Imagine that you are William Golding. From his point of view write a letter to the students of Gloucester High School explaining how a character and a motif (the ones you have been assigned) contribute to the meaning of the the novel, especially in the last five chapters. (You could write two letters one about the motif and one about the character, or you could weave the two together.)
While explaining how you, as the author, have used the character and the motif, cite at least three specific places where you, as Golding, use the character and three specific places where you, as Golding, use the motif. Make sure you explain how the parts -- the particular uses of the character & motif -- contribute to the novel as a whole.
When thinking about Golding's point of view and Golding’s purpose in constructing the novel, consider some things Golding has written about the novel:
“The theme (of Lord of the Flies) is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of society must depend on the ethical mature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.”
“I believe that man suffers from an appalling ignorance of his own nature.”
Also perhaps consider William Golding's life. The following is an excerpt from the Nobel Prize website. (Golding won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983.)
"Taught at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury. Joined the Royal Navy in 1940 and spent six years afloat, except for seven months in New York and six months helping Lord Cherwell at the Naval Research Establishment. He saw action against battleships (at the sinking of the Bismarck), submarines and aircraft. Finished as Lieutenant in command of a rocket ship. He was present off the French coast for the D-Day invasion, and later at the island of Walcheren. After the war he returned to teaching [until 1962], and began to write again. Lord of the Flies, his first novel, was published in 1954."
And for more of Golding's views you'll find his Nobel Lecture here.
Your letter(s) should be 600 words or so and must be posted in the comment box by pumpkin time Friday, December 18.
Jack Merridew is my favorite character in my book, “The Lord of the Flies”. He is full of curiosity and loves to be adventurous. His ways have gotten him into trouble with other characters and things in the forest. There were many places in the book where I used Jack as a symbol and as a character.
ReplyDeleteOne time I used him was when he forms his own tribe and paints his face with dirt and pig blood. He uses these characteristics to show that he and the tribe are warriors and are very fierce hunters. I used him as a symbol for hunters and how fierce they can get if they are in need of survival and he has competition on the island. His enemies on the inland are Ralph, Piggy, and Simon. They are all older kids that are more of a threat to him so he takes their lives in his own hands one by one.
Another time I use him is when he hunts the pigs. This shows his very own fierceness and how all he cares about is hunting. At this point in the book he is suppose to make sure there is a big fire so the smoke will be seen as a signal of rescue for the kids. He leaves the fire to go hunting and the fire goes out. This is when Jack breaks off from the group since he feels he was being bossed around. He hunts for pigs so they can eat meat and survive.
Another time that I used Jack as a symbol is when he orders the tribe to kill the beast that was really Simon. They danced around a fire and pretended to kill pigs but when Jack saw a shadow by the water he kills Simon by accident and does not show any emotion of what he has done. These show that I used Jack Merridew as a symbol of fierceness and curiosity.
I also used the motif, the pigs, to show how they are important for the understanding of the book. The pigs and Jack Merridew link to each other. Jack is the hunter who hunts the pigs that play a major role in understanding the title of the book, “The Lord of the Flies”. I use this motif in the book a lot but I will write about three of the times I do.
ReplyDeleteAs I said Jack is always the one who is linked with the pig so he is in all of these incidents. One time Jack hunts the pig and shows the fierceness of Jack and how he will do anything for food at this point. He learned how to spill the pig’s blood by cutting the throat so the meat is better when they cook it.
Another time a pig is involved is when Jack puts the pigs head on the stake outside of a cave where they think the beat lives. This shows that Jack has no respect towards pigs since they use the pig as a sacrifice. This pig’s head shows us why the book is called “The Lord of the Flies”. After a few hours the pig is covered in flies and the boys get scared of the pigs head at night so they say that it is the lord of the flies.
The other time a pig is referred to in the book is when the kids are dancing around the fire and yelling, cut his throat! spill his blood! While one of the kids are on all fours moving like a pig while the hunters pretend to stab at it. This shows how crazy and fierce the kids have become throughout the whole book. The pig motif had a big part in making the kids become fierce like this and that’s why I used the pigs as a motif.
