When Piggy and Ralph realize that Simon has been brutally murdered, they are pretty upset. They nearly go into denial-- they pretend that it never happened and that they don't know how the campfire ended because they left early. Samneric do the same.
I wouldn't have done this (in theory, anyway. I've never been in a situation even close to this one). There's not much that can be done after somebody dies-- you can't change the past, and regrets won't bring anyone back. It would be good to be able to talk to Jack's tribe, except it probably wouldn't be a good idea because they could kill you. One thing I would have done differently, however, is that I would have given Simon a proper burial and a little ceremony. You know, say a couple words about his life, and maybe offer up a prayer for him (if you are religious-- maybe even if you're not. People tend to do that at funerals.).
At a certain point, Jack realizes that in order to cook their meat, they will need a fire. He also realizes that he has no way of starting a fire because he doesn't have the specs. He could've gone and asked Ralph and Piggy for the glasses, but he has too much pride. Instead he goes in the night and steals them, terrifying the littluns and making Ralph and Piggy go into a state of pure rage.
This is just stupid. Honestly! Jack should've stopped being an idiot, counted to ten, and gone and either asked for the glasses or simply appologized and go back to Ralph's gang. I wouldn't ever be in this situation because that's not the kind of person I am, but if I was for some reason I would've appologized. (If you are wondering about the counting to ten thing-- that's what I do when I'm feeling some really strong emotions and have to stop. If I'm really mad, I count to ten before I respond. I try to, anyway. If I'm really hyper and need to calm down, I count to ten. If I'm really upset but I can't just cry because there's lots of people around, I count to ten. It works.)
Ralph's whole purpose on the island is to keep the fire going so that a ship will see their smoke and come rescue them. When Piggy's specs are stolen, he's not sure what to do. He needs the glasses to keep the fire going (even though at this point he's starting to forget about the fire). He decides to go and talk to Jack's tribe and demand that they give him the glasses back. As we all know, this doesn't turn out very well.
I'm not sure what I'd do in this situation. I would be caught halfway between being mad and wanting to demand that they give me the glasses and being terrified that they would kill me the way they killed Simon. I probably would've thought about it a lot longer in a state of hysteria, whatever I decided to do. In the end, I probably would've just left it and hoped that it would all work out. I don't know whether this is the right thing to do or not, but I think I would've been too scared to do otherwise.
Piggy's death is the worst thing that could have happened to Ralph. He is now the only one. He has no loyal friends anymore (Samneric wish him well, but they don't stick by him.) and everyone wants to kill him. He hides and runs and hides and runs and hides and runs until he finally finds the naval offider, who takes control of the situation.
I admire Ralph for this. I think I would've given up at this point and given into Jack. I would've been too weary, tired, lonely, and scared. I don't think I would've had it in me to run around the island-- although if my life was in danger, who knows what I could do? Either way--- props to Ralph.
So ends our blog. Keep smiling, everyone.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Supplementary Task VIII B: The Western News
Young boy on island made victim
Child's play turns bad, resulting in the tragic death of a child
Ottawa-- Last Thursday night, nine-year-old Simon Callighan, who was part of a group of boys stranded on an island was attacked and killed by his peers. The boys were stranded on an island in the Atlantic Ocean until they were rescued on Saturday.
Callighan lived in London, England with his parents and baby sister. He was on his way to Sir Winston Churchill Boarding School when he was stranded on the island along with the other boys on the plane.
"Simon was batty," said one boy. "He said the beast was the people."
The boys were overexcited from hunting and very frightened of a beast that they believed to have existed on the island. Naval officers are exploring the island for this beast, but they have not found it, nor have they found evidence that suggests that this beast exists.
Ralph Connors, who was the leader of the group until his position was taken away from him by Jack Merridew, seems very confused and extremely upset by the who event. Connors is the son of a wealthy British naval officer, and he was set on being rescued.
"We left early, me and Piggy," Ralph said. "We didn't help them. We weren't there. We didn't mean to kill him!"
Ralph is now being examined in a mental assylum in London, England.
The majority of the boys on the island imply that the attack was Merridew's idea, although no one actually came right out to say that. "He taught us about hunting and things," said one boy. "We were excited. We didn't think he'd actually die."
Merridew and the rest of the boys will be tried in two weeks.
Child's play turns bad, resulting in the tragic death of a child
Ottawa-- Last Thursday night, nine-year-old Simon Callighan, who was part of a group of boys stranded on an island was attacked and killed by his peers. The boys were stranded on an island in the Atlantic Ocean until they were rescued on Saturday.
Callighan lived in London, England with his parents and baby sister. He was on his way to Sir Winston Churchill Boarding School when he was stranded on the island along with the other boys on the plane.
"Simon was batty," said one boy. "He said the beast was the people."
The boys were overexcited from hunting and very frightened of a beast that they believed to have existed on the island. Naval officers are exploring the island for this beast, but they have not found it, nor have they found evidence that suggests that this beast exists.
Ralph Connors, who was the leader of the group until his position was taken away from him by Jack Merridew, seems very confused and extremely upset by the who event. Connors is the son of a wealthy British naval officer, and he was set on being rescued.
"We left early, me and Piggy," Ralph said. "We didn't help them. We weren't there. We didn't mean to kill him!"
Ralph is now being examined in a mental assylum in London, England.
The majority of the boys on the island imply that the attack was Merridew's idea, although no one actually came right out to say that. "He taught us about hunting and things," said one boy. "We were excited. We didn't think he'd actually die."
Merridew and the rest of the boys will be tried in two weeks.
Summarizing Chapter 12
Here it is, lady, Malick, and gentleman. (Sorry Malick, I'm just kidding.) I bring you the final chapter of the novel!!!
Ralph, who has been slightly wounded by Jack's spear, is hiding among the creepers. He tries to convince himself that he won't be killed, but he knows that they will try to kill him. Going through the jungle, he finds the pig's head on the stick. He is disgusted by it.
He hears them doing their rituals, and he sees them. He sees that Samneric are now a part of Jack's tribe. He tries to communicate with them, and they try to give him advice and help him, but in the end they will not put themselves in such danger for Ralph's sake.
He runs and he hides until they find him. Then he runs and hides until they find him again. This goes on for quite awhile until Ralph stumbles upon someone else-- someone new. Someone who isn't from the island. It's a naval officer; he saw their smoke. They are rescued, and Ralph is saved!
I liked the ending. I was sad about the deaths of Simon and Piggy (especially Simon!) but I'm glad they got rescued.
Keep smiling, everyone.
Ralph, who has been slightly wounded by Jack's spear, is hiding among the creepers. He tries to convince himself that he won't be killed, but he knows that they will try to kill him. Going through the jungle, he finds the pig's head on the stick. He is disgusted by it.
He hears them doing their rituals, and he sees them. He sees that Samneric are now a part of Jack's tribe. He tries to communicate with them, and they try to give him advice and help him, but in the end they will not put themselves in such danger for Ralph's sake.
He runs and he hides until they find him. Then he runs and hides until they find him again. This goes on for quite awhile until Ralph stumbles upon someone else-- someone new. Someone who isn't from the island. It's a naval officer; he saw their smoke. They are rescued, and Ralph is saved!
I liked the ending. I was sad about the deaths of Simon and Piggy (especially Simon!) but I'm glad they got rescued.
Keep smiling, everyone.
Summarizing Chapter 11
Piggy and Ralph decide to hold an assembly. They are afraid, but what must be done must be done. Ralph almost forgets the purpose of the fire-- this is significant because it shows that he's going crazy.
Once they get past Roger, they talk to Jack, trying to get back Piggy's glasses and to convince him that they need the fire. It doesn't really work.
Eventually, Piggy gets frustrated with their childish ways of handling things. He gives them a big, arrogant speach, and Jack hurls a boulder at Piggy. As it hits him, the conch breaks into a thousand pieces. Piggy falls off the cliff to his death.
Once they get past Roger, they talk to Jack, trying to get back Piggy's glasses and to convince him that they need the fire. It doesn't really work.
Eventually, Piggy gets frustrated with their childish ways of handling things. He gives them a big, arrogant speach, and Jack hurls a boulder at Piggy. As it hits him, the conch breaks into a thousand pieces. Piggy falls off the cliff to his death.
Summarizing Chapter 10
At the opening of the chapter, Ralph and Piggy are trying to decide what to do. Very few boys are still on their side. Ralph attempts to come to terms with Simon's death while Piggy tries to justify it. Then Samneric (who were still following Ralph) came, and they all end up denying it.
They decide to go check up on the others, who are torturing Wilfred for no apparent reason, other than because Jack wanted to.
The four boys continue to live seperate from the others. They are frightened and a little bit crazy. In the night, Jack's hunters came to steal the glasses. Ralph put up a fight for Piggy, but it was no use-- they got them.
They decide to go check up on the others, who are torturing Wilfred for no apparent reason, other than because Jack wanted to.
The four boys continue to live seperate from the others. They are frightened and a little bit crazy. In the night, Jack's hunters came to steal the glasses. Ralph put up a fight for Piggy, but it was no use-- they got them.
Monday, May 7, 2007
The Boys
Samneric/David & Simon Surtees
Robert/Nicholas Hammond
Simon/Tom Gaman
Roger/Roger Elwin
Piggy/Hugh Edwards
Jack/Tom Chapin
Ralph / James Aubrey 
The Lord of the Flies Reunion
1996 - Vieques, Puerto Rico Clockwise from top left:
David and Simon (Samn'Eric) Surtees
Hugh Edwards (Piggy)
Tom Gaman (Simon)
Tom Chapin (Jack)
James Aubrey (Ralph)
The Lord of the Flies boys return to Vieques after 35 years.
Isn't this wierd? They all look so different (except for Ralph/James, where you can see some similarities).
Cheers.
The Lord of the Flies: Book VS Movie
The final half of the movie was actually pretty intense. I found it very appropriate while comparing it to the. Although, there were some parts that were inaccurate.
Pages 158-9 of the book had the Lord of the Flies talking with Simon. He said some deep things like how "the beast is in all of us." The whole reason Simon dies is because the beast tells him what the beast truly is. In the end, I would think that if you hadn't read the book before hand, then you have no idea why half of these things happened. If you did read the book, then it really illustrates the pictures in your mind. It may ruin your thought of the book, but it really puts things in place if you haven't seen it before.
If I was living the time when this movie first came out, I would've thought that these effects were really awesome. When you look back at it now...yeah...I thought it was a really good movie though. I doubt it will be better than the 80's version. Anything new sucks. Old movies rule. The effects are bad, but they don't have the same kind of feel as they did back then. In the 60's, you were seeing everything for the first time. Now, you've seen everything and all the movies seem the same.
The LOTF movie was pretty good. I would give it a 7.5/10. There were a lot of differences, but that shouldn't get in the way of seeing a good movie.
Pages 158-9 of the book had the Lord of the Flies talking with Simon. He said some deep things like how "the beast is in all of us." The whole reason Simon dies is because the beast tells him what the beast truly is. In the end, I would think that if you hadn't read the book before hand, then you have no idea why half of these things happened. If you did read the book, then it really illustrates the pictures in your mind. It may ruin your thought of the book, but it really puts things in place if you haven't seen it before.
If I was living the time when this movie first came out, I would've thought that these effects were really awesome. When you look back at it now...yeah...I thought it was a really good movie though. I doubt it will be better than the 80's version. Anything new sucks. Old movies rule. The effects are bad, but they don't have the same kind of feel as they did back then. In the 60's, you were seeing everything for the first time. Now, you've seen everything and all the movies seem the same.
The LOTF movie was pretty good. I would give it a 7.5/10. There were a lot of differences, but that shouldn't get in the way of seeing a good movie.
Supplementary Task VIII: Four Important Events (in the last third of the novel)
1. The naval officer arrives.
2. Simon's Death
3. Ralph is being hunted; everyone joins Jack & Roger.
4. Piggy's Death
I believe that the time when the naval officer arrives is the most important part in the last bit. Ralph is being chased onto the beach by Jack's tribe; they are pursuing him to kill him. He runs into the man and is instantly saved. They are no longer tribesmen with blood on their hands, but sad, scared little boys; there is now a real adult on the island.
The naval officer is also the symbol of hope; they can now go home, and integrate back into British society. He is their ticket home, their one way off the blood-soaked island. Even though both Piggy and Simon are dead, and Ralph almost killed, they are now able to return back to Britain. The murder spree is over.
The naval officer arrives just in time to prevent a death and save the lot of them. Though he doesn't know the full extent of what happened on the island, he knows they need to go home.
Cheers.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Summarizing Chapter Nine
Simon is not in a healthy state of mind or body at the beginning of the chapter. He had been bleeding until he fell asleep. When he wakes up, he sees the pigs face which had been attacked by the flies.
Meanwhile, Ralph and Piggy are trying to sort out their 'tribe.' Most of the boys are with Jack's group at this point. Ralph is trying to convince himself that he doesn't care, even though he obviously does. They decide to go over to where the others are to make sure they are alright. They end up eating some of the meat from a pig Jack and his hunters have killed. Ralph continues to try and convince them to come back and make things like they were before, but it's no use.
