Revision Websites
Struggling with revision? Stressed about your mocks? Use the following websites to help you improve your grade and knowledge:
The English Department Website
This site is a must. Go to the site and look at the IGCSE section for superb revision resources.
http://194.3.120.243/english/index.htm
The Edron Website
www.blogspot.com
English Biz
An excellent website which covers texts and exam technique in great detail.
http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/
Spark Notes
A fine American web site with free study guides to many novels, plays and poems.
http://www.sparknotes.com/
Cliffs Notes
An American site that offers free study guides
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-106145.html
BBC Bite-Size
More suited to those of you who need more basic advice
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
Lord of the Flies
A fine revision guide for the novel
http://www.gerenser.com/lotf/
Universal Teacher
A superb site for anyone needing help with English revision
http://www.teachit.co.uk/armoore/
Thursday 22 November 2007
A comparision between Rising Five and Before the Sun
Comparing Rising Five and Before the Sun
....We never see the flower,
But only the fruit in the flower; never the fruit,
But only the rot in the fruit.
1) To what extent do the lines above express a viewpoint expressed in both Rising Five and Before the Sun?
2) What do we learn from the two poems about attitudes to life and the natural world?
3) Apply the following statements to either Rising Five or Before the Sun or both poems by placing them in the table below:
celebrates life celebrates the beauty of the natural world
references to time are significant the poem is a lament
written in the present tense
written in the past tense then shifts into the present tense
encourages readers to savour the moment and relish simple pleasures
feelings of harmony and serenity are conveyed
tone is sorrowful tone is joyous
boy communes with nature
shape of poem contributes to meaning
poem ends with reference to death
portrays the relationship between humans and nature in a very positive way
explores mortality a first person narrative
physical description of the boy is important
the poet is interested in the way we experience the world around us.
explores what it is like to be a child or adolescent
portrays a world set apart from modern society
....We never see the flower,
But only the fruit in the flower; never the fruit,
But only the rot in the fruit.
1) To what extent do the lines above express a viewpoint expressed in both Rising Five and Before the Sun?
2) What do we learn from the two poems about attitudes to life and the natural world?
3) Apply the following statements to either Rising Five or Before the Sun or both poems by placing them in the table below:
celebrates life celebrates the beauty of the natural world
references to time are significant the poem is a lament
written in the present tense
written in the past tense then shifts into the present tense
encourages readers to savour the moment and relish simple pleasures
feelings of harmony and serenity are conveyed
tone is sorrowful tone is joyous
boy communes with nature
shape of poem contributes to meaning
poem ends with reference to death
portrays the relationship between humans and nature in a very positive way
explores mortality a first person narrative
physical description of the boy is important
the poet is interested in the way we experience the world around us.
explores what it is like to be a child or adolescent
portrays a world set apart from modern society
Rising Five
Rising Five by Norman Nicholson
In your own words, summarise each stanza in one sentence
What is the effect of the contrast between the direct speech of the opening and the poet's focus on one small aspect of the child? How is the tone of each pair of lines different?
Why does the poet interrupt the line with, 'he said'?
Within the context of the poem, is there a connection between the detail of the hair and the child's use of adult language?
How does the poet subvert our expectations in the phrase, 'brimful of eyes'? What does this indicate about the child's vision? How is this significant within the poem?
Which ideas in line five are later developed in the poem?
Why 'cones' of light?
What image of the boy is conveyed by:
his speech?
his actions?
the decription?
his confectionery consumption?
What effect is created by the poet referring to the child's age as, "He’d been alive/Fifty-six months or perhaps a week more"?
Why is the final line of the stanza laid out to emphasise enjambment?
List from the second stanza examples of
feminine rhyme
assonance
alliteration
sibilance
What is the effect of this outpouring of heightened language effects?
What metaphor is used to personify the beautifying power of spring?
What are the connotations of 'swilled'?
How does the idea of spring connect to stanza one?
How does the final line change the tempo?
How is the third stanza more abstract?
What is the effect on the mood of its being so brief?
How is the light here different from that of stanza one?
How do the elements on the final stanza link to and comment on earlier ideas
The new buds
a boy/Throwing away his toffee-wrappers.
We never see the flower/But only the fruit in the flower;
How does enjambment in the final stanza give a greater sense of pathos to the antitheses established?
What is the effect of using the first person plural?
Compare the first and last lines of the poem. What is the effect? Why did the poem begin in a school?
From the poem, list a line or phrase to illustrate each of the following:
Humour
Pathos
Energy
Beauty
What links can be drawn with other poems about
Children?
Mortality?
Rising Five by Norman Nicholson
‘I’m rising five’, he said,
‘Not four’, and little coils of hair
Un-clicked themselves upon his head.
His spectacles, brimful of eyes to stare
At me and the meadow, reflected cones of light
Above his toffee-buckled cheeks. He’d been alive
Fifty-six months or perhaps a week more:
not four,
But rising five.
Around him in the field the cells of spring
Bubbled and doubled; buds unbuttoned; shoot
And stem shook out the creases from their frills,
And every tree was swilled with green.
It was the season after blossoming,
Before the forming of the fruit:
not May,
But rising June.
And in the sky
The dust dissected tangential light:
not day,
But rising night;
not now,
But rising soon.
The new buds push the old leaves from the bough.
We drop our youth behind us like a boy
Throwing away his toffee-wrappers. We never see the flower,
But only the fruit in the flower; never the fruit,
But only the rot in the fruit. We look for marriage bed
In the baby’s cradle, we look for the grave in the bed:
not living,
But rising dead.
In your own words, summarise each stanza in one sentence
What is the effect of the contrast between the direct speech of the opening and the poet's focus on one small aspect of the child? How is the tone of each pair of lines different?
Why does the poet interrupt the line with, 'he said'?
Within the context of the poem, is there a connection between the detail of the hair and the child's use of adult language?
How does the poet subvert our expectations in the phrase, 'brimful of eyes'? What does this indicate about the child's vision? How is this significant within the poem?
Which ideas in line five are later developed in the poem?
Why 'cones' of light?
What image of the boy is conveyed by:
his speech?
his actions?
the decription?
his confectionery consumption?
What effect is created by the poet referring to the child's age as, "He’d been alive/Fifty-six months or perhaps a week more"?
Why is the final line of the stanza laid out to emphasise enjambment?
List from the second stanza examples of
feminine rhyme
assonance
alliteration
sibilance
What is the effect of this outpouring of heightened language effects?
What metaphor is used to personify the beautifying power of spring?
What are the connotations of 'swilled'?
How does the idea of spring connect to stanza one?
How does the final line change the tempo?
How is the third stanza more abstract?
What is the effect on the mood of its being so brief?
How is the light here different from that of stanza one?
How do the elements on the final stanza link to and comment on earlier ideas
The new buds
a boy/Throwing away his toffee-wrappers.
We never see the flower/But only the fruit in the flower;
How does enjambment in the final stanza give a greater sense of pathos to the antitheses established?
What is the effect of using the first person plural?
Compare the first and last lines of the poem. What is the effect? Why did the poem begin in a school?
From the poem, list a line or phrase to illustrate each of the following:
Humour
Pathos
Energy
Beauty
What links can be drawn with other poems about
Children?
Mortality?
Rising Five by Norman Nicholson
‘I’m rising five’, he said,
‘Not four’, and little coils of hair
Un-clicked themselves upon his head.
His spectacles, brimful of eyes to stare
At me and the meadow, reflected cones of light
Above his toffee-buckled cheeks. He’d been alive
Fifty-six months or perhaps a week more:
not four,
But rising five.
Around him in the field the cells of spring
Bubbled and doubled; buds unbuttoned; shoot
And stem shook out the creases from their frills,
And every tree was swilled with green.
It was the season after blossoming,
Before the forming of the fruit:
not May,
But rising June.
And in the sky
The dust dissected tangential light:
not day,
But rising night;
not now,
But rising soon.
The new buds push the old leaves from the bough.
We drop our youth behind us like a boy
Throwing away his toffee-wrappers. We never see the flower,
But only the fruit in the flower; never the fruit,
But only the rot in the fruit. We look for marriage bed
In the baby’s cradle, we look for the grave in the bed:
not living,
But rising dead.
Caged Bird student essay two
Explore the ways in which Maya Angelou uses language and other poetic devices to present her ideas in “Caged Bird”
“Caged Bird” explores freedom and lack of freedom, as do the poems “Monologue” and “Song to the Men of England” from the Songs of Ourselves collection. The idea of Imprisonment and restriction is explored in “Caged bird” and “Monologue”. In “Monologue” the “door” motif is repeated, which emphasizes the feeling of yearning to escape, a yearning also expressed in “Caged Bird”. Both “Caged Bird” and “Song to the Men of England” depict social injustice, Shelley considers social divisions between the rich and the poor. In “Caged Bird” there is a contrast between freedom and Imprisonment, the “free bird” and the “caged bird”, this symbolism can be applied to many forms of social injustices. The free bird has desire, wants more and can search for more, whereas the caged bird has dreams and all it can do is imagine and sing. The tone of the poem shifts between the caged bird and the free bird stanzas, you can sense anger and bitterness in her portrayal of the caged bird, also the way she present this contrast, between free and caged bird is for us to realize, how bad the situation of some people is. Maya Angelou really tries to convey the message that you have to look beyond yourself, and look at the world situation. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 and experienced the inequalities and injustices of the time when the poem was written, which greatly influenced the poem which explores the situation of black people in America. Angelou doesn’t use colour symbolism so we can just take this assumption from what we know about the author.
The structure of this poem is significant. This Poem is split into two parts, the caged bird and the free bird, the caged bird dominates the poem, there are four stanza’s for the caged bird and two stanzas for the free bird. This is because Maya Angelou wants us to focus on the caged bird. The free bird emphasizes for the reader how unfair life is for the caged bird, when compared to the free bird. Stanza three and six are a repeated refrain. This helps show how hard imprisonment is on the mind and on the spirit. Also the repetition of the stanzas emphasizes the dreadful situation of the caged bird and on how hard it is to break out of psychological imprisonment as well as literal. The pain of the oppressed is heard but will it be answered? Or, are the free too busy searching for themselves? The poem suggests that the free take their freedom for granted and Angelou seems to be calling got the free to start listening and contemplating the caged.
The poem’s diction is significant. Words representing the free bird are bright and upbeat, such as “leaps” which helps to get across the feeling of power and easy going life. “Floats” brings across the impression that the bird is resting on water which is moving, that his life is effortless, that someone else seems to be doing all the work. Could it be the cage bird? The caged bird is represented by gloomy and morbid words, “stalks” is telling is that he marches stiffly and angrily in his cage, that he is angry about something. “cage” means that the bird is imprisonment, unable to escape. When reading the poem we get a sense of a contrast between natural freedom and man made imprisonment. The diction which Angelou applies is closely linked to the themes, freedom and imprisonment, words such as “leap” and “float” portray freedom. “he names the sky his own” again contributes to the fact that free bird has a world of opportunities. Furthermore she applies the opposite of freedom to convey imprisonment. Such as, “bars” and “tied” express the idea of being locked up. The verb “opens” reminds us of this sense of freedom, which refers back to the free bird, the caged bird dreams and sings of what the free birds takes for granted. All he can “open” is “his throat”. Dreaming and singing is the caged bird’s only freedom.
Maya Angelou uses imagery extremely effectively in this poem, to develop ideas about freedom and imprisonment. Rage, an abstract emotion, is made concrete in the image, “Bars of rage”.
bars represent how the caged bird is emotionally imprisonment in his own anger, as well as literally. Angelou writes “a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams”. This metaphor represents the dreams of freedom, which will never be realised. “grave” is implying that his dreams are dead and have no future. The tone and emotional impact conveyed is bitter and despairing.
The Poet makes use of many grammatical features to make the Caged Bird poem powerful. To describe the free bird dynamic and energetic verbs are exploited, such as “leaps”; “floats”, “dips”, “dares”. The active construction is applied with these verbs, “a free bird leaps”. Verbs to portray the caged bird are much less active and are often qualified “can seldom see”. The passive construction is sometimes used, “His wings are clipped and his feet are tied”. The active construction is applied with the free bird to emphasize the feeling of freedom, movement and happiness. Whereas the passive construction and qualifications convey that the caged bird is unable to move, he is a victim of torture and imprisonment and has little or no control over his own actions. The use of the passive also raises questions. Who clipped his wings? Who tied his feet? Was the free bird responsible? Is that the reason why he is so ignorant and self centred? The conjunction repetition is used, “and” is repeated, mainly to emphasize what a great life the free bird has and to confirm almost the countless quantity of things he possesses. The reader feels that the free bird should give some of it to the caged bird. Who has nothing except his “grave of dreams”. The caged bird takes everything he has for granted and doesn’t stop to realise his fantastic way of life. “The free bird thinks of another breeze”, again this illustrates that he doesn’t appreciate what he possesses and that this bird thinks of more. This poem also uses the repetition of “but”, to make it clear that there is something negative, we are reminded of unattractive side of life, we are reminded of the caged bird.
Sound has an important role in the poem, emphasizing the theme of freedom and imprisonment. The assonance of “leaps” and “downstream” conveys a flowing feeling of the free bird. This is also a half rhyme, making it more fluid and not imposed which emphasizes the bird’s liberty. Alliteration draws our attention to a contrast of the world of the free and the caged. The free bird “dips” and “dares” in the “sky” and “sun, the caged bird “stalks”, and can “seldom see”. When you are free you “dare”, you have the courage to be confident in the world of opportunities represented by the “sky” and “sun”. Whereas the caged bird can “seldom see”, suggesting the opportunities are not even visible, there is no “sky” and “sun” in the caged bird’s world. Although the poem does not follow a regular rhyme scheme, some lines do rhyme, such as the rhyme of “narrow cage” and “bars of rage”. This full rhyme attracts our attention to the caged bird’s anger. In the chorus, “ill” words are repeated every other line, “trill”, “still” and “hill”, stressing the caged bird’s plea for justice and that his plea is barely heard on the “distant hill”.
The free and the caged bird both wish for more, illustrating that even the free are not completely satisfied but think of “another breeze”. Maya Angela implies that you should appreciate your liberty if you have it. You should consider other people’s conditions and listen to the tune of those unheard in society. Is this poem a plea for change attitudes? As a plea for change this is much more subtle than Song to the men of England by Shelley. Whereas Maya Angelou uses the symbol of the caged bird to raise consciousness of oppression, Shelley addresses the working men of England, in a rebellious call to stand up against the oppressor. Song to the Men of England is much more persuasive and emotive in the way it encourages the working class to stand up for their rights. Both poets show an awareness of how difficult it is for the oppressed to break free. Even though Shelley seems to tell the working class to rebel, there is a warning to what that rebellion might bring, if they “shake the chains” “The steel ye tempered glance on ye”. This means if you try to speak out your rebellion will be crushed through brutality and the weapons you made will be used against you. “Caged Bird” makes you think more thoughtfully and intellectually about social injustice. Freedom will only come when those who are free listen to the voice of who are not.
“Caged Bird” explores freedom and lack of freedom, as do the poems “Monologue” and “Song to the Men of England” from the Songs of Ourselves collection. The idea of Imprisonment and restriction is explored in “Caged bird” and “Monologue”. In “Monologue” the “door” motif is repeated, which emphasizes the feeling of yearning to escape, a yearning also expressed in “Caged Bird”. Both “Caged Bird” and “Song to the Men of England” depict social injustice, Shelley considers social divisions between the rich and the poor. In “Caged Bird” there is a contrast between freedom and Imprisonment, the “free bird” and the “caged bird”, this symbolism can be applied to many forms of social injustices. The free bird has desire, wants more and can search for more, whereas the caged bird has dreams and all it can do is imagine and sing. The tone of the poem shifts between the caged bird and the free bird stanzas, you can sense anger and bitterness in her portrayal of the caged bird, also the way she present this contrast, between free and caged bird is for us to realize, how bad the situation of some people is. Maya Angelou really tries to convey the message that you have to look beyond yourself, and look at the world situation. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 and experienced the inequalities and injustices of the time when the poem was written, which greatly influenced the poem which explores the situation of black people in America. Angelou doesn’t use colour symbolism so we can just take this assumption from what we know about the author.