Sincerely,
William Golding
Dear Gloucester High student,
ReplyDeleteWhen writing “Lord of the Flies” I used all of the characters and many objects to show meaning throughout the story. Ralph is probably the most in depth and best character to show meaning. Ralph shows meaning as being an elected leader. In chapter one when all of the children find each other after the crash, they all decide they need to elect a good leader. Ralph is a very smart boy and you can tell a lot of the boys already have a lot of respect for him. This is very meaningful to the story because it shows you what kind of person Ralph is. Also Ralph is meaningful because he understands what it is like to be a good leader and looks out for the best of them all. When the power switches over to Jack it is clear he is really only interested in himself and only wants to hunt. This annoys Ralph which shows he is a good leader because he wants to do more important things like make shelter and build a signal fire which Jack neglects. Lastly Ralph is meaningful because he is the most pure. At the end when the naval officer rescues them Ralph is one of the only ones who understand that everything that happened on the island was very bad. Another very important meaningful thing in the book is the shell. The shell is meaningful because it is the main symbol for power. One thing is at the meetings whoever is holding the shell is the one who is allowed to speak. This shows how much power the shell has. The shell and Ralph go together also. The Shell gives Ralph his power. When the power on the island is shifting over to Jack the shell is always described as fragile signifying that Ralph power is getting less and less. Also at the end of the book when the shell breaks this is also symbolically saying that Ralph has completely lost control. This is why the shell is so meaning full. There are also countless other reasons why Ralph and the shell are so meaningful but these are the most important. Thank you for reading my book .
Signed
William Golding
Dear Students of Gloucester High School,
ReplyDeleteIn my book “Lord of the Flies” I used many different types of boys to illustrate how everybody is different in the real world. There are the leaders, like Jack and Ralph. There are also the followers, like the Littluns.
Sam and Eric are two of the older kids. They do everything together and I purposely did not make them two of the main characters. They represent the “every day man”. Most of you can relate to them in many ways. They stay with each other because they are family and don’t really know anything different.
The first clue I used to show how Sam and Eric are just every day people was in chapter 1. Piggy could not tell them apart. Regular people usually just blend in with the crowd. Also more literally, you usually can not tell people apart without knowing their personality and unique qualities that separate them apart.
Another clue I used was in chapter 6, when I said that they ‘shared a mind’. This was on purpose to show how collectively, regular, average people all think the same. Like in politics for example, Massachusetts usually votes for the Democratic Candidate. People who are together in the same environment usually make the same decisions.
In Chapter 12 I showed how the common man can be influenced easily by their peers. Jack, the leader of the Hunters, put on a mask and convinced Sam and Eric to leave Ralph and Piggy. I chose this to happen because it shows how everyday people can be influenced by fears. People usually do what will benefit them in the end. That is why I had Sam and Eric follow Jack. They had to follow him because they were scared of what would happen if they didn’t.
Thank you for reading my book and relating to at least one character.
Sincerely,
William Golding
Dear Students of Gloucester High School,
ReplyDeleteThe changes in the appearance of the island in my book “Lord of the Flies” are important to the book as a whole. The changes in the island were mostly from fires that the boys have created so that maybe some one would see them and they could be saved. The island became a home for the boys. They had places where they bathed, places where they hunted, places where they slept and places where they ate. I made the platform be the main place. This is where the boys had their meetings. The island was divided. I did this on purpose to show foreshadow how the boys will be divided. The Island was their sanctuary. They would not be able to survive without the island, so even though the boys were separated, they were brought together by the island. I made the boys fight over the fire because the fire was the main symbol of the book. The fire was the first ‘beast’. It is what killed the boy with the mulberry birthmark. The fire on the island changes the island’s appearance, just like how the face paint changed the boys into beasts. That is why I made the fire more important than the changes in the island. Thank you for reading my book.
Sincerely,
William Golding.
Dear Gloucester High School Students,
ReplyDeleteWhile writing “Lord of the Flies” I used various characters and motifs for specific reasons, mostly to explain what I’ve found true of human nature. I feel that with out society to keep humans in check we would all return to our primitive and animalistic state. I received many questions from you about why I included Roger; many of you were wondering why I would use such a horrible and mean character. I also had a few questions about the symbolism of fire and the glasses as a motif; why they are important to the development of the novel. While in war it is like you are out in the wild. Many of the things that in society we would find unacceptable are okay to do in the field. Given my previous experience as a lieutenant in command I have had seen many people go though various changes.
Roger as a character I feel adds a lot to this book. He shows the truth about human nature most out of any of the other characters. In the beginning of the book Roger still has manners and some extent of morals. In Chapter four Roger is seen throwing rocks at one of the littuns, Henry. Roger throws multiple small pebbles at him, but never got with in a six foot radius. Reason being he still remembers what is socially acceptable from rule he learned at school, from his parents and other situations in his society. Roger in chapter eleven has gone though a full change in actions. He kills Piggy with a boulder, what he once thought was unacceptable is now okay. With out the guidelines of society Roger returns to a primitive state of killing, and being savage like. I chose to use Roger because he was the character who brought across that point the best. He is the one who changed most, who became most savage.