The boys begin to re-enact the killing of the pig, like usual. Only this time, things get a little out of hand. Simon comes from the forest and bursts into the circle. The boys think that he is the beast, and they kill him. (There is a nice graphic description on pages 168-170.)
What a sad chapter! Poor Simon!!!
Meanwhile, Ralph and Piggy are trying to sort out their 'tribe.' Most of the boys are with Jack's group at this point. Ralph is trying to convince himself that he doesn't care, even though he obviously does. They decide to go over to where the others are to make sure they are alright. They end up eating some of the meat from a pig Jack and his hunters have killed. Ralph continues to try and convince them to come back and make things like they were before, but it's no use.
The boys begin to re-enact the killing of the pig, like usual. Only this time, things get a little out of hand. Simon comes from the forest and bursts into the circle. The boys think that he is the beast, and they kill him. (There is a nice graphic description on pages 168-170.)
What a sad chapter! Poor Simon!!!
Illuminating Chapter Eight
The first significant part of this chapter is when Jack decides not to follow Ralph as chief any more.
' "Who thinks Ralph oughtn't to be chief?"
He looked expectantly at the boys ranged round, who had frozen. Under the palms there was deadly silence.
"Hands up," said Jack strongly, "whoever wants Ralph not to be chief?"
The silence continued, breathless and heavy and full of shame. Slowly the red drained from Jack's cheeks, then came back with a painful rush. He licked his lips and turned his head at an angle, so that his gaze avoided the embarrassment of linking with another's eye.
"How many think--"
His voice trailed off. The hands that held the conch shook. He cleared his throat, and spoke loudly.
"All right then."
He laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet. The humiliating tears were running from the corner of each eye.
"I'm not going to play any longer. Not with you."
Most of the boys were looking down now, at the grass or their feet. Jack cleared his throat again.
"I'm not going to be part of Ralph's lot--"
He looked along the right-hand logs, numbering the hunters that had been a choir.
"I'm going off by myself. He can catch his own pigs. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too." '
(Lord of the Flies, page 139-140)
This is obviously important because it shows the beginning of the division. Right now it seems like it's only a little squabble between a couple of immature school boys. However, this little squabble will break them all up and will even be responsible for great tragedies. It doesn't take long for more and more boys to go to Jack's side.
The second significant part of this chapter is when the present the beast with a gift.
' Maurice and Robert skewered the carcass, lifted the dead weight, and stood ready. In the silence, and standing over the dry blood, they looked suddenly furtive.
Jack spoke loudly.
"This head is for the beast. It's a gift."
The silence accepted the gift and awed them. The head remained there, dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth. All at once they were running away, as fast as they could, through the forest towards the open beach.
(Lord of the Flies, page 150-151)
I thought this was kind of strange. It seems that the boys are almost worshiping the idea of the beast. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it's because they're so frightened of what the beast could do to them that they're willing to do anything and everything to prevent it. Any thoughts on that?
The last significant part is Simon's... I'm not sure exactly what it was.
' "You are a silly little boy," said the Lord of the Flies, "just an ignorant, silly little boy."
Simon moved his swollen tongue but said nothing.
"Don't you agree?" said the Lord of the Flies. "Aren't you just a silly little boy?
Simon answered him in the same silent voice.
"Well then," said the Lord of the Flies, "you'd better run off and play with the others. They think you're batty. You don't want Ralph to think you're batty, do you? You like Ralph a lot, don't you? And Piggy, and Jack?"
Simon's head was tilted slightly up. His eyes could not break away and the Lord of the Flies hung in space before him.
"What are you doing out here all alone? Aren't you afraid of me?"
Simon shook.
"There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the beast."
Simon's mouth laboured, brought forth audible words.
"Pig's head on a stick."
"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!" said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. "You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?" '
(Lord of the Flies, page 157-158)
It goes on, but that's the jist of it. This is confusing at first because we're not exactly sure what's going on with Simon. He seems to be hallucinating or having a seizure or something... however, even in his confusing mental state, he knows the truth. The truth is that the beast is something inside all of them. It's in everyone, even Simon, the sweetest, best boy on the whole island! (In my opinion, anyway.) They are the danger to themselves. It's not a monster that hides in the sea or in the trees. It's man's violent nature.
Keep smiling, everyone!
' "Who thinks Ralph oughtn't to be chief?"
He looked expectantly at the boys ranged round, who had frozen. Under the palms there was deadly silence.
"Hands up," said Jack strongly, "whoever wants Ralph not to be chief?"
The silence continued, breathless and heavy and full of shame. Slowly the red drained from Jack's cheeks, then came back with a painful rush. He licked his lips and turned his head at an angle, so that his gaze avoided the embarrassment of linking with another's eye.
"How many think--"
His voice trailed off. The hands that held the conch shook. He cleared his throat, and spoke loudly.
"All right then."
He laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet. The humiliating tears were running from the corner of each eye.
"I'm not going to play any longer. Not with you."
Most of the boys were looking down now, at the grass or their feet. Jack cleared his throat again.
"I'm not going to be part of Ralph's lot--"
He looked along the right-hand logs, numbering the hunters that had been a choir.
"I'm going off by myself. He can catch his own pigs. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too." '
(Lord of the Flies, page 139-140)
This is obviously important because it shows the beginning of the division. Right now it seems like it's only a little squabble between a couple of immature school boys. However, this little squabble will break them all up and will even be responsible for great tragedies. It doesn't take long for more and more boys to go to Jack's side.
The second significant part of this chapter is when the present the beast with a gift.
' Maurice and Robert skewered the carcass, lifted the dead weight, and stood ready. In the silence, and standing over the dry blood, they looked suddenly furtive.
Jack spoke loudly.
"This head is for the beast. It's a gift."
The silence accepted the gift and awed them. The head remained there, dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth. All at once they were running away, as fast as they could, through the forest towards the open beach.
(Lord of the Flies, page 150-151)
I thought this was kind of strange. It seems that the boys are almost worshiping the idea of the beast. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it's because they're so frightened of what the beast could do to them that they're willing to do anything and everything to prevent it. Any thoughts on that?
The last significant part is Simon's... I'm not sure exactly what it was.
' "You are a silly little boy," said the Lord of the Flies, "just an ignorant, silly little boy."
Simon moved his swollen tongue but said nothing.
"Don't you agree?" said the Lord of the Flies. "Aren't you just a silly little boy?
Simon answered him in the same silent voice.
"Well then," said the Lord of the Flies, "you'd better run off and play with the others. They think you're batty. You don't want Ralph to think you're batty, do you? You like Ralph a lot, don't you? And Piggy, and Jack?"
Simon's head was tilted slightly up. His eyes could not break away and the Lord of the Flies hung in space before him.
"What are you doing out here all alone? Aren't you afraid of me?"
Simon shook.
"There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the beast."
Simon's mouth laboured, brought forth audible words.
"Pig's head on a stick."
"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!" said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. "You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?" '
(Lord of the Flies, page 157-158)
It goes on, but that's the jist of it. This is confusing at first because we're not exactly sure what's going on with Simon. He seems to be hallucinating or having a seizure or something... however, even in his confusing mental state, he knows the truth. The truth is that the beast is something inside all of them. It's in everyone, even Simon, the sweetest, best boy on the whole island! (In my opinion, anyway.) They are the danger to themselves. It's not a monster that hides in the sea or in the trees. It's man's violent nature.
Keep smiling, everyone!
Illuminating Chapter Seven
Yes, it's finally me!!! Sorry these posts have taken so long... here goes.
The first part of this chapter that I found particularly memorable was when Simon tells Ralph that he thought he would get back home.
'Simon was speaking almost in his ear. Ralph found that he had rock painfully gripped in both hands, found his body arched, the muscles of his neck stiff, his mouth strained open.
"You'll get back to where you came from."
Simon nodded as he spoke. He was kneeling on one knee, looking down from a higher rock which he held with both hands; his other leg stretched down to Ralph's level.
Ralph was puzzled and searched Simon's face for a clue.
"It's so big, I mean--"
Simon nodded.
"All the same. You'll get back all right. I think so, anyway."
Some of the strain had gone from Ralph's body. He glanced at the sea and then smiled bitterly at Simon.
"Got a ship in your pocket?"
Simon grinned and shook his head.
"How do you know, then?"
Simon shook his head violently till the coarse black hair flew backwards and forwards across his face.
"No, I'm not. I just think you'll get back all right--."
For a moment nothing more was said. And then they suddenly smiled at each other.'
(Lord of the Flies, page 121-122)
Aww! Isn't that sweet? This is the first time that any of the boys have really related on an emotional level at all. Before this, it's just like they're a group of boys randomly placed on the same island. They act like friends because they do the same things. They have to work together to survive. But they never really talked about their lives away or how they felt about the whole island experience. This little part shows that even though they don't talk (I mean, Ralph never said anything to spark this conversation), they relate and communicate.
The next part of this chapter that I felt was significant was when Ralph wounded the boar. It's important because he begins to lose attention and control. It shows the beginning of his loss of power.
' "I hit him," said Ralph indignantly. "I hit him with my spear, I wounded him."
He tried for their attention.
"He was coming along the path. I threw, like this--"'
(Lord of the Flies, page 125)
I think that this is significant because for the first time in the novel, the boys don't simply fall at Ralph's feet. He does something that he thinks is important, but they don't care. This will only get worse as the book goes on.
The final important section of this chapter is when they are looking for the beast and Ralph chickens out.
' "If you don't want to go on," said the voice sarcastically, "I'll go up by myself."
Ralph heard the mockery and hated Jack. The sting of ashes in his eyes, tiredness, fear, enraged him.
"Go on then! We'll wait here."
There was silence.
"Why don't you go? Are you frightened?"
A stain in the darkness, a stain that was Jack, detached itself and began to draw away.
"All right. So long." '
(Lord of the Flies, page 132)
This is important because Jack can use this against Ralph later on. He had more courage and bravery than Ralph did at this specific point, and he can use that to make him seem like the better leader.
Keep smiling, everyone!
The first part of this chapter that I found particularly memorable was when Simon tells Ralph that he thought he would get back home.
'Simon was speaking almost in his ear. Ralph found that he had rock painfully gripped in both hands, found his body arched, the muscles of his neck stiff, his mouth strained open.
"You'll get back to where you came from."
Simon nodded as he spoke. He was kneeling on one knee, looking down from a higher rock which he held with both hands; his other leg stretched down to Ralph's level.
Ralph was puzzled and searched Simon's face for a clue.
"It's so big, I mean--"
Simon nodded.
"All the same. You'll get back all right. I think so, anyway."
Some of the strain had gone from Ralph's body. He glanced at the sea and then smiled bitterly at Simon.
"Got a ship in your pocket?"
Simon grinned and shook his head.
"How do you know, then?"
Simon shook his head violently till the coarse black hair flew backwards and forwards across his face.
"No, I'm not. I just think you'll get back all right--."
For a moment nothing more was said. And then they suddenly smiled at each other.'
(Lord of the Flies, page 121-122)
Aww! Isn't that sweet? This is the first time that any of the boys have really related on an emotional level at all. Before this, it's just like they're a group of boys randomly placed on the same island. They act like friends because they do the same things. They have to work together to survive. But they never really talked about their lives away or how they felt about the whole island experience. This little part shows that even though they don't talk (I mean, Ralph never said anything to spark this conversation), they relate and communicate.
The next part of this chapter that I felt was significant was when Ralph wounded the boar. It's important because he begins to lose attention and control. It shows the beginning of his loss of power.
' "I hit him," said Ralph indignantly. "I hit him with my spear, I wounded him."
He tried for their attention.
"He was coming along the path. I threw, like this--"'
(Lord of the Flies, page 125)
I think that this is significant because for the first time in the novel, the boys don't simply fall at Ralph's feet. He does something that he thinks is important, but they don't care. This will only get worse as the book goes on.
The final important section of this chapter is when they are looking for the beast and Ralph chickens out.
' "If you don't want to go on," said the voice sarcastically, "I'll go up by myself."
Ralph heard the mockery and hated Jack. The sting of ashes in his eyes, tiredness, fear, enraged him.
"Go on then! We'll wait here."
There was silence.
"Why don't you go? Are you frightened?"
A stain in the darkness, a stain that was Jack, detached itself and began to draw away.
"All right. So long." '
(Lord of the Flies, page 132)
This is important because Jack can use this against Ralph later on. He had more courage and bravery than Ralph did at this specific point, and he can use that to make him seem like the better leader.
Keep smiling, everyone!
Thursday, May 3, 2007
The Remains of Piggy found!
I found what Piggy looked like after he died.
WARNING DO NOT SCROLL DOWN IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE THE SIGHT OF A DEAD PERSON!
Fooled you! Hardy Hardy Har...get it...Piggy...bacon?
WARNING DO NOT SCROLL DOWN IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE THE SIGHT OF A DEAD PERSON!