The structure of this poem is significant. This Poem is split into two parts, the caged bird and the free bird, the caged bird dominates the poem, there are four stanza’s for the caged bird and two stanzas for the free bird. This is because Maya Angelou wants us to focus on the caged bird. The free bird emphasizes for the reader how unfair life is for the caged bird, when compared to the free bird. Stanza three and six are a repeated refrain. This helps show how hard imprisonment is on the mind and on the spirit. Also the repetition of the stanzas emphasizes the dreadful situation of the caged bird and on how hard it is to break out of psychological imprisonment as well as literal. The pain of the oppressed is heard but will it be answered? Or, are the free too busy searching for themselves? The poem suggests that the free take their freedom for granted and Angelou seems to be calling got the free to start listening and contemplating the caged.
The poem’s diction is significant. Words representing the free bird are bright and upbeat, such as “leaps” which helps to get across the feeling of power and easy going life. “Floats” brings across the impression that the bird is resting on water which is moving, that his life is effortless, that someone else seems to be doing all the work. Could it be the cage bird? The caged bird is represented by gloomy and morbid words, “stalks” is telling is that he marches stiffly and angrily in his cage, that he is angry about something. “cage” means that the bird is imprisonment, unable to escape. When reading the poem we get a sense of a contrast between natural freedom and man made imprisonment. The diction which Angelou applies is closely linked to the themes, freedom and imprisonment, words such as “leap” and “float” portray freedom. “he names the sky his own” again contributes to the fact that free bird has a world of opportunities. Furthermore she applies the opposite of freedom to convey imprisonment. Such as, “bars” and “tied” express the idea of being locked up. The verb “opens” reminds us of this sense of freedom, which refers back to the free bird, the caged bird dreams and sings of what the free birds takes for granted. All he can “open” is “his throat”. Dreaming and singing is the caged bird’s only freedom.
Maya Angelou uses imagery extremely effectively in this poem, to develop ideas about freedom and imprisonment. Rage, an abstract emotion, is made concrete in the image, “Bars of rage”.
bars represent how the caged bird is emotionally imprisonment in his own anger, as well as literally. Angelou writes “a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams”. This metaphor represents the dreams of freedom, which will never be realised. “grave” is implying that his dreams are dead and have no future. The tone and emotional impact conveyed is bitter and despairing.
The Poet makes use of many grammatical features to make the Caged Bird poem powerful. To describe the free bird dynamic and energetic verbs are exploited, such as “leaps”; “floats”, “dips”, “dares”. The active construction is applied with these verbs, “a free bird leaps”. Verbs to portray the caged bird are much less active and are often qualified “can seldom see”. The passive construction is sometimes used, “His wings are clipped and his feet are tied”. The active construction is applied with the free bird to emphasize the feeling of freedom, movement and happiness. Whereas the passive construction and qualifications convey that the caged bird is unable to move, he is a victim of torture and imprisonment and has little or no control over his own actions. The use of the passive also raises questions. Who clipped his wings? Who tied his feet? Was the free bird responsible? Is that the reason why he is so ignorant and self centred? The conjunction repetition is used, “and” is repeated, mainly to emphasize what a great life the free bird has and to confirm almost the countless quantity of things he possesses. The reader feels that the free bird should give some of it to the caged bird. Who has nothing except his “grave of dreams”. The caged bird takes everything he has for granted and doesn’t stop to realise his fantastic way of life. “The free bird thinks of another breeze”, again this illustrates that he doesn’t appreciate what he possesses and that this bird thinks of more. This poem also uses the repetition of “but”, to make it clear that there is something negative, we are reminded of unattractive side of life, we are reminded of the caged bird.
Sound has an important role in the poem, emphasizing the theme of freedom and imprisonment. The assonance of “leaps” and “downstream” conveys a flowing feeling of the free bird. This is also a half rhyme, making it more fluid and not imposed which emphasizes the bird’s liberty. Alliteration draws our attention to a contrast of the world of the free and the caged. The free bird “dips” and “dares” in the “sky” and “sun, the caged bird “stalks”, and can “seldom see”. When you are free you “dare”, you have the courage to be confident in the world of opportunities represented by the “sky” and “sun”. Whereas the caged bird can “seldom see”, suggesting the opportunities are not even visible, there is no “sky” and “sun” in the caged bird’s world. Although the poem does not follow a regular rhyme scheme, some lines do rhyme, such as the rhyme of “narrow cage” and “bars of rage”. This full rhyme attracts our attention to the caged bird’s anger. In the chorus, “ill” words are repeated every other line, “trill”, “still” and “hill”, stressing the caged bird’s plea for justice and that his plea is barely heard on the “distant hill”.
The free and the caged bird both wish for more, illustrating that even the free are not completely satisfied but think of “another breeze”. Maya Angela implies that you should appreciate your liberty if you have it. You should consider other people’s conditions and listen to the tune of those unheard in society. Is this poem a plea for change attitudes? As a plea for change this is much more subtle than Song to the men of England by Shelley. Whereas Maya Angelou uses the symbol of the caged bird to raise consciousness of oppression, Shelley addresses the working men of England, in a rebellious call to stand up against the oppressor. Song to the Men of England is much more persuasive and emotive in the way it encourages the working class to stand up for their rights. Both poets show an awareness of how difficult it is for the oppressed to break free. Even though Shelley seems to tell the working class to rebel, there is a warning to what that rebellion might bring, if they “shake the chains” “The steel ye tempered glance on ye”. This means if you try to speak out your rebellion will be crushed through brutality and the weapons you made will be used against you. “Caged Bird” makes you think more thoughtfully and intellectually about social injustice. Freedom will only come when those who are free listen to the voice of who are not.
Caged Bird Annotated Notes
Caged Bird - Maya Angelou
Stanza One
Highlight the words that take stress. Look at how this varies from line to line. The pattern is not regular but compare the connection between line length, rhythm and the types of movement described ('leap', 'float') in, say, the first three lines.
How does the poet combine the elements of wind and water in the opening stanza? Why?
Find examples of repetition, internal assonance, monosyllabic diction (especially for verbs) and sibilance. What do they contribute to the tone? You might link this to the stanza being made up of one sentence in brief lines
Stanza Two
What is the effect of the opening word of stanza two? With which other word from stanza one is it being contrasted?
Contrast the verbs in this stanza with those in stanza one. Until the last line, only one is unmodified (what sort of movement does 'stalk' suggest compared to stanza one?) and two are in the passive. What point is here being made?
How is sibilance used differently in this stanza?
Compare the different effect of the alliteration of 'dip' and 'dare' in stanza one and 'bird' and 'bar' in stanza two
Compare the different effect of the assonance of 'wing' and 'clip' in stanza two and 'wing' and 'dip' in stanza one
How does the metaphor of line four give deeper meaning to the poem?
The final line is a surprise and establishes the paradox of the poem. How does the conjunction 'so' emphasise this?
How does the assonance of 'open' and 'throat' develop this irony when referring to a captive?
Stanza Three
The tone here is more like that of stanza one but there are crucial differences. Look at & comment on the vowel sounds and connotations of key words at line endings:
Stanza One - leap, wind, wing, rays, sky
Stanza Two - stalk, cage, rage, tied
Stanza Three - sing, trill, still, hill, freedom
Now look at adjectives which modify these in stanza three. What is the effect of:
Fearful trill
Things unknown
Distant hill
How does the final word of the final line give deeper meaning to the poem?
Stanza Four
How is the line length different and what effect does this have on the tone?
How does the final line link to the final line of stanza one?
List examples of assonance, sibilace, repetition and rhyme. How do they contribute to creating the image of the free bird in flight?
Stanza Five
How is the fifth stanza like the second in terms of grammar and imagery?
How do the images of stanza five contrast with those of stanza four eg. grave of dreams with dawn-bright lawn?
Compare the effect of sibilance here with the very different tone created in stanza four
Why are lines repeated from stanza two?
Stanza Six
How does repeating stanza three make a point? Does it have a different mood as a result? Is it significant that the poem ends with the word 'freedom'?
Overall
Divide the poem in two. How do the central ideas of the poem develop between each half?
What is the central paradox of the poem?
What is the central political message of the poem? Give key lines that emphasise this. Is the poem optimistic or ominous?
Which other poems in the anthology about freedom & injustice could the poem be linked to?
Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun’s rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Stanza One
Highlight the words that take stress. Look at how this varies from line to line. The pattern is not regular but compare the connection between line length, rhythm and the types of movement described ('leap', 'float') in, say, the first three lines.
How does the poet combine the elements of wind and water in the opening stanza? Why?
Find examples of repetition, internal assonance, monosyllabic diction (especially for verbs) and sibilance. What do they contribute to the tone? You might link this to the stanza being made up of one sentence in brief lines
Stanza Two
What is the effect of the opening word of stanza two? With which other word from stanza one is it being contrasted?
Contrast the verbs in this stanza with those in stanza one. Until the last line, only one is unmodified (what sort of movement does 'stalk' suggest compared to stanza one?) and two are in the passive. What point is here being made?
How is sibilance used differently in this stanza?
Compare the different effect of the alliteration of 'dip' and 'dare' in stanza one and 'bird' and 'bar' in stanza two
Compare the different effect of the assonance of 'wing' and 'clip' in stanza two and 'wing' and 'dip' in stanza one
How does the metaphor of line four give deeper meaning to the poem?
The final line is a surprise and establishes the paradox of the poem. How does the conjunction 'so' emphasise this?
How does the assonance of 'open' and 'throat' develop this irony when referring to a captive?
Stanza Three
The tone here is more like that of stanza one but there are crucial differences. Look at & comment on the vowel sounds and connotations of key words at line endings:
Stanza One - leap, wind, wing, rays, sky
Stanza Two - stalk, cage, rage, tied
Stanza Three - sing, trill, still, hill, freedom
Now look at adjectives which modify these in stanza three. What is the effect of:
Fearful trill
Things unknown
Distant hill
How does the final word of the final line give deeper meaning to the poem?
Stanza Four
How is the line length different and what effect does this have on the tone?
How does the final line link to the final line of stanza one?
List examples of assonance, sibilace, repetition and rhyme. How do they contribute to creating the image of the free bird in flight?
Stanza Five
How is the fifth stanza like the second in terms of grammar and imagery?
How do the images of stanza five contrast with those of stanza four eg. grave of dreams with dawn-bright lawn?
Compare the effect of sibilance here with the very different tone created in stanza four
Why are lines repeated from stanza two?
Stanza Six
How does repeating stanza three make a point? Does it have a different mood as a result? Is it significant that the poem ends with the word 'freedom'?
Overall
Divide the poem in two. How do the central ideas of the poem develop between each half?
What is the central paradox of the poem?
What is the central political message of the poem? Give key lines that emphasise this. Is the poem optimistic or ominous?
Which other poems in the anthology about freedom & injustice could the poem be linked to?
Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun’s rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Caged Bird Essay
Comment on the ways in which ideas are explored in ‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou from the collection Song of Ourselves
Maya Angelou uses caged and free birds to symbolise the dream of attaining freedom. The poem as a whole can be interpreted on many levels. It could be exploring the oppression of black people in America, however the poet does not refer directly to black and white. The author took her title from a poem about racist oppression by the black poet P Paul Dunbar who was the son of two former slaves, and she called her Autobiography, which recalls the hardships of growing up in a segregated oppressed black community, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing The poem describe the plight of millions of weary enslaved people, It also sheds light upon the unfavourable position of women in certain countries who are persecuted for their religion or ethnicity. The poem illustrates the contrast between imprisonment and freedom through the symbolism of a caged bird and a free bird, and then between their dreams and desires. Through the contrast of the birds which are so alike and yet different in many ways Angelou illustrates oppression and the fear of freedom of those who cannot have it. Even though the poem illustrates a carefree bird in a beautiful landscape, as the bird that suffers takes over the majority of the poem, the tone is quite serious and solemn.
The way the Angleou separate the two birds so that each one has its own stanzas emphasises how they live in two separate worlds that are so close. A stanza portraying the free bird opens the poem, stanzas 2 and 3 describe the caged bird, stanza 4 returns to the free bird and then the final stanzas, 5 and 6 focus our attention back on the caged, with the last stanza being the same as stanza 3.The repetition of stanza 4 emphasis how hard it is to break out, psychological imprisonment as well as literal; it also allows the caged bird to dominate the poem, Maya Angelou forces us to take note, she wants us to hear the caged bird’s song. The lengths of the lines in the stanzas of the caged bird seem to copy those of the free bird; this shows how much the free bird wants to imitate the free bird.
Maya Angelou uses powerful verbs to illustrate the actions of the free and oppressed. The free ‘leaps’, ‘floats’, ‘dips’ and ‘dares’. The oppressed just ‘stalks’ and so it can ‘open his throat to sing’ illustrates that singing becomes the only available expression of freedom, the only way of leaping and floating. It also shows how when people can’t escape from their blinding anger and ‘bars of rage’ which hold them back, they can still express their opinions, but it does not mean that anyone will listen or take notice. These words could also be interpreted that if the free bird was to listen and take notice, he would have to stop and take notice and do something about it which he doesn’t want to, so he keeps on The words used to describe the actions and situation of the free bird such as ‘dips’, ‘sighing’ and ‘soft’ give connotations of easy life and a sense of calm looking for what he wants out of life-‘the fat worms’-showing his self-centred greediness.
The poem ‘Caged Bird’ uses powerful imagery to convey the opinion and message of Maya Angelou. The metaphor ‘bars of rage’ can illustrate the rage of the enslaved at not being able to express his feelings calmly. Through the symbol of the ‘narrow’ cage Angelou shows how be subjugated and denied equality in society in like being suffocated in a claustrophobic prison. The metaphor ‘grave of dreams the caged bird stands on’ illustrates that black people realise that freedom is just a dream and that their dreams will die unfulfilled. The tune sung by the caged bird that is ‘heard on the distant hill’ allows the question to rise as to whether the free bird hears its tune and feels compassion, and the need to help, and when it is going to help. The phrase ‘on the distant hill’ can be interpreted in different ways; the use of the word ‘distant’ could be to illustrate the distant future so that change can happen, or that those who do hear the pleas for freedom are too far away to be able to liberate the caged. It could also be that there are people out there who need hear it, and who need to have compassion to them.
The words ‘sun’ and ‘sky’ can be connected by the fact that they are both in the cosmos where everything is elevated and free, and when put in conjunction with the free bird, helps illustrate the immense area it has to be in, accenting the contrast with the caged bird. In the first stanza the free bird ‘leaps on the back of the wind’ as though it is using the wind which is a subject of the elements and meant to be free, and is trying to tame it, just as someone is doing to the caged bird. The word ‘floats’ illustrates the serene, unrestricted movements of the free bird. The ‘fat worms’ illustrate the wealthy and powerful people in society who do nothing about the enslaved and just wait for them to attack so that they can be called victims.
The continuous use of verbs in the second stanza, describing the situation of the caged bird makes the reader wonder who did these things to it. The active tense of ‘leaps’ ‘dips’ and ‘floats’ help describe the continuous freedom of the free bird. However, the passive tense used for the caged bird emphasises the powerlessness of the caged bird. However, the use of the word ‘are’ in the phrases ‘his wings are clipped’, ‘his feet are tied’ illustrates that even now in the present the oppressed continue to be exploited and trapped
The long vowel sounds in ‘opens his throat to sing’ allows the reader to sense the birds desperation for its need for expression. It also makes it seem as though it is a challenge to just sing, to plea for freedom, and its want to be open The phrases ‘dips his wings/in the orange sun rays’ and ‘trade winds soft through the sighing trees’ show an interesting contrast between the delicacy of the sound of language and the blunt harshness of the poem’s theme. The assonance in ‘dips his wings’ and ‘his wings are clipped’ are used to show the even though there are many contrasts between the two birds, there are also subtle similarities that should be accounted for. The use of the short ‘i’ sound for the free bird gives the impression of suddenness and the strong will to do anything he wants; how ever for the caged bird it makes the movements of action seem obligatory, as though he is not doing it wilfully. The use alliteration of the words ‘dips’ and ‘dares’ for the actions of the free bird provokes the feeling of audacity and daring. The short single syllable sounds-‘his shadow shouts’, ‘screams’, ‘rage’, ‘tied’ convey the harsh jarring feeling of the caged who is trapped in this ‘nightmare’ behind ‘his bars of rage’.
