Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Lord of the Flies 2011-2012
Howdy Partners! As we enter our lasts days of this fulfilling & exciting school year, I thought I'd give you all the opportunity to post some comments on my ever popular blog. You are the few, the embarrased, the people who will read my blog. Comment to this post a few things you found interesting about Lord of the Flies.
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I'll miss you so much! You're the best!
ReplyDeleteHey Mister Hartshorn, this is Karina Mandujano. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to read the great story of LotF.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I found interesting was when Simon was killed. In my opinion the meaning behind Simon’s death is that it kind of unleashed the inner beast in everyone who was part of it. Simons was killed when he was going down the mountain to give the message to everyone that the “beast” was a dead guy on a parachute. It was dark and the boys were having a feast. They were eating meat and dancing while there was a thunderstorm going on. All the boys, except Piggy and Ralph, were singing a little chant, “ Kill the beast! Slit his throat! Spill his blood! ”-pg.152 I think that since they were singing that chant and they saw something in the dark coming out of the bushes they thought it was the beast and that’s why they killed him. Ralph and Piggy were there when Simon was killed, but just like the other boys, they didn’t know it was him. They were just witnesses of Simon’s death, further more Ralph and Piggy were not actually part of the boys who killed Simon.
Another aspect that caught my attention was the parachutist. As a symbol the parachutist represents the unknown. None of the boys know what or who the beast is. The parachutist is mistaken for the beast because it looks creepy where it is. It is on top of the mountain just standing there and it moves when the wind blow real hard. From my perspective the parachutist very much is a symbol of the beast because they don’t know what is on the mountain, the beast is unknown and so is the parachutist. “ - a beast with claws that scratched, that sat on the mountain-top, that left no tracks and yet was not fast enough to catch Samneric. However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of human at once heroic and sick. ”-pg.103 The boys describe the beast, but that is only what they think it is. During that time the beast is unknown.
Lastly it really interested me how the conch itself had so much power. In my opinion the conch symbolizes law and order for the boys. Ralph uses the conch in assemblies for when he is going to speak. The boy who holds and blows the conch is the one who has the right to speak. I think that the conch holds a lot of power because it is a way to keep thinks in order. Like is said before the one who has the conch is allowed to speak. “ We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us. ”-pg.16 The conch doesn’t not really have any characteristics with law and order. One minor characteristic that they do share is that the conch is strong, just like law should be.
Hope you found my opinions as interesting as I found the book. Hope you have a great summer.(:
Hey Mr. Hartshorn, this is Jomar Pascual. I would like to share you some parts of LotF that I found interesting.
ReplyDeleteFirst part that I found interesting was in the beginning of the novel. When the boys crash landed in a remote island. Shortly after their crash land Ralph,the boy with the fair skin, discovers a conch shell. The kids uses this conch shell as a signal to other kids. The actions of what Ralph does with the conch gave the story a clear example of symbolism. The symbolism of the conch was unity because, on pg.16 Piggy states," We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They'll come when they hear us." It also had so much power that it united everybody and from that unity they bonded. The conch also helped the boys retain what was little left of civilization in them.
The conch wasn't the only thing that caught my attention. The slow descent of the boys to savagery was also a major part in the story. As the novel draws to the end of the novel, the nature of the beast starts manifesting in the form of the pigs head. "I'm part of you," says the beast on pg.143. This concluded that the beast is the deepest evil core that everyone has in their heart. Jack's action turned into what he became in the story. He's savagery and lust to kill made him into like a madman.
The last part that intrigued me was Simon's travel up the mountain to learn about the truth. A couple chapters back, a figure fell from the sky and landing on top of the mountain. Thus, the reason why Simon went up. Once he got up there he only found a dead body that is rotting away while its line are still attached with the parachute. He runs off to where the campfire was at to tell the others what he discovered. But due to the lighting and the frenzy that was on-going around with the hunters while they were chanting,"kill the beast, cut his throat, spill his blood!" They quickly mistaken Simon as the beast coming out of the bushes and they stab him to death.
All of this scenes in the book captured my attention. I hope this scenes may also capture your attention as you re-read this book in the following year. Have a great summer.
Hey Mr. Hartshorn, this is Fernando Aviles and I wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity to tell you about my the things i found interesting in the story.
ReplyDeleteWell first i wanted to talk about how Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric are in denial about Simon’s death. They are acting like it never happened and they weren’t involved in his murder. You can see on page 158 when Piggy says, “that’s right, we was on the outside. We never done nothing, we never seen nothing.“ From His statement we can see that he is denying that he was part of the incident in any way. The reader knows that is the whole opposite and they were the monsters, the ones that murdered Simon.
Next i wanted to tell you about the conch in the story and how it symbolizes authority. The reason I believe it symbolizes authority is because ever since they found it, the person holding the conch was given respect and the right to speak; You can see this on chapter two, page 33. The conch had so much power that it helped keep the group settled and not so out of control, so they treated it like gold. The conch has characteristics that are in common with the symbol of itself. When an individual is holding the conch the rest of the group listens and gives respect, symbolizing authority to the holder of the conch.
Finally i wanted to tell you about the parachutist in the story and how it symbolizes freedom. It is trying to show the kids that they need to get back to the real world so they must continue to try to get rescued from the island they are trapped in. It is mistaken for the beast because it was all in their mind. Everything that they had never seen before, they assumed it was “the beast”. Throughout the story they confuse a lot of things for being the “beast”. The parachutist, being something that they’ve never seen before, was immediately classified as “the beast”.
Hello Mister Hartshorn, This is Natalie Estela. I found some points very interesting in Lord of the Flies. I would like to thank you for this opportunity to let me share my points.
ReplyDeleteMy first point I found interesting is how the conch kept the boys on the island together. On the island the conch was symbolized as power but once Ralph was elected chief everything seemed to shimmer down. The conch means so much as stated on page 22. “There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: There was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully there was the conch.” The person who has position of the conch who happens to be Ralph, is the current leader and determines everything that happens on the island. “The being that had blown that, had sat waiting for them on the platform with the delicate thing balanced on his knees.” This quote means that the conch determines the meetings and most of the decisions on the island. The characteristics and the symbolization of the conch are the same, the conch is very powerful, to where it makes unfortunate decisions or the owner of the conch a very fierce leader as well.
My second point I’d like to point is the character of Simon. The character of Simon is different from the other boys in many ways. Simon is more of a philosopher type, he was a nice and intelligent boy before he got killed. Simon is unable to express his thought because he puts them in a way no one in the group can understand, he uses statements and words that kids his age shouldn’t even know. Simon does not know what Ralph is thinking, but Simon does say something that foreshadows in the book. On page 11, Simon states, ” You’ll get back alright, I think so , anyways.” Then we later find out in the book that it foreshadows when it comes true and Ralph and the others are saved but Simon himself s not. Simon has an amazing role in this story, he was one of the helpful ones that would help anyone who asked. He was also the one who tried to free the others from this so called “Beast.” He was the most logical one int he group and was very mature for his age.
My last and final point of the story is the meaning behind Simons death. The meaning behind Simons death is the fact that the children are becoming more and more like savages. They kill Simon by stabbing him all over his body, they kill Simon in the chant “Kill the beast, Cut his throat, Spill his blood” because they thought he was the beast as stated on page 152. Simon was crawling out of the forest trying to tell the crew that the dead parachute guy is this so called “beast.” Ralph and Piggy had fault in it too because they were “chanting, striking, biting the “beast” down” which was Simon. Simons death was so unexpected that everyone refused to talk about after. The next day Ralph and Piggy made excuses that they took no part of the death of Simon. When Simon dies the waves took him out to sea. Jack was slowly taking control and made them pick a side between him or Ralph. When most of them chose Jack, they were feasting and chanting around a fire in which led to Simons accidental death.