Fooled you! Hardy Hardy Har...get it...Piggy...bacon?
Well?
So, what did you all think of the book? Good? Bad? Interesting? Stupid? Thrilling? Boring? ("Yawn...")
Come up with the most descriptive description (wow...that's kind of odd...descriptive description...I sure have a way with words, eh?) you can about the book, and we'll compare. I personally didn't enjoy the book that much, but I thought it was better than The Chrysalids.
I also cannot believe that we're finished this unit (almost)! I loved coming to the computer lab to work on the blogs; they were fun. We should do this for Romeo and Juliet, too (hint hint, sir).
Heather, I hope you and your loss of wisdom are feeling better!
Cheers.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Article C: The Morning Globe
The Morning Globe
British boy killed by classmates
Mistaken for a pig and beaten to death
Kate Hodgson, JournalistMay 1, 1944
London--Simon Callaghan was killed on the evening of April twenty-third on the beach of a desert island near a cookfire. He was mistaken for a pig in the midst of a reenactment of a pig hunt, and was beaten to death with sticks.
Callaghan, nine, was killed by a group of schoolboys who were stranded on the island when their evacuation plane crashed. The boys ranged from ages five to twelve, and all came from London schools.
"I'm not even sure how it happened," said Maurice Buchard, ten. "We were all chanting and dancing around the fire--our ritual after a hunt--and pretending to kill a pig. All of sudden there was an actual object to beat on. It never really seemed to register that it was our mate."
When asked if Callaghan got along with the group of boys, Jack Merridew, twelve, was hesitant. "Somewhat. We found him rather batty; he got these odd spasms and often fainted. It was rather different, and we didn't know what to think. The fainting did get irritating after a while, though. No one ever got mad at him that I can remember, however."
"The killing wasn't intentional. The beating just felt so...good and natural that it seemed wrong to stop," said Ralph Jones, looking remorseful.
It appears that there were no personal feelings involved in the murder; it's more because the boys got caught up in their hunting ritual and forget reality. The question now is, could this happen to anybody? Would a group of schoolgirls do this? Adults? Or were the boys just bred with violence?Psycologist John Demers voiced his opinion. "I don't believe that violence is bred into the boys. They were held in place with rules for their whole life, so the first chance they have to be set free of all restrictions is a chance they accept with open arms. It was an unconsious decision to be this violent--it's just natural to want to go against everything you've ever been taught just for the thrill of it."
The boys were rescued last week by a Navy boat, the HMS Kingston, and are now recovering from their ordeal at home in London. Callaghan's family could not be reached.
London
Dancing and Chanting: A disturbing mystery.
AS you all know, Simon was killed as he was going back to the beach to tell the boys what the beast or "the beast" really was. The boys thought Simon was a pig coming out of the jungle and attacked him. After a few minutes, they recognized this pig as Simon. Why did the boys keep beating Simon when they knew it was him? In my opinion, I thought the boys were cought up in the excitement of this crazy circle of pain. The boys were blood-thirsty and needed something to take their rage out on. I think that the boys kept all of these feelings and all of this pain that they were suffering inside of them until they killed Simon. By killing Simon, they unleashed their wrath with all of their frustrations, anger, and sadness. It was something that they should have discussed earlier before getting out of hand. If the boys were adults, then I think things would be different. I think someone would be resposible enough to get everyone to stop beating on this poor little boy.
The boys wouldn't stop because they are little boys. They aren't responsible and strong enough to handle the intense pull of the dancing chant. People who get sucked into these things are weak and should build up their mental power. If one of the boys was an older teenager, and had been on the island for several years with all of these other boys, they would've built up enough physchological power to break this gravitational pull and would have been brought back out of this trance and stopped Simon from dying. Plus, the boys probably didn't stop because it probably felt good to pummel something and not feel any guilt towards their horrible actions. Knowing me, I probably would have felt guilty and broken the ritual up.
Ritual activities:
1. Watching my Favorite T.V show every Wednesday night.
2. Making sure everything in my room is in the right place before I go to bed.
3. Washing my glasses at least once everyday at 6:00.
4. Making sure I sleep on my right side everytime.
2. I picked this one because I won't know that everything is perfect and nothing will fall over and make a loud noise when i'm tired. It's weird because sometimes I do it with out even noticing. When I do notice, I often check it twice just to be sure. Call my a neat freak, I don't care. It's just re-assureing to know that everything is in the proper order in my home. I don't like anything out of place. If I break this ritual, then I won't be comfortable and I won't sleep. Something in the back of my mind will keep telling me that something is where it shouldn't be so I get up and try and find what's wrong until I feel comfortable and able to sleep.
It's like a curse, but it feels really weird to know that something is out of place. Even If it's the slightest thing like having my pillow moved over a tiny bit, I will have to move it over until it's just right. The funny thing is, that when you look at my school bag, there are papers and old tests just lying around it. I'm more organized at home than with my school work. If only I could re-arrange that...
You guys need to post one of your own rituals down and talk about it like I have done. Just letting you know.
-Malick
The boys wouldn't stop because they are little boys. They aren't responsible and strong enough to handle the intense pull of the dancing chant. People who get sucked into these things are weak and should build up their mental power. If one of the boys was an older teenager, and had been on the island for several years with all of these other boys, they would've built up enough physchological power to break this gravitational pull and would have been brought back out of this trance and stopped Simon from dying. Plus, the boys probably didn't stop because it probably felt good to pummel something and not feel any guilt towards their horrible actions. Knowing me, I probably would have felt guilty and broken the ritual up.
Ritual activities:
1. Watching my Favorite T.V show every Wednesday night.
2. Making sure everything in my room is in the right place before I go to bed.
3. Washing my glasses at least once everyday at 6:00.
4. Making sure I sleep on my right side everytime.
2. I picked this one because I won't know that everything is perfect and nothing will fall over and make a loud noise when i'm tired. It's weird because sometimes I do it with out even noticing. When I do notice, I often check it twice just to be sure. Call my a neat freak, I don't care. It's just re-assureing to know that everything is in the proper order in my home. I don't like anything out of place. If I break this ritual, then I won't be comfortable and I won't sleep. Something in the back of my mind will keep telling me that something is where it shouldn't be so I get up and try and find what's wrong until I feel comfortable and able to sleep.
It's like a curse, but it feels really weird to know that something is out of place. Even If it's the slightest thing like having my pillow moved over a tiny bit, I will have to move it over until it's just right. The funny thing is, that when you look at my school bag, there are papers and old tests just lying around it. I'm more organized at home than with my school work. If only I could re-arrange that...
You guys need to post one of your own rituals down and talk about it like I have done. Just letting you know.
-Malick
Article A: The Daily Mercury
The Daily Mercury
Young Boy Tragically Murdered
Boy killed by those he called friends-Kate Hodgson, Journalist May 1, 1944
London--On April twenty-third, on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean, a young boy was tragically beaten to death by his so-called friends and classmates. Nine-year-old Simon Callaghan was mistaken for a fleshy pig and slaughtered brutally around a roaring cookfire.
The group of schoolboys (ranging in age from five to twelve) were chanting and dancing around their cooking fire on the beach when they started play-acting the killing of their pig. Callaghan was not part of this disturbing circle of evil; the boys did not know where he was. Soon, however, he came crashing out of the spiny shrubs nearby and burst into the middle of the circle. The boys were so caught up in their bloodthirsty chant and blinded by evil that they did not realize that the thing that they were beating on was actually their skinny young classmate.
"He was crying something about a dead man on the mountain," said Maurice Buchard, ten. "We all ignored him, mainly because we were pretending he was the pig."
The pig was their dinner food and the boys liked to reenact the hunt. Callaghan was their unintended victim that night, and he paid dearly for it.
"Young people these days just cannot be trusted to take care of themselves and behave civilized," said Mrs. Joanna Smith, a neighbour of Callaghan's London family. "It's a tragic thing that occured, and the naughty children must be punished for their terrible crimes."
Witnesses of Callaghan's murder, who realized what was going on, said that Callaghan was beaten with wooden sticks, stoned, and bitten. He was also pushed over a ledge.
They were chanting "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!"
Only those who are truly sick-minded and disturbed would murder their own classmate like that. These young boys most obviously need mental help.
The British schoolboys were stranded on the island because the plane taking them over to Canada crashed. They were being evacuated from London, and came from schools including St. James' Private College, Eton College, and Bransmith Primary School.
Callaghan attended Eton College, and was part of the choir there.
London.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Quote
In the book, there are several good quotes. However, this one at the end really stands out for me. It shows me that though the boys are only twelve (or younger) they have seen far to much in their short lifetime, and know way to much about anger and savagery. They're supposed to be happy and carefree, yet they somehow know and have touched evil.
I believe that the boys' end of innocence is shared with children around the world. Many children in third world countries have experienced savagery first hand, and understand the look, touch, and taste of evil. It's sad but true.
Golding sums up the sadness in the following quote.
“...Ralph wept for for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.”
Think about it.
Cheers.
Symbolism
Symbolism in The Lord of the Flies
Piggy (and Glasses): Clear-sightedness, intelligence. Their state represents the status of social order.
Ralph, The Conch: Democracy, Order
Simon: Pure Goodness, "Christ Figure"
Roger: Evil, Satan
Jack: Savagery, Anarchy
The Island: A microcosm representing the world
The "Scar": Man's destruction, destructive forces
The Beast: The evil residing within everyone, the dark side of human nature.
Lord of the Flies: The Devil, great danger or evil
This was taken from http://www.rit.edu/%7esjg2490/lotf/analysis.html, a Lord of the Flies website. These were uses of symbolism in the book. I found them quite interesting, and when I thought about it, they seemed to be true. It explains why I liked Simon so much, and hated Roger.
Cheers.
Piggy (and Glasses): Clear-sightedness, intelligence. Their state represents the status of social order.
Ralph, The Conch: Democracy, Order
Simon: Pure Goodness, "Christ Figure"
Roger: Evil, Satan
Jack: Savagery, Anarchy
The Island: A microcosm representing the world
The "Scar": Man's destruction, destructive forces
The Beast: The evil residing within everyone, the dark side of human nature.
Lord of the Flies: The Devil, great danger or evil
This was taken from http://www.rit.edu/%7esjg2490/lotf/analysis.html, a Lord of the Flies website. These were uses of symbolism in the book. I found them quite interesting, and when I thought about it, they seemed to be true. It explains why I liked Simon so much, and hated Roger.
Cheers.
Map
Cheers.
Left to right:
The Mountain
The Scar
Simon's Nature Area
Bathing Pool
The Lord of the Flies
Pig Fire/Simon's Death
Place of Piggy's Death/Castle Rock
Summarizing Chapter 8
This was a really intense chapter, poor Simon. Piggy is told about the encounter, and everyone tries to decide what to do. Jack calls an assembly, and insists that the Beast is a major threat that should be hunted. Ralph upsets him, though, when he calls his hunters cowards. Enraged, Jack asks if anyone thinks Ralph shouldn't be chief. Nobody responds, so he asks again for anyone to come with him, then runs off with tears in his eyes. What a little baby, I keep forgetting that these are just young boys. Their signal fire is being blocked by the Beast, as they believe, so they decide to move the fire to the beach. When they get there, they notice that most of the older boys did in fact decide to go off with Jack, except for Ralph, Simon Piggy and Sam'n'eric.
Jack's tribe begins to hunt, and they come across a sow and baby piglets in the clearing near Simon's...area. They attack and kill the mother sow, while the piglets escape. The head is severed and put on a stick, which is embedded into the ground as a gift for the Beast. Jack finally realizes that they'll need fire to cook the meat, so they break into Ralph's camp and steal a flaming log, and invite them to come feast with them. Ralph maintains that the fire is more important, but has to be reminded why by Piggy.
Simon encounters teh Pig's head, and manages to start talking to the thing, although it is mostly in his imagination. The black cloud of flies coating the head causes it to now be called "The Lord of the Flies." The Lord of the Flies says "I'm part of you...We're going to have fun on this island." It's kind of creepy because this thing actually talks to Simon. Is this the beast? Or is it just his epilepsy? It continues to say that if Simon tries to talk to the others about the Beast, that he will be killed by everyone, including Ralph and Piggy. After taking this all in, Simon feels a faint coming on and collapses.
Simon eventually dies at the end of the chapter. You all know how it ends for Simon. Especially you Heather. =(Summarizing Chapter 7
Ralph begins to wonder about the boy's appearance(dirty,smelly,gross) as they walk to the mountain.. Simon sees Ralph staring out to sea and repeatedly reassures him that they will get home safely. It's kind of sad to read that part. Heather, I know you would go: Awww that's so sad...haha.
Jack, keeping his hunting instincts always ready and active, finds traces of a boar which they begin to hunt. Ralph manages to hit it with his spear, but the animal escapes. Another tribal dance is formed, with a boy named Robert as the pig. Unlike before, Ralph actively participates, and their acting becomes overly realistic, actually hting and hurting Rbert.