Fire and the glasses are a huge part of this novel. The significance of fire changes hugely though out the novel. First it is just a necessity to keep warm and to try and send smoke signals. In the beginning of the novel in chapter two ‘Fire on the Mountain’ they go to the peak of the mountain to send smoke signals in hopes to get home. In the end of the book fire represents power; it is so valuable it gains high power than the shell which was originally the most powerful item. The glasses also are a very important factor to the book. The glasses belong to Piggy who it the most rational one of the boys, his glasses represent the intellectual of the boys. At the start of the book the glasses and Piggy are both important and undamaged. Later on the glasses get broken around the same time is the turning point where the boys are less civil and become more primitive. Also later piggy is killed which shows how the boys have changed due to the lack of structure, rules and society. As do the boys all the motifs change through out the book.
All of the boys and all of the items I used as motifs are important for their own reasons. I appreciate your particular interest in Roger; he is one of my favorite characters because of how he develops though out the book. I also appreciate your interest in fire and the glasses; they are extremely important and often over looked. I wrote this book to show how society effects people behavior, about how important it is and without it we’d be no different than cave men. Majority of people especially children don’t realize this. I appreciate your interest in my book and I hope you all learned something very important, something I believe everyone should learn.
Sincerely,
William Golding
Dear Gloucester High Students,
ReplyDeleteThe reason that I wrote “Lord of The Flies” was to show that people are all the same. In chapter 12 the navy man is repulsed by what the “English boys” did. He believed that boys from English boarding schools would behave in an adult manner and have fun. However since the plane crash violence has circled the island starting off when the boys describe the mark the crash let looked like a scar. Soon things would get worse. Jack has bad, because all he wanted to do is hunt the pig but there was a boy much more violent on the island. His name is Roger. Even though Jack is the leader and Roger is his wing man, he always takes the situation to the next level. Not only does he always go hunting with Jack but he also has a mind of his own. In chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long Hair, Roger shows his true colors when he knocks down all of the littlun’s sand castle when everybody else is having a good time. In the same chapter Roger fallows Henry into the forest just so he can throw rocks at him. Roger plays and important part as Jack’s back bone and strongest group member. Jack tacks him to search for the monster on the mountain and he also takes him when they go steal the fire and Piggy’s glasses from Ralph’s camp. Don’t forget Roger always takes it to the next level. When the hunters finally catch a pig Roger sticks his spear straight up the pig’s anus. The worst is when Jack and Ralph are fighting poor sightless Piggy is standing there holding the conch shell trying to speak when all of a sudden Roger pushes a huge rock and it hits Piggy(dies). This isn’t the first time he’s killed somebody, don’t forget about Simon. Simon was right the beast was inside them and they bite and clawed it out of him.
Dear Gloucester High School Students,
ReplyDeleteI am going to use a famous quote, “only you can prevent forest fires” and in the second chapter the boys should have listened. Not only do the boys burn most of the island but they also burn all of their fire wood. All because of Jack and how he wanted to hunt the pig. The real problem with their mistake was that the fire killed a child. The fire was described as monkey jumping tree to tree so wild and freely and then the fire is described as panther because of its violence. Well this beast swallowed that kid with the mulberry birth mark right up. The only one that notices is Piggy and ironically Ralph uses his glasses to start the fire. Ralph made the fire to send a signal that they were on the island but the real signal sent was that the beast (fire) was created by the boys. The only one to notice that the beast is inside the boys is Simon and he is killed first because they think he is the beast. Simon also notices that once on the island each boy is obsessed with a specific thing. He notices that Ralph doesn’t like the candle flowers because they won’t BURN and then he notices that Jack doesn’t like the candle flowers either because you can’t hunt them and then eat them. The fire also symbolizes death again when Jack and Roger steal the fire and Piggy’s glasses. This sends Ralph and Piggy to Castle Rock were Roger drops a huge rock on Piggy’s head, ending his life. Then the fire is used again to smoke Ralph out of the marsh so he can kill him and be the oldest and most powerful boy on the island. That’s why if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Dear GHS,
ReplyDeleteThe beast in Lord of the Flies is the violence that lurks within us. In Chapter two a littlun with a mulberry birthmark has nightmares about a beast. The beast the boy sees is a snake. Later on the boys decide to make a fire on the mountain to be seen by passing ships to come and rescue them, the boys lose control of the fire and the fire becomes the beast burning down half the island, and mulberry boy disappears. The boys caused the fire therefore they caused the beast seen as a panther because it is frightening. The only boy on the island who understand what is happening is Simon. Simon goes off on his own in chapter three. He notices the things that the other boys don’t. He understands that the island owns the island and that the boys have no control although Ralph believes they do. Simon helps Ralph with the shelters and helps the littluns get fruit this shows that Simon is caring, thoughtful, and he is aware of things. In chapter three and four we see that Jack is a beast himself when he is hunting, he acts like a beast the way he preys on the pig and uses clay to disguise himself in