Thanks you once again and hope you liked my points and also found them interesting as I did, well have a great summer.
Hello Mister Hartshorn, this is Ivonne Martinez some interesting facts i found on the book is that first of all Jack Merridew is the kind of boy that doesn’t want to follow rules and wants to have fun. Jack thinks he can be a good leader because he knows how to hunt. He also thinks he would be a good leader because he has the knife and the kids would be safe “safe” with him. I don’t think he would be a good leader. The reason why I think that is because he would just be a bad influence to the rest of the kids. On the other hand, I think Ralph will make a better leader because he has rules and the boys have a higher chance of getting rescued. (Pages 101 & 102) Second of all,it seems like Piggy’s last day of life in the island wasn’t so great. The reason is because Jack’s tribe blinded him by stealing his glasses. The role Piggy plays is a character who is always getting bullied. The other kids find him really annoying and never really pay attention to what he has to say. When in reality from all the boys Piggy can be the one who can actually save them with his brilliant ideas. Piggy is going to go talk to Jack and the hunters he is going to show them the conch and he hopes that maybe the conch will make them remember that the conch once meant respect to the person who is speaking, and hopefully they will feel sympathy about him not being able to see and give them back his glasses. His death symbolizes the savagery in the boys because at this point the boys don’t care anymore since there’s no consequences. It also symbolizes the loss of laws and respect. Third of all,the conch symbolizes structure and order, it can also symbolize leadership. The conch seems to have so much power at the beginning of the story because whoever holds the conch has ultimate authority. Anyone who got to hold dissevered all respect. That’s when the boys still had hope in getting rescued. As time seem to pass the conch loss all power and the kids just didn’t care about it anymore. One of the characteristics that the conch symbolizes is the authority that the boys needed at the island. Basically it’s trying to tell us that authority is needed to have a successful and safe environment. (Page 71) Thank you for taking the time to read my comment. Have a great summer!
ReplyDeleteHey Mr. Hartshorn, this is Vincent Bravinder. I would like to share some things that i thought were interesting about Lord of the Flies.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing is that I think that the meaning behind Simon’s death is to show the evil in all humans. Simon was beaten to death by the other kids. They beat him up because they thought he was the beast. I think this shows that Simon was right, the other kids became the beast. Simon was coming out of the jungle when they kids attacked him. It was dark and raining so nobody could tell that it was Simon. Ralph and Piggy both thought that he was the beast when he walked out of the jungle. Neither of them tried to help him when he was being attacked. Ralph and Piggy both felt bad once they realized that it was Simon.
Another thing is the character Simon's development. I think that Simon is different from the others because he is smart. He doesn’t think like a kid like everyone else does, that’s why he sides with Ralph. I think that he doesn’t express his thoughts because he doesn’t want Jack to hate him. He always seems to know what Ralph is thinking because he and Ralph think alike. Simon seems like a shy version of Ralph. At first he was very mysterious but now he is more understandable and relatable. Now Simon is another one of Ralph’s friends who doesn’t want Jack to be the leader. Simon sees that Jack is obsessed with power and wants to rule the island.
The last thing that interested me was that in chapter four Simon is kind and Roger is mean. Simon gives Piggy mean when Jack refused to. Roger was throwing stones at the little kids. I think that Simon will eventually side with Ralph for 2 reasons. Simon is a nice kid who does the right thing like when he gave Piggy meat. Also giving Piggy the meat has created a bond between the two characters and Piggy is on Ralph’s side. Roger will be on Ralph’s side because he is a mean kid. Roger throwing the rocks at the kids shows that he is power thirsty just like Jack is. They both resemble Ralph and Jack in a way.
Hi Mr. Hartshorn, this is Brianna Martinez. there are a few thing from the book lord of the flies that i found interesting like when Simon was killed by all the boys. Each boy played a role in his death. Simon’s death was showing how the beast was coming out in them. The best is like the evil and the boy’s civilization that was within each of them. Simon was killed when they were doing the hunters dance and they thought he was the beast. Ralph and Piggy took part in it but that was only because Jack was pressuring them. He said” do our dance! Come on! Dance!” I think if Jack wouldn’t of pressured them they wouldn’t of done it.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing i found interesting was the symbol of the conch. the conch symbolizes power. In a way I also think it symbolizes their sanity. It’s also a way to keep everyone organized. The conch has so much power because it keeps the leadership and the time they can talk fair. It organized all the boys and brought them all together. In the book it says “Ralph continued to blow till voices shouted in the forest…..boys were making their way toward the platform, through the hot, dumb sand.”(pg 81) I think it also symbolizes their sanity because once all the boys follow Jack and the conch no longer has meaning the boys start to act like savages.
the last thing i found interesting was if if Jack was qualified to be a leader or not. I think Jack is qualified to be a leader because of his entire choir he was the one who spoke up and he said he wanted to be a hunter. In my opinion I’m not sure if he is not a good leader because in some ways he show qualities that make him a good leader like keeping the boys under control most of the time. At the same time the boys are scared of him so they only listen out of fear. So that is a quality that’s not so good. I think Ralph is the fairer of the two. Neither of them are the best of leaders. I think together they could have been but they can’t get along. On page 101 in the middle of an argument Ralph was telling Jack he couldn’t hunt he said “And another thing you can’t even have an ordinary hunt.” Jack is introducing anarchy because he is like a tyrant.
I hope you enjoy what i wrote :)
hello , mister hartshorn . its icseel ortiz and i would like to share few comment about the book .
ReplyDeleteConch is a symbolism of power and authority because in the beginning of the story, the boys were stranded out in the island, with no parental supervision. The only way they could communicate or alert the other kid in the island was through this conch. The only way anyone wants to speak or be heard was if they were holding the conch during the meeting. I believe that without this conch there wouldn’t have been a society. Its kind of brought some kids together. Towards the end of the story, everything was going down hill. Despite the conflicts between Ralph and jack the kids on the island have gotten out of control. The conch had soon become powerless because there was no longer a society.
Another thing I want to comment on is, Simon’s death represents. Well in this chapter Simons death symbolizes the end of any vestiges of civilization on the island and in the community of the boys. At this stage Jack and his hunters are nothing but inhuman savages filled with evil. The reason that caused Simons death was when he he say the lord of the flies, then he went to go tell the boys. When he had final gotten to the boys, the boys killed him , and mistaken him for the best.
hi this is shelly, I have a coiuple thisg to say about The Lord of the flies. The fist is The conch is a symbol of law in a way. The law itself can’t be inforced if no one is there to control, and over see it, and that’s what Ralph is there to do. The conch has so much power in the beginning of the story because all the boys still feel the need to follow and obey rules. Where they came from there was order, and some kind of organized way of communicating with one another, and that’s what the conch provides, order and communication. Since the conch symbolizes the law, it also is connected to rules and consequences. Were they came from, it seemed that they had some kind of organized system to over see the way people followed the rules. (like cops, police officers) IF those rules were not followed, there would be consequence. The thing is though, the consequences aren’t the same for every wrong thing you do. IF you do something small, your consequence will be small, and if you do something big your consequence should be big. The way that works is up to the person in charge.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing is that Jack is not qualified to be the leader of the boys. Qualifications for a leader needed in order to be g good one like having some type of knowledge, being able to lead, organizing others to do their tasks, having good intentions. And Jack in my opinion has none of that. Jack would be a horrible leader. He has no good intentions for the rest of the boys. All he ever wants to do is hunt pigs and other things rather then do some thing that would benefit the group. Ralph on the other hand does have good intentions for the boys and he has some knowledge as to how to lead a group, but he doesn’t know how to communicate any of his ideas to the other boys. So there for he loses some of the respect the boys have for Ralph. The only reason why some of the boys listen to him, or feel the need to is because he is older (but not the oldest). Just because jack is older and stringer doesn’t mean he should lead. Between jack and Ralph, Ralph is better suited to lead. All he lacks is a way expressing the way he thinks tasks should be done. He can’t finds a good way to project himself to the boys. The only thing Jack has influenced the group towards to is anarchy, but he thinks that he has control of the boys just because he promised them food. Giving boys knife and spears to play with isn’t going to give them control and order, It’s only going to want to make them revolt.