Finally, tehy move on towards the mountain, and send Simon back to tell Piggy they won't be back soon. Jack scales the mountain and reports a sighting of a moving creature, initiating a mass climb to the summit. When they see what they believe to be the Beast , they make haste to leave. Too bad this beast is just a dead guy. They were really onto something. Poor boys...
Summarizing Chapter 6
In this chapter, it talks about a man from a shot-down fighter plane that parachuteed down from the sky. The man is dead, but, and the body and parachute float up to the island, eventually snagging on rocks. The wind continually grabs the parachute, lifting the body up and down, which is seen by Sam'n'eric. The boys run to tell about this Beast from the Air, and an assembly is called. Most everyone now thinks they are in grave danger, and Jack suggests they go hunt it. Obviously, they/we find out later that it is the bad stuff inside of the boys which they call the beastie.
Jack, Ralph, and a group of hunters set out to get the Beast, while Piggy stays at the beach with the scared littl'uns. They first check castle rock, where they had never been before. Although they find nothing, Jack thinks the place would be a great fort (A small bit of foreshadowing? Who knows? =p), and he and his hunters heave a large boulder off a ledge ( Uh oh...). Ralph leads them , and they decide to continue to the mountain to look for the beast from the air.
Summarizing chapter 5.
All the littl'uns, are preoccupied with the Beast, which they still believe in as some kind of living creature ( which we discussed in class today) on the island. Jack says that he's been everywhere on the island and believes there is no beast, and Piggy says that a beast can't exist in a world with science. However, one of the littl'uns steps up and says that he saw something horrible in the forest (which was actually Simon coming out of his..."area"). Another littl'un says that there's a "beast from the water," which is argued for a long time. Simon finally tries to settle the situation by saying that there may be a beast, but that inside of everyone here. Of course, no one believes him and they just laugh at what he has to say. NO ONE EVER LISTENS TO SIMON! EVEN THOUGH HE"S RIGHT! GAH! >=(. That's why he dies...died...?
During the assembly, Jack tries brings up the fact that Ralph isn't a good chief, because he can't hunt or do anything. Piggy and others are against the idea, but Jack is starting to become more and more overpowering to the rest of the group.
Sorry this took so long.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Part I of the Lord of the Flies Film: Comparing to the book
The main difference I noted between the book and the movie ("The Lord of the Flies") was character appearances.
Piggy looks a bit different than how I imagined him, but I believe that he is one of the closest to being correct.
Ralph is good. I imagined him just like he is portrayed (but with smaller front teeth :) )
Jack needs to be bigger. He seems to small in the movie so far. Maybe it's just the angles, but in the book he is portrayed to be the biggest boy there. In the movie he is the biggest, yet somehow, he seems too small and too unimposing.
Simon's character in the movie is totally wrong. Well, maybe his face is correct (kind, simple, and watchful) but his hair? It's BLONDE! Bright, bleached, blonde! Check this out.
'Simon allowed his pace to slacken until he was walking side by side with Ralph and looking up at him through the coarse black hair that fell now to his eyes.' -pg. 113
You'd think the directors could have given Simon black hair, like he's supposed to have. There is a large difference between black and blonde. The black would make Simon look even more sick because his skin would appear very, very pale.
Samneric are perfect.
The movie has been good so far, however, in following book's plot. Some of the scripted lines are lines directly from the book, and are recognizable.
If you hadn't read the book yet, though, the movie would be very hard to follow. It will sometimes jump from scene to scene and you don't know what transpire inbetween because you don't know the thoughts of the seperate characters. I wonder how they're going to do Simon's epileptic fit scene with the Lord of the Flies, for a lot of it is in his head.
Other than that, I can't wait to see the rest of the movie. (Though I wish the music was better; I find it whiny and annoying).
Cheers.
Piggy looks a bit different than how I imagined him, but I believe that he is one of the closest to being correct.
Ralph is good. I imagined him just like he is portrayed (but with smaller front teeth :) )
Jack needs to be bigger. He seems to small in the movie so far. Maybe it's just the angles, but in the book he is portrayed to be the biggest boy there. In the movie he is the biggest, yet somehow, he seems too small and too unimposing.
Simon's character in the movie is totally wrong. Well, maybe his face is correct (kind, simple, and watchful) but his hair? It's BLONDE! Bright, bleached, blonde! Check this out.
'Simon allowed his pace to slacken until he was walking side by side with Ralph and looking up at him through the coarse black hair that fell now to his eyes.' -pg. 113
You'd think the directors could have given Simon black hair, like he's supposed to have. There is a large difference between black and blonde. The black would make Simon look even more sick because his skin would appear very, very pale.
Samneric are perfect.
The movie has been good so far, however, in following book's plot. Some of the scripted lines are lines directly from the book, and are recognizable.
If you hadn't read the book yet, though, the movie would be very hard to follow. It will sometimes jump from scene to scene and you don't know what transpire inbetween because you don't know the thoughts of the seperate characters. I wonder how they're going to do Simon's epileptic fit scene with the Lord of the Flies, for a lot of it is in his head.
Other than that, I can't wait to see the rest of the movie. (Though I wish the music was better; I find it whiny and annoying).
Cheers.
Connecting Chapter 8: Gift For the Darkness
In Chapter 8, the symbolization of the fire raging out of control comes true. The boys are splintered and cannot seem to work together. Jack stands up and asks if anyone wishes to join him, for he is leaving Ralph's group and will not be coming back. No boy joins him just then, but later on, they begin to slip away from Ralph and go join Jack. The boys are now divided.It is so easy for something to rage out of control; a fire, a lie, a rumor, a person, a love, or even a group of boys. In high schools today, rumors are everywhere. Some may be true, others not. It's hard to know what's the truth and what's a lie. Rumors so easily get out of hand, and they often end up dividing friends in half, or hurting somebody a lot. They are not good. Just like the boys get divided because they cannot work together, friends get divided because of a silly mistake that everyone heard about. Everyone has experienced a rumor before, whether they are the teller, the victim, or just somebody along for the ride. They are not pleasant things.
It's also not safe for the boys to be divided. They need to work together to survive, and when they are splintered, their carefully structure system will fail or has failed. When countries have a civil war (e.g. Tutsi vs Hutu & North USA vs South USA) there are feelings of contention spread all around. The people get divided, when moments before they were an actual functioning country.
That's all I could relate to in Chapter 8. It was a hard one to connect with (I don't have epilepsy or know anyone who does...so I couldn't connect with Simon's part in the chapter. Sorry.)
Cheers.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Connecting Chapter 7: Shadows and Tall Trees
'Sitting, Ralph was aware of the heat for the first time that day. He pulled distastefully at his grey shrit and wondered whether he might undertake the adventure of washing it. Sitting under what seemed an unusual heat, even for this island, Ralph planned his toilet. He would like to have a bath, a proper wallow with soap. He passed his tongue experimentally over his teeth and decided that a toothbrush would omce in handy too. Then there were his nails...' -Ralph's thoughts, pg. 119
Ralph is now beginning to notice how filthy he is. His teeth are slimy, his hair is dirty, his skin is probably brown, and he has dirt stuck behind his nails. He also notices that his shirt is stiff and grey and needs to be thoroughly cleaned.
I go to a camp called Ontario Pioneer Camp during the summer. At camp, I am given the opportunity to go on an outrip; they are generally three to five days long. On those trips, we bring one change of clothes and wear our swimsuit almost the whole time. We go swimming more than four times a day, yet still feel dirty (especially the hair). If we have biodegradable shampoo and natural soap (that are environmentally friendly) we are allowed to wash our hair and soap our clothes and bodies in the rivers/lakes. Even if we have done all that, we still find ourselves wishing for a hot bath or shower with different soap and shampoo. Then there is the fact that our clothes get filthy and the only way to wash them is to dunk them in the lake. They're not technically clean, and they dry stiff on the line--just like Ralph's shirt. Once you get back to camp, you realize how clean everybody is compared to you. It's a huge shock when you realize how dirty you've become.
Can anyone relate?
On page 125, the boys start to act out the pig hunts. Robert pretends to be the pig, and the others pretend to attack him. At first it is all in fun; then it turns into actual terror for Robert.
'The circle moved in and round. Robert squealed in mock terror, then in real pain.
"Ow! Stop it! You're hurting!"
The butt end of a spear fell on his back and he blundered among them.
"Hold him!"
"They got his arms and legs. Ralph, carried away by a sudden thick excitement, grabbed Eric's spear and jabbed at Robert with it.
"Kill him! Kill him!"
All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of a frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. The chant rose ritually, as the last moment of a dance or a hunt.
"Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!"
This shows how quickly teasing and fun can get out of hand. I know that sometimes people are teased in good fun and friendship, but the teaser can go overboard and not realize that they are hurting (verbally or physically) the other person. This has been done to me, and I have done it to others. We need to be more careful with our teasing, for it can quickly become a curtain of hurt that blocks you from enjoying the other person's presence.
Cheers.
Illuminating Chapter Six
The first significant event in this chapter is when they all decide to go hunt for the beastie. The final decision is, of course, made by Ralph.
" 'Quiet! All right. That's where we'll look. If the beast isn't there we'll go up the mountain and look; and light the fire.' "
This is significant because they have finally given in to the littluns. They also begin to look out more for the littluns:
" 'Let's be moving,' said Jack restlessly, 'we're wasting time.'
'No we're not. What about the littluns?'
'Sucks to the littluns!'
'Somebody's got to look after them.'
'Nobody has so far.'
'There was no need! Now there is. Piggy'll look after them.' "
For the first time, someone was looking after the littluns. This is very memorable.
Keep smiling, everyone!
" 'Quiet! All right. That's where we'll look. If the beast isn't there we'll go up the mountain and look; and light the fire.' "
This is significant because they have finally given in to the littluns. They also begin to look out more for the littluns:
" 'Let's be moving,' said Jack restlessly, 'we're wasting time.'
'No we're not. What about the littluns?'
'Sucks to the littluns!'
'Somebody's got to look after them.'
'Nobody has so far.'
'There was no need! Now there is. Piggy'll look after them.' "
For the first time, someone was looking after the littluns. This is very memorable.
Keep smiling, everyone!
Connecting Chapter 6: Beast From Air
'"We've seen the beast with our own eyes...it was furry. There was something moving behind it's head--wings. The beast moved too. That was awful. It kind of sat up...there were eyes...teeth...claws....we ran as fast as we could...bashed into things...the beast followed us...I saw it slinking behind the trees...nearly touched me."' -Samneric, pg 108-9
Samneric are completely eaten up with fear. It consumes them when they see the 'beast', and they run back to the camp, screaming. They then recount the terrible beast, telling how it chased them, had terrible teeth, claws and wings. They over-exaggerated quite a bit because of how scared the were.
I believe that when we are scared, we 'hyperbolize' whatever events caused this fear. I know that when I get scared, or am frightened, some details become hazy when I recount the story, and some remain remarkably clear. Because I can't clearly remember something (but have a vague idea) I exaggerate the details I remember. I want the person to whom I'm telling it to be just as terrified as I was, and for them to understand.
This is exactly what Samneric did. They were scared of the beast, and they did see it, but the beast did not chase them back to the camp, nor did it have big teeth and fur. They were scared, so they wanted the others to share their fear.
Simon is most scared of people, including himself. He sees them as the worst thing there is, but his idea is quickly shot down by the others.
We all have different fears. Some people are deathly scared of spiders; others love them and will pick them. Some people can scale rock walls and dive off the twenty foot tower; others must stay on the ground because they are so scared of heights. For others, the environment being destroyed is the worst possible thing that could happen, while their neighbours may think that a full-blown war is the terror of the time. Simon is scared of people; the littluns are scared of the beastie. I am scared of being left behind (in certain situations...because of an experience I had when I was young), and I really dislike sharks. Others enjoy swimming with sharks. Just because we don't agree or share the same fear as our friends or peers doesn't mean we can totally dismiss it. It is a truthful fear; something that they are truly scared of. We have to respect that.
That's all I got for this chapter.
Cheers.
Illuminating Chapter 5
The first event that I found significant in this chapter is Ralph's period of reflection. It is significant because it changes the way he leads 'his people' and, at the same time, changes the way that the people of the island behave. Here is a glimpse of what's going on in his mind at this time:
"Ralph moved impatiently. The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise. And then the occasion slipped by so that you had to grab at a decision. This made you think; because thought was a valuable thing, that got results...
"Only, decided Ralph as he faced the chief's seat, I can't think. Not like Piggy.
"Once more that evening Ralph had to adjust his values. Piggy could think. He could go step by step inside that fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief. But Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains. Ralph was a specialist in thought now, and could recognize thought in another."
We can see that Ralph is becoming more mature and more of an expert in his thinking and his way of leading, and this will affect the way things are done on this island. This is also the turning point of when Ralph switches his loyalties from Jack to Piggy.
