Thursday 21 June 2012

Lord of the Flies Quarter Analysis (3/4)



Michael Feng
Lord of the Flies (3/4)
By William Golding

Skeletal plot
1- Ralph go together with the hunters to chase a boar. It was the first time Ralph ever joined a hunt, and he could hit the boar with his spear. He felt very good when he hit the boar. Although they couldn’t kill the boar, but the hunters were all very excited after the hunt. They made a boy called Robert to be the boar and they jab Robert and almost killed Robert that they forgot they were just playing a game.
2- Jack blows the conch to have an assembly. He told everyone that he saw the beast when he went to check with Ralph and Roger. He also said that Ralph was a coward that escaped fastest when they saw the beast, so he should be removed from the leadership. But most of the boys disagreed on removing Ralph from the leadership, and this really made Jack angry, causing him to leave the tribe and build another one by himself.
3- Ralph, Piggy and Simon built another signal fire on the beach with many other boys to avoid any contact with the beast. Many boys in Ralph’s tribe joined Jack’s tribe.
4- The hunters killed a sow, and Jack ordered them to leave the sow’s head on a stake and put it on the ground to be the sacrifice to the beast. And finally Jack declares a strike on Ralph’s tribe. He stole the burning sticks and invite Ralph’s followers to his tribe by saying that they can join the feast in the night. Simon then returns to his own sanctuary finding that there is a pig head on a stake now. The head speaks to Simon saying that he is the “Lord of the Flies”, a beast that lives in every human. No one can escape from him. Simon, who was horrified by the head collapses in a faint in the forest.
5- Simon woke up and found the day already turned dark. He ran down the hill to tell everyone that actually the beast is themselves. When he appeared from the forest while the other boys were having a feast, no one could look clearly and they thought Simon is the beast. Simon is killed in the frenzy.

Conflict
Person vs self

This quarter shows how easily human can be attracted to break the rules. Even Ralph seemed possible to become a person like Jack the only difference was he didn’t start hunting at the beginning.

Setting
Jack starts a new tribe and he is the chief of it. Many boys in Ralph’s tribe are attracted by the feast that the new tribe is going to make. The beast showed up as a demon that lives inside every human’s mind, which is proved by the accident in the feast. Simon is killed by the hunters because they thought he was the beast.

Characters

-Ralph: Ralph is depressed after Jack leaves his tribe. He is still trying to let everyone leaves the island safely. He showed he might have been the same with Jack if he hunts from the beginning when he seems so excited after hitting the boar with his spear.

-Piggy: Piggy is still a person who can think ideas for Ralph. He told Ralph to move their signal fire to the beach so they don’t have to meet the beast.

-Jack: Jack has changed a lot since the beginning of the story, which shows that he is a dynamic character. He finally breaks up with Ralph, that he started a new tribe to do whatever he wants to do.


-Simon: Simon is a very important character in this quarter. He was the first person to realize that there is no real beast, the beast is living inside everyone who is afraid of the beast.


Notables on writer’s style and structure
-Simile: “They tried the forest but it was thick and woven like a bird’s nest.” (Chapter 7)

-Imagery: “The filmy enchantments of mirage could not endure the cold ocean water and the horizon was hard, clipped blue.” (Chapter 7)

- Yes, there are a lot of dialogues between the kids on the island.
"He's gone."

"I hit him," said Ralph again, "and the spear stuck in a bit."

He felt the need of witnesses.

"Didn't you see me?"

Maurice nodded.

"I saw you. Right bang on his snout--Wheee!"



Themes
- Lord of the Flies (the pig head on the stake)
- Human instincts
- Savagery (Jack wants to use the pig head to be the sacrifice to the beast)

- Loss of intellect ( The pig symbolizes intellect and the hunters cut off its head)


This quarter is a turn of the story. Everything begins with the leave of Jack and the hunters. Jack and the hunters killed so many times that they are becoming brutal now. They attacked Ralph’s tribe and they cut off the pig’s head and put it on
a stake. They are turning into savages that follow few rules. They can now do whatever they want without any limit.

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