. He has the conch. “I’m chief then’ the circle of boys broke into applause.” Shows the other boys respect him. He is chosen because of his looks and the conch.
THE SCAR This is the first impact the boys have on the island – it is where the plane crashed into the ground. “The long scar smashed into the jungle.” The boys have left permanent damage on the island as soon as they arrive. SYMBOLISES – the violence of the boy. The word ‘smashed’ shows the violence and impact they have had.
JACK’S SCHOOL’S CHOIR ROBES These were the black uniform that the boys wore (from Jack’s school). “He was intimidated by this uniformed superiority.” The choir boys uniforms shows them to be seen as superior. THE ELECTION This is when the boys vote for their leader. They choose Ralph over Jack “Vote for a chief.” The boys use a democratic election. They are working together at this point. RALPH TEARING OFF HIS CLOTHES Ralph takes off his clothes because of the heat. “He became conscious of the weight of his clothes.” Symbolises Ralph moving away from the rules of society. JACK’S INABILITY TO KILL A PIG Jack is unable to kill a pig because he is too scared. “He noticed that he still held his knife aloft.” He is still caught up in the rules and order in the civilised world. ‘aloft’ shows he is unable to bring the knife down and take a life.
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Post by hollis on Aug 26, 2014 14:42:02 GMT
CHAPTER 2 Ralph holds a meeting, which he uses the conch to organise and facilitate. At the meeting a boy claims they saw a snake-like beast, which they dismiss as a nightmare. They break into groups, with Jack leading the hunters, who volunteer to keep the fire going. The fire is a disaster and destroys a lot of the island, and, as the boys realise, the child with the birthmark who spoke at the meeting.
JACK Obsessed with hunting Feels a little weak / slighted after being unable to kill a pig and being overlooked for leader.
“After all, we’re not savages. We’re English; and the English are best at everything.”
RALPH Struggling to deal with his new authority. Knows they need to be rescued, but not confident / mature enough to organise and dictate leadership.
“Ralph was left, holding the conch, with no one but Piggy.”
PIGGY Trying to help Still picked on Starts to realise his place in the group – not treated fairly.
“If I say anything,’ cried Piggy, with bitter realism, ‘you say shut up; but if Jack or Maurice or Simon-”
THE CONCH “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” - The conch symbolises the need to preserve order on the island. Due to its rarity / value, it is prized. Therefore, whoever holds it should be allowed to speak. However, this isn’t fairly enforced from the start, as seen when Piggy takes the conch. “I got the conch –’ Jack turned fiercely. ‘You shut up!”
PIGGY'S GLASSES “His specs – use them as burning glasses!” - Glasses are a symbol of intelligence, and of an advanced society where people look out for each other. Piggy’s glasses are a piece of technology on the island (used to start fires) but the boys misuse them…
FIRE “We’ve got to have special people for looking after the fire…. If we have a signal going they’ll come and take us off.”
The first type of fire in the book (more later) is seen by Ralph as vital. A signal fire needs to burn as the link between the boys and the outside world. As long as the fire is burning, the boys have a chance to be saved, and by keeping it burning, they WANT to be saved. However, it takes a lot of responsibility, maturity and organisation to control a large fire properly – which the boys don’t have…
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Post by hollis on Sept 3, 2014 11:55:08 GMT
Chapter 4
Roger (with Maurice) are tormenting the littluns. Roger throws stones at a littlun – although he makes sure to avoid actually hitting him. Jack, still obsessed with killing, PAINTS HIS FACE to camouflage himself. However, a ship goes past, and he and his hunters have let the signal fire go out. BUT THEY DID CATCH A PIG SO THEY DON’T CARE. When Piggy complains, Jack slaps him (breaking part of his glasses) and mimics him. Jack does admit his responsibility, but doesn’t apologise. When Ralph is nice to Piggy, Jack decides he no longer likes Ralph. The boys roast the pig, re-enacting the hunt. Ralph goes off, and decides he needs to call a meeting…
Piggy - They don’t let him have any of the meat from the pig. This is because they don’t consider him ‘worthy’ of it. It is essentially, bullying.
Simon - Simon refuses to eat the meat. He doesn’t want to be seen as a savage.
Roger - He throws rocks (but misses!) at the other boys. - Roger likes the idea of violence, but he is too afraid of the consequences / still partly civilised. FORESHADOWING
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Post by hollis on Sept 22, 2014 11:29:01 GMT
Due WEDNESDAY 1ST OCTOBER
“Choose a novel in which there is a key turning point.By referring to key techniques, show how the author has created this turning point.”
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Post by hollis on Mar 26, 2015 14:10:28 GMT
In case you're on the board before Monday - here's the model essay you asked for, typed by my own fair hands.
“Lord of the Flies” is a novel by William Golding that explores themes such as the contrast of order and chaos, and savagery and civilisation. In the novel, a plane full of school boys crashes onto a deserted island and the boys must try to work together to survive; however, several of the boys care more about hunting and ‘fun’ than rescue. Chapter 5 of the novel acts as a clear turning point as this is the moment where Ralph loses his authority as a leader, and Jack’s half of the group begin their descent into chaotic hunters.
