...In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, there are two characters who are fighting for leadership over the island they are stranded on. Both Ralph and Jack have characteristics to be leaders, but Ralph is the better leader in this case. Ralph is a better leader because he is more respectful of others than Jack. He also keeps things more civilized throughout the book and he cares about getting rescued, whereas Jack doesn’t really show this concern of getting off of the island. There are several reasons why Ralph is a better leader than Jack in the book Lord of the Flies. One reason is Ralph shows more concern of getting off of the island than Jack does. In chapter four Jack and his tribe were supposed to be watching the fire, and they let it go out. The narrator said, “The fire was out, smokeless and dead; the watchers were gone.” (68). The fire is a very important thing in this book. If a boat went by the island and saw the smoke, they would’ve known that there were people on it. Along with being more concerned about getting off of the island, Ralph is reassuring. He says, “And sooner or...
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...Lord of the Flies William Golding Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs & Symbols Ralph Ralph is the athletic, charismatic protagonist of Lord of the Flies. Elected the leader of the boys at the beginning of the novel, Ralph is the primary representative of order, civilization, and productive leadership in the novel. While most of the other boys initially are concerned with playing, having fun, and avoiding work, Ralph sets about building huts and thinking of ways to maximize their chances of being rescued. For this reason, Ralph’s power and influence over the other boys are secure at the beginning of the novel. However, as the group gradually succumbs to savage instincts over the course of the novel, Ralph’s position declines precipitously while Jack’s rises. Eventually, most of the boys except Piggy leave Ralph’s group for Jack’s, and Ralph is left alone to be hunted by Jack’s tribe. Ralph’s commitment to civilization and morality is strong, and his main wish is to be rescued and returned to the society of adults. In a sense, this strength gives Ralph a moral victory at the end of the novel, when he casts the Lord of the Flies to the ground and takes up the stake it is impaled on to defend himself against Jack’s hunters. In the earlier parts of the novel, Ralph is unable to understand why the other boys would give in to base instincts of bloodlust and barbarism. The sight of the hunters chanting and dancing is baffling and distasteful to him. As the novel progresses...
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...represents the id of Lord of the Flies. By being self-centered, requiring instant gratification, and using the appeal of leisure and play to win over the hearts of the boys on the island, Jack embodies the selfish and short-sighted aspect of personality. 'You didn’t ought to have let that fire out. You said you’d keep the smoke going—' This from Piggy, and the wails of agreement from some of the hunters, drove Jack to violence. The bolting look came into his blue eyes. He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy’s...
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...10 February 2015 Lord of the Flies Essay "Humanity has evil tendenc[ies] within its nature" (David Wilson). Jack, a choir boy from England, represents the evil incarnate and explains that within human nature, evil lies in oneself even when it is not projected. In Golding's Lord of the Flies, Jack, the Devil Figure, expresses the ideas about one's inner evil as he evolves from a choir leader to a ruthless varmint while spending time on a deserted island. In the beginning of Lord of the Flies, Jack, who emerges from the jungle dressed in black, possesses a dominant trait of a controlling personality. When Ralph first blows the sound of the conch, Jack and his choir come from the jungle, and as they approach Ralph, Jack tells them to "stand still" (Golding 20). The reader can identify his authoritative nature as he demands these words, which establishes his significance and rule in the choir, and the other boys can sense this superiority as well. Moreover, the audience can analyze that Jack has a manipulative influence in the novel due to the fact that he claims he "ought to be chief because [he is]...head boy"; therefore, he is making himself out to be the most qualified for the position as he points out his role of control in the choir (Golding 22). Likewise, the other boys on the island describe Jack to be "the most obvious leader," which in return proves to the reader that Jack's commanding attitude is not the only reason that defines him as a leader; the other boys' perspective...
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...Ralph and Jack’s relationship is a symbol for the theme of order vs. savagery in Lord of the Flies; the ups and downs of their relationship directly correlate with the development of the plot more so than any other. Jack is portrayed as controlling and aggressive when he first appears; he expects the unconditional obedience of others and is the quickest to openly insult the weakest of the group, Piggy. His behavior foreshadows his quick transition to savagery later in the book. Ralph, on the other hand, is calmer and less assertive. He is a firm believer in order and logical thinking, and so remains undeterred from his goal. In the beginning of Lord of the Flies, both of them demonstrate a shy liking for one another even though they had competed...