I feel that the message that Maya Angelou is conveying in this poem is that those who are free need to start to hear the cries of the oppressed. Through the singing of the birds she shows that expression is important, that in the end not only will it be heard, but it will also be answered. The message of this poem is similar to that of ‘Song to the Men of England’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley which also conveys that if the oppressed do not fight back against the ‘tyrants’ they will ‘trace [their] grave’ and nothing will change. After reading this poem I was really moved by the way Angelou presents this issue, as she has illustrated the pain of the people that suffered in such a way that it is subtle and yet at the same time the message rings out loud and true.
Maya Angelou uses caged and free birds to symbolise the dream of attaining freedom. The poem as a whole can be interpreted on many levels. It could be exploring the oppression of black people in America, however the poet does not refer directly to black and white. The author took her title from a poem about racist oppression by the black poet P Paul Dunbar who was the son of two former slaves, and she called her Autobiography, which recalls the hardships of growing up in a segregated oppressed black community, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing The poem describe the plight of millions of weary enslaved people, It also sheds light upon the unfavourable position of women in certain countries who are persecuted for their religion or ethnicity. The poem illustrates the contrast between imprisonment and freedom through the symbolism of a caged bird and a free bird, and then between their dreams and desires. Through the contrast of the birds which are so alike and yet different in many ways Angelou illustrates oppression and the fear of freedom of those who cannot have it. Even though the poem illustrates a carefree bird in a beautiful landscape, as the bird that suffers takes over the majority of the poem, the tone is quite serious and solemn.
The way the Angleou separate the two birds so that each one has its own stanzas emphasises how they live in two separate worlds that are so close. A stanza portraying the free bird opens the poem, stanzas 2 and 3 describe the caged bird, stanza 4 returns to the free bird and then the final stanzas, 5 and 6 focus our attention back on the caged, with the last stanza being the same as stanza 3.The repetition of stanza 4 emphasis how hard it is to break out, psychological imprisonment as well as literal; it also allows the caged bird to dominate the poem, Maya Angelou forces us to take note, she wants us to hear the caged bird’s song. The lengths of the lines in the stanzas of the caged bird seem to copy those of the free bird; this shows how much the free bird wants to imitate the free bird.
Maya Angelou uses powerful verbs to illustrate the actions of the free and oppressed. The free ‘leaps’, ‘floats’, ‘dips’ and ‘dares’. The oppressed just ‘stalks’ and so it can ‘open his throat to sing’ illustrates that singing becomes the only available expression of freedom, the only way of leaping and floating. It also shows how when people can’t escape from their blinding anger and ‘bars of rage’ which hold them back, they can still express their opinions, but it does not mean that anyone will listen or take notice. These words could also be interpreted that if the free bird was to listen and take notice, he would have to stop and take notice and do something about it which he doesn’t want to, so he keeps on The words used to describe the actions and situation of the free bird such as ‘dips’, ‘sighing’ and ‘soft’ give connotations of easy life and a sense of calm looking for what he wants out of life-‘the fat worms’-showing his self-centred greediness.
The poem ‘Caged Bird’ uses powerful imagery to convey the opinion and message of Maya Angelou. The metaphor ‘bars of rage’ can illustrate the rage of the enslaved at not being able to express his feelings calmly. Through the symbol of the ‘narrow’ cage Angelou shows how be subjugated and denied equality in society in like being suffocated in a claustrophobic prison. The metaphor ‘grave of dreams the caged bird stands on’ illustrates that black people realise that freedom is just a dream and that their dreams will die unfulfilled. The tune sung by the caged bird that is ‘heard on the distant hill’ allows the question to rise as to whether the free bird hears its tune and feels compassion, and the need to help, and when it is going to help. The phrase ‘on the distant hill’ can be interpreted in different ways; the use of the word ‘distant’ could be to illustrate the distant future so that change can happen, or that those who do hear the pleas for freedom are too far away to be able to liberate the caged. It could also be that there are people out there who need hear it, and who need to have compassion to them.
The words ‘sun’ and ‘sky’ can be connected by the fact that they are both in the cosmos where everything is elevated and free, and when put in conjunction with the free bird, helps illustrate the immense area it has to be in, accenting the contrast with the caged bird. In the first stanza the free bird ‘leaps on the back of the wind’ as though it is using the wind which is a subject of the elements and meant to be free, and is trying to tame it, just as someone is doing to the caged bird. The word ‘floats’ illustrates the serene, unrestricted movements of the free bird. The ‘fat worms’ illustrate the wealthy and powerful people in society who do nothing about the enslaved and just wait for them to attack so that they can be called victims.
The continuous use of verbs in the second stanza, describing the situation of the caged bird makes the reader wonder who did these things to it. The active tense of ‘leaps’ ‘dips’ and ‘floats’ help describe the continuous freedom of the free bird. However, the passive tense used for the caged bird emphasises the powerlessness of the caged bird. However, the use of the word ‘are’ in the phrases ‘his wings are clipped’, ‘his feet are tied’ illustrates that even now in the present the oppressed continue to be exploited and trapped
The long vowel sounds in ‘opens his throat to sing’ allows the reader to sense the birds desperation for its need for expression. It also makes it seem as though it is a challenge to just sing, to plea for freedom, and its want to be open The phrases ‘dips his wings/in the orange sun rays’ and ‘trade winds soft through the sighing trees’ show an interesting contrast between the delicacy of the sound of language and the blunt harshness of the poem’s theme. The assonance in ‘dips his wings’ and ‘his wings are clipped’ are used to show the even though there are many contrasts between the two birds, there are also subtle similarities that should be accounted for. The use of the short ‘i’ sound for the free bird gives the impression of suddenness and the strong will to do anything he wants; how ever for the caged bird it makes the movements of action seem obligatory, as though he is not doing it wilfully. The use alliteration of the words ‘dips’ and ‘dares’ for the actions of the free bird provokes the feeling of audacity and daring. The short single syllable sounds-‘his shadow shouts’, ‘screams’, ‘rage’, ‘tied’ convey the harsh jarring feeling of the caged who is trapped in this ‘nightmare’ behind ‘his bars of rage’.
I feel that the message that Maya Angelou is conveying in this poem is that those who are free need to start to hear the cries of the oppressed. Through the singing of the birds she shows that expression is important, that in the end not only will it be heard, but it will also be answered. The message of this poem is similar to that of ‘Song to the Men of England’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley which also conveys that if the oppressed do not fight back against the ‘tyrants’ they will ‘trace [their] grave’ and nothing will change. After reading this poem I was really moved by the way Angelou presents this issue, as she has illustrated the pain of the people that suffered in such a way that it is subtle and yet at the same time the message rings out loud and true.
Poetry Anthology - questions
Remember
1) Make sure you write about
the effects of a wide range of poetic devices and language features
the mood and tone of the poem
what the poem is about beneath the surface narrative - ideas, issues, themes, thoughts, feelings, the poet’s “message”
your personal response to the poem
2) Include a WIDE RANGE OF QUOTATIONS and use the quotations as an opportunity for detailed analysis of the effects of language (the key to an A grade).
3) Plan your essay before you begin writing.
1. Explore the ways in which the Wordsworth presents Lucy in She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways.
2. Norman Nicholson uses childhood as a means of exploring other ideas in Rising Five. Identify the ideas of the poem and comment on the ways in which they are presented.
3. Explore the ways in which Mervyn Morris presents the relationship between a small child and an adult in Little Boy Crying.
4. How does James K. Baxter develop our understanding of character in Farmhand?
5. Comment on the ways in which ideas are presented in Before the Sun
6. Explore the ways in which memories of childhood are presented in Plenty
7. Comment on the ways in which changes in perspective between childhood and adulthood are explored in two of the following poems: Plenty, Rising Five, Little Boy Crying
8. Explore the significance of the ways in which Liz Lochhead presents the Storyteller and Storytelling.
9. Consider the significance of the ways in which women are presented in two of the following poems: Muliebrity, Plenty, She dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways,
10. Consider the ways in which Charles Lamb reminisces and conveys regret in The Old Familiar Faces.
11. Consider the ways in which one or two of the following poems present ideas about social injustice and lack of liberty: Caged Bird, Song to the Men of England, Monologue, Spectator Ab Extra, Carpet weavers, Morocco.
12. Explore the ways in which Maya Angelou uses the caged bird metaphor to present her ideas.
13. Consider the ways in which one or two of the following poems present ideas about work: Song to the Men of England, Carpet weavers, Morocco, Monologue, Muliebrity, Storyteller.
14. Comment on the ways in which Heaney presents the experience of grief in Mid- Term Break.
15. Explore the ways in which Sujata Bhatt presents her memory of the girl in Muliebrity.
16. Comment on the way the relationship between individuals and the natural world is presented in two or three of the following poems: Farmhand, Before the Sun, She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways.
17. Comment on the way character is created in one or two of the following poems: Before the Sun, Farmhand, She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways, Spectator Ab Extra, Monologue.
18. Explore the ways in which the poet has used language and other poetic devices to present ideas in …….. (apply this question to any of the poems)
1) Make sure you write about
the effects of a wide range of poetic devices and language features
the mood and tone of the poem
what the poem is about beneath the surface narrative - ideas, issues, themes, thoughts, feelings, the poet’s “message”
your personal response to the poem
2) Include a WIDE RANGE OF QUOTATIONS and use the quotations as an opportunity for detailed analysis of the effects of language (the key to an A grade).
3) Plan your essay before you begin writing.
1. Explore the ways in which the Wordsworth presents Lucy in She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways.
2. Norman Nicholson uses childhood as a means of exploring other ideas in Rising Five. Identify the ideas of the poem and comment on the ways in which they are presented.
3. Explore the ways in which Mervyn Morris presents the relationship between a small child and an adult in Little Boy Crying.
4. How does James K. Baxter develop our understanding of character in Farmhand?
5. Comment on the ways in which ideas are presented in Before the Sun
6. Explore the ways in which memories of childhood are presented in Plenty
7. Comment on the ways in which changes in perspective between childhood and adulthood are explored in two of the following poems: Plenty, Rising Five, Little Boy Crying
8. Explore the significance of the ways in which Liz Lochhead presents the Storyteller and Storytelling.
9. Consider the significance of the ways in which women are presented in two of the following poems: Muliebrity, Plenty, She dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways,
10. Consider the ways in which Charles Lamb reminisces and conveys regret in The Old Familiar Faces.
11. Consider the ways in which one or two of the following poems present ideas about social injustice and lack of liberty: Caged Bird, Song to the Men of England, Monologue, Spectator Ab Extra, Carpet weavers, Morocco.
12. Explore the ways in which Maya Angelou uses the caged bird metaphor to present her ideas.
13. Consider the ways in which one or two of the following poems present ideas about work: Song to the Men of England, Carpet weavers, Morocco, Monologue, Muliebrity, Storyteller.
14. Comment on the ways in which Heaney presents the experience of grief in Mid- Term Break.
15. Explore the ways in which Sujata Bhatt presents her memory of the girl in Muliebrity.
16. Comment on the way the relationship between individuals and the natural world is presented in two or three of the following poems: Farmhand, Before the Sun, She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways.
17. Comment on the way character is created in one or two of the following poems: Before the Sun, Farmhand, She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways, Spectator Ab Extra, Monologue.
18. Explore the ways in which the poet has used language and other poetic devices to present ideas in …….. (apply this question to any of the poems)
Thursday 8 November 2007
Analysing an unseen commentary
As part of the exam you will have to analyse an unseen text for one hour.
Monday 5 November 2007
Sunday 28 October 2007
The Lord of the Flies - Character Differences between Ralph, Piggy and Jack
Summary: The novel "Lord of the Flies", written by William Golding in 1954, is a breathtakingly accurate account of what can happen to human morality when all rules and civilisation are removed. It makes you think about how you yourself would act if you were on the island with the boys.
The novel "Lord of the Flies", written by William Golding in 1954, is a breathtakingly accurate account of what can happen to human morality when all rules and civilisation are removed. In this Specialist Study I will explore the character differences between the two `groups' on the island.
Ralph, the first boy we meet in the novel, is allocated as the "chief" of the boys, and he develops a close relationship with Piggy, a boy who gained his name due to his weight. Piggy is immediately recognised as the voice of the adult world, and is terrified by the idea of having no grown-ups to take charge. He straight away tries to make sense of their chaotic situation,
."..I expect we'll want to know all their names...and make a list. We ought to have a meeting..."
This underscores Piggy's reliance on law and order, and shows his desperation for his, and the other boys, well-being.
When the boy's find the conch shell, Piggy's seizes the opportunity to use it to find the other boys on the island,
.".. we can use this to call the others. Have a meeting..."
It is here that we meet the opposing group. When the boys start arriving, a group turn up,
."..each boy wore a black cap...their bodies...were hidden by black cloaks..."
The fact that the boys are wearing black reinforces the thought that they will be the more ferocious of the makeshift community. They are a choir group, and they all follow the commands of their leader, Merridew.
It becomes obvious quite quickly that Jack (Merridew) will not get along with Ralph and Piggy. He ridicules Piggy for his weight and awkwardness, but he feels somewhat threatened by Ralph when he is voted as chief,
."..`I ought to be chief,' said Jack with simple arrogance, `because I'm chapter chorister and head boy.'..."
This shows his overconfidence, which will later clash majorly with other characters.
Later, whilst exploring, Ralph, Jack and Simon (a quiet boy who I will talk more of later) discover a small pig on the trail. Jack makes a feeble attempt to kill the pig, but lets the pig run away. He says that the pig ran away whilst he was choosing a spot to stab it.
."..they knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood..."
This shows us that Jack's hunting influence hasn't had enough time to over-rule the voice of reason, articulated by Piggy. Although Jack's first attempt to kill the pig failed, we are warned of his attitude later in the book,
."..`Next time - !'..."
This foreshadows us of his savage hunting.
In Chapter two, Ralph calls another meeting. Here, he makes up the rule that whoever is holding the conch gets to speak.
."..`I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking'..."
This shows that the conch (and Ralph) represent democracy and order. Piggy uses the conch as his own tool of authority, but he is ridiculed by Jack and the hunters,
."..`the conch doesn't count on top of the mountain,' said Jack, `so you shut up'..."
This shows Jack and Piggy's mutual dislike for each other, and also Jack's arrogance. He thinks of himself as a higher level of importance than Piggy, and reckons he can just tell him to shut up and he will. Sadly, Piggy wilts and does as Jack tells him to do.
The boys decide to light a fire, but have no means of starting a flame. Piggy comes to the rescue, and they use his glasses as a way of starting the fire. Quickly it spreads, burning out of control, and leading to the burning of quite a sizeable piece of the mountain. Piggy uses this opportunity to tell the other boys how he feels,
."..`how can you expect to be rescued if you don't put first things first and act proper"'..."
This shows us that he is probably the most level-headed of all the boys, but they are so caught up in the hysteria of living in their own world, that they have lost all common sense.
In Chapter three, it becomes obvious that Ralph and Jack do not get along at all. Jack has his heart set on killing a pig, whereas Ralph is constantly reminding him that he has to keep the fire alight, so that if a ship passes it will see the smoke. This results in an argument between the two, where Jack's vicious interior comes out,
."..`all the same, I'd like to catch a pig first'..."
This shows us his unhealthy infatuation with killing something before they are rescued. He is solely concerned with hunting, and cannot see the necessity of other things that can keep them alive. This is only a foreshadowing of the tension yet to come between these two.
Here, we are told that the small children think that there is a `beast' on the island. This idea is carried on the whole was through the book, but at this point, Ralph dismisses it as the children's imagination.
In Chapter four, Jack and the hunters finally kill a pig. However, because they were so busy hunting, they let the signal fire go out. Most unfortunately, at this point, a ship passes, but because there was no fire, the boys weren't saved. This results in another argument between Ralph and Jack, but because Jack knows he wouldn't get away with physically hurting Ralph, he turns on Piggy and punches him in the face, breaking his glasses. This is an important event in the story. Not only is it the first show of physical violence on the island, but Piggy's glasses represented clear-sightedness and intelligence. His constant cleaning of them shows us his desire for civilisation. The state of the glasses represents the status of social order. Now that they are broken, we can only expect that things will go downhill from here.
."..the mask compelled them..."