And lastly Simon’s death was aonther way of showing just how crazy the island has become. He is killed while looking for the rest of the boys. They kill somon because they thought he was the beast. While so=imon was the one who actually realized that the beast isn’t a monster that hids in the dark. The beast come from with in a person and it grows inside
Greetings, Mr. Hartshorne. This is Miguel Hernandez, and there were a lot of things I found interesting in the Lord of the Flies. Like how the boys fear a beast that is said to be a creature who wants to eat them. In the beginning, everyone denies the existence of it, except for the little ones, but is frightened by the possibility of its existing. The little one who brings up the beast stands by what he saw even when Ralph puts up a convincing argument of how it’s impossible. Everyone has mixed feelings about the beast; they whether believe in it or are scared it might exist. The beast never physically existed, the boys began to think it did because they continued to think about it and convince themselves it existed. An important person in the story is Piggy. He symbolized intelligence to the group of boys. He reminded Ralph what was wrong and right when he had to make choices. What Piggy does in chapter 11 is go back with Ralph too Jack’s fort to try and retrieve his glasses which symbolizes survival and intelligence at this point of the story. Piggy goes because he knows they need the glasses to survive. When he dies, it symbolizes the end of order and direction in their society. There’s also a symbol for fear in the island which is the parachutist. It’s not only a symbol of fear; I think it’s also a symbol of the society they come from. A symbol of the old society rotting as they struggle on the island to survive. The parachutist also symbolizes the future deaths of Simon and Piggy. It is mistaken as the beast because of the strange lumps it creates when it is hanging from the tree tops. It looks like a large ape, which frightens the boys. Even though its not the beast, it symbolizes it because they both resemble fear.
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Hartshorn, this is Osbiel Montano. I would like to tell you three interesting things about Lord of the Flies. The first thing I’ll tell you about is the division that is beginning to happen is between Ralph and Jack. Ralph thinks that the most important thing to have on the island is shelter. On the other hand, Jack is a hunter and he believes that the most crucial thing on the island is hunting for pigs. People who go with Ralph want a more civilized way of life. But Jack and his followers want to have more of a good time and less time worrying about problems. The second thing I found interesting is that the parachutist on top of the mountain can symbolize many things. For example it can symbolize death, fear and the islands condition. It symbolizes fear because the kids on the island think it’s the beast so it creates fear in the kids. The dead parachutist also represents death. The parachutist himself is dead and it can also foreshadow Simons and Piggy’s death on the island. He also symbolizes the islands condition, the island is beginning to deteriorate and get out of control. The dead parachutist body is also deteriorating on the top of the mountain. “The figure fell and crumpled among the blue flowers of the mountain-side, but now there was a gentle breezed at this height too and the parachute flopped and banged and pulled.” The final thing I’ll tell you about is about SImon’s trip to the top of the mountain. “The beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible.” Simon travels to the mountain top to go to talk the Lord of the Flies. But instead he discovers the “beast. What he discovers is that the “beast” is no beast at all. He realizes that it’s just a dead parachutist. His trip symbolizes that there is no beast on the island. The most important thing is that he figures out what the real beast is. The beast is inside of every single person on the island. When Simon goes back to tell everybody of the news the kids accidentally mistake him for the beast and kill him. Thanks for reading my three things about Lord of the Flies.
ReplyDeleteHey Mister Hartshorn, this is Harold Ung. There are a few things that I would like to discuss with you from the book Lord of the Flies. There were three things that I found interesting which were the conch, Jack Merridew, and Simon’s death.
ReplyDeleteThe first opinion I would like to share with you is how the conch symbolizes civilization and power. It symbolizes civilization because it keeps the groups in order. It also symbolizes power because whoever has the conch is able to speak during their meetings. The conch also has a lot of power because you’re able to use it to communicate and let everyone know that there is a meeting. These meetings are important because it keeps all the boys in check. The characteristics that the conch has in common with are power and a running civilization. The conch represents power because you can blow on the conch and make a powerful sound. “In color the shell was deep cream, touched here and there with fading pink.” This shows a representation of an up and running civilization that they just recently assembled.
This next topic I would like to discuss with you is that Jack Merridew appears to be qualified to be a leader because he is one of the oldest boys on the island. Since he is one of the eldest boys he is always looked up upon by most of the younger boys. He also appears to be qualified because he is an individual that isn’t afraid to speak whatever comes to his mind. Jack told everyone at the meeting that “This is a hunter’s job.” Jack being the leader of all of the hunters is his actual qualification. I don’t think that he would be a good leader because all he cares about is hunting. Ralph is more of a civilized and more organized leader. Ralph cares about developing a civilization and cares about his friends. Unlike Jack he is more unorganized. Ralph is better suited to be the leader because he’s not much of a brute like Jack.
This last topic I want to share with you is when Simon was killed because he was mistaken as the beast. Simon was killed by the biguns and was stabbed by their spears. I think the meaning of his death was to show how unorganized the civilization was governed. Simon was coming back from the candle buds when he was killed. Ralph and Piggy have a part in this death because they started the chant “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” This chant made everyone become more scared and they panicked more. They play the part of starting the crazy chants and made everyone think that he was the beast.
I hope you enjoy reading what I have shared with you. Hope you have a great summer!
Hey Mister Hartshorn, this is Jeremy Ferrer. I have a couple of things that I would like to discuss to you about in the book The Lord of the Flies.
ReplyDeleteThe first topic is when the parachutist fell from the sky, his body landed on the top of the mountain. The first two to spot it was Sam and Eric. They spotted the body while they were on fire watch. The dead parachutist symbolizes the dead of humanity and an organized society. Therefore, Sam and Eric mistook the dead body as the beast because its parachute looked like wings. When the wind would blow, it would seem as if the “beast” was flapping its wings. Another fact on how Sam and Eric would mistake it for the beast is that they saw the figure at night. When Sam and Eric told the boys about this, it changed everyone’s perspective of the beast.
The next topic is, in the beginning of the story, Ralph and Piggy find a conch shell in the lagoon, and throughout the whole book, the conch shell is a symbol of leadership. The reason why I think that it symbolizes leadership is because Ralph uses it to call all the boys to a meeting. It is also used as a tool to speak out during the meetings. The conch relates to Ralph because he is elected chief and leader of all the boys. Ralph is usually the one who possesses the conch due to his leadership. In the first chapter, Piggy mentions that the conch is valuable. Piggy quotes that “It is ever so valuable-”.
Now the last thing is that the meaning behind Simon’s death is that he tries to warn them that the beast is not a monster. But in return the boys attack Simon thinking that he is the beast. I think that this part of the story clearly symbolizes the death of reason. Simon is the only one who knows that the beast is not real. But once Simon dies, that is the end to knowledge that the beast is just a corpse. While Simon is being stabbed, he tries to tell them that the beast isn’t real. But the boys do not listen and they continue to stab Simon. Piggy and Ralph think that Simon’s death was just an accident; they both thought it was just a mistake. But they will soon realize that Simon’s death is just the beginning to extreme acts of savagery from Jack and his tribe.
