...Human Nature: Analysing How Crisis Affects Human Nature in "Lord of the Flies" and "Blindness" Aim of the Study: The aim of the study is to highlight the roots of evil in human nature, and how crisis can change a lot of things in a human being when it strikes by analysing two novels: "Lord of the Flies" and "Blindness". Abstract: "Lord of the Flies" tackles the theme of human nature. Throughout the novel, William Golding illustrates how sick and twisted human nature can get when faced by crisis. On the other hand, "Blindness" which is a novel by the Protégées author Jose Saramago, questions the good and conscious part in the heart and brings it to test. Both novels dig deep in human nature and go under the surface to reveal the source of evil in human nature. This study is designed to employ scenes and events in both novels to prove how fragile the sense of civilisation is in human beings, and how easy it can be to fall in the ambush of savagery as a last resort for survival. The research will analyze both novels separately from a psychoanalytical point of view then compare the findings of the two works. Introduction: The research is about two novels that tackle the same crucial theme of the evil nature in human beings. The two novels were written in different eras and as a result of different circumstances which in one way or another affected the philosophy of both of the writers. Lord of the Flies is an English novel written by William Golding in 1954. The...
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...Hamlet and Lord of flies essay. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,” is a strong quote by Martin Luther King Jr which is a statement that I think is true. A man cannot be judged on his actions when he is comfortable, but when he is going through challenges and hardship. Literary work that shows this is true is in the book Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the character Hamlet is found in conflicts and dilemmas that he cannot solve. This quote is also true in Lord of the flies by the character Ralph who tries to find out who the beast is but cannot see that it is the savagery between the boys on the Island and the character piggy...
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...In the book Lord Of The Flies, a group of British schoolboys are stranded on a tropical island when their plane is shot down during World War II. William Golding, the author of the novel uses literary devices to describe how humanity can be destroyed over such a short period of time. Three of those devices are allusion, symbolism and metaphor. They each illustrate Goldings views on religion, democracy, and civilization. A literary device that was used in Lord Of The Flies was allusion. An allusion is a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication. “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea” (Revelations 13:1) coincides with the title of chapter 5, Beast from Water. In this quote it is referencing an allusion towards revelations 13:1. Revelations 13:1 “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.” As you can tell in the book and in the bible the quotes are similar, meaning that the quote in the book is referencing a religious allusion....
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...to survive. Along with that Golding uses many symbols and characters to foreshadow their future behavior in events. Throughout the story the boys became a varying degree of savage because of their different survival tactics, ideas about being rescued, and rivalries that are created. First of all, from the beginning, there are three main characters. Ralph, Jack, and Piggy, they all have different ideas and tactics as to how to survive in the island they are on now. Ralph's main focus is to build a fire as a signal to other ships that may pass by the island. Jacks’ is too hunt and kill the pigs for meat. Jack and Ralph begin a bond and friendship while they hunt together as leaders. On page 29 the quote “ Eyes shining, mouths open, triumphant, they savored the right of domination, they were lifted up, were friends” (Golding, William 29). This explains how Ralph and Jack felt after going on their first hunt together. This is the kind of bond that they need to both hold on to their civility. The author almost makes it seem like if this friendship is lost they a part of themselves and can easily be overtaken by envy, the feeling of power, and hatred. It...
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...The Impact Society and Fear Have on the Mind “Fear is only as deep as the mind allows” -Japanese proverb. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, a group of young boys are marooned on an island without the presence of adults. Over time, the boys’ mental state starts to slip; they begin to see and fear things and turn on each other. The reader can infer that fear, one of the more prominent emotions of the story, combined with independence from the loss of weight from societal expectations, drives the boys into insanity. Furthermore, without the restrictions society puts on, the boys have nothing to hold back their wild side. Mohammad Rahman in his article, the Thematic evaluation of William Golding's novel, Lord of...