This is a reference to the way that the hunters paint their faces before going to hunt. This, in Jack especially, represents a cover that he can hide behind, which frees him, allowing him to do anything he wants whilst wearing the paint, without worrying about any important matters, such as the signal fire.
In Chapter eight, Jack and his hunters leave the camp set up by Ralph and the others, and decide to start their own camp, on another side of the island. They go hunting, and come across a sow and baby piglets. They attack and kill the mother sow, while the piglets escape. This is important because Jack's killing of the mother pig shows his great lack of foresight, as by killing the mother, they were losing all the other piglets who would've been a future source of food. They sever the head of the sow and put it on a stick, then place it at the end of the island, as a `gift' for the `beast'. Because of the flies that swarm around the pig's head, they call it `The Lord of the Flies'. Later, when the other boys are away feasting on the rest of the pig, Simon approaches The Lord of the Flies, and imagines that the pig head is talking to him. He is obviously delirious, but we don't know what from, possibly lack of food.
."..`fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill...you knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close!'..."
Here we become aware that Simon knows that there is no `beast' on the island. The `beast' is the evil residing in everyone, the dark side of human nature. The Lord of the Flies represents the Devil, whereas Simon represents pure goodness, almost a `Christ-like' figure.
In Chapter nine, Simon decides he must go find the boys and tell them about the `beast'. While he is making his way over to them, Jack starts another ritual in which they re-enact the killing of the pig. Because it is so dark, when Simon emerges from the jungle to tell them, all of the boys assume he is the `beast' and they murder him, brutally and shamefully. The beaten and dead body of Simon is then carried out to the sea by the current. This tragic event is a milestone in the story, because the beating of Simon by all the boys, even Piggy and Ralph who were caught up in the frenzy, fulfills the Lord of the Flies' `prophecy'. Even these boys were overcome with their savage side when in such close contact with all the other boys.
."..the Chief led them...from his left hand dangled Piggy's broken glasses..."
This is where Jack is elected the new Chief, and him and the rest of the hunters attack Piggy and Ralph, stealing Piggy's glasses. This is important, because as I mentioned earlier the state of the glasses represents the status of social order. Their loss would indicate that all hopes of civilisation are lost. By stealing the glasses, Jack has got what he wanted all along. Without the glasses, Ralph cannot start a fire, and all clear-sightedness has long gone. The staling of the glasses shows a disappearance of a symbol of order and democracy, as they unwillingly drift from civilisation.
."..`which is better - to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill"'..."
This is Piggy's last attempt at civilisation. He is trying to talk sense to Jack and the hunters, but it only gets him into even more trouble. One of the hunters rolls a boulder down the hill towards Piggy, hitting him on the head and instantly knocking him off the cliff, onto a rock below. When Piggy fell, the conch he was holding shattered. His death represented two things. Piggy himself represented intelligence and clear-sightedness. By killing him, the hunters had killed their most valuable source of ideas for being rescued. They had also broken the conch, which represented democracy and order. This lets us know that if the boys are not saved soon, they will probably continue fighting until they all kill each other.
."..there was no Piggy to talk sense. There was no solemn assembly for debate nor dignity of the conch..."
This lets us know, that even the boys knew the death of Piggy was the death of social order on the island.
"Lord of the Flies" is a brilliant yet horrifying book. It makes you think about how you yourself would act if you were on the island with the boys. Would you be Piggy, the boy who tries so hard to install civilisation on the island, yet ends up dead? Or would you be Jack, the boy who turns into a savage, anarchist hunter, yet is the boy who survives. It is a brilliantly thought-provoking book, which makes us question our own rules and morals.
The novel "Lord of the Flies", written by William Golding in 1954, is a breathtakingly accurate account of what can happen to human morality when all rules and civilisation are removed. In this Specialist Study I will explore the character differences between the two `groups' on the island.
Ralph, the first boy we meet in the novel, is allocated as the "chief" of the boys, and he develops a close relationship with Piggy, a boy who gained his name due to his weight. Piggy is immediately recognised as the voice of the adult world, and is terrified by the idea of having no grown-ups to take charge. He straight away tries to make sense of their chaotic situation,
."..I expect we'll want to know all their names...and make a list. We ought to have a meeting..."
This underscores Piggy's reliance on law and order, and shows his desperation for his, and the other boys, well-being.
When the boy's find the conch shell, Piggy's seizes the opportunity to use it to find the other boys on the island,
.".. we can use this to call the others. Have a meeting..."
It is here that we meet the opposing group. When the boys start arriving, a group turn up,
."..each boy wore a black cap...their bodies...were hidden by black cloaks..."
The fact that the boys are wearing black reinforces the thought that they will be the more ferocious of the makeshift community. They are a choir group, and they all follow the commands of their leader, Merridew.
It becomes obvious quite quickly that Jack (Merridew) will not get along with Ralph and Piggy. He ridicules Piggy for his weight and awkwardness, but he feels somewhat threatened by Ralph when he is voted as chief,
."..`I ought to be chief,' said Jack with simple arrogance, `because I'm chapter chorister and head boy.'..."
This shows his overconfidence, which will later clash majorly with other characters.
Later, whilst exploring, Ralph, Jack and Simon (a quiet boy who I will talk more of later) discover a small pig on the trail. Jack makes a feeble attempt to kill the pig, but lets the pig run away. He says that the pig ran away whilst he was choosing a spot to stab it.
."..they knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood..."
This shows us that Jack's hunting influence hasn't had enough time to over-rule the voice of reason, articulated by Piggy. Although Jack's first attempt to kill the pig failed, we are warned of his attitude later in the book,
."..`Next time - !'..."
This foreshadows us of his savage hunting.
In Chapter two, Ralph calls another meeting. Here, he makes up the rule that whoever is holding the conch gets to speak.
."..`I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking'..."
This shows that the conch (and Ralph) represent democracy and order. Piggy uses the conch as his own tool of authority, but he is ridiculed by Jack and the hunters,
."..`the conch doesn't count on top of the mountain,' said Jack, `so you shut up'..."
This shows Jack and Piggy's mutual dislike for each other, and also Jack's arrogance. He thinks of himself as a higher level of importance than Piggy, and reckons he can just tell him to shut up and he will. Sadly, Piggy wilts and does as Jack tells him to do.
The boys decide to light a fire, but have no means of starting a flame. Piggy comes to the rescue, and they use his glasses as a way of starting the fire. Quickly it spreads, burning out of control, and leading to the burning of quite a sizeable piece of the mountain. Piggy uses this opportunity to tell the other boys how he feels,
."..`how can you expect to be rescued if you don't put first things first and act proper"'..."
This shows us that he is probably the most level-headed of all the boys, but they are so caught up in the hysteria of living in their own world, that they have lost all common sense.
In Chapter three, it becomes obvious that Ralph and Jack do not get along at all. Jack has his heart set on killing a pig, whereas Ralph is constantly reminding him that he has to keep the fire alight, so that if a ship passes it will see the smoke. This results in an argument between the two, where Jack's vicious interior comes out,
."..`all the same, I'd like to catch a pig first'..."
This shows us his unhealthy infatuation with killing something before they are rescued. He is solely concerned with hunting, and cannot see the necessity of other things that can keep them alive. This is only a foreshadowing of the tension yet to come between these two.
Here, we are told that the small children think that there is a `beast' on the island. This idea is carried on the whole was through the book, but at this point, Ralph dismisses it as the children's imagination.
In Chapter four, Jack and the hunters finally kill a pig. However, because they were so busy hunting, they let the signal fire go out. Most unfortunately, at this point, a ship passes, but because there was no fire, the boys weren't saved. This results in another argument between Ralph and Jack, but because Jack knows he wouldn't get away with physically hurting Ralph, he turns on Piggy and punches him in the face, breaking his glasses. This is an important event in the story. Not only is it the first show of physical violence on the island, but Piggy's glasses represented clear-sightedness and intelligence. His constant cleaning of them shows us his desire for civilisation. The state of the glasses represents the status of social order. Now that they are broken, we can only expect that things will go downhill from here.
."..the mask compelled them..."
This is a reference to the way that the hunters paint their faces before going to hunt. This, in Jack especially, represents a cover that he can hide behind, which frees him, allowing him to do anything he wants whilst wearing the paint, without worrying about any important matters, such as the signal fire.
In Chapter eight, Jack and his hunters leave the camp set up by Ralph and the others, and decide to start their own camp, on another side of the island. They go hunting, and come across a sow and baby piglets. They attack and kill the mother sow, while the piglets escape. This is important because Jack's killing of the mother pig shows his great lack of foresight, as by killing the mother, they were losing all the other piglets who would've been a future source of food. They sever the head of the sow and put it on a stick, then place it at the end of the island, as a `gift' for the `beast'. Because of the flies that swarm around the pig's head, they call it `The Lord of the Flies'. Later, when the other boys are away feasting on the rest of the pig, Simon approaches The Lord of the Flies, and imagines that the pig head is talking to him. He is obviously delirious, but we don't know what from, possibly lack of food.
."..`fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill...you knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close!'..."
Here we become aware that Simon knows that there is no `beast' on the island. The `beast' is the evil residing in everyone, the dark side of human nature. The Lord of the Flies represents the Devil, whereas Simon represents pure goodness, almost a `Christ-like' figure.
In Chapter nine, Simon decides he must go find the boys and tell them about the `beast'. While he is making his way over to them, Jack starts another ritual in which they re-enact the killing of the pig. Because it is so dark, when Simon emerges from the jungle to tell them, all of the boys assume he is the `beast' and they murder him, brutally and shamefully. The beaten and dead body of Simon is then carried out to the sea by the current. This tragic event is a milestone in the story, because the beating of Simon by all the boys, even Piggy and Ralph who were caught up in the frenzy, fulfills the Lord of the Flies' `prophecy'. Even these boys were overcome with their savage side when in such close contact with all the other boys.
."..the Chief led them...from his left hand dangled Piggy's broken glasses..."
This is where Jack is elected the new Chief, and him and the rest of the hunters attack Piggy and Ralph, stealing Piggy's glasses. This is important, because as I mentioned earlier the state of the glasses represents the status of social order. Their loss would indicate that all hopes of civilisation are lost. By stealing the glasses, Jack has got what he wanted all along. Without the glasses, Ralph cannot start a fire, and all clear-sightedness has long gone. The staling of the glasses shows a disappearance of a symbol of order and democracy, as they unwillingly drift from civilisation.
."..`which is better - to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill"'..."
This is Piggy's last attempt at civilisation. He is trying to talk sense to Jack and the hunters, but it only gets him into even more trouble. One of the hunters rolls a boulder down the hill towards Piggy, hitting him on the head and instantly knocking him off the cliff, onto a rock below. When Piggy fell, the conch he was holding shattered. His death represented two things. Piggy himself represented intelligence and clear-sightedness. By killing him, the hunters had killed their most valuable source of ideas for being rescued. They had also broken the conch, which represented democracy and order. This lets us know that if the boys are not saved soon, they will probably continue fighting until they all kill each other.
."..there was no Piggy to talk sense. There was no solemn assembly for debate nor dignity of the conch..."
This lets us know, that even the boys knew the death of Piggy was the death of social order on the island.
"Lord of the Flies" is a brilliant yet horrifying book. It makes you think about how you yourself would act if you were on the island with the boys. Would you be Piggy, the boy who tries so hard to install civilisation on the island, yet ends up dead? Or would you be Jack, the boy who turns into a savage, anarchist hunter, yet is the boy who survives. It is a brilliantly thought-provoking book, which makes us question our own rules and morals.
The Lord of the Flies - Root of All Evil
The Root of All Evil
Summary: All of the symbols Golding uses throughout the novel show the revelation of evil from within the children. Golding uses Lord of the Flies as the title of the novel because the Lord of the Flies symbolizes the innate evil within the children, which is the main idea of the novel. Golding shows that the children are not conditioned by society or another satanic force to act in an evil manner; the innate evil within themselves causes them to act in such a way.
"A devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick" (Tempest 4.1.188-190). Are people really "born a devil"? Or is evil something which is inborn in humans and is always just there? The battle between nature vs. nurture is one that has been disputed for many years. It has been scientifically proven that genes (nature) determine certain traits, such as hair or eye color. The dispute, however, is concerning what determines a person's behavioral traits. Some scientists believe that these traits, too, are determined by genes, while others feel these traits are learned from the person's environment (genealogy.about.com). The idea that evil is inborn within humans is a. controversial issue associated with these beliefs. Many believe that evil behavior in people is something that is learned and is the result of "nurturing." At the same time, others believe evil is a tendency that humans naturally are born with. In the 1970's, scientific research began to show that "the nurture-only view was indeed too simplistic" (Lemonick 54). Similar studies led to the assumption that humans are born with evil inside and it is human nature to act upon evil impulses. In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Golding uses symbolism to convey this idea of evil being innate within humans.
Golding uses the settings as different symbols throughout the novel. One of the first symbols is the main setting, the island. The island in itself represents isolation of the children. Since the children are isolated on the island, there is no way that the evil of the outside world could influence them to become evil. The island is also used to show that the environment, being so beautiful and pure, does not affect the boys and cause them to become evil.
Another setting which contributes to the idea that evil is inborn within man is the "scar" where the plane crashed. When the plane crashed, it left a clearing in the jungle referred to as the scar. "All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle" (5). The site of the plane crash is the only physical reminder the boys have of the outside "civilized" world. The scar shows how a beautiful, pure area is corrupted by man and the evil within him.
One more setting that aids in the revelation of evil in the children is the clearing where Simon goes to think. The clearing is a secluded natural area "among the creepers [...] [where there was] the great mat that was woven by the open space" (123). The clearing is depicted as a peaceful place where the sun is always shining. "Beyond the screen of leaves the sunlight pelted down and the butterflies danced in the middle their unending dance. He knelt down and the arrow of the sun fell on him" (123). The clearing is full of flowers and butterflies and is initially a beautiful place. The butterflies are a symbol of memories of the past, which flutter through Simon's mind while in the clearing. The clearing is an exquisite place where Simon goes to escape all the bad on the island, until it too is corrupted by evil. "They [the flies] were black and iridescent green and without number; and in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned" (128). The boys corrupt the purity of the clearing by bringing the head of the pig, a result of evil actions, into it. The boys cannot simply leave the clearing alone and let it remain serene. The evil inside them compels the children to spread that evil throughout even the most chaste areas.
The last setting that conveys the idea of evil being innate within the children is the jungle. The jungle represents evil being hidden within. "Soon the high jungle closed in. Tall trunks bore unexpected pale flowers all the way up to the dark canopy [...] The air here was dark too" (50). The jungle is frequently described as a dark place, often containing something frightening, whether it be the "snake-thing" or the beast. The dark jungle is located in the heart of the island. This represents a "heart of darkness"; evil inside the children along with inside the island. Deep within the jungle is where the pigs are hunted and killed. These entities show evil existing on the inside of something, in this case, the jungle. The malevolent creatures hiding within the jungle allude to evil also hiding inside of the children.
In addition to the setting, Golding also uses the characters and specific items and events associated with them as symbols to express the idea that evil is inborn within the children. Primarily, children are used to represent innocence. Children have not been fully conditioned by society and are more able to think for themselves, therefore showing that society has not conditioned them to be evil, but the evil resides within them naturally.
The first character Golding introduces is Ralph. Ralph is a boy of about twelve with fair hair, which he is always pushing out of his eyes, and a tanned body with a "build [...] that might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders [...] but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil" (8). The longer the boys spend on the island, the longer their hair grows and the less civilized they become. Their long hair is symbolic of the loss of civilization. "Ralph stood, holding his hair back" (60). "He would like to have a pair of scissors and cut this hair--he flung the mass back..." (101). Ralph constantly pushing the hair out of his eyes represents the evil inside him constantly taunting him to succumb to it, but him continually pushing it aside.
From the minute the children meet up with each other it is obvious that Ralph is a natural leader. From the beginning he focuses on maintaining stability and order on the island. Ralph uses the conch shell to call meetings and give everyone a fair chance to speak, therefore turning the conch into a symbol of order and democracy. "`I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking'" (29). All of the boys seem to respond to the conch and respect it's importance. "They obeyed the summons of the conch, partly because Ralph blew it, and he was big enough to be linked with the adult world of authority" (54). The conch helps maintain civilization on the island.
