...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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...William Golding's Lord of the Flies Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding a group of children are stranded on an island when their plane crashes. The freedom of having no parents while living in a society that doesn't enforce rules and laws are eliminated. As the novel progresses the kids find use for different items each symbolizing something of different significance. In this novel William Golding uses different objects to symbolize the difference between civilization and savagery. Through out the novel, the conch shell represents a way to maintain organization and unity within the group. Ralph and Piggy discover the conch shell on the beach and use it to inform and call the boys together after the crash separates them. The conch shell then becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and order in the novel. This shell effectively influences rules during the meetings. This rule is; whichever boy holds the shell holds the right to speak. "He can hold it when he's speaking," (Golding 33), this explains how whoever is holding the conch has the right to speak; this shows a sense of civility. In this regard, the shell is most definitely a symbol. As the island civilization dissipates, the boys descend into savagery; the conch shell loses its power and influence among them. Also, the boulder that Roger rolls onto Piggy crushes the conch shell, signifying the demise of the...
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...In a world of great evil, can good possibly survive? Simon, a young male character from Willam Golding's The Lord Of The Flies has to learn that in a world of corruption, good comes with consequence. In the novel, Simon is portrayed as a part of the “good” side of the island, while the other boys' societal standards drift from their minds, Simon is the only boy depicted as holding a civilized factor. Simon is the boy that shines through and doesn’t give into the immorality of the island, While others who still kept the mindset of a civilized community fall to darkness, A prime example being Ralph. In my essay i will be going over key points that show Simon feelings towards the island and the so called “Beast”, I will be going deep into Simon's thoughts to uncover his true feelings, and how it directly ties into Good vs Evil. Golding has clearly pointed out in the book that Simon is the “good” character. Not in any individual quote, but how all the quotes tie together to form that outlook. Simon is more mysterious of the boys, he does not participate in there murderous acts, or how they give into evil, This will in turn lead to his demise. Simon has no general fear towards what the other boys call the “Beast”, He alternatively...
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...Lord Of The Flies And Othello Comparison Essay, Research Paper Lord of the Flies and Othello Comparison The age-old theme of good versus evil is presented in both William Golding s Lord of the Flies (LOTF), and William Shakespeare s Othello. The characters are used to show the battle between the two. Simon and Desdemona who represent purity and embody an innate goodness are challenged by many characters that do not possess the same holy qualities- who have actually subsided to the evil that is, in every way, their opposite. Jack and Iago represent the evil in the novels. Unfortunately in both pieces we see the loss of life for the pure characters through the clutches of evil. The evil does not necessarily win, as both characters maintain their standings as upright and completely pure individuals, even in their brutal murders. Simon and Desdemona clearly represent all that is good in the world. The characters are portrayed by the authors to be very understanding and compassionate individuals. Desdemona expresses in her language and actions, an innocent, unselfish love and concern for others. This is evident when Desdemona makes pleas on behalf Cassio for Othello s forgiveness, and in her inability to comprehend a woman s desire to cheat. Cassio has asked Desdemona to make a plea to Othello for his return to office. Desdemona, being the compassionate woman that she is asks Othello the first chance she gets, Good my lord, If I have any grace or power to move you,...
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....: The Lord Of The Flies :. Persuasive Essay Junior English 3rd Hour Zach Jones In the story “The Lord of The Flies we encountered a most interesting situation where a group of young boys are stranded on an island, presumably far away from all other land masses, where three boys stood out as leaders, of those who wanted order of stability. Those boys, Piggy, Ralph, and Jack all went about contributing as leaders, though Ralph was an actual leader, if only for a time, while Jack (a boy who has the whole “holier than thou” aspect going on and is power hungry) eventually steals away Ralph’s power and followers, but before that was the head of his own sect, the choir boys. However though ralph was pushed out of power (except for his few followers, Piggy -till his death-, Samneric, and Simon –until his death-) and the fact that jack took over in an occult like manner I suppose, Ralph is the one boy I believe is the proper leader for the boys, because he has rational human emotions like compassion, care, kindness, calmness, level-headedness add to that he is not a crazy narcissistic war monger with superiority issues like Jack nor does he like to control people using fear and other sneaky underhanded methods, and he seemed to be a guy you could get along with. Though Ralph isn’t mad with power or rules using fear or shady ways in general, he lacked the proper leadership experience to handle the boys as shown in the way he lost the vastest majority of them to Jack. In Jack’s...