chapter four he finally hunts a pig killing the pig makes him happy. Being violent makes Jack happy like a beast. In chapter four we learn that the boys see things in the evening and in the night is when the fear of beasts happen most. The boys have nightmares and are concerned this causes Ralph the leader to have a meeting with all the boys to make things right on the island and to stop the talk of beasts because there is none according to him. In chapter five we learn that the boys believe that the beast could possible come from the water. The littluns have nightmares and make everyone afraid of the beasts they believe in. Ralph and Jack the leaders try their hardest to change their minds and make them believe there is no beasts . Simon explains that possible the beast is themselves. “What I mean is…maybe its only us.” Simon spends a lot of time thinking and keeping to himself and believes that the beasts are the boys because they cant see what they are doing to themselves and the island. “Man is appallingly ignorant of his own nature” - William Golding this quote signifies that the boys are ignorant and cannot make sense of what Simon is saying because they do not want to believe the truth. In chapter six a beast that comes from the air causes many problems for the boys. The beast Is actually a parachuter but the boys see him as an ape and only see him in the night so they cannot see that he is really a dead man. Simon does not believe in the beast that they boys believe in he thinks it is all in their heads. In chapter eight Simon finally has enough after the boys split up he spends time alone in the open space there he finds the Lord of the Flies which is a pigs head on a stick covered in flies. Simon falls into a weird stage and talks to him self and in a way is going crazy, he thinks he is going to be killed for his ideas, and is talking to himself about how ignorant he thinks the boys are. Simon finds that the beast is really a dead man and goes to tell lthe boys. They boys think he is a beast when he appears and they kill him viciously like the beasts Simon believes he is. Ironically because Simon was coming to tell them there is no beast. Their hands were clawing at him like beasts. After Simon dies the boys realize more how they are in trouble jack becomes the ruler and he is cruel like a beast and punishes the boys for no reason. Piggy is killed by another boy with a rock and Ralph is being hunted like prey by Jack who is the hunter or beast. At the end right before Ralph almost is brutally attacked by Jack the boys are rescued by a Navy officer. The last chapter shows the inner beast in all the boys because they are all going after Ralph when he was innocent the boys turned into beast just as Simon predicted. (749 words)
Sincerely,
William Golding
Justin Lane
ReplyDeleteMr.Cook
C block
12/23/09
Dear Gloucester High School students,
I am writing this letter to show how Piggy and the motif the rock contribute to the meaning of my novel “Lord of The Flies”. I decided to create the character Piggy for this novel because he represents the logical and rational thinking of the boys on the island. I showed how Piggy used his rational thinking when he suggested for Ralph to use the conch shell as a horn. The very first chapter is when I wrote about how Piggy discovers and tells Ralph how to use the conch and what it even was. I explained how Piggy found and showed Ralph how to use the conch by saying “ S’right. It’s a shell! I seen one like that before. On someone’s back wall. A conch he called it. He used to blow it then his mum would come. It’s ever so valuable-“. These quotes from my book show when Piggy is talking about how to use the conch. This shows Piggy’s intelligence which I wanted to represent in this chapter. As I got further into writing the book I decided to use the rock as a representation of the loss of intelligence, rationality, and order on the island. A rock became a symbol of disorder in chapter eleven. This disorder happens because Ralphs group travels to Castle rock which is Jacks groups home base. Jacks group of hunters tells Ralphs group to leave and starts to throw rocks at them because they do not leave castle rock. This is the first time where a rock becomes a symbol of disorder. In this chapter the rocks that cause chaos are the rocks being thrown and the rock the boys are standing on called castle rock. The rock that truly causes the most chaos amoung the boys and that ends all order, destroys a main source of intelligence , and kills rationality is the rock
thrown off a high cliff by Roger. In chapter eleven Roger throws a large boulder off a high cliff killing Piggy and smashing the conch shell. By the rock destroying these people and objects it shows how from this point and forward in the book will lack order because the conch was a symbol of order because it had the power to make the boys on the island gather. By killing Piggy in this chapter I could also show that the boys on the island have now lost a source of intelligence and rationality because Piggy was a representaion of both those things. The part of the book just after Piggy dies is where the chaos starts right after Jack starts to sream wildly and say “ see?see? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe for you anymore!”. This is how I used Piggy’s death as a representation of the loss of reason and intelligence. As soon as Piggy died fighting broke out between Ralph and Jack which shows that Piggy was the source of rationality , reason , and a civilized way of thinking. In chapter eleven I also used the rock as a symbol of Primative thinking , way of life , and destroyer of rationallity. When I think of a rock I think of cave men. Because of the boys circumstances they are basically back to the same level of technology as primative cave people. Another representation of the rock I used was when Roger used the rock to kill Piggy. By Roger throwing a large rock at Piggy it shows how Primative the boys weapons and thought processes were at the time of Piggys death at the end of chapter eleven.This is how I related and symbolized Piggy and the rock to the boys on the island as well as the book as a whole.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
William Golding