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...Prompt: How is the opposites symbolism of Ralph and Jack often shown in William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies ? William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of boys who get stranded on an island. The boys descend into a savage and brutal life style while a few cling to the sanity and civilisation they miss. The main character Ralph represents the civilized part of humans, while Jack his opposite represents the primitive need for violence. Each struggle with their own battles, trying to pull the rest of the boys on their side. Ralph also represents order and leadership so he becomes the chief of the island and boys in the beginning of the novel, keeping the boys in place. He has his conch which also represents rules. He shows his role as chief...
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...Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is one of the most symbolic books of its time. Golding employs symbolism so freely in the story that nearly everything in the book has a deeper meaning than one would think. From the conch shell used to call meetings together, to piggy’s glasses, to The Beast, to the dreadful Lord of the Flies himself; all of these things are symbols of much deeper aspects of humanity. Even many of the characters are symbols of deeper things, of carnal desires or raw emotions unexpressed by most. Overall, Golding out did himself with this book, managing to create a world where everything means something deeper. A big symbol in the story is the Conch Shell, the magical item that is used to summon the other boys to meetings, and grants the holder the right to speak. This shell becomes a powerful symbol of civility and order in the novel, and effectively governs all the boy’s meetings, as whoever holds it holds the power to speak. When the shell is being used, the boys are generally calm and orderly, highlighting Golding’s intent in putting the shell in the novel, which is to have a symbol of the civility of the outside world. As the novel progresses and the island community descends into total anarchy, the shell loses all power over the boys, thus their sense of order is vanquished. This is symbolized when the boulder that crushes piggy also crushes the shell, signifying the demise of the civilized instinct of most of the boys on the island. Another powerful...
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...island. A group of English schoolboys survive, including a boy named Piggy and another named Jack. Although these two boys are put in the same environment they act completely differently, but why? William Golding's Lord of the Flies teaches us that regardless of the situation, we will act according to who we are and what we value. There are different factors that contribute to who we are and our values. In Lord of the Flies, when comparing all the characters, Piggy and Jack stand out. They seem to be the most different or the opposite of each other. When Piggy is introduced, he is a fat boy with glasses and asthma. His parents died and back in Great Britain, he lives with his auntie. His name is also Piggy, not the most decent name, and he even declares, “I don’t care what they call me...so long as they don’t call me what they used to call me in school...they used to call me Piggy!” (11). Automatically you feel...
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...mom told me to the boys took advantage of it. They thought that went I didn't react to them that I was okay with and it got worse and worse. Like at my school in Lord of the Flies Jack and his hunters violent actions escalate out of control. In William Golding's “Lord of the Flies” Jack’s violent sense of identity administers an uncontrollable savage response to the boys island culture. This cultural collision directly influences William Golding's purpose to prove that all humans are born evil. Previously to his arrival on the island Jack’s beliefs were firmly rooted in his upbringing of british culture. An example of this is on page 38 Jack says “We’ve got to have...
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...Myths in Golding’s novels “The Spire” and “Lord of the flies” A famous English writer William Golding was born in Cornwall, England. Golding started writing at the age of seven, but following the wishes of his parents, he studied first natural sciences and then English at Brasenose College,Oxford. Golding’s first book, a collection of poems, apperad in 1934. After study at university Golding moved to Salisbury, where he began teaching English and philosophy. During World War II, Golding served in the Royal Navy(armada) in command of a rocket ship. In 1945 Golding returned to writing and teaching, with a dark view of the European civilization. In many novels Golding has showed the dark places of human heart. His work is caracterized by exploration of “the darkness of man’s heart”, deep spiritual and ethical questions. In Salisbury Golding wrote several books, but did not get them published. “ Lord of the Flies”, an allegorical story set in the near future during war time, was turned down by many publishers until it finally appeared in 1954. The famous English writer Forster named this book “ The Book of the years”. At the time of its appearance,Golding was forty four, but the success of the novel allowed him to give up teaching. In the exciting story a group of small British boys, standed on a desert island, fall into violence after they have lost all adult guidance. Ironically, the adult world is ruined by nuclear war. The novel “ The Spire” concerned the construction of...
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...'LORD OF THE FLIES' by William Golding “Revision notes can never replace knowing the books thoroughly” J.W.Evans These notes should be used as pointers to the directions that your thoughts might take. They are not meant to replace your reading of the novel, you must still do that yourself.. CHARACTERISATION Never forget that we are talking about a group of boys whose maximum age is twelve. RALPH Does he represent all that is good in people? Tall, fair-skinned, blond hair, very athletic, natural leader although not that good a leader as many of his decisions are questionable, which ones?. He is middle-class, father a naval officer. Elected leader but not forceful enough to maintain position. Eventually he loses support and is reduced to the status of an outcast who must flee for his life. Ralph is an idealist and a dreamer. He needs Piggy to think for him. He finds the Conch but Piggy tells him how to use it. At the end of the book, he is a disillusioned realist who now sees his world and its inhabitants for what they are. JACK MERRIDEW Does he represent the worst in people? He is thin, tall, with red hair, light blue eyes and freckles. Leader of the choir, he becomes the leader of the hunters. Increasingly in conflict with Ralph and more particularly, Piggy, he breaks away, forms his own tribe and splits the group. He manages to get the support to do this by offering the boys the attraction of the hunting life and then by terrorising them. In the...