Another way Ralph tries to maintain civilization on the island is by building shelters. The shelters are a reminder of civilized life. "`So we need shelters as a sort of [...] home'" (47). They are used to constantly remind the boys of their old lives and keep them focused on getting rescued. The shelters are also used as a symbol of protection from evil:
"And then another thing. We need shelters because of the--" [...] "You've noticed haven't you? [...] They're frightened. [...] They dream. You can hear em'. Have you been awake at night? [...] They talk and scream. The littluns. Even some of the others. As if [...] the beastie or the snake-thing was real." (46-47)
Ironically, the shelters that were built to protect the children from evil were ultimately burned down and destroyed in an act propelled by the innate evil within the boys. This symbolizes the ability of evil to conquer all.
The fire is another symbol associated with Ralph. "If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire" (33). Ralph's main focus is getting rescued. The fire Ralph builds represents him holding on to civilization and getting rescued. When the fire goes out, civilization is lost from the island. The whole island goes up in flames after trying to smoke Ralph out of his hiding place, causing their rescue. The return of the fire symbolizes the return of civilization to the island.
Although Ralph is primarily focused on being rescued and keeping the island civilized, he too is overcome by the powerful temptation of innate evil inside him. When Ralph hits the boar on the nose with his spear, he is overcome with a rush of excitement and power. "Ralph talked on excitedly. `I hit him alright. The spear stuck in. I wounded him!' He sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all" (105). Ralph initially does not agree with the idea of hunting and refrains from partaking in the violent act. But after hitting the boar and getting his first taste of violence, Ralph is overpowered by the feeling of supremacy, letting weakness and innate evil hidden inside him slowly become revealed.
A further instance of Ralph's weakness is exposed in his final scene, when he is rescued by the Naval officer. "`Who's boss here"' `I am,' said Ralph loudly. ` I should have thought that a pack of British boys [...] would have been able to put up a better show that that..." (186). It is ironic that the Naval officer reprimands the boys for their barbaric behavior because he, being a Naval officer during a war, is participating in similar, if not more savage, behavior. Nonetheless, Ralph steps forward and accepts responsibility for the disaster the island is in. It is then that he realizes how his attempts to maintain civilization have failed. Ralph breaks down crying for "the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy" (187). At this point Ralph realizes the innate evil within the boys has overcome each of them to an inconceivable extent.
Another symbolic character on the island is Piggy. Piggy is also used as a symbol to show the innate evil in the boys. Piggy is "shorter than the fair boy [Ralph] and very fat" (5). Piggy wears thick "spectacles" and is constantly mentioning his asthma. Piggy is always thinking back to home and civilization, making many references to his auntie. "`My auntie told me not to run'" (7). " `I didn't expect nothing. My auntie-- '" (10). "`I used to live with my auntie'" (11). As time goes on, Piggy makes fewer and fewer references to his auntie as he is deprived more and more of civilization and his old life. Nevertheless, Piggy holds on to his sense of civilization the entire time he is on the island, unlike many of the other boys. "He was the only boy on the island whose hair never seemed to grow" (59). Piggy's hair never seeming to grow symbolizes his holding on to civilization. Piggy was brought up to know right from wrong and always acts civilized, as he was brought up to. Even when all the other boys are picking on him, Piggy keeps his composure and acts as he was raised, never acting spitefully toward them. Piggy is, in a way, a motherly figure while on the island. He is always left behind from the hunting trips to care for the littluns. Piggy sometimes also acts as a motherly figure towards Ralph. Piggy always keeps Ralph in line. He keeps Ralph from giving in to Jack's tribe, believing in the beast, and even from giving in to his own inner evil. Although it seems Piggy does not know it, he has a very profound influence on Ralph.
Piggy influences Ralph in many ways. Some of the boys notice that Ralph is even starting to act like Piggy. "`He's like Piggy. He says things like Piggy'" (117). Ralph can always turn to Piggy in a time of need for advice. Piggy and his glasses represent knowledge, maturity, and reasonability. Piggy constantly cleans his glasses, which represents him keeping his mind, in addition to his glasses, clear. Piggy's glasses become cracked after Jack steals them, making it more difficult for him to see everything clearly and reasonably. "His voice rose to a shriek of terror as Jack snatched the glasses off his face. `Mind out! Give `em back! I can hardly see! You'll break the conch!'" (32) The broken glasses represent the beginning of loss of civilization.
Another symbol associated with Piggy that represents civilization is the conch. Even when Jack is snatching the glasses off his face, Piggy is worried about the conch. As the boys on the island become less civilized, Piggy becomes more and more infatuated with the conch. "Piggy held up the conch and the booing sagged a little, then came up again to strength. `I got the conch!' He shouted. `I tell you, I got the conch!'" (166) This shows that Piggy is determined to maintain civilization on the island, even after the whole island is in chaos and obviously no one cares about the conch. The island becomes totally hectic when Piggy dies and the conch is smashed. The civilization and stability that the conch represented is lost when the shell is smashed. The island is in a state of total chaos and savagery after Piggy's death.
Piggy's death in itself represents loss of civilization and the takeover of inner evil. Piggy is killed, as ordered by Jack, when Roger pushes a giant boulder on him, crushing him and the conch. "The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded in to a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist" (167). Jack sees Piggy as a threat to his goals of spreading his evil ways through his tribe. Jack knows that in order for him and his evil ways to have total control over the other children, he must get rid of all good and Piggy, for Piggy had a positive influence on almost all of the children. "`See? See? That's what you'll get! I meant that! There isn't a tribe for you any more! The conch is gone--" (167) Jack wanted Piggy killed in order to remove all intellectual, civilized, and moral influence that Piggy has on the other children. The civilization the conch represented along with the intellect, maturity, and organization that Piggy possessed is lost when Piggy is killed and the conch is smashed. This point marks the end of all stability on the island.
Another character that is used to show the innate evil in the children is Simon. Simon "was a skinny, vivid little boy, with a glance coming up from under a hut of straight hair that hung down, black and coarse" (20). Throughout their time on the island, Simon acts as a Christ-like figure in many occasions. Simon, much like Piggy, is always out to help people and never acts selfishly or cruelly to any of the other boys. Simon picks up Piggy's glasses when they get knocked off, tries to comfort the littluns when they are worried by the beast, and even gives Piggy his meat when Jack refuses to give him any.
Many of Simon's actions are similar to those of Christ. Simon gives the littluns the fruit they cannot reach. "Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands" (50). Simon giving Piggy his meat and this particular scene are similar to that of Christ giving out bread to the masses. Not only does Simon give his meat to Piggy, but he also refrains from eating the meat because "the hunt for meat as food disguises the blood-lust to kill for killing's sake" (212). Simon does not want to have anything to do with the killing and evil that is happening on the island. At no point while on the island does Simon's "inner evil" show, leading to the belief that he is indeed a Christ figure who has no inner evil.
There are many symbols related to Simon that have religious meaning. One of such symbols are the "candle-bud" flowers discovered on the island. All of the other boys immediately reject the buds because they are not edible, but Simon's "religious imagination" sees them as candles (211). Candles can be viewed as religious symbols because they are often used in churches. The candle-buds, when blossomed, were white. The color white often represents purity and innocence. The acceptance of these white flowers reflects Simon's own purity and innocence.
A further symbol that links Simon to religion is his ability to speak with the Lord of the Flies. While in his special clearing Simon is able to communicate with the Lord of the Flies, which is in actuality the dead pig's head. The Lord of the Flies "tells" him:
"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill [...] 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? [...] Get back to the others and we'll forget the whole thing. [...] This is ridiculous. You know perfectly well you'll only meet me down there--so don't try to escape!"
Clearly, the dead head does not essentially talk to him. This is the point that Simon has a spiritual revelation and realizes the "beast" the children are afraid of is actually the evil living inside each of them.
This spiritual revelation powers Simon to investigate the "beast" at the top of the mountain, which ultimately leads to his death. "The beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible" (136). After discovering what the beast truly is, Simon feels the need to let the others know so they too can be comforted. Seemingly mistaken for the "beast" coming down from the mountain, the children murder Simon:
The sticks fell and the mouth of the new circle crunched and screamed. The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face. [...] At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. (141)
After realizing what they've done, the children make excuses for killing Simon. "`It was dark. There was that--that bloody dance. There was lightening and thunder and rain. We was scared!'" (144) "`It was an accident'" (145). Although the children say they killed Simon because they thought he was the beast, in reality they were aware of what they were doing behind a haze of fear and frenzy. Jack, especially, knew what he was doing. Jack views Simon the same way he views Piggy: as a threat to his goals to dominate with evil. Jack seems to understand that Simon has no weakness when it comes to evil, which is why Jack feels the need to kill Simon first. The rest of the children aide in killing Simon because of their own inner evil. Their inner evil was too strong and had taken a hold of them and the children begin to succumb to it.
Jack is another character who can frequently be seen as symbolic. Jack is "tall, thin, and bony...his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was...freckled, and ugly without silliness" (17). Throughout his stay on the island, Jack often lets his hair hang in his face. With long hair representing loss of civilization, this shows that from the beginning Jack lets go of civilization and does not make an attempt to regain it. Jack is portrayed as a symbol of anarchy and loss of civilization. Jack is the first boy to reveal his inner evil. From the very beginning Jack is obsessed with the idea of killing something. "`We'll get food,' cried Jack. `Hunt. Catch things...'" (26). He is the only boy on the island who has a knife with him. This shows that Jack's desire to kill or cause destruction has always been present inside him.
Jack becomes fixated on the idea of killing a pig. When he finally gets his chance to kill, the piece of civilization inside him stops him. "`Why didn't you--"' They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood" (27). At this point, Jack is still remotely civilized. He is conditioned to know that killing is bad and does not act upon his urges to kill. He even seems to be a bit squeamish about blood. This shows that Jack's inner evil has not yet been fully revealed.
Jack's inner evil gradually takes over his mind and his actions. "They let the bloody fire go out" (62). After not being able to kill the pig, Jack let's the signal fire go out. This shows that he has no desire to be rescued. Jack never even talks about being rescued or looks to the future because he knows that means going back to civilization. Also, he never looks to the future because he knows there is no future in the life-style he is beginning. If Jack succeeds in converting life into his preferred evil ways of living, all the children would end up killing each other and there would be no future. Regardless, Jack would rather let his inner evil take over because it gives him a sense of power. This sense of power makes him not want to go back to his old, civilized ways of living.
Nonetheless, not killing the pig the first time makes Jack's urge to kill even stronger. "Next time there would be no mercy" (27). Jack sticks to his word and next time he sees a pig, he does indeed kill it. "Behind Jack walked the twins, carrying a great stake on their shoulders. The gutted carcass of a pig swung from the stake" (63). Jack's inner evil slowly becomes revealed. His urges to kill become stronger than his conditioned conscience and his morals.
Slowly but surely Jack's desire to kill becomes more prominent and more inhumane. "Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her" (125). Jack's inner evil becomes fully revealed when he is able to kill a mother pig with no second thoughts or remorse. It is obvious that blood no longer bothers him like it did when he was about to kill the first pig. Jack no longer has any sense of civilization or how he was brought up and conditioned to act. This shows Jack's loss of civilization and revelation of inner evil.
Soon after, Jack's inner evil is in fully exposed when he begins to hunt for Ralph. "`They hate you, Ralph. They're going to do you.' `They're going to hunt you tomorrow'" (174). Jack kills Ralph last because Ralph is the last person Jack views as a threat to his goals. Jack is afraid Ralph might prevent him from taking complete control of the island, since initially Ralph was the leader. Jack seems to feel the only way to gain control over Ralph is to kill him. Jack is now beyond killing only animals, he is actually planning on killing another human being. He has no regards for anything he has been taught and does not care that he is going to take another human's life. He is focused solely on taking over with his inner evil and not being rescued.
Unfortunately, Jack's plans of not being rescued are crushed by his own barbaric actions. "`We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Having a war or something"'" (185) The smoke that was intended to smoke Ralph out of hiding signaled the ship to rescue the boys. When the Naval officer asked who was in charge of the island, a "little boy who wore the remains of an extraordinary black cap [...] started forward, then changed his mind and stood still" (186). This shows how when someone from the outside, civilized world is present, Jack is viewed once again as what he really is; just a little boy, rather than a fierce leader or chief. Civilization returns to the island and the boys when the Naval officer arrives. Jack, slowly returning to his civilized state, realizes what has happened and does not want to be held responsible for all the chaos on the island. Civilization forces Jack's inner evil to recede back inside him and become overshadowed by his conditioned ways of living.
The last character used to contribute to the idea that evil is inborn in the children is Roger. Roger has shaggy black hair and is described many times as "dark." Roger is possibly the most savage boy on the island. He is the first boy to intentionally kill another person on the island. Roger is a loyal follower of Jack, which helps in the revelation of his inner evil. From the beginning, Roger is always bothering people for no reason. "Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them [at the littluns]" (57). Later on, Roger tortures the pig they are going to kill with his sharpened stick for no particular reason. This illustrates how Roger gets pleasure out of bothering and torturing people or things and shows Roger's inner evil beginning to be revealed. The stick sharpened at both ends symbolizes how there is no escape from the evil that is inside each of the boys.
Roger uses the same "stick sharpened at both ends" that he tortures the pig with to put its head on after they kill it. Roger plans to do the same to Ralph, which shows Roger having plans to kill Ralph very early on. Ralph is not the only person whose death Roger has something to do with. "High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever" (167). Roger is the one who drops the boulder on Piggy and kills him, even though Piggy did nothing to Roger to deserve to die. Roger also plays a part in Simon's death. While dancing in the circle, Roger "became the pig, charging at Jack" causing all the boys to become all riled up and lose their sense of reality. (140)
Roger is last seen when Ralph runs away from Jack's tribe. Ralph fears Roger because he possesses the sharpened stick. Ralph knows what Roger's plans are for him and the stick. He knows that Roger has the ability to kill him, just as he killed his good friend Piggy. Ralph also fears the stick in a way because he knows that the stick being sharpened at both ends represents no escape from the ultimate evil within the boys.
There are many other symbols that Golding uses to contribute to the idea that evil is innate within the children. The dead pilot/parachutist is one of such symbols. The dead parachutist represents a piece of war going on in the outside world. It shows that the outside "civilized" world is just as bad as the world on the island when it comes to evil. The children who are blinded by their own innate evil do not see the parachutist as it really is, but rather as a savage beast on top of the mountain. Simon, the only boy who is not blinded and deceived by inner evil, is the only one who sees the parachutist as it is and not as a beast.
One of the most noteworthy symbols is the "beast"/Lord of the Flies. The beast and the Lord of the Flies are essentially the same thing: a imaginary representation of the evil inside the boys. The boys' belief in the beast becomes stronger as they become more uncivilized because their inner evil takes a stronger hold of them, clouding their perception of the truth. When Ralph hits the Lord of the Flies, he believes that it "smiles" at him. "Fiercely he hit out at the filthy thing in front of him that [...] came back, still grinning into his face" (171). The smiling skull symbolizes Ralph's inner evil taunting him, trying to get him to succumb to it. The Lord of the Flies is the most important symbol because it represents the devil and evil, present in each of the children.
All of the symbols Golding uses throughout the novel show the revelation of evil from within the children. Golding uses Lord of the Flies as the title of the novel because the Lord of the Flies symbolizes the innate evil within the children, which is the main idea of the novel. Golding shows that the children are not conditioned by society or another satanic force to act in an evil manner; the innate evil within themselves causes them to act in such a way. In the words of Joseph Conrad, "The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness" (qtd. litquotes.com).
The island is described as a place where "the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake--blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple" (8).
These descriptions of the island draw a picture very similar to the Garden of Eden. "Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:8-9). In the Garden of Eden there is a tree which bears fruit, much like the trees on the island which the boys feast upon. "Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden" (Gen. 2:10). A river flows through the Eden providing Adam with clean water to drink. Similarly, a river flows through the center of the island providing the children with fresh water. This river represents purity on the island, before corrupted by man. The water runs pure and clean until the dead bodies, representing evil, are thrown into it by the children and pollute it. Although the island seems to be a place of paradise, the littluns insist that there is a "snake-thing" capable of changing forms living on the island.