Thank you for you time Mister Hartshorn, have a great summer.
Hi Mister Hartshorn, this is Esly Martinez and I'd like to share some interesting thoughts about the story Lord of the Flies.
ReplyDeleteJack could have been capable of being the leader because he is the oldest, but in my point of view he shouldn't be qualified to be the leader. I, as a matter of fact don’t consider Jack capable nor qualified to be the leader of the group. I believe this because a leader usually looks out for the rest but Jack shows no interest into the littluns, some of these examples are shown on pg. 101. On the other hand Ralph & Piggy do not lack interest of the others, and look for the what is needed. I don’t think neither Jack nor Ralph are capable of being leaders because, one, Jack thinks to much of himself & not for the others. And Ralph knows what’s good & bad, shows more interest for the others but doesn’t always say what he should, & is more of a follower not a leader. Jack brings anarchy to the group by making most of them live under his own rule.
Chapter 10, is really disturbing. To realize that Golding’s (the author of the story) theme of “the flaws of mankind are intent in a mans nature”, is personified. Ralph & Piggy set up a story to make it seem they weren’t involved in Simon’s death when as a matter of fact they were involved. Just like Samneric.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my ideas.
Greetings Mister Hartshorn, this is Manny Rivera thank you for introducing this entertaining novel to me, and for that I’d like to share a few interesting ideas I have about this book. The conch shell becomes a powerful symbol of civilization & order. It also is a symbol of power. The shell effectively governs the boys meetings. For the boy who holds the conch has the right to speak. The conch is more of an actual vessel of democratic power. The conch is like a king of the boys. Some of the boys don’t like the idea of the conch like jack. The conch civilizes the boys. More importantly if you don’t have the conch you cant speak.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing is Jack may be the oldest but not the smartest. I don’t think he would be a qualified leader of the pack. I don’t think jack would be a good leader because leaders look out for everyone. Jack doesn’t really care he looks out for him self. In my opinion neither should be chief. First of all to have a leader who only cares about him self leads to terrible future. Secondly Ralph knows what to say and what to do but doesn’t say anything actions speak louder then words. He doesn’t even use words. He lacks a great amount in confidence. Jack just introduces anarchy to the island.
Lastly when the fire is active Ralph has many uses for it. Jack does not. Jack could really care less if the fire was there or not. All he really cares about is hunting. If jack uses the fire for anything its for cooking. Ralph is more cautious because his uses for the fire are warmth, light, and most importantly to get rescued. That’s his main purpose for the fire is to get rescued. If they just worked together they would have a nice and civilized group of kids.
Hi Mister Hartshorn, this is David Garibay and I would like to share some extremely interesting thoughts about the book we read “Lord of the Flies”.
ReplyDeleteFirst thing I found to be interesting was the group of boys forming alliances at the beach was fully formed yet. When the boys are on the beach at the beginning of the story the alliances are not yet formed. In the book it says, "Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains. Ralph was a specialist in thought now, and could recognize thought in another". This comment tells me the unity there was at the beginning. But alliances seem to be forming once the jobs are assigned. Jack has the support of most of the hunters already since he is a hunter and soon his pride of being a hunter and his thrive for killing will have complete control over him and seeing Ralph and Piggy trying to hold him back from that will cause him to crack the whole entire group. Jack’s alliance will most likely consist of most of the bigguns since they make up most of the hunters. Ralphs alliance would be most of the littlins and maybe 1 or 2 bugguns, but if divides the group the littluns would fallow because they fallow the bigguns.
The next subject about the book that I found interesting was the flaw of humanity that each person has. The one character who I say has really shown this the most would be Jack. In the book it says, "Which is better to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill”? The choice to this question was really quite simple for jack, his hunting and killing comes before his tribe. In jack’s mind he feels like if he has something to prove to himself when he starts to hunt. He is the oldest out of all the boys on the island. When he fails on his first hunt it just makes him stronger and ends up angering him. The more time goes by the more hunting he does and his hunting has turned him and his lust for killing stronger and greater. At this point he feels no need to return to society seeing that he has found himself and has now achieved full control of himself. He has lost all belief in the conch and his choice for lust for complete power and for killing over helping his tribe and leading them is Jack’s flaw.
The greatest aspect I found the most interesting about the book was Simon’s thoughts about the whole situation. Simon is more of the peace and reasonable type and is much different from most of the other boys. Simon keeps having some dreams where the pig’s head talks to him. Talking to the pig makes Simon realize something and he says, "Maybe there is a beast....maybe it's only us”. Simon sees everything and everyone for what they really are, but yet he can’t seem to find a way to tell everyone that the beast is within them all. Simon knows what Ralph is thinking because they are similar in some ways. Ralph and Simon’s thinking are very similar because they both know what to say sometimes but in times of pressure they panic and can’t seem to say what they want to say. So far Simon is what symbolizes peace and reason in the story. To clear his mind he takes a walk in the jungle and thats where he learns the truth of the beast.
Greetings Mister Hartshorn this is Raymond Abarca, there are actually three things that I would like to comment on “Lord of the Flies”. I hope you find my comments interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I found interesting was the meaning of the beast and how the boys lives revolve around it. The meaning of the beast in this is fear. It is the fear that all the boys have deep inside of them, the worries and conflicts they carry within themselves. The beast is first mentioned by a “littlun”, and is portrayed as a snake-thing or beastie. Ralph tries to dismiss it as the boy having a nightmare. All the older laugh and agree that theres no beast but as the “littlun”, claims it will come back it shows the boys true colors. At first all the boys laugh and try and act like it doesn’t worry them, but it is always in the back of their mind. As the “littlun” keeps asking the laughter quiets down. “There was no laughter at all now and more grave watching.” their fears surface and the beast now becomes alive. The beast is created through their fears and this foreshadows the beast taking control of their every day life. So in a way the boys have the beast in them.
Another interesting aspect of the story was the impact that Simons death had on the group of boys. Right before Simon was murdered, he was able to find something that could have saved the boys from themselves. But ironically Simon was killed before he told them and that left them to their demise. Simon was able to discover the “beast” real identity as the dead parachutist. This information could have saved the boys from turning into savages and giving into total anarchy. Simon’s death means the end of order and common sense. It shows the boys transition from civilized to savages. Simon was mistaken for the beast and attacked by Jack’s tribe. All of the boys were singing a chant “Kill the beast! Cut its throat! Spill his blood!” This created a mob mentality and when Simon showed up the boys lost all common sense and attacked him. Ralph and Piggy participated by singing the chant adding to the mob mentality. So they contributed in the tribe murdering Simon.
Finally I’d like to talk about Jack Merridew. Jack Merridew is a natural leader; he is the oldest of the group, he is strong willed and gets things done. Some of his qualifications are that he is able to control the group and he can say the things that need to be said. Jack would be a great leader because he is able to control and manipulate the group by using the “beast”. I would not want Jack as a leader he is too violent by nature and to controlling. He uses terror tactics to gain control and is obsessed with power. Ralph is calmer and uses a more democratic approach, he is the common good. Ralph would lead the boys in a more civilized way of living instead of total anarchy. Ralph was able to stick up for Jack when he was to scared to confront the beast. “I’m chief. I’ll go. Don’t argue.” This shows Ralph is a more capable leader. In my opinion Ralph and Jack should work together in leading the boys, they could be that adult figures that the group needs.
