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)

Peter Brook (Director)

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.

evil

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.

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.

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!!!

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!

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 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?

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.

Article C: The Morning Globe

The Morning Globe

British boy killed by classmates
Mistaken for a pig and beaten to death

Kate Hodgson, Journalist

May 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

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.