The next significant event in this chapter is the assembly. Ralph makes quite a long speech. Here are some examples of things that were addressed:
" 'We have lots of assemblies. Everybody enjoys speaking and being together. We decide things. But they don't get done. We were going to have water brought from the stream and left in the coco-nut shells under fresh leaves. So it was, for a few days. Now there's no water. The shells are dry. People drink from the river.' "
" 'Look at us! How many are we? And yet we can't keep a fire going to make smoke. Don't you understand? Can't you see we ought to-- ought to die before we let the fire out?' "
" "We've got to talk about this fear and decide there's nothing in it. I'm frightened myself, sometimes; only that's nonsense! Like bogies. Then, when we've decided, we can start again and be careful about things like fire.' "
This speech is an important one because it is the beginning of a change on the island. After these things are addressed, the beastie is discussed:
" 'Maybe,' he said hesitantly, 'maybe there is a beast.' " --Simon
The group is split with the littluns thinking there are beasts, and the few biguns thinking that there aren't. Nothing is done right away-- but let's just wait and see what happens!
Keep smiling, everyone!
"Ralph moved impatiently. The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise. And then the occasion slipped by so that you had to grab at a decision. This made you think; because thought was a valuable thing, that got results...
"Only, decided Ralph as he faced the chief's seat, I can't think. Not like Piggy.
"Once more that evening Ralph had to adjust his values. Piggy could think. He could go step by step inside that fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief. But Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains. Ralph was a specialist in thought now, and could recognize thought in another."
We can see that Ralph is becoming more mature and more of an expert in his thinking and his way of leading, and this will affect the way things are done on this island. This is also the turning point of when Ralph switches his loyalties from Jack to Piggy.
The next significant event in this chapter is the assembly. Ralph makes quite a long speech. Here are some examples of things that were addressed:
" 'We have lots of assemblies. Everybody enjoys speaking and being together. We decide things. But they don't get done. We were going to have water brought from the stream and left in the coco-nut shells under fresh leaves. So it was, for a few days. Now there's no water. The shells are dry. People drink from the river.' "
" 'Look at us! How many are we? And yet we can't keep a fire going to make smoke. Don't you understand? Can't you see we ought to-- ought to die before we let the fire out?' "
" "We've got to talk about this fear and decide there's nothing in it. I'm frightened myself, sometimes; only that's nonsense! Like bogies. Then, when we've decided, we can start again and be careful about things like fire.' "
This speech is an important one because it is the beginning of a change on the island. After these things are addressed, the beastie is discussed:
" 'Maybe,' he said hesitantly, 'maybe there is a beast.' " --Simon
The group is split with the littluns thinking there are beasts, and the few biguns thinking that there aren't. Nothing is done right away-- but let's just wait and see what happens!
Keep smiling, everyone!
Monday, April 23, 2007
New Pictures
Here's another picture of Piggy & Ralph. I believe it's a drawing of a still from the movie, but I'm not positive.
It shows Ralph looking withdrawn and rather annoyed yet thoughtful, and Piggy looking confused and scatterbrained. The shattered lenses really add to his expression. He's squinting in the sun.
I think this is where Jack has killed the pig and they are bringing her back up the hill. They're chanting their little mantra about blood and killing. Ralph, Piggy, Simon, Maurice, and a few others are waiting by the nonexistant fire, angry.
Here's Piggy and Ralph in the very beginning, wearing their old British school clothes. They look so different later on in the movie; their clothes are in shreds if they're wearing them at all.
Cheers.
Connecting Chapter 5
'Ralph moved impatiently. The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise. And then the occasion slipped by so that you had to grab at a decision. This made you think; because thought was a valuable thing, that got results...
Only, decided Ralph as he faced the chief's seat, I can't think. Not like Piggy.
Once more that evening Ralph had to adjust his values. Piggy could think. He could go step by step inside that fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief. But Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains. Ralph was a specialist in thought now, and could recognize thought in another.' -Lord of the Flies, Chapter 5, pg 83.
The paragraphs above show Ralph in deep thought. He then shakes himself out of it, telling himself that he can't think; he can't be like Piggy. Then, though, he has to readjust his values. Piggy is smart, and maybe thought is okay. Though Piggy got the low end on the looks spectrum, he got top value on the brains. Being smart is good and very valuable when stranded on an island, and maybe he needs to consider this.
I think that we all need to readjust values from time to time. Sometimes we get to far ahead of ourselves to consider the consequence; we're too caught up in whether or not others will like it, or if it will work. I know that I sometimes don't like things just because so-and-so does, and that has caused problems for me (though small problems). We all, at some point, are those who like to rush and just get-'er-done type people, and need to sit back and think before we act. True?
The next part happens on pg. 91. It's when a littlun stands up and talks about the beastie again. The biguns, including Ralph, Piggy, and Jack, once again dismiss the idea and tell the littlun that there is no beastie--it's only a nightmare. Only Simon faintly believes that the littlun could be telling the truth.
I believe that we all need to stop and listen--a lot. Most of us, believe it or not, are talkers rather than listeners. We would rather tell than receive. Just like Ralph, Piggy, and Jack need to, we need to stop and listen to others once in a while. Also, the fact that it's a littlun being told he's wrong is sad. Sometimes, it's the little ones in our life that see the most and the truth; they see a lot yet don't understand it. We need to listen to them instead of dismissing what they say as 'fiction' or 'imagination' or 'nightmare'. They may actually be telling the truth. Just because we are older and have learned more doesn't mean that they are stupid and immature. Learn to listen.
Cheers.
Only, decided Ralph as he faced the chief's seat, I can't think. Not like Piggy.
Once more that evening Ralph had to adjust his values. Piggy could think. He could go step by step inside that fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief. But Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains. Ralph was a specialist in thought now, and could recognize thought in another.' -Lord of the Flies, Chapter 5, pg 83.
The paragraphs above show Ralph in deep thought. He then shakes himself out of it, telling himself that he can't think; he can't be like Piggy. Then, though, he has to readjust his values. Piggy is smart, and maybe thought is okay. Though Piggy got the low end on the looks spectrum, he got top value on the brains. Being smart is good and very valuable when stranded on an island, and maybe he needs to consider this.
I think that we all need to readjust values from time to time. Sometimes we get to far ahead of ourselves to consider the consequence; we're too caught up in whether or not others will like it, or if it will work. I know that I sometimes don't like things just because so-and-so does, and that has caused problems for me (though small problems). We all, at some point, are those who like to rush and just get-'er-done type people, and need to sit back and think before we act. True?
The next part happens on pg. 91. It's when a littlun stands up and talks about the beastie again. The biguns, including Ralph, Piggy, and Jack, once again dismiss the idea and tell the littlun that there is no beastie--it's only a nightmare. Only Simon faintly believes that the littlun could be telling the truth.
I believe that we all need to stop and listen--a lot. Most of us, believe it or not, are talkers rather than listeners. We would rather tell than receive. Just like Ralph, Piggy, and Jack need to, we need to stop and listen to others once in a while. Also, the fact that it's a littlun being told he's wrong is sad. Sometimes, it's the little ones in our life that see the most and the truth; they see a lot yet don't understand it. We need to listen to them instead of dismissing what they say as 'fiction' or 'imagination' or 'nightmare'. They may actually be telling the truth. Just because we are older and have learned more doesn't mean that they are stupid and immature. Learn to listen.
Cheers.
The Conch
In chapter one, Ralph and Piggy find the conch. Piggy teaches Ralph how to blow it, and Ralph uses it to summon all the other boys.
In chapter two, rules are made. The main rule that is created is that to speak, you have to raise your hand to receive the conch. Once you are holding the conch, you may speak. Only Ralph, the chief, is then able to interrupt you.
In chapter four, Ralph makes plans to call a huge assembly with the conch.
In chapter five we are let into Ralph's head as he reflects before calling the assembly (with the conch.) "...so he took the conch down from the tree and examined the surface. Exposure to the air had bleached the yellow and pink to near-white, and transparency. Ralph felt a kind of affectionate reverence for the conch, even though he had fished the thing out of the lagoon himself." This reflection of his shows his connection with the conch; to him it represents some kind of order that they need on this island for survival. Throughout the assembly the words "I have the conch!" are said countless times.
Throughout the entire beginning of the book, the conch is more than a conch. It is their way of government. It is their way to maintain order. It is how they were brought together at the beginning and it is how each person on the island is given an opportunity to speak their mind. It is their entire way of life.
Keep smiling everyone!
In chapter two, rules are made. The main rule that is created is that to speak, you have to raise your hand to receive the conch. Once you are holding the conch, you may speak. Only Ralph, the chief, is then able to interrupt you.
In chapter four, Ralph makes plans to call a huge assembly with the conch.
In chapter five we are let into Ralph's head as he reflects before calling the assembly (with the conch.) "...so he took the conch down from the tree and examined the surface. Exposure to the air had bleached the yellow and pink to near-white, and transparency. Ralph felt a kind of affectionate reverence for the conch, even though he had fished the thing out of the lagoon himself." This reflection of his shows his connection with the conch; to him it represents some kind of order that they need on this island for survival. Throughout the assembly the words "I have the conch!" are said countless times.
Throughout the entire beginning of the book, the conch is more than a conch. It is their way of government. It is their way to maintain order. It is how they were brought together at the beginning and it is how each person on the island is given an opportunity to speak their mind. It is their entire way of life.
Keep smiling everyone!
Supplementary Task: Ralph
Ralph is a weird character because he changes from liking Piggy and hating Jack, to liking Jack and hating Piggy. It's weird. At the beginning of the novel, Piggy seems to be intimidated by Ralph because he seems more big and tough, but near the end, he knows who Ralph is and he knows what kind of person he is. Jack was appointed the leader of the group at the beginning, but do you think that would change near the end? Would more people vote for some one else like Jack? Ralph begins to change when he becomes leader because he tells everyone what to do. Maybe that changed peoples thoughts on him. The change begins to happen when Jack comes along. Jack and Ralph both dislike Piggy, but Ralph becomes nicer to Piggy because he finally realizes his intelligence, but Jack still does not agree. I don't see what is wrong with Piggy, who cares if he's fat, he is smart and that's all you need. Ralph gets smarter because he realizes how Piggy can help the group. He also brags a lot too. HE brags about his parents and how athletic he is. The author describes him as a fair boy.
"Now the shell was no longer a thing seen but not to be touched, Ralph became too excited." Chapter 1-page 11. This shows the beginning of Ralph's power. The conch was the beginning of how he ruled and made rules for the group. He makes the rule that no one can speak without the conch. How would this change if Jack was elected leader?
Page 40- "Fire on the Mountain." Even though he knows it is wrong and he would hate this if someone did it to him, Ralph uses Piggy's glasses to make a fire. This shows how Ralph doesn't care about Piggy's essentials.
Page 55- "Huts on the Beach."- This might be when Ralph starts to disagree with Jack's descions. When the ship flies away, Ralph gets really angry at Jack because he left the fire out. Maybe this is when Ralph starts to dislike Jack.
Page 68- "Painted Faces and Long Hair."- "Ralph turned and smiled involuntary." Could this mean that Ralph is starte to agree with Piggy and his ideas? It looks like this is where Ralph starts to lighten up on Piggy.
Page 89- "Beast from Water." -"Ralph-they ought to shut up, oughn't they? You shut up you littleuns!"-Piggy. Piggy turns to Ralph for help! Maybe Ralph has been so nice to him that he can turn to help. Or maybe even turn to a friend?
Page 110- "Beast from Air."- "Piggy'll look after them."- Ralph. Now Ralph is giving Piggy duties and jobs to do. Is this because Piggy has proved his reposibility to Ralph? Possibly. What will happen next?
Malick
"Now the shell was no longer a thing seen but not to be touched, Ralph became too excited." Chapter 1-page 11. This shows the beginning of Ralph's power. The conch was the beginning of how he ruled and made rules for the group. He makes the rule that no one can speak without the conch. How would this change if Jack was elected leader?
Page 40- "Fire on the Mountain." Even though he knows it is wrong and he would hate this if someone did it to him, Ralph uses Piggy's glasses to make a fire. This shows how Ralph doesn't care about Piggy's essentials.
Page 55- "Huts on the Beach."- This might be when Ralph starts to disagree with Jack's descions. When the ship flies away, Ralph gets really angry at Jack because he left the fire out. Maybe this is when Ralph starts to dislike Jack.
Page 68- "Painted Faces and Long Hair."- "Ralph turned and smiled involuntary." Could this mean that Ralph is starte to agree with Piggy and his ideas? It looks like this is where Ralph starts to lighten up on Piggy.
Page 89- "Beast from Water." -"Ralph-they ought to shut up, oughn't they? You shut up you littleuns!"-Piggy. Piggy turns to Ralph for help! Maybe Ralph has been so nice to him that he can turn to help. Or maybe even turn to a friend?
Page 110- "Beast from Air."- "Piggy'll look after them."- Ralph. Now Ralph is giving Piggy duties and jobs to do. Is this because Piggy has proved his reposibility to Ralph? Possibly. What will happen next?