Thank you for taking the time and reading my comments.
Hello Mister Hartshorn. My name is Diego Marquina and I have a few things I would like to share with you about this book. The first would be this: The book opens up to Ralph when the kids first arrive at the jungle. Ralph soon finds a chunky, intellectual boy, with glasses. “He undid the snake-clasp of his belt, lugged off his shorts and pants, and stood there naked, looking at the dazzling beach and the water.” He literally stripped off what little bit of civilization he had left. Ralph left the life of a British boy in a pile and sunk into the life of a plane-crash survivor beginning the fight for his life. Piggy’s main link to his old life would be his asthma and his glasses. Piggy then gives Ralph the idea to blow into the conch they found. When he did that he called all the nearby boys into the area where Ralph and Piggy were. He met all the boys with Jack being one of them. When deciding for a leader the choir picks Jack but the rest vote for Ralph since he blew the conch to bring them together. Jack is obviously jealous of him and from what we know so far of his personality, he would be the kind of person that wouldn’t let something like that fly.
ReplyDeleteThe second point I would like to make is the following is that Jack is one of the hunters of the group. Lead hunter too be more accurate. He is somewhat glad to be free from the clutches of adults which gives him a newfound authority he never had before. But he can be violent especially while hunting, he puts himself over the rest of the group, and is cautious but irrational when “[Ralph] let Jack lead the way; and Jack trod with theatrical caution though they could have seen an enemy twenty yards away.” many of these attributes make him a qualified, powerful, and successful leader but they do not make him necessarily a “good” leader. Compared to Ralph, he is tougher, stricter, and doesn’t hesitate while Ralph is the more benevolent, fair, kind, just, and caring leader. Theoretically, a best leadership would be a council of some sort which had Piggy, Simon, Ralph, and Jack with equal power and wouldn’t make a decision until and agreement was made. But it seems that Jack’s ambition will cause anarchy and go out of control because the only thing on Jack’s agenda is killing and power.
Finally I would like to address the fact that Jack’s group and Ralph’s group clearly has its differences. Jack is the hunting group and clearly needs fire to cook the meat they hunt. Ralph needs the fire to get rescued but is beginning to forget. He “tried indignantly to remember.” Ralph’s group is the rational calculating group that makes moves based on what is best in the long run and how they will eventually get rescued maybe and then comes the afterthought of staying alive until rescue, while Jack is all about the short term use for cooking meat right now and getting rescued is not even on the list. But without glasses, Jack cannot make his own fire and instead needs to take it. Since they figured that the key to survival is piggy’s glasses, they simply take them. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my comments.
Hello,Mister Hartshorn.My name is Montrell Hull.One thing I found interesting about Lord Of The Flies is the significance of the camouflage paint that Jack puts on is so that the pigs won’t see them when they are trying to hunt for them.So the paint that is on he’s face is to camouflage with the jungle.It affects Jack personality by making him feel like he was at war and a real hunter.It makes Jack feel like a leader.The paint that Jack puts on his face will make him a better hunter because it makes him feel like he is in charge and like he can do anything.The paint hides he’s personality because before without the mask he was like weak and did what Ralph told him to do and with the mask or paint on his face he feels like he is something,a hunter.Jack having the mask on it shows who Jack really is,he likes being a hunter and shows that he is kind of a leader like when he said “The twins moved toward Jack and began to protest timidly about something.Jack waved them away and said,Shut up.”The others really didn’t like the idea very much of the paint on their face.The symbolic meaning to Jack wearing the paint is that it makes him feel brave and a good hunter.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I found interesting is the symbolic significance of the parachutist that the boys think it’s the beast.The parachutist is mistaken for the beast is because “When the wind blew,the lines would strain taut and some accident of this pull lifted the head and chest upright so that the figure seemed to peer across the brow of the mountain.”So the lines of the parachutist is making it seem like the beast is moving when it’s really just a parachutist.Also when the boys look up they see something moving which seems like there’s really a human there moving at the top of the mountain.The parachutist is a symbol of the beast because it is the beast,how the wind makes parachutist move and forms a head and everything makes it a beast that’s what the boys think.
Finally,the last thingI found interesting is when Simon travel up to the top of the mountain because“The creepers festooned the trees less frequently and there was a scatter of pearly light from the sky down through the trees and that there was wide spaces interspersed with huge trees which led him up there.”So being that there is a way up to the top of the mountain Simon wanted to find out if the beast was really realWhat Simon does when he gets to the top of the mountain is try to see if the beast is real are not and if so who is the beast.Simon ends up discovering that the beast is a poor body with a parachute.The symbolic meaning of his journey and discovery is that there is nothing to be scared of,the beast is fake and harmless.
Hey Mr. Hartshorn, this is Carolina Valenzuela. I wanted to make a comment on the book Lord of the Flies. In chapter10 Ralph wanted to use Piggy’s glasses to start the fire so that they had smoke to get rescued from the island. Jack on the other hand wanted Piggy’s glasses to make fire so that they could cook and eat meat. The only problem for Jack was that Piggy wasn’t in his tribe but that he was in Ralph’s tribe. “We shall take fire from the others,” was what Jack said when somebody from his tribe told him they didn’t have fire to cook meat. Jack, Maurice and Roger went to Ralph’s camp to get the fire. When they got there they started by getting Piggy scared. When Ralph and Samneric got out of the hut they went to see if the conch was still there. “They didn’t come for the conch. They came for something else” which were Piggy’s glasses that Jack wanted to start fire so that they could cook meat.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting aspect was in chapter 6 Jack was always qualified to be a leader since he was the oldest in the tribe. Jack knew how to hunt and he was and he was fifteen years old. But Jack wasn’t fit to be a good leader because all he cared about was hunting pig and eating and didn’t really cared about getting rescued. He kind of became obsessed with hunting though out the story. And also liked the idea that there were no adults and there weren’t any rules. The rules that Ralph had he didn’t want to follow. Ralph was still civilized and believed in rules in order to survive, he also believed in keeping peace with one another. Jack was totally opposite. Jack always wanted to become chief from the beginning of the story.
The last interesting aspect was in chapter 1 the conch was the symbol for authority and leadership. The conch seems to have so much power because it called the meetings. The conch was a “fading pink deep cream color.” Ralph and Piggy found the conch in a small lagoon. The conch would always get in the way of Jack. They made a rule that whoever was holding the conch at the meeting was the only one to speak. When Piggy was killed the conch was destroyed into little pieces. “The conch is gone. --- I’m chief” is what Jack said when the conch was destroyed. He thought that as long as the conch was around he couldn’t become chief. When the conch was destroyed Jack thought it was the perfect opportunity to become chief.
Hey wahts up hartshron. My name is Jonathan Rodriguez.I have a few things I would like to share with you about this book. On Piggy’s last day of life on the island, he began to take on a bigger role. Piggy is beginning to speak up for him self and standing up to jack. He tells Ralph that he is going to tell Jack , “ Look, I’m goin’ to say, you’re stronger then I am and you haven’t had asthma. You can see, I’m going to say with both eyes. But I don’t ask for my glasses back, not as a favor. I don’t ask you to be a sport, I’ll say, not because you’re strong but because what’s right is right. Give me my glasses.” At first Ralph is hesitant but finally says alright. Piggy is doing this because without his glasses he is not ale to see. On the other hand, the death of piggy symbolized he savagery of the boys because the boys were not even shocked of feeling sorry for the death, They are accustomed to the death and no longer can tell from what’s right from wrong. No sense of feeling for the uncivilized savages.