Similarly, the Garden of Eden contains an evil serpent. "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made" (Gen. 4:3). Both places are beautiful paradises that contain an evil serpent, showing that even the most beautiful things contain something ugly and evil as soon as man is put there.
Summary: All of the symbols Golding uses throughout the novel show the revelation of evil from within the children. Golding uses Lord of the Flies as the title of the novel because the Lord of the Flies symbolizes the innate evil within the children, which is the main idea of the novel. Golding shows that the children are not conditioned by society or another satanic force to act in an evil manner; the innate evil within themselves causes them to act in such a way.
"A devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick" (Tempest 4.1.188-190). Are people really "born a devil"? Or is evil something which is inborn in humans and is always just there? The battle between nature vs. nurture is one that has been disputed for many years. It has been scientifically proven that genes (nature) determine certain traits, such as hair or eye color. The dispute, however, is concerning what determines a person's behavioral traits. Some scientists believe that these traits, too, are determined by genes, while others feel these traits are learned from the person's environment (genealogy.about.com). The idea that evil is inborn within humans is a. controversial issue associated with these beliefs. Many believe that evil behavior in people is something that is learned and is the result of "nurturing." At the same time, others believe evil is a tendency that humans naturally are born with. In the 1970's, scientific research began to show that "the nurture-only view was indeed too simplistic" (Lemonick 54). Similar studies led to the assumption that humans are born with evil inside and it is human nature to act upon evil impulses. In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Golding uses symbolism to convey this idea of evil being innate within humans.
Golding uses the settings as different symbols throughout the novel. One of the first symbols is the main setting, the island. The island in itself represents isolation of the children. Since the children are isolated on the island, there is no way that the evil of the outside world could influence them to become evil. The island is also used to show that the environment, being so beautiful and pure, does not affect the boys and cause them to become evil.
Another setting which contributes to the idea that evil is inborn within man is the "scar" where the plane crashed. When the plane crashed, it left a clearing in the jungle referred to as the scar. "All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle" (5). The site of the plane crash is the only physical reminder the boys have of the outside "civilized" world. The scar shows how a beautiful, pure area is corrupted by man and the evil within him.
One more setting that aids in the revelation of evil in the children is the clearing where Simon goes to think. The clearing is a secluded natural area "among the creepers [...] [where there was] the great mat that was woven by the open space" (123). The clearing is depicted as a peaceful place where the sun is always shining. "Beyond the screen of leaves the sunlight pelted down and the butterflies danced in the middle their unending dance. He knelt down and the arrow of the sun fell on him" (123). The clearing is full of flowers and butterflies and is initially a beautiful place. The butterflies are a symbol of memories of the past, which flutter through Simon's mind while in the clearing. The clearing is an exquisite place where Simon goes to escape all the bad on the island, until it too is corrupted by evil. "They [the flies] were black and iridescent green and without number; and in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned" (128). The boys corrupt the purity of the clearing by bringing the head of the pig, a result of evil actions, into it. The boys cannot simply leave the clearing alone and let it remain serene. The evil inside them compels the children to spread that evil throughout even the most chaste areas.
The last setting that conveys the idea of evil being innate within the children is the jungle. The jungle represents evil being hidden within. "Soon the high jungle closed in. Tall trunks bore unexpected pale flowers all the way up to the dark canopy [...] The air here was dark too" (50). The jungle is frequently described as a dark place, often containing something frightening, whether it be the "snake-thing" or the beast. The dark jungle is located in the heart of the island. This represents a "heart of darkness"; evil inside the children along with inside the island. Deep within the jungle is where the pigs are hunted and killed. These entities show evil existing on the inside of something, in this case, the jungle. The malevolent creatures hiding within the jungle allude to evil also hiding inside of the children.
In addition to the setting, Golding also uses the characters and specific items and events associated with them as symbols to express the idea that evil is inborn within the children. Primarily, children are used to represent innocence. Children have not been fully conditioned by society and are more able to think for themselves, therefore showing that society has not conditioned them to be evil, but the evil resides within them naturally.
The first character Golding introduces is Ralph. Ralph is a boy of about twelve with fair hair, which he is always pushing out of his eyes, and a tanned body with a "build [...] that might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders [...] but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil" (8). The longer the boys spend on the island, the longer their hair grows and the less civilized they become. Their long hair is symbolic of the loss of civilization. "Ralph stood, holding his hair back" (60). "He would like to have a pair of scissors and cut this hair--he flung the mass back..." (101). Ralph constantly pushing the hair out of his eyes represents the evil inside him constantly taunting him to succumb to it, but him continually pushing it aside.
From the minute the children meet up with each other it is obvious that Ralph is a natural leader. From the beginning he focuses on maintaining stability and order on the island. Ralph uses the conch shell to call meetings and give everyone a fair chance to speak, therefore turning the conch into a symbol of order and democracy. "`I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking'" (29). All of the boys seem to respond to the conch and respect it's importance. "They obeyed the summons of the conch, partly because Ralph blew it, and he was big enough to be linked with the adult world of authority" (54). The conch helps maintain civilization on the island.
Another way Ralph tries to maintain civilization on the island is by building shelters. The shelters are a reminder of civilized life. "`So we need shelters as a sort of [...] home'" (47). They are used to constantly remind the boys of their old lives and keep them focused on getting rescued. The shelters are also used as a symbol of protection from evil:
"And then another thing. We need shelters because of the--" [...] "You've noticed haven't you? [...] They're frightened. [...] They dream. You can hear em'. Have you been awake at night? [...] They talk and scream. The littluns. Even some of the others. As if [...] the beastie or the snake-thing was real." (46-47)
Ironically, the shelters that were built to protect the children from evil were ultimately burned down and destroyed in an act propelled by the innate evil within the boys. This symbolizes the ability of evil to conquer all.
The fire is another symbol associated with Ralph. "If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire" (33). Ralph's main focus is getting rescued. The fire Ralph builds represents him holding on to civilization and getting rescued. When the fire goes out, civilization is lost from the island. The whole island goes up in flames after trying to smoke Ralph out of his hiding place, causing their rescue. The return of the fire symbolizes the return of civilization to the island.
Although Ralph is primarily focused on being rescued and keeping the island civilized, he too is overcome by the powerful temptation of innate evil inside him. When Ralph hits the boar on the nose with his spear, he is overcome with a rush of excitement and power. "Ralph talked on excitedly. `I hit him alright. The spear stuck in. I wounded him!' He sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all" (105). Ralph initially does not agree with the idea of hunting and refrains from partaking in the violent act. But after hitting the boar and getting his first taste of violence, Ralph is overpowered by the feeling of supremacy, letting weakness and innate evil hidden inside him slowly become revealed.
A further instance of Ralph's weakness is exposed in his final scene, when he is rescued by the Naval officer. "`Who's boss here"' `I am,' said Ralph loudly. ` I should have thought that a pack of British boys [...] would have been able to put up a better show that that..." (186). It is ironic that the Naval officer reprimands the boys for their barbaric behavior because he, being a Naval officer during a war, is participating in similar, if not more savage, behavior. Nonetheless, Ralph steps forward and accepts responsibility for the disaster the island is in. It is then that he realizes how his attempts to maintain civilization have failed. Ralph breaks down crying for "the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy" (187). At this point Ralph realizes the innate evil within the boys has overcome each of them to an inconceivable extent.
Another symbolic character on the island is Piggy. Piggy is also used as a symbol to show the innate evil in the boys. Piggy is "shorter than the fair boy [Ralph] and very fat" (5). Piggy wears thick "spectacles" and is constantly mentioning his asthma. Piggy is always thinking back to home and civilization, making many references to his auntie. "`My auntie told me not to run'" (7). " `I didn't expect nothing. My auntie-- '" (10). "`I used to live with my auntie'" (11). As time goes on, Piggy makes fewer and fewer references to his auntie as he is deprived more and more of civilization and his old life. Nevertheless, Piggy holds on to his sense of civilization the entire time he is on the island, unlike many of the other boys. "He was the only boy on the island whose hair never seemed to grow" (59). Piggy's hair never seeming to grow symbolizes his holding on to civilization. Piggy was brought up to know right from wrong and always acts civilized, as he was brought up to. Even when all the other boys are picking on him, Piggy keeps his composure and acts as he was raised, never acting spitefully toward them. Piggy is, in a way, a motherly figure while on the island. He is always left behind from the hunting trips to care for the littluns. Piggy sometimes also acts as a motherly figure towards Ralph. Piggy always keeps Ralph in line. He keeps Ralph from giving in to Jack's tribe, believing in the beast, and even from giving in to his own inner evil. Although it seems Piggy does not know it, he has a very profound influence on Ralph.
Piggy influences Ralph in many ways. Some of the boys notice that Ralph is even starting to act like Piggy. "`He's like Piggy. He says things like Piggy'" (117). Ralph can always turn to Piggy in a time of need for advice. Piggy and his glasses represent knowledge, maturity, and reasonability. Piggy constantly cleans his glasses, which represents him keeping his mind, in addition to his glasses, clear. Piggy's glasses become cracked after Jack steals them, making it more difficult for him to see everything clearly and reasonably. "His voice rose to a shriek of terror as Jack snatched the glasses off his face. `Mind out! Give `em back! I can hardly see! You'll break the conch!'" (32) The broken glasses represent the beginning of loss of civilization.
Another symbol associated with Piggy that represents civilization is the conch. Even when Jack is snatching the glasses off his face, Piggy is worried about the conch. As the boys on the island become less civilized, Piggy becomes more and more infatuated with the conch. "Piggy held up the conch and the booing sagged a little, then came up again to strength. `I got the conch!' He shouted. `I tell you, I got the conch!'" (166) This shows that Piggy is determined to maintain civilization on the island, even after the whole island is in chaos and obviously no one cares about the conch. The island becomes totally hectic when Piggy dies and the conch is smashed. The civilization and stability that the conch represented is lost when the shell is smashed. The island is in a state of total chaos and savagery after Piggy's death.
Piggy's death in itself represents loss of civilization and the takeover of inner evil. Piggy is killed, as ordered by Jack, when Roger pushes a giant boulder on him, crushing him and the conch. "The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded in to a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist" (167). Jack sees Piggy as a threat to his goals of spreading his evil ways through his tribe. Jack knows that in order for him and his evil ways to have total control over the other children, he must get rid of all good and Piggy, for Piggy had a positive influence on almost all of the children. "`See? See? That's what you'll get! I meant that! There isn't a tribe for you any more! The conch is gone--" (167) Jack wanted Piggy killed in order to remove all intellectual, civilized, and moral influence that Piggy has on the other children. The civilization the conch represented along with the intellect, maturity, and organization that Piggy possessed is lost when Piggy is killed and the conch is smashed. This point marks the end of all stability on the island.
Another character that is used to show the innate evil in the children is Simon. Simon "was a skinny, vivid little boy, with a glance coming up from under a hut of straight hair that hung down, black and coarse" (20). Throughout their time on the island, Simon acts as a Christ-like figure in many occasions. Simon, much like Piggy, is always out to help people and never acts selfishly or cruelly to any of the other boys. Simon picks up Piggy's glasses when they get knocked off, tries to comfort the littluns when they are worried by the beast, and even gives Piggy his meat when Jack refuses to give him any.
Many of Simon's actions are similar to those of Christ. Simon gives the littluns the fruit they cannot reach. "Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands" (50). Simon giving Piggy his meat and this particular scene are similar to that of Christ giving out bread to the masses. Not only does Simon give his meat to Piggy, but he also refrains from eating the meat because "the hunt for meat as food disguises the blood-lust to kill for killing's sake" (212). Simon does not want to have anything to do with the killing and evil that is happening on the island. At no point while on the island does Simon's "inner evil" show, leading to the belief that he is indeed a Christ figure who has no inner evil.
There are many symbols related to Simon that have religious meaning. One of such symbols are the "candle-bud" flowers discovered on the island. All of the other boys immediately reject the buds because they are not edible, but Simon's "religious imagination" sees them as candles (211). Candles can be viewed as religious symbols because they are often used in churches. The candle-buds, when blossomed, were white. The color white often represents purity and innocence. The acceptance of these white flowers reflects Simon's own purity and innocence.
A further symbol that links Simon to religion is his ability to speak with the Lord of the Flies. While in his special clearing Simon is able to communicate with the Lord of the Flies, which is in actuality the dead pig's head. The Lord of the Flies "tells" him:
"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill [...] 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? [...] Get back to the others and we'll forget the whole thing. [...] This is ridiculous. You know perfectly well you'll only meet me down there--so don't try to escape!"
Clearly, the dead head does not essentially talk to him. This is the point that Simon has a spiritual revelation and realizes the "beast" the children are afraid of is actually the evil living inside each of them.
This spiritual revelation powers Simon to investigate the "beast" at the top of the mountain, which ultimately leads to his death. "The beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible" (136). After discovering what the beast truly is, Simon feels the need to let the others know so they too can be comforted. Seemingly mistaken for the "beast" coming down from the mountain, the children murder Simon:
The sticks fell and the mouth of the new circle crunched and screamed. The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face. [...] At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. (141)
After realizing what they've done, the children make excuses for killing Simon. "`It was dark. There was that--that bloody dance. There was lightening and thunder and rain. We was scared!'" (144) "`It was an accident'" (145). Although the children say they killed Simon because they thought he was the beast, in reality they were aware of what they were doing behind a haze of fear and frenzy. Jack, especially, knew what he was doing. Jack views Simon the same way he views Piggy: as a threat to his goals to dominate with evil. Jack seems to understand that Simon has no weakness when it comes to evil, which is why Jack feels the need to kill Simon first. The rest of the children aide in killing Simon because of their own inner evil. Their inner evil was too strong and had taken a hold of them and the children begin to succumb to it.
Jack is another character who can frequently be seen as symbolic. Jack is "tall, thin, and bony...his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was...freckled, and ugly without silliness" (17). Throughout his stay on the island, Jack often lets his hair hang in his face. With long hair representing loss of civilization, this shows that from the beginning Jack lets go of civilization and does not make an attempt to regain it. Jack is portrayed as a symbol of anarchy and loss of civilization. Jack is the first boy to reveal his inner evil. From the very beginning Jack is obsessed with the idea of killing something. "`We'll get food,' cried Jack. `Hunt. Catch things...'" (26). He is the only boy on the island who has a knife with him. This shows that Jack's desire to kill or cause destruction has always been present inside him.
Jack becomes fixated on the idea of killing a pig. When he finally gets his chance to kill, the piece of civilization inside him stops him. "`Why didn't you--"' They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood" (27). At this point, Jack is still remotely civilized. He is conditioned to know that killing is bad and does not act upon his urges to kill. He even seems to be a bit squeamish about blood. This shows that Jack's inner evil has not yet been fully revealed.
Jack's inner evil gradually takes over his mind and his actions. "They let the bloody fire go out" (62). After not being able to kill the pig, Jack let's the signal fire go out. This shows that he has no desire to be rescued. Jack never even talks about being rescued or looks to the future because he knows that means going back to civilization. Also, he never looks to the future because he knows there is no future in the life-style he is beginning. If Jack succeeds in converting life into his preferred evil ways of living, all the children would end up killing each other and there would be no future. Regardless, Jack would rather let his inner evil take over because it gives him a sense of power. This sense of power makes him not want to go back to his old, civilized ways of living.
Nonetheless, not killing the pig the first time makes Jack's urge to kill even stronger. "Next time there would be no mercy" (27). Jack sticks to his word and next time he sees a pig, he does indeed kill it. "Behind Jack walked the twins, carrying a great stake on their shoulders. The gutted carcass of a pig swung from the stake" (63). Jack's inner evil slowly becomes revealed. His urges to kill become stronger than his conditioned conscience and his morals.
Slowly but surely Jack's desire to kill becomes more prominent and more inhumane. "Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her" (125). Jack's inner evil becomes fully revealed when he is able to kill a mother pig with no second thoughts or remorse. It is obvious that blood no longer bothers him like it did when he was about to kill the first pig. Jack no longer has any sense of civilization or how he was brought up and conditioned to act. This shows Jack's loss of civilization and revelation of inner evil.