Malick
Summative Task III: Jack
In chapter one when we are first introduced to Jack, he seems like a very nice young boy. He is friendly towards all the boys excluding Piggy, and particularly nice to Ralph. He is excited by the prospects of living on the island and electing a chief and creating rules. He believes that he should be chief since he was the head boy of the choir and can sing C sharp. He is only slightly discouraged when Ralph is chosen instead of him. Instead, he gets caught up in the excitement of hunting. He has the opportunity to kill a pig but cannot make himself do it. He vows that next time, he will.
We are shown through this that Jack is generally friendly yet has a mean streak. He is a little bit arrogant (he thought he should be chief) but he is also gracious. He is not easily fazed.
In chapter two, we are shown Jack's natural leading personnality. He runs up the mountain to make a fire and he is followed by all the boys except for Ralph and Piggy. Ralph quickly follows. Jack and Ralph struggle together to light the fire until Jack suggests that they use Piggy's spectacles. As Piggy begins to challenge them, Jack tells Piggy to shut up several times. He then accepts the responsibility of both hunting (he is quite adventurous and bloodthirsty) and keeping the fire going. He is in charge of the choir, and he splits them up to accomplish these two tasks. The chapter ends in Piggy noticing all kinds of things wrong with their plans. Jack calls Piggy a 'fatty' even though it is obvious that Piggy is right.
Jack is a born leader who loves adventure, but his mean streak that we saw earlier is showing through Piggy more and more. He doesn't seem to be afraid of responsibility, yet he doesn't think for very long about whether he can handle it or not.
Chapter three begins with Jack bent over and prepared to kill. We are given a physical description of him-- he has sandy hair which has grown quite long at this point has been bleached by the sun. He has freckles on his sunburnt back and he is naked except for a pair of beat-up shorts. He enjoys hunting, but is unable to actually kill anything yet again. When he goes back to see Ralph, who has been working on the shelters almost single-handedly, Ralph gets annoyed that Jack had left him all alone. Jack responds by getting angry right back at him, accusing Ralph of accusing him. Ralph wants to keep working, but Jack is able to draw him away and solve their conflict by suggesting a bath in the pool. Ralph is unable to resist.
Jack is obviously a very self-defending charactar who is easily angered when people are finding fault with him. However, he doesn't seem to like conflict.
In the next chapter, Jack is still obsessed with the thought of hunting. He considers the reasons why he is unable to kill a pig, and decides it's because they can see him. He quickly gathers his hunters and paints them all, including himself. They make a circle, trapping the pig, and kill it. Meanwhile, the fire goes out, a ship come, and Ralph and Piggy are overcome by grief of missing an opportunity to be rescued. When Jack and the hunters finally return in extremely high spirits to share their tales of adventure with Ralph, Ralph is angry about the fire. Jack is angered by his anger, but appologizes, even though in his mind he is the one in the right. He relights the fire and breaks Piggy's glasses in the process. Ralph is not impressed, but Jack offers him meat to make up. He does not, however, offer Piggy any.
The concern earlier about Jack taking on too much without thinking about it has shown itself to be true. He couldn't handle the hunting and the fire. He once again is annoyed with Ralph's anger, yet his dislike of conflict makes him appologize.
In chapter five an assembly is called and the beast is discussed. Jack says on page 88 "So this is a meeting to find out what's what. I'll tell you what's what. You littluns started all this with the fear talk. Beasts! Where from? Of course we're frightened sometimes but we put up with being frightened. Only Ralph says you scream in the night. What does that mean but nightmares? Anyway, you don't hunt or build or help-- you're a lot of cry-babies and sissies. That's what. And as for the fear-- you'll have to put up with that like the rest of us."
Jack is very blunt and very unkind to the littluns. He shows lots of courage and bravery, however.
Finally, chapter six sees a search for the beast. They are searching for it, and they get to a certain place on the island where no one had been before. Everyone is afraid as they are about to enter where they believe the beast to be, except Jack, who exclaimes excitedly "What a place for a fort!" All the boys are distracted. They want to stay and make the fort, but Ralph insists that they go on. Jack would rather stay, but since Ralph is chief, he goes on and leads the way once again.
We are once again shown Jack's leadership and love of adventure.
Keep smiling, everyone!
We are shown through this that Jack is generally friendly yet has a mean streak. He is a little bit arrogant (he thought he should be chief) but he is also gracious. He is not easily fazed.
In chapter two, we are shown Jack's natural leading personnality. He runs up the mountain to make a fire and he is followed by all the boys except for Ralph and Piggy. Ralph quickly follows. Jack and Ralph struggle together to light the fire until Jack suggests that they use Piggy's spectacles. As Piggy begins to challenge them, Jack tells Piggy to shut up several times. He then accepts the responsibility of both hunting (he is quite adventurous and bloodthirsty) and keeping the fire going. He is in charge of the choir, and he splits them up to accomplish these two tasks. The chapter ends in Piggy noticing all kinds of things wrong with their plans. Jack calls Piggy a 'fatty' even though it is obvious that Piggy is right.
Jack is a born leader who loves adventure, but his mean streak that we saw earlier is showing through Piggy more and more. He doesn't seem to be afraid of responsibility, yet he doesn't think for very long about whether he can handle it or not.
Chapter three begins with Jack bent over and prepared to kill. We are given a physical description of him-- he has sandy hair which has grown quite long at this point has been bleached by the sun. He has freckles on his sunburnt back and he is naked except for a pair of beat-up shorts. He enjoys hunting, but is unable to actually kill anything yet again. When he goes back to see Ralph, who has been working on the shelters almost single-handedly, Ralph gets annoyed that Jack had left him all alone. Jack responds by getting angry right back at him, accusing Ralph of accusing him. Ralph wants to keep working, but Jack is able to draw him away and solve their conflict by suggesting a bath in the pool. Ralph is unable to resist.
Jack is obviously a very self-defending charactar who is easily angered when people are finding fault with him. However, he doesn't seem to like conflict.
In the next chapter, Jack is still obsessed with the thought of hunting. He considers the reasons why he is unable to kill a pig, and decides it's because they can see him. He quickly gathers his hunters and paints them all, including himself. They make a circle, trapping the pig, and kill it. Meanwhile, the fire goes out, a ship come, and Ralph and Piggy are overcome by grief of missing an opportunity to be rescued. When Jack and the hunters finally return in extremely high spirits to share their tales of adventure with Ralph, Ralph is angry about the fire. Jack is angered by his anger, but appologizes, even though in his mind he is the one in the right. He relights the fire and breaks Piggy's glasses in the process. Ralph is not impressed, but Jack offers him meat to make up. He does not, however, offer Piggy any.
The concern earlier about Jack taking on too much without thinking about it has shown itself to be true. He couldn't handle the hunting and the fire. He once again is annoyed with Ralph's anger, yet his dislike of conflict makes him appologize.
In chapter five an assembly is called and the beast is discussed. Jack says on page 88 "So this is a meeting to find out what's what. I'll tell you what's what. You littluns started all this with the fear talk. Beasts! Where from? Of course we're frightened sometimes but we put up with being frightened. Only Ralph says you scream in the night. What does that mean but nightmares? Anyway, you don't hunt or build or help-- you're a lot of cry-babies and sissies. That's what. And as for the fear-- you'll have to put up with that like the rest of us."
Jack is very blunt and very unkind to the littluns. He shows lots of courage and bravery, however.
Finally, chapter six sees a search for the beast. They are searching for it, and they get to a certain place on the island where no one had been before. Everyone is afraid as they are about to enter where they believe the beast to be, except Jack, who exclaimes excitedly "What a place for a fort!" All the boys are distracted. They want to stay and make the fort, but Ralph insists that they go on. Jack would rather stay, but since Ralph is chief, he goes on and leads the way once again.
We are once again shown Jack's leadership and love of adventure.
Keep smiling, everyone!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Summative Task III: Simon
Summative Task III
Simon's Character Development
Simon's Character Development
Simon is a very interesting character. Imagine we had a circle. Inside the circle would be Ralph, Jack, the Choir, and the littluns. Outside the circle would be Piggy. Simon is on the border of the circle. He is not cruel to Piggy, yet he still is in the rights with the other lot.
In the first chapter, Simon is introduced to us as part of the choir. He faints in the heat, but it also gives the impression that he is rather physically weak. Ralph seems to see something good in him, however, for he invites him to come along with himself and Jack on an island exploration. When Piggy begs to come along, Simon pretends not to hear him. Here, he is copying the ways of Jack, his leader back in England (pg 21). He's creative, for he comes up with a way to make a map (pg 22, "We could make scratches on bark,").
In Chapter 2, when the boys rush off to gather wood for the fire, Simon is assumed to be with them; it is only Piggy and Ralph left behind (though Ralph soon runs off too). When Jack turns spitefully on Piggy (pg 41, "A fat lot you tried," said Jack contemptuously. "You just sat."), Simon defended Piggy, pointing out the use of his specs. Though he is part of the choir, he seems to have some compassion in him for those who need it.
In Chapter 3, Simon builds huts with Ralph. It's just him and Ralph when Jack arrives from hunting; everyone else has run off to swim or play. (pg 51, "All day I've been working with Simon. No one else; they're all eating, or bathing, or swimming." -Ralph). He has a sense of duty or responsibility to help his chief, and he has not quite forgotten all the old English ways of helping others. He also takes the idea of the littluns 'beastie' quite seriously, questioning whether or not they were telling the truth. He likes to be fair, looking at ideas from all view points.
Simon wanders off while Ralph and Jack are bickering. He likes to be by himself, but not because he's a loner. He just seem to enjoy the peace of being away from the bickering, laughing, shouting, and splashing; he's perfectly content to listen to the bees buzzing. This whole section is found from pages 56-59. He's a quiet boy, who is rather content to be either by himself, defending others, or helping in domestic areas.
Chapter 4 brings us to the great fire and the first pig kill. Simon is not part of the hunters; he stays behind and goes swimming with Ralph, Piggy, and Maurice. When Simon saw that the fire had gone out and that there was no smoke, he cried out in pain, as if he was hurt (pg 70). He obviously sees how much damage that had done; they had lost their first chance at rescue. He felt it deep inside him. He knew and understood this loss so much he was crying (pg 71). When Jack hits Piggy for berating him and Piggy's specs fall off, it is Simon that finds them and hands them over to Piggy. It says, "Passions beat about Simon on the mountain-top with awful wings." (pg 75). Simon is passionate; we see this when he helps others; when he goes off on his own for peace and quiet; when he defends and helps Piggy; and when he cries as he sees their chance of rescue sail away. When Piggy complains about not getting any pork, it is Simon who shares his hunk of meat (pg 78). Though Simon seemed to want to share, he lowered his head in shame. He's quite unsure of where his own loyalties lie.
In Chapter 5, an assembly is held where a littlun named Phil stands up and tells everyone that he saw something moving along the trees, "something big and horrid." (pg 91). Simon says it was him, and that he wanted to go to a place he knew (pg 92, "I wanted--to go to a place--a place I know...just a place I know. A place in the jungle.") He was humiliated in front of everyone when Jack says that he was taken short.
Then, Simon turns many heads when he mentions (though hesitantly) that there may be a beast (pg 95, '"Maybe," he said hesitantly, "maybe there is a beast."') It later says that his heartbeats were choking him while he was speaking to the company of boys on the beach. Many are quite dismissive of his ideas, especially when he suggests it might be them. Simon thinks it may be the boys themselves that are the beast; he believes that nothing is worse than a human being (pg 96). However, his idea and fear fall in ruin, and he is left to shrink away from the laughter. Simon speaks his mind, no matter how scared he is, and he is getting braver as the book progresses. He also sees things in life differently, such as how they themselves may be worse than any beastie.
Simon also seems very respectful of Ralph's position as chief. He reminds Ralph at least twice that he is chief so he should do something or other.
In Chapter 6, Samneric see the 'beast', and run back to the camp to tell everyone. A party of boys, including Simon, go off to search or hunt for the beast. There is a paragraph that perfectly describes what he is feeling.
'Simon, walking in front of Ralph, felt a flicker of incredulity -- a beast with claws that scratched, that sat on a mountain-top, that left no tracks and yet was not fast enough to catch Samnerc. However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick. He sighed. Other people could stand up and speak to an assembly, apparently, without that dreadful feeling of the pressure of personality; could say what they would as though they were speaking to only one person.' -Lord of the Flies, pg 112.
He fears mankind above all else, seeing them as a hero yet a monster at the same time. An interesting combination. He also has problems with public speaking; he prefers to speak to one person at a time. He is getting better at speaking his mind, though, and now is talking more.
In Chapter 6, Simon acts extremely odd. On page 121, he, out of the blue, tells Ralph '"You'll get back to where you came from."' Ralph questions this certainty, and Simon just replies that he knows. It's a feeling.
Night begins to fall, and the hunters/exploration party need to contact Piggy back at the camp.
Simon volunteers to be the messenger back to Piggy and the littluns, and disappears with a grin into the creepers.