ReplyDeleteOther thing,among the boys in the island, it is apparent that divisions are bond to happen. The greatest division I seen is the one between Jacks leadership vs. Ralph’s. It al started because everyone in the island had elected Ralph as leader instead of jack. Jack was not very happy with the outcome , but however Ralph left him the opportunity for him and his group to be hunters. Jack sees survival as only getting and supplying pig for the tribe. What makes Ralph a better leader is that he concentrates on different things as well instead of just pig meat. Jack hasn’t even been successful with catching a pig so everyone is on Ralph’s side, logically. Ralph trys to talk with Jack on the things they need to do to get rescued, but that isn’t enough for Jack, He is obsessed with capturing a pig. Even though Ralph is younger than Jack, more people listen to Ralph because his characteristics and better leader qualities.
Lastly the boys beating up Robert is a very clear indication of their development into savagery. They don’t care much of the people now and attach without thinking. It is very weird that Ralph joins in, in the beating. It was weird because I never thought Ralph would go against someone on the island like that and joining in the beating of Robert. I thought Simon was the one who didn’t really change. He didn’t become a savage and he knew exactly who he was and stayed calm. Unlike the others. An example of the other, Roger. He was a very civilized citizen. He didn’t even throw rocks at the littluns because, “ A city which probably was in ruins did not allow him to do so.” And now after a while stay at the island he became a cold-blooded killing machine and one of the most evil ones there.
Hey mister Hartshorn this Jimmy Rossello. I would like to share a few things about the lord of the flies i found interesting
ReplyDeletethe first thing I would like to comment on is about how Roger was a very mean kid compared to Simon. Roger is a sadist who enjoys torturing and hurting kids while Simon likes to help. An example is when roger ran to the water with Maurice and they crushed the littluns sand castle. After there baths they left but roger stayed behind a tree and decided to throw rocks at Henry but he never hit him because he quoted that the laws of humanity that didn't know he was there kept him from hitting him. Simon on the other hand is very kind and nice but quite. Simon sees people for who they really are and how they act toward eachother. He out of all people helped piggy out multiple times throughout the story by giving meat to him and helping him find his broken glasses that jack hit off of piggy. At the beginning of the story seeing how each boy acted I would think Simon would stay with Ralph and roger would go with jack. Because roger has the lust for power and to kill just like jack. Simon is the one that wants a peaceful society and for everyone to be happy.
the 2nd thing that I would like to comment about is how Roger was a very mean kid compared to Simon. Roger is a sadist who enjoys torturing and hurting kids while Simon likes to help. An example is when roger ran to the water with Maurice and they crushed the littluns sand castle. After there baths they left but roger stayed behind a tree and decided to throw rocks at Henry but he never hit him because he quoted that the laws of humanity that didn't know he was there kept him from hitting him. Simon on the other hand is very kind and nice but quite. Simon sees people for who they really are and how they act toward eachother. He out of all people helped piggy out multiple times throughout the story by giving meat to him and helping him find his broken glasses that jack hit off of piggy. At the beginning of the story seeing how each boy acted I would think Simon would stay with Ralph and roger would go with jack. Because roger has the lust for power and to kill just like jack. Simon is the one that wants a peaceful society and for everyone to be happy.
I would like to comment on how Simon’s death represents the death of innocence and humanity on the island because Simon was the thinker and he tried to keep the peace. The reason he died is to tell the kids of the beast and how each and every one of them was the beast. Simon's death is the beginning of the end in the novel. It signifies the end of civilization, and goodness. It is as if "good" is being destroyed. He is killed to help the boys not to hurt he is the least barbaric acting boy on the island. Simon is actually wise, mature, and insightful to the point of being the leader but he is to quite and jack barely lets Ralph lead so what will happen if Simon would take power would they be saved already or would they have a society and would he still be alive?
I hope you enjoy what i wrote have a good summer.
Hey Mr. Hartshorn, this is Raekwoun Hughes and I am very happy to share with you some interesting facts I like about the Lord of The Flies by William Golding. First, I would like to tell you that in Chapter 1, Piggy explains to Ralph what the conch they had found in the lagoon was used for in the past. “S’right.” Piggy said, “It’s a shell. I seen one like that before. On someone’s back wall. A conch he called it. He used to blow it and then his mum would come. It’s ever so valuable-”. He tells Ralph that someone used it to call his mom when ever he needed aid, food, or drink. Ralph got the conch out of the water and later blew it to call the others. “The note boomed again and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up an octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before…”. The conch seems to have a lot of power because only the leader is the only one is allowed to blow it and that it was only used to call important meetings. The conch is a powerful tool and it can be used to rebuild civilization. The conch gives orders to people and we can use it to symbolize superior. The conch is ancient and most of the body is smooth, nut colored layers that conch looks stylish, or brand new.
ReplyDeleteNext I'd like to tell you about a fact that I found really interesting. In Chapter 8, my personal favorite chapter, Simon had left both Jack’s and Ralph’s tribes to go to his happy place, which was located on top of a mountain, to think. There, Simon stumbles upon a pig’s head on a stick. The pig’s head was a gift for the beast in hopes of sparing their lives. But when Simon saw the pig’s head, his mind started to hallucinate and he started to believe that the pig’s head was talking to 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 labored brought forth audible words. “Pig’s head on a stick” “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill,” said the head, “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…”. Simon, then was freaked out and started to lose consciousness. To Simon, he believed he fell into the pig’s mouth because that was the last thing he saw before losing consciousness but in reality, he only fell to the floor and caused his nose to bleed.
Finally I'd like to share with you Chapter 9. I found this chapter very entertaining because in this chapter, we are introduced to the death of SImon. Simon’s death was murder. Simon didn’t deserve to die at the time that he did. Simon was killed when Jack and his dancers were dancing and shouting, “Kill the Beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” . They did this dance in hopes of distracting people from the fact that it was raining and they had no shelter. It was very dark at the time Simon arrived. No one knew where he was or where he had been. All they saw was a dark figure coming out of the bushes and they decided to kill it. While Simon was being killed, he was trying to tell the people that the Beast was them, that it was inside all of them but he got to no one. Piggy and Ralph are witnesses to the murder for they saw the whole thing. Even though the book doesn’t say, we can say they possibly also had a part on the murder of Simon.
I really appreciate you reading my comment Mr. Hartshorn. I enjoyed having you as my English teacher and I hope you have a great summer vacation. Your very cool and you are very funny.
Hey Mr. Hartshorn, this is Raeshoun Hughes, and I am happy to be in your class and read an amazing book titled Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I like the book from beginning to end. There was one character I like was Jack. Jack was leader of the choir class then on the island chief Ralph named him leader of the hunters. Later they put face paint on their face and began their hunt. By thenJack has already changed and wants to be a real hunter, forever. He now thinks, acts, and kill like a hunter would. It will make him better because he is a real hunter and has the attitude and thoughts like one. Also the belief to be a killer. It reveals that Jack is a bad boy that doesn’t like society and/or law and is happy to be free. Which I like because on the island there are no rules or grown ups.
ReplyDeleteLater in the book Jack then really wants to be chief. He and Ralph have a conflict between each other, but Ralph rather talk it out and be civilized. They both can be leaders but there can only be one. Jack is a qualified leader because he is leader of the hunters and he knows the land best. He supplies people with food but he doesn’t want to leave the island like some people do, for example Ralph. Jack wouldn’t be a good leader if he doesn’t want to leave the island because then some kids would go crazy, get home sick, or regulate. Plus he doesn’t build shelters for the boys to sleep in like Ralph did. I think Ralph would be better suited to lead the boys. Ralph thinks of others than himself and has ideas to survive and leave the island. Jack just wants to hunt and kill. Jack is good being leader of the hunters, but Jack cant lead the boys like Ralph can. Ralph is smart and thinks of the situation he is in and tries to adapt. That’s why he is chief.