Soon after, Jack's inner evil is in fully exposed when he begins to hunt for Ralph. "`They hate you, Ralph. They're going to do you.' `They're going to hunt you tomorrow'" (174). Jack kills Ralph last because Ralph is the last person Jack views as a threat to his goals. Jack is afraid Ralph might prevent him from taking complete control of the island, since initially Ralph was the leader. Jack seems to feel the only way to gain control over Ralph is to kill him. Jack is now beyond killing only animals, he is actually planning on killing another human being. He has no regards for anything he has been taught and does not care that he is going to take another human's life. He is focused solely on taking over with his inner evil and not being rescued.
Unfortunately, Jack's plans of not being rescued are crushed by his own barbaric actions. "`We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Having a war or something"'" (185) The smoke that was intended to smoke Ralph out of hiding signaled the ship to rescue the boys. When the Naval officer asked who was in charge of the island, a "little boy who wore the remains of an extraordinary black cap [...] started forward, then changed his mind and stood still" (186). This shows how when someone from the outside, civilized world is present, Jack is viewed once again as what he really is; just a little boy, rather than a fierce leader or chief. Civilization returns to the island and the boys when the Naval officer arrives. Jack, slowly returning to his civilized state, realizes what has happened and does not want to be held responsible for all the chaos on the island. Civilization forces Jack's inner evil to recede back inside him and become overshadowed by his conditioned ways of living.
The last character used to contribute to the idea that evil is inborn in the children is Roger. Roger has shaggy black hair and is described many times as "dark." Roger is possibly the most savage boy on the island. He is the first boy to intentionally kill another person on the island. Roger is a loyal follower of Jack, which helps in the revelation of his inner evil. From the beginning, Roger is always bothering people for no reason. "Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them [at the littluns]" (57). Later on, Roger tortures the pig they are going to kill with his sharpened stick for no particular reason. This illustrates how Roger gets pleasure out of bothering and torturing people or things and shows Roger's inner evil beginning to be revealed. The stick sharpened at both ends symbolizes how there is no escape from the evil that is inside each of the boys.
Roger uses the same "stick sharpened at both ends" that he tortures the pig with to put its head on after they kill it. Roger plans to do the same to Ralph, which shows Roger having plans to kill Ralph very early on. Ralph is not the only person whose death Roger has something to do with. "High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever" (167). Roger is the one who drops the boulder on Piggy and kills him, even though Piggy did nothing to Roger to deserve to die. Roger also plays a part in Simon's death. While dancing in the circle, Roger "became the pig, charging at Jack" causing all the boys to become all riled up and lose their sense of reality. (140)
Roger is last seen when Ralph runs away from Jack's tribe. Ralph fears Roger because he possesses the sharpened stick. Ralph knows what Roger's plans are for him and the stick. He knows that Roger has the ability to kill him, just as he killed his good friend Piggy. Ralph also fears the stick in a way because he knows that the stick being sharpened at both ends represents no escape from the ultimate evil within the boys.
There are many other symbols that Golding uses to contribute to the idea that evil is innate within the children. The dead pilot/parachutist is one of such symbols. The dead parachutist represents a piece of war going on in the outside world. It shows that the outside "civilized" world is just as bad as the world on the island when it comes to evil. The children who are blinded by their own innate evil do not see the parachutist as it really is, but rather as a savage beast on top of the mountain. Simon, the only boy who is not blinded and deceived by inner evil, is the only one who sees the parachutist as it is and not as a beast.
One of the most noteworthy symbols is the "beast"/Lord of the Flies. The beast and the Lord of the Flies are essentially the same thing: a imaginary representation of the evil inside the boys. The boys' belief in the beast becomes stronger as they become more uncivilized because their inner evil takes a stronger hold of them, clouding their perception of the truth. When Ralph hits the Lord of the Flies, he believes that it "smiles" at him. "Fiercely he hit out at the filthy thing in front of him that [...] came back, still grinning into his face" (171). The smiling skull symbolizes Ralph's inner evil taunting him, trying to get him to succumb to it. The Lord of the Flies is the most important symbol because it represents the devil and evil, present in each of the children.
All of the symbols Golding uses throughout the novel show the revelation of evil from within the children. Golding uses Lord of the Flies as the title of the novel because the Lord of the Flies symbolizes the innate evil within the children, which is the main idea of the novel. Golding shows that the children are not conditioned by society or another satanic force to act in an evil manner; the innate evil within themselves causes them to act in such a way. In the words of Joseph Conrad, "The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness" (qtd. litquotes.com).
The island is described as a place where "the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake--blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple" (8).
These descriptions of the island draw a picture very similar to the Garden of Eden. "Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:8-9). In the Garden of Eden there is a tree which bears fruit, much like the trees on the island which the boys feast upon. "Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden" (Gen. 2:10). A river flows through the Eden providing Adam with clean water to drink. Similarly, a river flows through the center of the island providing the children with fresh water. This river represents purity on the island, before corrupted by man. The water runs pure and clean until the dead bodies, representing evil, are thrown into it by the children and pollute it. Although the island seems to be a place of paradise, the littluns insist that there is a "snake-thing" capable of changing forms living on the island.
Similarly, the Garden of Eden contains an evil serpent. "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made" (Gen. 4:3). Both places are beautiful paradises that contain an evil serpent, showing that even the most beautiful things contain something ugly and evil as soon as man is put there.
Fear in Lord of the Flies
Fear in The Lord of the Flies
In The Lord of the Flies, fear is the cause of all destruction and violence, which leads to savagery, and disobeying of human morals. Throughout the entire book fear is what drives these young innocent boys into savagery, and what also pulls most of them away from expectable human behavior. Without the normal rules of society helping to guide them, they become disoriented with the new surroundings, therefore freighting them into savage ways.
After the traumatic plane crash the boys became frightened because their world of comfort was no longer visible, and a dark scary place awaited their arrival. Fear inside of them became greater but the boys did not to show their fear. While struggling to get through the jungle Piggy gets caught up in tree vines, frustrated he yelled out “I can’t hardly move with all these creeper things.” (Pg.7 Golding) With out even realizing it Piggy shows how his fear turns things that are beautiful in nature into things to beware. Now with the danger of many creatures / animals, they decide to hunt. Hunt because in the mind of the hunters getting rescued is not in the future, and to survive is to kill, and to kill is to stay alive. So fear of not getting rescued sets in and the children start to hunt and destroy.
With the threat of the beastie the hunters are extra cautious so they build a fire on the beach and they hold a gathering. The fire represent the safeness of light and the gathering keeps everyone together, so as a group, are not scared. They start to dance and circle around the fire, meanwhile Simon knowing the truth about the beastie hurries to tell the boys, “The circle became a horseshoe. A thing was crawling out of the forest. It came darkly, uncertainly. The shrill screaming that rose before the beast was like a pain. The beast stumbled into the horseshoe. Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!”(Pg.152 Golding) The beast was now turned into innocent Simon and because of the fear inside the jungle, and inside themselves, Simon was brutally beaten and killed by the other boys as the mother pig was with her young. The killing of Simon showed how fear caused disorientation in reality. Simon having no fear, was the one who had the answer. The beast is within us; there is nothing to fear. Simon used no violence and came face to face with the beast. He knew the truth.
In The Lord of the Flies, fear is the cause of all destruction and violence, which leads to savagery, and disobeying of human morals. Throughout the entire book fear is what drives these young innocent boys into savagery, and what also pulls most of them away from expectable human behavior. Without the normal rules of society helping to guide them, they become disoriented with the new surroundings, therefore freighting them into savage ways.
After the traumatic plane crash the boys became frightened because their world of comfort was no longer visible, and a dark scary place awaited their arrival. Fear inside of them became greater but the boys did not to show their fear. While struggling to get through the jungle Piggy gets caught up in tree vines, frustrated he yelled out “I can’t hardly move with all these creeper things.” (Pg.7 Golding) With out even realizing it Piggy shows how his fear turns things that are beautiful in nature into things to beware. Now with the danger of many creatures / animals, they decide to hunt. Hunt because in the mind of the hunters getting rescued is not in the future, and to survive is to kill, and to kill is to stay alive. So fear of not getting rescued sets in and the children start to hunt and destroy.
With the threat of the beastie the hunters are extra cautious so they build a fire on the beach and they hold a gathering. The fire represent the safeness of light and the gathering keeps everyone together, so as a group, are not scared. They start to dance and circle around the fire, meanwhile Simon knowing the truth about the beastie hurries to tell the boys, “The circle became a horseshoe. A thing was crawling out of the forest. It came darkly, uncertainly. The shrill screaming that rose before the beast was like a pain. The beast stumbled into the horseshoe. Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!”(Pg.152 Golding) The beast was now turned into innocent Simon and because of the fear inside the jungle, and inside themselves, Simon was brutally beaten and killed by the other boys as the mother pig was with her young. The killing of Simon showed how fear caused disorientation in reality. Simon having no fear, was the one who had the answer. The beast is within us; there is nothing to fear. Simon used no violence and came face to face with the beast. He knew the truth.
Lord of the flies ... Essay on chapter 1
Select one chapter from Lord of the Flies and assess its importance to the novel as a whole.
‘Lord of the Flies’ is about what happens to a group of schoolboys when they are abandoned on an island following a plane crash. Chapter eight ‘Gift for the Darkness’ has much significance in the novel, as it is here that Simon converses with ‘The Lord of the Flies’. Jack separates himself from Ralph’s group, showing that Jack has now been consumed by evil. The signal fire is moved and now there are two marked rival groups on the island, one belonging to Jack and the other Ralph.
Chapter eight, ‘Gift for the Darkness’, has many themes, one of the most prominent being the Beast, which is the boys’ greatest fear. In chapter seven they had come across a dead parachutist and had believed it to be a beast. The beast represents the evil residing within everyone. The Beast is used as a scapegoat by the boys to avoid self-knowledge. Golding uses the boys’ daydreams to show their fears and desires. The Beast gives the boys’ fear something to focus on. Golding expresses various types of fears in the book and many are apparent in chapter eight.
‘Lord of the Flies’ is about what happens to a group of schoolboys when they are abandoned on an island following a plane crash. Chapter eight ‘Gift for the Darkness’ has much significance in the novel, as it is here that Simon converses with ‘The Lord of the Flies’. Jack separates himself from Ralph’s group, showing that Jack has now been consumed by evil. The signal fire is moved and now there are two marked rival groups on the island, one belonging to Jack and the other Ralph.
Chapter eight, ‘Gift for the Darkness’, has many themes, one of the most prominent being the Beast, which is the boys’ greatest fear. In chapter seven they had come across a dead parachutist and had believed it to be a beast. The beast represents the evil residing within everyone. The Beast is used as a scapegoat by the boys to avoid self-knowledge. Golding uses the boys’ daydreams to show their fears and desires. The Beast gives the boys’ fear something to focus on. Golding expresses various types of fears in the book and many are apparent in chapter eight.
Lord of the Flies... Breakdown in Society
“Breakdowns in society result when people avoid their responsibilities to the community to pursue their own ends.” This seems entirely true. For example, in “Lord of the Flies” most of the kids decide going around hunting and not worrying about anything else is what is important, and eventually turn into savages. This could also be true if the people of a farming community started becoming lazy and stopped caring for their crops and animals. Or, in the military, if the all the leaders just stopped giving orders. Anyway you want to put it, if people don’t do what’s required of them, the world around them crumbles.
In William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” a group of boys get stranded on a desert island after their plane was shot down. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy know that to survive they must built shelters, collect food, and try to find a way to signal any planes or ships that might pass by. Unfortunately, the choir (hunters) and their leader, Jack, feel that they must be hunting more than anything. Because Jack gathered all the hunters at once for their first successful hunt, their signal fire goes out. As tensions rise high, Ralph and Piggy soon find themselves outnumbered by the hunters, and their followers, who joined due to promises of freedom, to play whenever they want. Because the hunters neglect their responsibilities of making shelter and whatnot, their “society” crumbles.
In William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” a group of boys get stranded on a desert island after their plane was shot down. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy know that to survive they must built shelters, collect food, and try to find a way to signal any planes or ships that might pass by. Unfortunately, the choir (hunters) and their leader, Jack, feel that they must be hunting more than anything. Because Jack gathered all the hunters at once for their first successful hunt, their signal fire goes out. As tensions rise high, Ralph and Piggy soon find themselves outnumbered by the hunters, and their followers, who joined due to promises of freedom, to play whenever they want. Because the hunters neglect their responsibilities of making shelter and whatnot, their “society” crumbles.
Wednesday 24 October 2007
Maria Z
How to gain a top grade in the exam!!!
1. Only write things that are RELEVANT to the QUESTION.
2. REFERE to the text!!
3. PLAN your answer before writting it.
4. Writte according to the value of the question.
5. Write in a nice neat way, the examinor will appriciate it after marking 1000 exams
1. Only write things that are RELEVANT to the QUESTION.
2. REFERE to the text!!
3. PLAN your answer before writting it.
4. Writte according to the value of the question.
5. Write in a nice neat way, the examinor will appriciate it after marking 1000 exams
Renata
In order to get a good grade, you sould spend at least 5 minutes thinking, instead of just writing irrelevant things. By thinking, you'll be able to make a plan of what you will write. After that you can start writing your answer with your own language and make sure you make use of PEE!!!
Fran Gonzalez-Cos and Daivid Corrado
To achieve the highest grade possible in our final exam, we must read carefully the question and answer the question without waffling. The answer must be concrete and relevant to the question asked.
We love you miss Thompson!!!!!!!!!!!
We love you miss Thompson!!!!!!!!!!!
Writing an Essay and getting A* with Miss Jackie
How to get a top grade in the Exam!! omg! with Miss Jackie!! yeeeeey!
Hundreds of people are taking the same exam as you. Each examiner marks about 350 exams (remember, you are not special).
Only around 20% of people can get the top mark (A*). so you have to be in the top 20% to get an A*. It is all graded by comparison. So if in your generation, everybody around the world your age suddenly become stupid, you may get into the top 20%. But if everybody turns out to be genius... You are screwed... It is veeeeeery unusual for somebody to not get a passing grade. But it is possible. Not probable, but possible.
The exam includes reading and writing, and listening and speaking... well... at least in the 3rd and 2nd language English.
Most people in the UK struggle in the reading bit. So you have to read normally to get better and better at the reading bit. You have to give answers that allow the examiner to give you points. ie. If the question is worth 10 points, you have got to make sure you can put 10 ticks in your answer.
NOBODY TAKES MARKS AWAY!!
Exams are marked through POSITIVE MARKING!!
Examiners have to reward you for what is there, not punish for what is NOT there.
YOU DO NOT LOSE MARKS FOR BAD HANDWRITING!!!
EXAMINERS ARE FIRED FOR MARKING DOWN FOR HANDWRITING!!!
Don't worry... Be happy! It has to be readable though.
Miss Jackie has only had 3 unreadable exams in ALL HER YEARS OF MARKING AS AN EXAMINER! Mostly when that happens is because the student has a motor problem like a broken arm or a permanent motor problem. So better get going and break an arm before the exam. Just kidding... not. Buuuuut, if you have a beautifull handwriting, the examiner will looove you and be more generous with you. So available options are: improve handwriting or break an arm and get a teacher to write for you. No. Don't do that. It's evil!!
In Miss Jackie's words: "don't worry about not taking the book into the exam, I´ve failed more people with books than people without books"
Answer the Q'!!
Anything you know about the book IS NOT IMPORTANT if the Q' does not ask for it!!
If the Q' says why does Simon die, don't go on writing everything you know about Simon, say why does Simon die!! And that's it.
Everybody hates planning, but you gotta get used to planning your answers. The reason people don't like planning is fear. They rather write stuff randomly, than face the fact that they pretty much don't know ANYTHING about the book.
Write RELEVANTLY!! If your quote is not exactly how it is written, it's ok, if you paraphrase, it's ok, if you merely refer to an episode, it is OK!
Use PEE or, as miss jackie knows it, the doughnut.
Sooooo practice! yeeey! get A*!! wooohoo!!
Written by
Santiago Quintana yr 11B
Hundreds of people are taking the same exam as you. Each examiner marks about 350 exams (remember, you are not special).
Only around 20% of people can get the top mark (A*). so you have to be in the top 20% to get an A*. It is all graded by comparison. So if in your generation, everybody around the world your age suddenly become stupid, you may get into the top 20%. But if everybody turns out to be genius... You are screwed... It is veeeeeery unusual for somebody to not get a passing grade. But it is possible. Not probable, but possible.