Simon changes over the course of the first six chapters by getting more confident; it's a postive change. He begins to defend Piggy more often, yet somehow stays in the right with Jack and Ralph by helping out around the camp. He begins to find it easier to stand up in front of everyone and tell them that it was him sneaking out of the camp; that he thinks that the beast might be real, and that, if it is, it is them, the boys. Though he does find it nerve-wracking, he does it, nonetheless. He also thinks a lot, and we are given access to his thoughts; they are more deep than shallow, and different than the rest of the boys (Ralph, Jack, & Piggy).
Note: Physical Information on Simon
Skinny
Vivid
Inbetween the littluns & the biguns
Dark shock of hair
Note: Other Information on Simon
Thinks a lot
Quiet
Shy
Doesn't like to public speak
Contemplative
Helpful
Defends others
The picture above is of Simon from the 1964 movie, 'Lord of the Flies'.
Hope this gave you a clear picture on Simon! (He's my favourite character so far.)
Cheers,
Kate
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Pictures
Hey everybody!
I found pictures from the movie "Lord of the Flies", and posted them on the left. Let me know what you think!
Also, check out the crazy pic of us at the bottom of the page! lol!
Is there anything else we should add? Let me know!
Cheers,
Kate
I found pictures from the movie "Lord of the Flies", and posted them on the left. Let me know what you think!
Also, check out the crazy pic of us at the bottom of the page! lol!
Is there anything else we should add? Let me know!
Cheers,
Kate
Illuminating Chapter 4
Last section thing, here goes.
#1. The Fire.
I wonder what happened...the fire went out. While the boys were arguing, the fire went out. Guess what decided to drop by as soon as this fire went out? You guessed, a ship. What crappy luck eh? Lame. I'd be so angry...anyways, the driver of the ship didn't see the smoke and drove off into the distance. Ralph and Jack obviously got mad and took their rage out on Piggy. Poor Piggy. Personally I thought this part was really funny, but that's just me. =D. Poor poor Piggy... there is good news to this chapter though, they end up catching and yes...killing a pig. They get meat, but they don't get rescued. Yeah that's all I really got for chapter 4. Call me lazy, it's not my fault.
#1. The Fire.
I wonder what happened...the fire went out. While the boys were arguing, the fire went out. Guess what decided to drop by as soon as this fire went out? You guessed, a ship. What crappy luck eh? Lame. I'd be so angry...anyways, the driver of the ship didn't see the smoke and drove off into the distance. Ralph and Jack obviously got mad and took their rage out on Piggy. Poor Piggy. Personally I thought this part was really funny, but that's just me. =D. Poor poor Piggy... there is good news to this chapter though, they end up catching and yes...killing a pig. They get meat, but they don't get rescued. Yeah that's all I really got for chapter 4. Call me lazy, it's not my fault.
Chapter Four Connections
The littluns have to take care of themselves. No one cares about their needs or their fears. They sleep and play and eat. They manage, but they aren't really happy. They have nightmares at night. They cry and scream. One little boy cries all the time. Ralph and Jack don't care.
In the island of high school, we have all been left alone, or stranded with no one to care about us. There have been many times that I've gotten an assignment, actually more like ten assignments, and haven't understood how to do them properly, and I've been so stressed out that I felt like I could explode, and all my teachers looked at me very sympathetically, but no one moved any of the deadlines. It felt like I was stranded.
Later on, they see a ship approaching in the distance. Unfortunately, Jack let the fire go out so they couldn't see the smoke and know they were there.
Have you ever been really close to something good that you really need or want, and then have it slip away? For example, in the math unit on parabolas (which is a terrible, terrible unit) there were so many times when I almost understood it, but it slipped away from me before I could grasp it. It was very, very frustrating. Just ask the people who sat beside me.
There you have it-- my connections. keep smiling
In the island of high school, we have all been left alone, or stranded with no one to care about us. There have been many times that I've gotten an assignment, actually more like ten assignments, and haven't understood how to do them properly, and I've been so stressed out that I felt like I could explode, and all my teachers looked at me very sympathetically, but no one moved any of the deadlines. It felt like I was stranded.
Later on, they see a ship approaching in the distance. Unfortunately, Jack let the fire go out so they couldn't see the smoke and know they were there.
Have you ever been really close to something good that you really need or want, and then have it slip away? For example, in the math unit on parabolas (which is a terrible, terrible unit) there were so many times when I almost understood it, but it slipped away from me before I could grasp it. It was very, very frustrating. Just ask the people who sat beside me.
There you have it-- my connections. keep smiling
Chapter 4 Summarization: Painted Faces & Long Hair
The boys are slowly adjusting to life on the island.
The small boys are now known as 'littleuns', and the big ones are the 'biguns'. There are three inbetween, who sort of float there: Simon, Robert, and Maurice.
The littluns spend their time playing on the beach; they make sandcastles and draw pictures in the sand. Some of their names are Henry, Johnny, and Percival. Percival cries a lot, missing his mother; Johnny is belligerent; and Henry is the biggest and the boss.
Jack takes Samneric, the twins, Roger, and Bill to a pool at the end of the river. He had them paint his face with red and black clay, figuring that the pigs couldn't smell him; they could just see a pink blob. Therefore, his face was smeared with charcoal and clay, making him look odd. After his mask was complete, they all went off hunting, in order to get meat and satisfy Jack's bloodthirsty urges.
Piggy wanted to make a clock, or a sundial, but Ralph quickly dismissed the idea; he made fun of it, saying that next Piggy would want to build an airplane, TV set, and a steam engine. Then, all of a sudden, Ralph sees smoke on the horizon. It's coming from a ship. He quickly glances up at their own fire, and sees that it has gone out.
He races up there, with Simon and Maurice following, and Piggy went slowly behind. The ship disappears as they watch helplessly and sad. Ralph is absolutely furious that the fire has gone out, for it was Jack and the choir's job to keep it going.
When Jack comes back with the rest, carrying a pig slung between them, he gets verbally attacked by Ralph. It's a quiet attack, which is much worse than a loud one. Jack tries to defend what he did, saying that hunting was important, but then he falls silent when he hears that there was a ship; there is nothing he can say to that. He will have to live with the guilt.
Ralph and Piggy are still mad, but they all start the fire again and roast the pig. The meat is roasted on sticks over the fire, with the boys getting just as burned. Piggy wants some, and is at first refused; then Simon tosses a hunk of pork over to him. Jack snaps, standing up and giving a long rant about how he caught the pig.
Piggy, Ralph, and Jack continue the fight about the fire going out, and the ship getting away.
Cheers,
Kate
PS If there's more to add at the end, I apologize. I had to go to my piano lesson (it was Thursday).
The small boys are now known as 'littleuns', and the big ones are the 'biguns'. There are three inbetween, who sort of float there: Simon, Robert, and Maurice.
The littluns spend their time playing on the beach; they make sandcastles and draw pictures in the sand. Some of their names are Henry, Johnny, and Percival. Percival cries a lot, missing his mother; Johnny is belligerent; and Henry is the biggest and the boss.
Jack takes Samneric, the twins, Roger, and Bill to a pool at the end of the river. He had them paint his face with red and black clay, figuring that the pigs couldn't smell him; they could just see a pink blob. Therefore, his face was smeared with charcoal and clay, making him look odd. After his mask was complete, they all went off hunting, in order to get meat and satisfy Jack's bloodthirsty urges.
Piggy wanted to make a clock, or a sundial, but Ralph quickly dismissed the idea; he made fun of it, saying that next Piggy would want to build an airplane, TV set, and a steam engine. Then, all of a sudden, Ralph sees smoke on the horizon. It's coming from a ship. He quickly glances up at their own fire, and sees that it has gone out.
He races up there, with Simon and Maurice following, and Piggy went slowly behind. The ship disappears as they watch helplessly and sad. Ralph is absolutely furious that the fire has gone out, for it was Jack and the choir's job to keep it going.
When Jack comes back with the rest, carrying a pig slung between them, he gets verbally attacked by Ralph. It's a quiet attack, which is much worse than a loud one. Jack tries to defend what he did, saying that hunting was important, but then he falls silent when he hears that there was a ship; there is nothing he can say to that. He will have to live with the guilt.
Ralph and Piggy are still mad, but they all start the fire again and roast the pig. The meat is roasted on sticks over the fire, with the boys getting just as burned. Piggy wants some, and is at first refused; then Simon tosses a hunk of pork over to him. Jack snaps, standing up and giving a long rant about how he caught the pig.
Piggy, Ralph, and Jack continue the fight about the fire going out, and the ship getting away.
Cheers,
Kate
PS If there's more to add at the end, I apologize. I had to go to my piano lesson (it was Thursday).
Illuminating Chapter 3
Here's another illumination session with Malick >=).
#1. The meat.
I know you are probably thinking like what? But i thought this was important because i think it will be a start to an argument or something bad. The hunger and anxiety of getting this meat is driving these boys wild. This could cause a problem because if one group says we need "meat we need meat!" and the others say " hang on! hang on!" they might not want to. They say it many times over the chapter and are obviously trying to get a point through to some one. If they don't catch a pig soon, then they could split up or move to another part of the island, or both! When some one is really hungry, they don't think about anything but food. When these boys want food, they WANT food. They really need to do something about it.
#2. The Huts.
These huts that they try to make cause arguments about this fire between Jack and Ralph. If the boys don't fix this fire, then it will go out and a ship might not see them. (*cough* chapter 4!*COUGH*) Kate is a pirate. The boys will soon face big problems with this fire. It is all caused when they notice it while building these protective huts. It's really kind of sad seeing these boys fall apart. They are going to be split up or something bad. I can't really think of much else to say. Heather is a ninja.
#1. The meat.
I know you are probably thinking like what? But i thought this was important because i think it will be a start to an argument or something bad. The hunger and anxiety of getting this meat is driving these boys wild. This could cause a problem because if one group says we need "meat we need meat!" and the others say " hang on! hang on!" they might not want to. They say it many times over the chapter and are obviously trying to get a point through to some one. If they don't catch a pig soon, then they could split up or move to another part of the island, or both! When some one is really hungry, they don't think about anything but food. When these boys want food, they WANT food. They really need to do something about it.
#2. The Huts.
These huts that they try to make cause arguments about this fire between Jack and Ralph. If the boys don't fix this fire, then it will go out and a ship might not see them. (*cough* chapter 4!*COUGH*) Kate is a pirate. The boys will soon face big problems with this fire. It is all caused when they notice it while building these protective huts. It's really kind of sad seeing these boys fall apart. They are going to be split up or something bad. I can't really think of much else to say. Heather is a ninja.
Chapter 3 Summarization: Huts on the Beach
Jack starts to hunt in the forest at the beginning of Chapter 3. He stalks a pig, watching for tracks and droppings. He finally finds a pig, but it gets away and he is left embarrassed and empty-handed. He walks back down to the beach, searching for Ralph and water. He finds Ralph and Simon building (or attempting to build) huts on the beach. Ralph is very annoyed that the hut is a mess, and angry that it doesn't seem to be working. He's also annoyed that most of the boys went off to swim or to the beach, instead of staying to help him and Simon.
Ralph berates Jack for wandering off to hunt meat, for building huts is more important. Jack is bloodthirsty, however, and has a need to kill, so he doesn't listen to Ralph and shrugs it off.
They talk about the littleuns and their nightmares, and about their exploration of the island. As they are doing so, they finally see a trickle of smoke from the fire. Ralph is doubtful that any ships will be able to see it from out at sea. He and Jack bicker over the importance of the fire, the huts, and the hunting.
Meanwhile, Simon wanders off on the scar, picing his way through the fruit trees. He went into a jungle, leaving footprints in the soft dirt. He found a place where there was a lot of sunshine and aromatic bushes; there was a great tree, fallen across one corner of the mossy carpet. He found a little cabin made of creepers, and parted the leaves to look down into the clearing. This was his special place.
Cheers,
Kate
Ralph berates Jack for wandering off to hunt meat, for building huts is more important. Jack is bloodthirsty, however, and has a need to kill, so he doesn't listen to Ralph and shrugs it off.
They talk about the littleuns and their nightmares, and about their exploration of the island. As they are doing so, they finally see a trickle of smoke from the fire. Ralph is doubtful that any ships will be able to see it from out at sea. He and Jack bicker over the importance of the fire, the huts, and the hunting.
Meanwhile, Simon wanders off on the scar, picing his way through the fruit trees. He went into a jungle, leaving footprints in the soft dirt. He found a place where there was a lot of sunshine and aromatic bushes; there was a great tree, fallen across one corner of the mossy carpet. He found a little cabin made of creepers, and parted the leaves to look down into the clearing. This was his special place.
Cheers,
Kate
Illuminating Chapter 2
Ok! Finally logged on! I didn't find much in chapter 2, but here goes.
#1. The Fire.