Last my favorite, suspense growing, and sad part of the book is when Simon dies. To Simon's death it has a meaning to it. The meaning to Simon’s death is that there isn’t any more common sense to control or peace everybody. Simon knew where the beast was and wasn’t involve in killing anybody. He was killed by Jack and his hunters because they mistake him as the beast. They were yelling “Kill the Beast.” “Cut his throat.” “Spill out his blood.” for awhile and Simon came out of the bushes and they stabbed him with their spears. Simon didn’t do anything. It happen quick and at night so they couldn’t really see Simon until it was too late. They did what they did the damage was done. Jack and his hunters must’ve felt guilty but instead they felt okay and had more desire to kill which leads to their regulation on Ralph, no more peace and order, and no more communication just hunt or be hunted. They turn into savages.
Hey Mister Hartshorn, this is Juan Garcia . I would like to thank you for the opportunity to read the great story of LotF. One thing I found interesting was in the begging of the chapter the conch symbolism of the conch is power tells who is the one with the one with the power, the one that can talk an who to pay attention to. The conch gives the island an the kids a form of government gives them something to stay together an to not go crazy an go out of the bounced of there own an die. It seems to have so much power to the kids because with out it there are nothing they have no form of self discipline they have no government they loose themselves an they also don’t know how they are going to talk with out it an who is talking an who to pay attention to. Some of the characteristic the conch holds is government, power, and form of keeping every single person together as a group. It symbolism they form of government they want an the form of togetherness they need to stay alive.
ReplyDeleteThe second point I would like to make is that simon goes up to the mountain top so he can be alone an he can discover an adventure thru the island an was also curious to what the beast is. He went to discover what the beast is an if so to tell the others what it is an to show he wasn't scared of it an he may want to also kill it. He walks up the mountain to discover that the beast is really a dead guy which the wind moved the parachute an makes him move. He discovers a dead guy an finds a lot of interesting things in the island he has never seen before in there when he looks to the side out to the trees an the water.the symbolic meaning of the journey shows he has no moral fear he discovers his true path he wants to show the others that theres no such thing as so call “beat”.
The last things that i found interesting in LotF is that the savagery of the book by this point of the book MOST of ALL the kids were savages by the begging of the book they were noticing no so much but by the 4th or 5th chapter they started to become savages for food the evil within was rising an they were becoming crazy. The nature of the beast it says how much the boys evil an wanting to kill in the way they talk an the way they move an are it tells that the beast is within every boy as evil. The beast is evil in every boy evil within them an evil they produce. The hunters are mostly related to the nazi soldiers because they outcast the others an they just want to kill an hunt an go crazy an they want to rescue everyone with something they need an something they want. The best shows him self in the early chapters when they clown on piggy. The beast has shown its self as the boys evil side an also the pigs head. Its inside every boy an they cant see it because they cant see inside themselves.
I would like to thank you for reading this comment.
Hi Mister hartshorn. Its julio Arzate and i have a few things that interested me in the Lord of the Flies. One thing i fount interesting was that In chapter three Jack has went from not being able to catch a pig, to using mud and other things as camouflage so the pigs won’t recognize that he is human, to blend in with his surroundings. Jack and ralph hunt together a few times but towards the end Jack separates and makes his own tribe. Ralph is the chief that everyone listens to, he holds the conch that symbolizes control. Ralph is interested in getting rescued but Jack is more interested in hunting, not hunting really Jack just wants to kill. Jack has lost all sense of civilization. Ralphs role is the leader and Jacks is to kill for meat, shelter, and brings water to them. Ironically the last fire that Jack started is the fire that got them rescued.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting thing was By chapter eight the boys went from being civilized boy that understood rules to savages that forgot what rules that kept them a part of civilization. Jack has no interest in being rescued his interest is in killing the beast “This head is for the beast. It’s a gift“ by that he’s saying that they killed the pig and the beats is next. The beast is the Lord of the Flies, he tells Simon “fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill”. Simon understood that the Lord of the Flies is in everyone, humans have at least a little evil in them, naturally. The beast has only shown itself to Simon, it appeared to him as a pig head. The others can’t see it because they’re obsession is with hunting the beast.
The last thing that i thought was interesting was that by chapter twelve Jack has completely gone savage and lost all sense of civilization. He shows no interest in being rescued only in killing the beast that is in everyone he separated from Jack and Piggy and in his tribe chant “Kill the beast! Cuts his throat! Spill his blood!” From the beginning of the book to the last the beast has been in Jack. Jack’s only interest is killing the beast. Ralphs and Piggy are the only ones that still want to be rescued. That’s why they got separated. That’s what I thought was interesting.
I would like to say thanks i am a new student but the time that i was here has been fun and funny.
Dear Mr.Hartshorn, this is Jonathan Brumby, i would like thank you for the wonderful opportunity in letting us read the amazing book the Lord of the Flies. While reading, i discovered a few interesting facts about the characters and symbols.
ReplyDeleteFirst, i realized that the conch that Ralph and Piggy discovered in the begginning, is a symbol for authority and civilization. For example when Ralph held up the conch which made the other boys fall silent, thus explaining its authoritative meaning to the boys.
The second interesting fact was when i realized why on earth would any of the boys choose Jack as a leader. So with that in mind i compared my notes on the two boys. Ralph is like a president of the U.S., he agreed without hesitation to vote on who should be chief. Also he lets others speak freely, so long as they have the conch. Either way it is better than the way Jack treated the boys. When Jack invited Ralph's group to join them, he demanded a drink instead of asking nicely or just getting it himself, thus depicting him as a tyrant or dicator. Even though at first he might have seemed like a good leader since he was the oldest and probably more life experienced. The only contradiction to the previous statement is also a foreshadow. Begginning of the book when he and Ralph first meet, you can see he commands the choir members. The attitude he has then is about the same later in the book, the only difference is that later in the book Jack's bassically goes savage but still talks to the others like their garbage.
Lastaly, I took a look at the relationship that Jack's tribe had with fire compared to Ralph's group. Jack's tribe wanted to use it for the sole purpose of cooking the meat, they had no intention of being rescued. Ralph's group is completely opposite. They didn't want the fire for meat because they were getting along fine with the fruit that naturally grew on the island. They only used the fire for heat when the night came,or as a signal for a passing ship or plane to symbolize and S.O.S. Also I thought about it and i realized that Ralph's group is responsible with the fire. They tend to put it out begore they go to sleep. Jack on the other hand isn't. For example, it was under his supervision when they almost burnt the entire island with an out-of-control fire that Jack started.
Thanks for reading and have a great summer :)
Hello Mr. Hartshorn. Its Tytus Simmons and i just had some comments regarding some of the things that intrested me in the Lord of the Flies. The first thing that caught my interest were some of the disagreements amoung the boys regarding thier priorities and intrests. Some of the characters seem happy enough to be away from adults and rules. Thiugh the other half is trying to establish a society as well as abide by it. It seems to me that the kids that were rowdy in thier past society are turning into savages that are onky concerned with meat. Ralph's group focuses on housing and shelter and live off the fruit.Towards the end of the book you start seeing that the begining was foreshadowing the end as far as kids pursuing thier interests.