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...An individuals freedom is shaped by people, places and the influences around them. In the novel Lord Of The Flies, Golding has explored the perspective of freedom when there are no restrictions surrounding us where one can do as they please. During the novel, the personalities of the boys differ from their experience of witnessing war and formal training. Thus, affecting their freedom as past events influence individuals differently, changing the way in which they act causing clashings of personality. For example, Jack wants to be in constant power, shown in the QUOTE. In contrast, Piggy is smart and wants to do what is right. This is expressed in thre QUOTE Furthermore, in the novel we were never told Piggys real name because the boys...
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...Lord of the Fearsome: Symbolism in the Conch Shell Fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. In the novel “Lord of the Flies” fear drives the boys on the island to a state of survival mode and they lose all civilization. The conch, is a symbol used through the book representing order, power, and humanity. The conch portrays a tool for organization and power in the opening of the novel. The conch shell is found on the beach and the first tool that the boys used that they hadn't from their earlier lives. The blown shell caused the boys choir to raise from the jungle and the tribe was born. For example, on page 19 “This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch. Jack started to protest but the clamor changed from the general wish for a chief to an election by acclaim of Ralph himself.” This passage waxes on the conch is equal to control. Referring to the conch as a toy rather than a tool sets the mood of how the boys respect this system of organization. “They obeyed the summons of the conch, partly because Ralph blew it, and...
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...By likening the group of boys to a creature, Golding is foreshadowing that the specific group of boys will become a force of savagery. The quote creates a mood of mysteriousness and suspense as the boys change from an unknown monster to a group of boys. Due to the boys walking and being dressed in an orderly fashion, the group contrasts with the setting of a savage island. The author chooses to emphasize the heat because it will be a continual challenge for the boys. Because the boys are British, the group is not used to excessive heat. By comparing the heat to a continual challenge, the author foreshadows the difficulties that the boys will face. The boys strip off their clothes to express their new freedom. Because no one is there to...
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...Lord of the Flies is a book that conveys the message about human beings having rules, authority, and government in order to maintaining a safe environment. At the beginning of the book we find out that a group of british boys ages 6 to 12 are stranded on an island alone without any adults due to their plane that has crashed on the island therefore they are destined to govern themselves in order for their survival. A major character whom portraits a big role in the book is Piggy, when he is first introduced we meet him as the “fat boy,” he himself says to Ralph “They used to call me Piggy.” (1.65-70) Throughout the book we find out that they aren’t able to govern themselves and have difficulty communicating with each other yet at the same time we realize that Piggy is the closest thing we have to an adult on the island, insisting on having rules and order....
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...Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It's a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other. Evil is inherited in man, as it is the societal bounds that restrict one’s savage nature from arising. Structure and order are key in the survival of humanity and consequences keep us in check of our morality. In Lord of The Flies, by William Golding an award winning author depicts a group of British boys beached on a deserted island to illustrate the malicious nature in mankind. The novella dealt with the changes the boys underwent as they gradually adapted to freedom from their society. William Golding’s expresses his basic philosophy through character and symbols foretells that man was inherently...
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...“It is the beginning of wisdom when you recognize that the best you can do is choose which rules you want to live by, and it's persistent and aggravated imbecility to pretend you can live without any,” (Wallace Stegner, All the Little Things). This quote provides an excellent example of how the characters in the book The Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, act after escaping to a remote island after a brutal plane crash. Many of the “littluns”, although they are irresponsible, cannot conclude that order needs to exist on the island. Throughout this book, readers can tell that the hardest thing to enforce on this island are rules. What more can one expect from “littluns”? The group, at first, is led by one of the oldest kids on the island, Ralph, who is immediately challenged by Jack, the prestige choir kid who should be chief because “[He’s] chapter chorister and head boy. [He] can sing C sharp." (1.228-30). Before the...