The exam includes reading and writing, and listening and speaking... well... at least in the 3rd and 2nd language English.
Most people in the UK struggle in the reading bit. So you have to read normally to get better and better at the reading bit. You have to give answers that allow the examiner to give you points. ie. If the question is worth 10 points, you have got to make sure you can put 10 ticks in your answer.
NOBODY TAKES MARKS AWAY!!
Exams are marked through POSITIVE MARKING!!
Examiners have to reward you for what is there, not punish for what is NOT there.
YOU DO NOT LOSE MARKS FOR BAD HANDWRITING!!!
EXAMINERS ARE FIRED FOR MARKING DOWN FOR HANDWRITING!!!
Don't worry... Be happy! It has to be readable though.
Miss Jackie has only had 3 unreadable exams in ALL HER YEARS OF MARKING AS AN EXAMINER! Mostly when that happens is because the student has a motor problem like a broken arm or a permanent motor problem. So better get going and break an arm before the exam. Just kidding... not. Buuuuut, if you have a beautifull handwriting, the examiner will looove you and be more generous with you. So available options are: improve handwriting or break an arm and get a teacher to write for you. No. Don't do that. It's evil!!
In Miss Jackie's words: "don't worry about not taking the book into the exam, I´ve failed more people with books than people without books"
Answer the Q'!!
Anything you know about the book IS NOT IMPORTANT if the Q' does not ask for it!!
If the Q' says why does Simon die, don't go on writing everything you know about Simon, say why does Simon die!! And that's it.
Everybody hates planning, but you gotta get used to planning your answers. The reason people don't like planning is fear. They rather write stuff randomly, than face the fact that they pretty much don't know ANYTHING about the book.
Write RELEVANTLY!! If your quote is not exactly how it is written, it's ok, if you paraphrase, it's ok, if you merely refer to an episode, it is OK!
Use PEE or, as miss jackie knows it, the doughnut.
Sooooo practice! yeeey! get A*!! wooohoo!!
Written by
Santiago Quintana yr 11B
Thursday 27 September 2007
Tuesday 25 September 2007
Wednesday 19 September 2007
Jimena
Hi! someone put my picture in the blog and wrote things about me which aren't true. I want to get an A* in the IGCSE. Literature is one of my favourite subjects and I love reading. I'm and auditive and kinestetic learner, however, I think that watching videos is also enjoyable!
Monday 17 September 2007
Paul
SECTION 5 - LIGHTNESS AND WEIGHT
1 Explain the story of Sophocles` Oedipus and it`s relevance to the current political the current situation and to the story line of the novel?
Oedipus sleeps with his mother and kills his father without knowing its his mother or father in the end he cant stand the guilt and kills himself . In the book we wonder if people who have donde evil deeds feel the guilt as well
FIND FIVE QUOTES TO BACK UP YOUR IDEAS.
LOTS OF INFORMATION REQUIRED!!
2 Why does Tomas lose his job?
He writes against the communists
3 Why do the police want to humiliate Tomas?
4 Tomas describes surgery as `Ess muss sein` or It must be! What do you think this means? Why does he give this up? How is this reference to Beethoven related to other aspects of the novel?
5 Explain how Tomas rejects heaviness.
6 How many woman has Tomas slept with?
7 How does he view these women? Whay does he compare these women to?
8 Describe some of the woman that he meets. Discuss what he thinks of them.
9 What part of his memory does Tereza ocupy?
10 What two men admire Tomas and why?
11 What events had caused him to become estranged from Tereza?
12 What does Tereza suggests they do?
13 Why does Tomas not want to upset Tereza?
14 Tomas decides to leave any happiness behind for Tereza. Why?
1 Explain the story of Sophocles` Oedipus and it`s relevance to the current political the current situation and to the story line of the novel?
Oedipus sleeps with his mother and kills his father without knowing its his mother or father in the end he cant stand the guilt and kills himself . In the book we wonder if people who have donde evil deeds feel the guilt as well
FIND FIVE QUOTES TO BACK UP YOUR IDEAS.
LOTS OF INFORMATION REQUIRED!!
2 Why does Tomas lose his job?
He writes against the communists
3 Why do the police want to humiliate Tomas?
4 Tomas describes surgery as `Ess muss sein` or It must be! What do you think this means? Why does he give this up? How is this reference to Beethoven related to other aspects of the novel?
5 Explain how Tomas rejects heaviness.
6 How many woman has Tomas slept with?
7 How does he view these women? Whay does he compare these women to?
8 Describe some of the woman that he meets. Discuss what he thinks of them.
9 What part of his memory does Tereza ocupy?
10 What two men admire Tomas and why?
11 What events had caused him to become estranged from Tereza?
12 What does Tereza suggests they do?
13 Why does Tomas not want to upset Tereza?
14 Tomas decides to leave any happiness behind for Tereza. Why?
Paul
SECTION 5 - LIGHTNESS AND WEIGHT
1 Explain the story of Sophocles` Oedipus and it`s relevance to the current political the current situation and to the story line of the novel?
Oedipus sleeps with his mother and kills his father without knowing its his mother or father in the end he cant stand the guilt and kills himself . In the book we wonder if people who have donde evil deeds feel the guilt as well
FIND FIVE QUOTES TO BACK UP YOUR IDEAS.
LOTS OF INFORMATION REQUIRED!!
2 Why does Tomas lose his job?
He writes against the communists
3 Why do the police want to humiliate Tomas?
4 Tomas describes surgery as `Ess muss sein` or It must be! What do you think this means? Why does he give this up? How is this reference to Beethoven related to other aspects of the novel?
5 Explain how Tomas rejects heaviness.
6 How many woman has Tomas slept with?
7 How does he view these women? Whay does he compare these women to?
8 Describe some of the woman that he meets. Discuss what he thinks of them.
9 What part of his memory does Tereza ocupy?
10 What two men admire Tomas and why?
11 What events had caused him to become estranged from Tereza?
12 What does Tereza suggests they do?
13 Why does Tomas not want to upset Tereza?
14 Tomas decides to leave any happiness behind for Tereza. Why?
1 Explain the story of Sophocles` Oedipus and it`s relevance to the current political the current situation and to the story line of the novel?
Oedipus sleeps with his mother and kills his father without knowing its his mother or father in the end he cant stand the guilt and kills himself . In the book we wonder if people who have donde evil deeds feel the guilt as well
FIND FIVE QUOTES TO BACK UP YOUR IDEAS.
LOTS OF INFORMATION REQUIRED!!
2 Why does Tomas lose his job?
He writes against the communists
3 Why do the police want to humiliate Tomas?
4 Tomas describes surgery as `Ess muss sein` or It must be! What do you think this means? Why does he give this up? How is this reference to Beethoven related to other aspects of the novel?
5 Explain how Tomas rejects heaviness.
6 How many woman has Tomas slept with?
7 How does he view these women? Whay does he compare these women to?
8 Describe some of the woman that he meets. Discuss what he thinks of them.
9 What part of his memory does Tereza ocupy?
10 What two men admire Tomas and why?
11 What events had caused him to become estranged from Tereza?
12 What does Tereza suggests they do?
13 Why does Tomas not want to upset Tereza?
14 Tomas decides to leave any happiness behind for Tereza. Why?
Sunday 16 September 2007
Saturday 15 September 2007
Jimena
My name is Jimena Rojas. I am shy but I like to be with my friends. I like parties and clubs and to have a crazy time. I am very fashionable and love to go shopping. I hope to get a good grade in English
Thursday 13 September 2007
THE KILLING OF THE PIG
Is there a beast on the island?
1 Write down the words and phrases that describe the violence and horror of the killing.
Here, struck down by the heat, the pig fell and the hunters hurled themselves at her. This dreadful eruption from an unknown world made her frantic; she sqealed and bucked and the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror. Roger ran round the heap, prodding with his spear wjemeber pigflest appeared. Jack was on top of the Pig, stabbing downward with his push till he was learning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high pitched scream. Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The pig collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her.
2 What emotions do the boys feel as they kill the pig?
3 Why may it have been unwise to kill this particular pig?
4 At what other times do Jack and Roger show their violent sides?
5 Simon is a sensitive and emotional character. Imagine you are Simon, write an account of the killing from his point of view.
1 Write down the words and phrases that describe the violence and horror of the killing.
Here, struck down by the heat, the pig fell and the hunters hurled themselves at her. This dreadful eruption from an unknown world made her frantic; she sqealed and bucked and the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror. Roger ran round the heap, prodding with his spear wjemeber pigflest appeared. Jack was on top of the Pig, stabbing downward with his push till he was learning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high pitched scream. Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The pig collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her.
2 What emotions do the boys feel as they kill the pig?
3 Why may it have been unwise to kill this particular pig?
4 At what other times do Jack and Roger show their violent sides?
5 Simon is a sensitive and emotional character. Imagine you are Simon, write an account of the killing from his point of view.
Wednesday 12 September 2007
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. Of all the characters, it is Piggy who most often has useful ideas and sees the correct way for the boys to organize themselves. Yet the other boys rarely listen to him and frequently abuse him. Why do you think this is the case? In what ways does Golding use Piggy to advance the novel’s themes?
2. What, if anything, might the dead parachutist symbolize? Does he symbolize something other than what the beast and the Lord of the Flies symbolize?
3. The sow’s head and the conch shell each wield a certain kind of power over the boys. In what ways do these objects’ powers differ? In what way is Lord of the Flies a novel about power?
About the power of symbols? About the power of a person to use symbols to control a group?
About the power of symbols? About the power of a person to use symbols to control a group?
4. What role do the littluns play in the novel? In one respect, they serve as gauges of the older boys’ moral positions, for we see whether an older boy is kind or cruel based on how he treats the littluns. But are the littluns important in and of themselves? What might they represent?
CHAPTERS 6 AND 7
24 HOURS ON THE ISLAND
CHAPTER 6
1 In the darkness late that night, Ralph and Simon carry a littlun back to the shelter before going to sleep. What happens during the night? Why don`t the boys see what is happening?
2 What falls from the sky during the night?
3 When Sam and Eric wake up, they tend to the fire to make the flames brighter. In the flickering firelight, they see the twisted form of the dead parachutist and mistake the shadowy image for the figure of the dreaded beast. They rush back to the camp, wake Ralph, and tell him what they have seen. Ralph immediately calls for a meeting, at which the twins reiterate their claim that a monster assaulted them. The boys, electrified and horrified by the twins’ claims, organize an expedition to search the island for monsters. They set out, armed with wooden spears, and only Piggy and the littluns remain behind.
1 DEAD PARACHUTIST ARRIVES
2 SAN AND ERIC WAKE RALPH
3 JOURNEY TO FIND BEAST. CASTLE ROCK FOUND.
The boys stop to eat as they travel toward the mountain. Ralph gazes disconsolately at the choppy ocean and muses on the fact that the boys have become slovenly and undisciplined. As he looks out at the vast expanse of water, he feels that the ocean is like an impenetrable wall blocking any hope the boys have of escaping the island. Simon, however, lifts Ralph’s spirits by reassuring him that he will make it home.
CHAPTER 7
RALPH DREAMING
JOURNEY CONTINUES.
PIG. FOREST.
NIGHT FALLS.
SEE BEAST.
CHAPTER 6
1 In the darkness late that night, Ralph and Simon carry a littlun back to the shelter before going to sleep. What happens during the night? Why don`t the boys see what is happening?
2 What falls from the sky during the night?
3 When Sam and Eric wake up, they tend to the fire to make the flames brighter. In the flickering firelight, they see the twisted form of the dead parachutist and mistake the shadowy image for the figure of the dreaded beast. They rush back to the camp, wake Ralph, and tell him what they have seen. Ralph immediately calls for a meeting, at which the twins reiterate their claim that a monster assaulted them. The boys, electrified and horrified by the twins’ claims, organize an expedition to search the island for monsters. They set out, armed with wooden spears, and only Piggy and the littluns remain behind.
Ralph allows Jack to lead the search as the group sets out. The boys soon reach a part of the island that none of them has ever explored before—a thin walkway that leads to a hill dotted with small caves. The boys are afraid to go across the walkway and around the ledge of the hill, so Ralph goes to investigate alone. He finds that, although he was frightened when with the other boys, he quickly regains his confidence when he explores on his own. Soon, Jack joins Ralph in the cave.
The group climbs the hill, and Ralph and Jack feel the old bond between them rekindling. The other boys begin to play games, pushing rocks into the sea, and many of them lose sight of the purpose of their expedition. Ralph angrily reminds them that they are looking for the beast and says that they must return to the other mountain so that they can rebuild the signal fire. The other boys, lost in whimsical plans to build a fort and do other things on the new hill, are displeased by Ralph’s commands but grudgingly obey.
1 DEAD PARACHUTIST ARRIVES
2 SAN AND ERIC WAKE RALPH
3 JOURNEY TO FIND BEAST. CASTLE ROCK FOUND.
The boys stop to eat as they travel toward the mountain. Ralph gazes disconsolately at the choppy ocean and muses on the fact that the boys have become slovenly and undisciplined. As he looks out at the vast expanse of water, he feels that the ocean is like an impenetrable wall blocking any hope the boys have of escaping the island. Simon, however, lifts Ralph’s spirits by reassuring him that he will make it home.
That afternoon, the hunters find pig droppings, and Jack suggests they hunt the pig while they continue to search for the beast. The boys agree and quickly track a large boar, which leads them on a wild chase. Ralph, who has never been on a hunt before, quickly gets caught up in the exhilaration of the chase. He excitedly flings his spear at the boar, and though it glances off the animal’s snout, Ralph is thrilled with his marksmanship nonetheless. Jack holds up his bloodied arm, which he claims the boar grazed with its tusks.
Although the boar escapes, the boys remain in a frenzy in the aftermath of the hunt. Excited, they reenact the chase among themselves with a boy named Robert playing the boar. They dance, chant, and jab Robert with their spears, eventually losing sight of the fact that they are only playing a game. Beaten and in danger, Robert tries to drag himself away. The group nearly kills Robert before they remember themselves. When Robert suggests that they use a real boar in the game next time, Jack replies that they should use a littlun instead. The boys laugh, delighted and stirred up by Jack’s audacity. Ralph tries to remind everyone that they were only playing a game. Simon volunteers to return to the beach to tell Piggy and the littluns that the group will not return until late that night.
Darkness falls, and Ralph proposes that they wait until morning to climb the mountain because it will be difficult to hunt the monster at night. Jack challenges Ralph to join the hunt, and Ralph finally agrees to go simply to regain his position in the eyes of the group. Ralph, Roger, and Jack start to climb the mountain, and then Ralph and Roger wait somewhere near the top while Jack climbs alone to the summit. He returns, breathlessly claiming to have seen the monster. Ralph and Roger climb up to have a look and see a terrifying specter, a large, shadowy form with the shape of a giant ape, making a strange flapping sound in the wind. Horrified, the boys hurry down the mountain to warn the group.
Darkness falls, and Ralph proposes that they wait until morning to climb the mountain because it will be difficult to hunt the monster at night. Jack challenges Ralph to join the hunt, and Ralph finally agrees to go simply to regain his position in the eyes of the group. Ralph, Roger, and Jack start to climb the mountain, and then Ralph and Roger wait somewhere near the top while Jack climbs alone to the summit. He returns, breathlessly claiming to have seen the monster. Ralph and Roger climb up to have a look and see a terrifying specter, a large, shadowy form with the shape of a giant ape, making a strange flapping sound in the wind. Horrified, the boys hurry down the mountain to warn the group.
CHAPTER 7
RALPH DREAMING
JOURNEY CONTINUES.
PIG. FOREST.
NIGHT FALLS.
SEE BEAST.
Sunday 9 September 2007
Thursday 6 September 2007
Camila Bolin
I am going tho achive my best in literature! I am more of a visual learner but I also like to listen to music so a little bit of both would be great! Ii want to achive an A* for the IGCSE!!!!!!!! :)
Ralph's quotes by Bernardo
"We don't make enough smoke"
"Belly flop! Belly flop!"
"Piggy's specs! We need them if the fire's all out, we'll need them"
"Oh God, oh God"
"I'm sick of him, Simon"
"Belly flop! Belly flop!"
"Piggy's specs! We need them if the fire's all out, we'll need them"
"Oh God, oh God"
"I'm sick of him, Simon"
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