ReplyDeleteAnother intresting thing i saw was Jacks qualities toward being a leader. I think he had some of the right qualities to be a leader though his attitude and priority of interest arent helping the kids. He has no problem speaking to the boys and letting them know how he feels. He's influential, though threw violence methods. I think his role as rule enforcer and hunter was perfect. Ralph does not have the same leader like skills as Jack, but him making all the right moves will get them saved. Jack insteads rebels againist him, showing that the Chief is powerless againist rebellion. This caused the kids to join him, seeing as thier is no donsequence for your actions.
The last point of interest I'll mention is the symbol fire has provided for the boys. The fire represents power amoung the boys. Fire is the key component for each grouo to pursue thier objectives. One being meat and the other being to be rescued. The group without fire will go cold and cannot eat. I found these things very intresting snd thought i would pay a visit to your blog. Thank you and have a wonderful Summer!
Hey mr. Hartshorn, it's mina nada. I have a few interesting comments about LOTF in chapter 2. I want to tell you about the meaning of the beast, how the beast is portrayed and the others' reaction to it, how the beast becomes real to the boys, and how it foreshadows its later siginifance. when the beast first appears in the chapter, people weren't afraid as much. in fact, almost everyone laughed at the idea from the little mullberry boy who said it. According to the narrator, "Ralph laughed and the other boys laughed with him." i think it foreshadows its later significance because in the beginning, the "snake-thing" turned into a "beastie" in less than a day. At first, some people even denied the actual exsitance of the beast. it's just like the fire. in the beginning, no one seemed to mind, but then the fire began to spread, and was almost uncontrollable. how the beast became real to the boys was the cause of fear. Being away from civilization can cause ones' mind to hallucinate.
ReplyDeleteI want to show you some other intersting comments of LOTF. i will tell you about the boys' gradual descent to savagery to this point of the novel(chapter 8), the nature of the beast, what is the beast, and why don't the boys see it. in chapters 2 and 3, the group was very civilized. they were setting ground rules and some boys were making fires for rescue. In chapters 4 & 5, the group starts to become savage. "He made one cheek and one eye socket white, then he rubbed red over the other half of his face..." they started to paint their faces and hunted more pigs. Up until chapter 8, they stopped being sanitized, the fear of the beast grew, there's no more fir for rescue, & Jack even started to cut off pigs' heads. the beast in this nivel is the boys' figment of their imagination. that's why they can't see it. you can't see the wickedness inside you.
some final comments i would like to share about LOTF (chapter 9) is why simon goes to the mountaintop, what does simon do there, what simon discovers there, and the symbolic meaning of the journey & discovery. simon travels to his alcove of matted vines in th jungle for no apparent reason, but to be out in the clean, natural surroundings. when he enters his alcove, he kneels down and an "arrow" of sunlight falls on him. this description tells us that Simon is like an saint, going back alone to the undergrowth. he goes there to meditate and think about how being in this island has changed him in some way. "Simon lowered his head, carefully keeping his eyes shut, then sheltred them with his hands. Simon has been watching the killing of the pig, so he immediately steps forward to inspectthe pig's head on the stick. The symbollic meaning of the journey & discovery is the confusion between the LOTF as a symbol of evil and the beast on the mountain as the same thing is that the hunters offer the sow's head as a gift to the other to please it. Simon eventually realizes that the beats on the mountain, supposedly an external force of evil, is nothing to be feared, whereas the sows' head represents the evil inside themselves.
Hey Mr. Hartshorn, this is Erin Crowfield. I have a few interesting comments about LOTF. In chapter 1, something that caught my eye was the conch that Ralph was using. The symbolism of that was authority and government. It helped Ralph with being in control over his tribe.
ReplyDeleteI also have a few interesting comments about LOTF in chapter 2. What caught my eye was when everyone was trying to figure out what the beast was when it was something that couldn't be touched or seen. When the beast first appears in the chapter, people weren't afraid as much because they thought it was just an animal in the jungle that they can kill. At first, people even denied the exsitance of the beast. It's just like the fire; in the beginning, no one seemed to mind it, but then the fire began to spread, and was almost uncontrollable. How the beast became real to the boys was the cause of fear. It even took me until the book was almost over to figure out that the beast was fear.
A final comment I want to make is about chapter 9 When Simon goes to they mountain top. Simon travels to his alcove of matted vines in the jungle, but to be out in the clean, natural surroundings/habitat. Simon is like a Saint going back alone to the undergrowth. He goes there to think about how being on this island has changed him in some way. The symbollic meaning of the journey and the discovery is the confusion between the LOTF as a symbol of evil and the beast on the mountain as evil is that the hunters offer the sow's head as a gift to the other to please it. He evventually realized that the beast on the mountain is nothing to be feared.
Hello Mister Hartshorn, this is Judy Chi, and i found three interesting things from the Lord of the Flies. First, after Piggy's specs were taken, Ralph's camp wasn't able to build a fire for rescue. Piggy said, "They blinded me. See? That's Jack Merridew. You call an assembly, Ralph, we got to go decide what to do." Ralph decides that Piggy and the others should get back his specs. Rocks were thrown at them when they got there. Piggy tries to stop the fight between Jack and Ralph so that he wouldn't forget why they were there. Ralph saw that they wouldn't stop defying JAck and so he climbeb castle rock and rolled a bolder down at them. it ran into Piggy and smashed the conch. Now that Piggy was dead PAlph was all alone and Samneric got caught by Jack's tribe and tortured.
ReplyDeleteSecond thing that I felt was a good aspect was how Simon and the Lord of the Flies were able to meet, while everyone else didn't seem to notice. Lord of the Flies speaks to him maybe because he was also sort of an outcast among the boys. He tells Simon that he is the evil that lies in everyone even himself. the reason he sparked into Simon's mind was because the sow's head that was surrounded by flies immediately formed a mirage in which he felt as if it spoke to him. he actually hallucinates that he falls into his mouth in a reference of him falling into darkness and evil. After a while the flies around the pig's head has formed around Simon. Simon looked at it it in the face because the flies were attracting his eyes through the flies' black coat and the indecent green and without number; and the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned. He finally understands that there are bits of destruction in everyone and that there is no escape from it. The Lord of the Flies is in everyone and that he is a part of life.
Last of all, the conch i thought of it as a symbol of authority though it could represent may things at the same time. the conch represented a meeting call which had called all of the boys on the island together onto the beach. it also gave them the right to speak during the assembly so that they may speak in a more orderly fashion. it seemed to also have much control/ power because it created a commanding sound that called them to speak when needed. it belongs to Ralph, the leader of the tribe, which means it also represents leadership as well. the note boomed again; and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up an octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before. I would say that the calling of the conch meant to have them gather and they did gather due to the low booming sound. It also stood for the authority and when Ralph became leader, it gave him authority/ power. Last of all, it gave them the right to talk during the assembly. Those were the three aspects I found interesting.
Hey Mr. Hartshorn this is Ciari Cayanan, and I would like to thank you for giving us the oppurtunity to read Lord of the Flies. I found the book very interesting and intense. I sure enjoyed it. I found a few interesting things about the book. One thing that caught my attention was how they didn’t know who or what the beast is. It was a really unusual situation on the island that lead the boys to fear and terror of the beast. But little they did they know, there wasn’t a real beast..but only the power of the boy’s fear. Their behaviour has to be regarded as the evil in every mankind, the “beasty side”.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing i found interesting was the fact that Ralph and Jack had beef with each other. As the boys explore the island, the tension grows between Jack, who is interested only in hunting, and Ralph, who believes most boys’ efforts should go toward building the shelters and maintaining a signal fire.
Finally, what really caught my attention was Piggy’s glasses. Who knew a that thing symbolizes power in the end. A big chaos in the book started when Piggy had lost his glasses.. thats when things start to get unclear and the boys went totally out of control and not aware of what they were doing.