The fire is really important for the boys. They use it for heat and they use it as a signal for a ship. If a ship gets close to the island, then they will be able to see the smoke rising from this uninhabited place. I think this fire represents the boys connection. If they treat each other badly, or if they break rules, then this fire that they worked so hard to make, will eventually go out in smoke. I found it rather funny because if the boys don't start getting order back in their community, then they will lose this fire and it will be gone for a while. As we all know, Piggy won't be around forever, so what will happen to the fire when he is gone? How will they start it up again without his glasses? Teamwork? Could the boys actually work together and stop picking on each other for once?
#2. The Beastie.
When the boy with the odd birthmark talks about this weird beast-like monster. It causes a chain reaction between the boys. I think it was Jack in chapter 3 talked about how the boys were getting scared and they couldn't sleep at night because they were afraid of this terrible beastie. In the end, I think this beastie is going to be something really obvious and funny, but until then, we have to assume it is something amazingly horrid. This beastie raises many questions about the book for me. The suspense is driving me nuts. The boys have spears don't they? I think they should have a meeting and talk about how these boys can defeat this beastie if they work together. If they would stop picking on him, then Piggy could be a great help with his knowledge. Jack could be the leader of this hunt because he is so agressive and angry. Ralph could help the other boys feel safe and encourage the boys to take this beastie out. They could find food on the way too! See, if the boys just work together then everything is fine.
#1. The Fire.
The fire is really important for the boys. They use it for heat and they use it as a signal for a ship. If a ship gets close to the island, then they will be able to see the smoke rising from this uninhabited place. I think this fire represents the boys connection. If they treat each other badly, or if they break rules, then this fire that they worked so hard to make, will eventually go out in smoke. I found it rather funny because if the boys don't start getting order back in their community, then they will lose this fire and it will be gone for a while. As we all know, Piggy won't be around forever, so what will happen to the fire when he is gone? How will they start it up again without his glasses? Teamwork? Could the boys actually work together and stop picking on each other for once?
#2. The Beastie.
When the boy with the odd birthmark talks about this weird beast-like monster. It causes a chain reaction between the boys. I think it was Jack in chapter 3 talked about how the boys were getting scared and they couldn't sleep at night because they were afraid of this terrible beastie. In the end, I think this beastie is going to be something really obvious and funny, but until then, we have to assume it is something amazingly horrid. This beastie raises many questions about the book for me. The suspense is driving me nuts. The boys have spears don't they? I think they should have a meeting and talk about how these boys can defeat this beastie if they work together. If they would stop picking on him, then Piggy could be a great help with his knowledge. Jack could be the leader of this hunt because he is so agressive and angry. Ralph could help the other boys feel safe and encourage the boys to take this beastie out. They could find food on the way too! See, if the boys just work together then everything is fine.
Chapter 2 Summarization: Fire On the Mountain
Ralph, Simon, and Jack returned from their exploration around the island. Ralph called a meeting with the conch (see side picture) to tell the rest of the boys about it.
They started making rules, for they needed to be organized. The first rule they make is that they have to have a hands up, as in school. The second is that whoever is talking, must hold the conch. The only person able to interrupt the conch-holder is Ralph, for he is chief.
Jack talks passionately about pigs--and how he wants to hunt them. He mentions food, as well as bathing water in a stream down the scar.
When asked if anyone else had anything to add, a group of littleuns urged and prodded a litte boy forward. He was a tiny ting, six years old, and had a huge mulberry-coloured birthmark on the side of his face. He was nervous and didn't want to speak. With Piggy's help, he manages to tell everyone about the snake-thing, or the beastie. Ralph and Jack try to tell him he's just imagining things, but he is still terrified.
The boys then decide they need to make a fire so that ships in the distance can see them and will rescue them. They all run off to find firewood, leaving Ralph and Piggy behind. Piggy is disgusted with the boys' behaviour, acting over-mature, and Ralph is torn at what to do. Finally, Ralph runs off after the rest of the lot, leaving Piggy steaming.
They make a huge pile off wood on a platform off the forest. Neither Ralph nor Jack have matches, so they steal Piggy's glasses from him (without his consent) and use them as a magnifying glass to make a flame. The fire starts up and soon rages out of control. It burns all the dead or dying trees near it, and goes along the beach. It burns acres of trees, swallowing all in it's path. Piggy is furious.
The others don't respect Piggy when he has the conch; they're following Jack--and to some extent, Ralph's--example. Then, when Piggy finally catches their attention, he tells them that they need to make a system to remember everybody. He asks if anyone has seen the little boy with the mulberry birthmark, and sure enough, the little boy is missing. Jack and Ralph immediately blame it on Piggy, but in reality, it is everyone's fault for not keeping an eye out.
Cheers,
Kate
They started making rules, for they needed to be organized. The first rule they make is that they have to have a hands up, as in school. The second is that whoever is talking, must hold the conch. The only person able to interrupt the conch-holder is Ralph, for he is chief.
Jack talks passionately about pigs--and how he wants to hunt them. He mentions food, as well as bathing water in a stream down the scar.
When asked if anyone else had anything to add, a group of littleuns urged and prodded a litte boy forward. He was a tiny ting, six years old, and had a huge mulberry-coloured birthmark on the side of his face. He was nervous and didn't want to speak. With Piggy's help, he manages to tell everyone about the snake-thing, or the beastie. Ralph and Jack try to tell him he's just imagining things, but he is still terrified.
The boys then decide they need to make a fire so that ships in the distance can see them and will rescue them. They all run off to find firewood, leaving Ralph and Piggy behind. Piggy is disgusted with the boys' behaviour, acting over-mature, and Ralph is torn at what to do. Finally, Ralph runs off after the rest of the lot, leaving Piggy steaming.
They make a huge pile off wood on a platform off the forest. Neither Ralph nor Jack have matches, so they steal Piggy's glasses from him (without his consent) and use them as a magnifying glass to make a flame. The fire starts up and soon rages out of control. It burns all the dead or dying trees near it, and goes along the beach. It burns acres of trees, swallowing all in it's path. Piggy is furious.
The others don't respect Piggy when he has the conch; they're following Jack--and to some extent, Ralph's--example. Then, when Piggy finally catches their attention, he tells them that they need to make a system to remember everybody. He asks if anyone has seen the little boy with the mulberry birthmark, and sure enough, the little boy is missing. Jack and Ralph immediately blame it on Piggy, but in reality, it is everyone's fault for not keeping an eye out.
Cheers,
Kate
Chapter Three Connections
In chapter three, problems between Jack and Ralph begin. Jack is very enthusiastic about hunting. All he ever wants to do is hunt for pigs. Ralph, on the other hand, is very serious about building shelters-- it's important for all of them, and the job has been left to him. Ralph is upset with Jack because he won't help with the shelters.
I don't know about you guys, but a lot of my friends are 'fairweather friends.' When everything is good and all there is to do is have fun, they're great. As soon as something happens and I need some help, they're nowhere to be found. Nobody likes friends like that.
They continue to talk about the beastie. They tell themselves that it doesn't exist, that it can't hurt them, that nothing is wrong-- yet they don't believe themselves. We know they don't because if they did, they wouldn't keep talking about it.
I do this. Everyone else probably does too, to a certain extent. "Don't worry about the math, it will get easier. It will. It will..." or "It won't hurt to get my wisdom teeth out. It won't! I'll get to eat lots of ice cream, and... um... eat ice cream... it won't hurt...". I do it all the time. It doesn't work though, because I know that the math is not going to get easier, and it will hurt to get my wisdom teeth out. Lying to myself doesn't get me anywhere-- it only leaves me unprepared.
One thing that strikes me over and over again in this book is how much this scenario would totally suck. It would suck to be Ralph because he's responsible for a group of chaotic boys who don't want to listen to him when he's only a chaotic boy himself. It would suck even more to be one of the littluns because the poor things are terrified out of their minds and nobody cares. It would suck to be one of the boys in the choir because they're constantly being bossed around by Jack. It would suck to be Jack because Ralph tries to make him more responsible but he doesn't want to be.
Do you ever get into those situations that aren't anyone's fault, but they're absolutely terrible? For example, grade ten science is extremely difficult. I know for a fact that we have all struggled through it, and although we were all successful, it was a struggle. It was very stressful at times, it had a way of consuming your life for entire evenings, it was often boring, and although the teacher was very nice, she could be scary at times, especially at the beginning. It wasn't our fault that we were in grade ten science. It wasn't our teacher's fault that she had to teach us grade ten science-- after all, it was her job. It wasn't the board's fault for making us learn grade ten science-- we have to be educated. It wasn't anyone's fault, but that didn't mean it was pleasant.
I don't know about you guys, but a lot of my friends are 'fairweather friends.' When everything is good and all there is to do is have fun, they're great. As soon as something happens and I need some help, they're nowhere to be found. Nobody likes friends like that.
They continue to talk about the beastie. They tell themselves that it doesn't exist, that it can't hurt them, that nothing is wrong-- yet they don't believe themselves. We know they don't because if they did, they wouldn't keep talking about it.
I do this. Everyone else probably does too, to a certain extent. "Don't worry about the math, it will get easier. It will. It will..." or "It won't hurt to get my wisdom teeth out. It won't! I'll get to eat lots of ice cream, and... um... eat ice cream... it won't hurt...". I do it all the time. It doesn't work though, because I know that the math is not going to get easier, and it will hurt to get my wisdom teeth out. Lying to myself doesn't get me anywhere-- it only leaves me unprepared.
One thing that strikes me over and over again in this book is how much this scenario would totally suck. It would suck to be Ralph because he's responsible for a group of chaotic boys who don't want to listen to him when he's only a chaotic boy himself. It would suck even more to be one of the littluns because the poor things are terrified out of their minds and nobody cares. It would suck to be one of the boys in the choir because they're constantly being bossed around by Jack. It would suck to be Jack because Ralph tries to make him more responsible but he doesn't want to be.
Do you ever get into those situations that aren't anyone's fault, but they're absolutely terrible? For example, grade ten science is extremely difficult. I know for a fact that we have all struggled through it, and although we were all successful, it was a struggle. It was very stressful at times, it had a way of consuming your life for entire evenings, it was often boring, and although the teacher was very nice, she could be scary at times, especially at the beginning. It wasn't our fault that we were in grade ten science. It wasn't our teacher's fault that she had to teach us grade ten science-- after all, it was her job. It wasn't the board's fault for making us learn grade ten science-- we have to be educated. It wasn't anyone's fault, but that didn't mean it was pleasant.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Summarize Chapter 1
In Chapter One we met Ralph as he was climbing over rocks and under trees; he was in a jungle, and it was very hot. He soon met a round, pink, bespectacled boy, who went by the hated nickname of 'Piggy'. Piggy tried to keep up with Ralph as Ralph ran all over the jungle floor, but couldn't on account of his asthma, or 'ass-mar', as Ralph called it. The boys decide that they are on an island, and they don't know when they are going to be rescued. Piggy was sure that everyone was dead, and that they were the only ones left.
As the boys continued exploring the island, they discovered a large pink conch shell in the lagoon. Piggy told Ralph how to blow it in order to make a noise, and when Ralph made the harsh loud note on the shell, children began appearing on the beach with them. We met other boys with names like Johnny and the twins, SamnEric. A group of choir boys came along the beach, with a bossy bully named Jack Merridew as their chapter chorister and head boy. Jack was quite mean to Piggy, calling him names and making fun of him. The boys decided to vote on a chief to lead them, and they vote between Jack and Ralph. Ralph ends up winning, but appoints Jack as Head Hunter, and his choir boys are his hunters.
Later, Jack, Ralph, and another choir boy named Simon went off to explore the rest of the island. They climbed up the highest peak, and saw a coral reef; they saw all the blue flowers and determined that it really was an island that they were stranded on. When they were going back to the beach where everyone was, they ran into a small pig. Jack was determine to kill it, but chickened out and ended up putting his knife away. The pig got away, and Jack felt foolish and embarrassed for not being able to kill it. He decided that next time, he would show no mercy.
End of Chapter One.
Cheers,
Kate
As the boys continued exploring the island, they discovered a large pink conch shell in the lagoon. Piggy told Ralph how to blow it in order to make a noise, and when Ralph made the harsh loud note on the shell, children began appearing on the beach with them. We met other boys with names like Johnny and the twins, SamnEric. A group of choir boys came along the beach, with a bossy bully named Jack Merridew as their chapter chorister and head boy. Jack was quite mean to Piggy, calling him names and making fun of him. The boys decided to vote on a chief to lead them, and they vote between Jack and Ralph. Ralph ends up winning, but appoints Jack as Head Hunter, and his choir boys are his hunters.
Later, Jack, Ralph, and another choir boy named Simon went off to explore the rest of the island. They climbed up the highest peak, and saw a coral reef; they saw all the blue flowers and determined that it really was an island that they were stranded on. When they were going back to the beach where everyone was, they ran into a small pig. Jack was determine to kill it, but chickened out and ended up putting his knife away. The pig got away, and Jack felt foolish and embarrassed for not being able to kill it. He decided that next time, he would show no mercy.
End of Chapter One.
Cheers,
Kate
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