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...The Evil Within In this novel, a group of British boys goes through a near death plane crash and they struggle to live without a leader. This results in bullying and fighting. The real character of the boys is demonstrated when all of their true emotions come out. Their hatred and immaturity makes it extremely hard to persuade the boys in any direction to do something. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbolism to create the theme that society must depend on the ethical nature of individualism of the boys and not on a political system. In the novel, Piggy’s glasses represent clarity of each individual on the island and the making of what is right vs. what is wrong. Jack explains that Piggy’s “specs” can be “used as burning glasses” (Golding 40). This quote was being used...
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...Title: Lord of the Flies Author: William Golding Other books written by author: The Inheritors, Darkness Visible, Free Fall, The Spire General Plot: During a horrible war, a plane evacuating a group of schoolboys from Britain is shot down over a deserted tropical island. Two boys named Ralph and Piggy come across a conch shell and realize they could use it to summon the other boys. Once they gathered everyone, the boys started electing a leader and planning a way to be rescued. They choose Ralph as their leader, and Ralph chooses another boy, Jack, to be in charge of the boys who will hunt food for the entire group. When they first start off they all still act like young boys and play around and stuff but as they live on the island longer every ones true colors come out. Some people turn against each other and some become violent. This leads to destruction on the island. Main Character: The main character is Ralph. He is appointed as leader of the group in the beginning. He is a young boy with a good heart and just wants the best for the rest of the boys and wants to get everyone off the island. Most interesting character: The most interesting character to me was Jack. Jack has attitude and fights and stands up for what he wants. He’s the antagonist in the book. He ends up turning evil and doing bad things and that intrigued me because it made me realize we all have a little bit of Jack in us. Passage 1: ‘Maybe,” he said hesitantly, “maybe there is a beast.” The assembly...
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...book defends not only the common spirit behind these three religions, but the rituals and ceremonies of each. It's as if all three religions find harmonious common ground in this character. Seems unlikely, but then again, the protagonist argues passionately that the miraculous happens in our darkest moments. Quote #1But I don't insist. I don't mean to defend zoos. Close them all down if you want (and let us hope that what wildlife remains can survive in what is left of the natural world). I know zoos are no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both. (1.4.14) | Do zoos incarcerate animals in confined spaces and make them miserable? Pi doesn't think so: "Certain illusions about freedom" tempt us to this conclusion. In actuality, an animal's life in the wild is more circumscribed than "a knight on a chessboard" (1.4.8). Predator-prey relationships restrict the animal's movement. A zoo enclosure is actually more like a hearth for an animal: a place of comfort and rest. Likewise, most people think of religion as a restrictive cage. Actually, Pi says, it's home and hearth for the believer. Quote #2[Pi:] "Religion will save us," I said. Since when I could remember, religions had always been close to my heart. "Religion?" Mr. Kumar grinned broadly. "I don't believe in religion. Religion is darkness." Darkness? I was puzzled. I thought, Darkness is the last thing that religion is. Religion is light. Was...
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...event ironic and especially tragic (not only for the “beast,” but for everyone on the island)? How is it symbolically significant? The “beast” that they killed was Simon. This was tragic to the whole island because they killed one of their peers. It’s tragic because they actually never killed the beast, just Simon. It’s symbolically significant because they failed to capture the beast. This shows how they are desperate to find the beast and the savagery of them killing Simon. It shows how they are so inhuman and they would constantly say “‘Kill the Beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’’ (152) shows the savargy and how inhuman they are. Little kids act like uncivilized people. 4. Why do you think Golding decided to have the “figure” fly over the boys on the beach and into the sea? Why do you think he had Simon‟s body get washed away, and what does this represent in a psychological sense? Chapter 10: “The Shell and the Glasses” ***Pick 3 to answer 1. How do Ralph and Piggy view Simon’s death? How does each of them react to it? Why does Ralph laugh as he says, “I got the conch,” and why does Piggy react so strongly to his laughter? What explanations do they have for their behavior, and what excuses do they come up with? What do these reactions show about them and about human nature? Ralph and Piggy view Simon’s death as it never happened and they deny the fact that they actually killed him. Even though they should be sad, there were not sad more like they cope the death...
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