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...Ryan Newell Lord of the Flies Essay Period 5 Word Count: 1662 Lord of the Flies is a classic story of good versus evil, or civilization versus savagery, and symbolism plays a major role in the development of the story. A major symbol is the conch shell. Discovered early in the story, it became an important fixture in the boys’ lives on the island. Throughout the story, it symbolized society and authority – and served to maintain a sense of civilization. When the conch shell broke near the end of the story, the last aspects of civilization on the island and within the boys had disappeared. The conch was first discovered among the ‘ferny weeds’ by Ralph and Piggy as they explored the island. Even taking the conch shell out of the weeds required Ralph to use civilized techniques – to achieve civilization, mankind had to be smart enough to develop rudimentary technology. The author portrayed this through the way Ralph got the conch: “The palm sapling, bending, pushed the shell across the weeds. Ralph used one hand as a fulcrum and pressed down with the other till the shell rose, dripping, and Piggy could make a grab.” (16) Ralph created a simple tool to achieve what he wanted, to get the conch shell (civilization). The fragility of civilization is also foreshadowed, when Piggy says, “Careful! You’ll break it–” (14) Although he is talking about the tangible shell in this instance, his comment may also be seen as referring to the instability of society, and how quickly and...
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...Lord of Flies is a novel that is written by William Golding and it is published in 1954.It was adapted to film in 1963 and second time in 1990.The plot of the film is about a group of British schoolboys were shot down on a desolated island. They decide on to survive on the island they have to govern themselves and the boys elect the boy called Ralph as their leader. Ralph chooses another boy called Jack, to be in charge of the boys who will hunt food for the entire group. First Piggy and Ralph found a conch they begin to use that for their communication. Ralph and Jack looked for to discover the island and what can be done to live there. At first, the boys enjoy their life spend much of their time playing games. Ralph, however, complains that they should be maintaining the signal fire and building a shelter. Ralph always thought that one day they will be rescued but Jack had an opposite idea of that they will be living there till they die so he always tried to find explore new things in the island. Jack declares himself the leader of the new tribe of hunters and organizes a hunt and a violent. Ralph is the athletic, charismatic leader of the group. Ralph is the primary representative of order, civilization, and productive leadership in the movie. While most of the other boys initially are concerned with having fun, Ralph sets about building a shelter and thinking of ways to maximize their chances of being rescued. For this reason, Ralph’s power and influence over the other boys...
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...Dystopia ≠ Utopia A dystopia is a fictional society, usually portrayed as existing in a future time, where the conditions of life are extremely bad due to oppression, or terror. Science fiction (particularly post-apocalyptic science fiction and cyberpunk stories set in an imaginary future world controlled by technology and computers) often feature dystopias. Common traits of Dystopian fiction: The setting is the future, but often with contemporary social trends taken to extremes incorporated on purpose. A hierarchical society where there are unbending and definitive divisions between the upper, middle and lower class Society is conditioned to fear the outside world, and one of the methods for achieving this is the restriction of information and freedom. A corrupt authoritarian and totalitarian government creates or sustains the poor quality of life This government makes people believe that society is proper and just, even perfect. State propaganda makes citizens worship the state the leader of the state and the government. There is strict conformity among citizens and the general assumption that having opinions and individuality is bad The penal system often employs psychological or physical torture Violence, cruelty and aggressiveness are always present. Dystopias are frequently written as warnings, or as social satire, criticizing a current trend, norm or political system. In order for the dystopia to have an effect on the reader, the author uses characteristics...
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...The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding follows the story of a group of boys who are stranded on a tropical island and must fight to survive. Led by the charismatic and attractive protagonist, Ralph, and his intellectual ally Piggy, the boys are initially successful at creating a new order on the island. Soon, however, an ambitious boy called Jack presents himself as the main antagonist. Jack’s return to savagery and the subsequent unravelling of order on the island results in multiple deaths and the destruction of the island. The book allows the reader to view the ways in which order and society break down in an uncivilized environment, as well as how easy it is to return to savagery. As this work is allegorical, symbols play heavily...
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