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...Lord of the Flies by William Golding is famous among the readers for its theme centered on civilization and savagery. One of the most important concepts that relate to the theme is the “essential illness of the mankind.” The essential illness is not an actual physical illness, but is a part of the mind of a human. In the novel, the essential illness is described as the natural evilness, which comes from human nature. Also, the illness is possessed by all humans, no matter their backgrounds. Most importantly, it is described to contribute to the fall of civilization without the supervision of super ego. First, according to the novel, mankind's essential illness is the evil which is part of human nature. This argument is indirectly introduced...
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...In William Golding’s 1954 award winning novel, Lord of The Flies, Golding introduces religious allegory in many of the characters and many of the scenes within the novel. Not only does Golding depict religious allegory, but so does Harry Hook in his 1990 film, Lord of the Flies. In his film, Hook depicts his interpretation of the novel, and does a very good job at doing so. While the movie consists of a slightly different plot than the book, Harry Hook is also able to insert the ideology that Golding strived to do in his writing. They are both able to depict Simon and Piggy as Jesus-like characters in the sense of truth telling, and the reference of being a martyr. Jack is depicted as a devilish and totalitarian dictator character, and it is...
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...A Guide to Writing the Literary Analysis Essay I. INTRODUCTION: the first paragraph in your essay. It begins creatively in order to catch your reader’s interest, provides essential background about the literary work, and prepares the reader for your major thesis. The introduction must include the author and title of the work as well as an explanation of the theme to be discussed. Other essential background may include setting, an introduction of main characters, etc. The major thesis goes in this paragraph usually at the end. Because the major thesis sometimes sounds tacked on, make special attempts to link it to the sentence that precedes it by building on a key word or idea. A) Creative Opening/Hook: the beginning sentences of the introduction that catch the reader’s interest. Ways of beginning creatively include the following: 1) A startling fact or bit of information Example: Nearly two hundred citizens were arrested as witches during the Salem witch scare of 1692. Eventually nineteen were hanged, and another was pressed to death (Marks 65). 2) A snatch of dialogue between two characters Example: “It is another thing. You [Frederic Henry] cannot know about it unless you have it.” “ Well,” I said. “If I ever get it I will tell you [priest].” (Hemingway 72). With these words, the priest in Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms sends the hero, Frederic, in search of the ambiguous “it” in his life. 3) A meaningful quotation (from the book you are analyzing...
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...One of the main themes in William Golding's Lord of the Flies is the struggle between Society and Savagery. The boys' first intention on the island is to create a society based on the one they had in the adult world: one with rules, limitations and order. But at the same time, they want to have fun. As time progresses, they start ignoring the rules that they had originally set. Instead of using the designated lavatory stones for bathroom purposes, they start using the bathroom wherever they want, even near their special meeting place. The shelters that they all intended on helping to build end up being built by only a few of the boys and therefore, are not as sturdy as they could have been. According to Henri Talon, "[The boys] planned order and allowed disorder to settle" (Talon). The longer they stayed on the island, the more they lost touch with the boundaries set by society, and they eventually started to resort to primitive behavior. Throughout the novel, each of the boys struggles to keep remnants of society in tact, while their primitive nature tries to reel them into savagery. Some of the boys give into their primitive behavior very quickly, while others strive to hold on to their civility as long as possible. This struggle is portrayed masterfully by Golding who uses symbolism to enhance the reader's understanding of it. The first prominent symbol of society that we see is the conch shell that Ralph finds near the shore at the beginning of the novel. Upon Piggy's suggestion...
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...Lord of the Flies and The Fountainhead Dys·to·pi·a, noun, an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, yet typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. Utopian describes a society that's conceived to be perfect. Where everyone is equal and no one is oppressed. Dystopian is the clear opposite — it describes an imaginary society that is as dehumanizing and as unpleasant as possible. Dystopian themes can be found throughout many books and is a reality for many of these characters in The Fountainhead by Ann Rand and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Through compare and contrast both of the two dystopian novels, will be described at the full length of this essay. The three main aspects throughout this essay,...
