'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.
2 comments:
I can definetly relate to the out trips. I've done them too-- I absolutely love them! Especially when we get to canoe through the rapids. It's amazing! However, last year, we were on a river and it was all sand. We camped on beaches every night. Nice, right? Wrong. By the end of the week, I was filthy! I'd been wearing the same clothes over my bathing suit for the whole week, I was covered in dirt, scratches, and mosquito bites, and my hair-- it hadn't been brushed all week. It was just in a ponytail the whole time and there was a layer of sand on my scalp. It was disgusting.
Gross...things may seem fun at first, but just wait until a week or a couple of them have gone by.
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