Prior to the turning point, Ralph is beginning to lose confidence in his ability as a leader, however he still commands the respect of most of the boys in the group. Before they meet to establish rules for the group, Ralph voices his concerns, saying, "I can't think. Not like Piggy." The use of the short and blunt statements by Ralph show his inability to think clearly and logically. In addition, his comparison to Piggy suggests that he is aware that he may not have been the most suitable leader, and that Piggy’s intelligence would have made him a better fit. However, Ralph is still in command of the group of boys, as Golding states that. "Those that were aware that a ship had passed the island while the fire was out were subdued by the thought of Ralph's anger. " The boys’ are ‘subdued’, suggesting that although there are signs of dissent in the group, Ralph still commands some sense of authority, as their own anger has been put out by the possibility of Ralph’s. Despite this, Ralph’s wavering faith in his own ability, as well as the first signs of uneasiness in the rest of the group, clearly sets the scene for the turning point, where Jack will take advantage of this weakness.
Although Ralph does still command the boys somewhat, when the meeting begins, more signs of discord continue to emerge. Ralph fails to strike the right tone when the meeting begins, telling the boys off for going to the toilet in the wrong place. While Ralph speaks, it is said that, "There were sniggers here and there and swift glances. "Now people seem to use anywhere. Even near the shelters and the platform. You littl'uns, when you're getting fruit; if you're taken short." The assembly roared." The ‘sniggers’ and ‘swift glances’ that Golding refers to shows that the boys are acting in an immature manner when the issue of the toilet is raised. Despite Ralph’s attempts to control and order the group, the boys see every word he says as an opportunity to giggle in a juvenile manner. The ‘roar’ of the assembly as Ralph tries to scold the litl’uns clearly shows that he is not inspiring any sense of authority in the children – they are becoming more and more chaotic. The lack of control and order in the meeting offers Jack his opportunity to usurp Ralph’s fading authority and to defy him, ultimately changing the course of the novel.
As the meeting continues, Ralph makes one final plea to the assembled boys, in an attempt to reason with them. He announces: "There's too much talking out of turn," […]“because we can't have proper assemblies if you don't stick to the rules." Ralph’s final attempt reinforces the idea of ‘proper’ behaviour and the importance of ‘sticking to the rules’, however by this point, Ralph has lost control of the boys, as they are no longer following the established order created by the conch – the idea that one boy should speak at a time, and only while holding the conch. The ‘talking out of turn’ that Ralph refers to clearly shows that the boys have rejected the order and authority offered by the conch. It is at this point that Jack stands up to Ralph, offering the boys the promise of ‘fun’ and freedom. In the key line of the novel, Jack states: “Bollocks to the rules.” This is the first something so openly defiant has been uttered, and clearly marks the turning point of the novel, as Jack’s crude use of ‘bollocks’ strikes out against the rules of a civilised society. By stating this, Jack is essentially creating a schism between the two groups – one that chooses to live by Ralph’s rules and order, and one that chooses to live by Jack’s chaotic, disorganised philosophy. As a result of this turning point, the divide between the central themes of chaos and order is clearly apparent to the reader. This moment has serious consequences not only for the society of boys, but also for Ralph’s own confidence in his ability as a leader.
As a result of the turning point, the group begins to splinter and Ralph clearly begins to lose confidence in himself and the rules he has previously established. Piggy asks Ralph to blow the conch in an attempt to unite the boys after the turning point, but Ralph states, sadly: "If I blow the conch and they don't come back; then we've had it. We shan't keep the fire going. We'll be like animals." Ralph sees his failure as a leader as somewhat poisoning the symbol of the conch – if he blows it and they don’t return then, as he bluntly states, they’ve ‘had it’: they will descend into chaos. Ralph worries that this will ultimately affect the status of their other link to the civilised world: the fire. This has symbolised the connection to the outside world, and the boys’ desires to return to it. The fire has required order and planning to keep lit and burning, and Ralph now worries that his failure as a leader, and Jack’s defiance of him, means that the boys will no longer be concerned about being rescued. Ralph’s final comparison sums up the change he sees in the boys; he believes they will now be ‘like animals’ without any sense of care or compassion for each other. The change in the boys is clear after the turning point, therefore: they are now losing any sense or semblance of order that was once present, and this will ultimately lead to them forgetting any sense of humanity, resulting in the deaths of Simon and Piggy later in the novel.
In conclusion, it is clear to see that the assembly in chapter 5 acts as the turning point of the novel. This can be seen in both Ralph’s final, futile attempts to keep the boys ordered, and in Jack’s defiance of the rules, leading to further chaos later in the novel. Golding uses the assembly scene to show the fragile nature of order, and to suggest that rules are simply not enough – there must be an authority to enforce these. Without this, civilisation will turn to chaos and disruption.
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