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...Gattaca and Lord of the Flies Comparison Essay By: Lauren Cody Gattaca and The Lord of the Flies have many overlapping themes like the loss of individuality or the abuse of power. The loss of individuality is shown through Jack and his tribe wearing their masks and hiding behind them when they hunt and run wild throughout the island. In Gattaca individuality is taken from people because their parents choose their children's genes before they are even born and individuals are grouped into genetically modified and invalids. The abuse of power is shown through Jacks power hungry nature while taking over island. In relation to Gattaca, business owners, the police, and the government all feel that they have the right to see your genes and judge...
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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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...“Power tends to corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” Essay “Power tends to corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Over time this statement has been changed and interpreted into its own meaning. Some say power does not corrupt it only attracts the corruptible, however, past events have given proof to dispute that theory. Power corrupts absolutely. This can be seen as we look back at previous leaders, for example: Louis XIV of France, Henry the Second of the Roman Empire, Katherine the Great, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Adolf Hitler. These names all have something in common, they were leaders, but unfortunately, power got to their heads and they were corrupted by their lifestyles and position of power. Some of the most brutal and powerful acts have happened when these names have been reigning over us. Given this, the point I am addressing in my essay is ‘how leaders corrupt absolutely and why’. Leadership is at its core, all about power and influence; however, there is a distinction between two types of power, socialized and personalized power. Socialized power is used to benefit others, and personalized power is used for personal gain. Most power that evolves starts out as wanting to help others but once the realization sets in that they can help themselves more, power starts to be used for personal gain. Examples of this have happened in history as dictators started out with good intentions but got corrupted absolutely because they became consumed...
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...Synthesis Essay: Archetypes As a person progresses in age, or experiences traumatic situations, it is common that the innocence once possessed as a child can dissipate. Innocence can be easily viewed as temporal due to its tendency to falter in a myriad amount of people. Loss of innocence is a prevalent archetypal theme in Star Wars, Grapes of Wrath, Lord of the Flies, A Separate Peace, and Swing Kids. Although all novels display this archetypal theme well, the character Tom in Grapes of Wrath suffers the greatest loss of innocence due to the tragic effects of the Great Depression and the crime he participates in. In Star Wars, a young man, Luke Skywalker, who has lost his parents, lives with his aunt and uncle and is brought into a world of violence on his mission to become a Jedi. He encounters the ultimate archetypal devil figure, Darth Vader. Darth represents the darkness humanity possesses. Although Luke’s encounters with supernatural beings and death are frequent in the film Star Wars, this sharply contrasts with the isolation Tom Joad faces in Grapes of Wrath. While Luke’s loss of innocence is accepted as a way of life in Star Wars, including killing clones and destroying an entire planet, Tom’s inability to tolerate injustice, resulting in violence, is a crime in the world of his character. Essentially, Luke’s loss of innocence brings him closer to the people in the world he is surrounded by; his destroying of the Death Star is an act of bravery. Tom kills men who...
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...achievements” (Achebe 1). One of many aspects of African culture that are completely ignored by Conrad in Heart of Darkness is the intricate hierarchy of men and women in their societies and the effects of personal achievement on them. Conrad’s lack of inclusion or even simple recognition for African culture is abysmal, yet Achebe provides ample reason for Conrad to be exonerated from these charges as, “Travelers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves” (Achebe Essay 257). Conrad’s blindness to African culture makes Heart of Darkness an unapt novel for study. A student would learn much more from a History textbook which would have biases, yet would provide multiple accounts from different sources of events that have occurred. Conrad encapsulates the effects of European colonialism on the European colonialists, yet the Africans are completely ignored. A comprehensive novel study of Heart of Darkness could easily be replaced by Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Things Fall Apart does not objectify or dehumanize any group of people while depicting the effects of European colonialism on both the colonial empire’s men and the colonialized Africans. “‘What has happened to that piece of land in dispute?’ asked Okonkwo. ‘The white man’s court has decided that it should belong to Nnama’s family, who had given much money to the white man’s messengers and interpreter.’ ‘Does the white man understand our custom about land?’ ‘How can he when...
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