Blog # 4 : Lord of the Flies

This week in English we have been talking about Lord of the Flies and about how all the children have dispersed into their own team, Ralph vs. Jack! Most of the littleuns have stayed with Ralph and mostly all of the bigguns have gone with Jack except for Simon. Jack has become distant from the others and doesn't care anymore about Ralph and what he does. Golding has mentioned that Ralph has been having flashbacks and he mentions the wild ponies in two separate occasions because he is still thinking about his family and memories, he doesn't stick to the idea that he will be on the island for a long time.His dreams were trying to connect to his past life and now that he is in the wild, it is not just a dream anymore, it is real life and in order to survive he has to cope with what he has. Ralph has a peaceful and tranquil memory. Ralph had a barrier that would keep all the danger, that would come to him, away, the barrier was like a safety wall where there was rules and if you didn't follow them you would get in trouble, but now that he is displaced from the civilized society, he is becoming more wild and there are no more rules, parents, policemen, laws, school, and the barrier has disappeared. There is no more safety on the island and everyone has become wild. 
In Keating's class we also talked about what the black caps represented and about Jack's characterization. The black caps show that Jack feels more powerful and that his group is much more powerful than Ralph's group. The black caps shows that they turn to the dark side  and the group is showing loyalty to Jack. They are reestablishing militarism. They descent into savagery, they don't have the same civility as before and Jack is like a stain that marks the purity and innocence of others. Jack Characterizes himself as insecure, he needs to prove he's a leader. Now he wants to harm other boys which represents Militarism vs. Harmony.
                            
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Mr.Keating described that even boys from the same race, same education, same class, color, country, they decend into chaos. Golding steps back and we watch. it is "MAN KIND'S ESSENTIAL ILLNESS". Every single person has a breaking point. 

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In Lord of the Flies on page 142, Golding has Ralph forget about what the fire is for because he is focusing more on survival, than getting rescued. Ralph is progressing to savagery and he wants to come before the group's needs. This is significant because the most well behaved people also forget what the purpose is of getting of the island. In this same chapter, Simon goes to talk to the pig's head and the pig manipulates his mind by telling him to go hunt, to go be like the others. The Beast is a manifestation of war inside Simon's conscience. It is all magical realism because it shows that Simon is just talking to the pig in his mind. Lord of the Flies expands on the identity of the beast and only Simon can figure this out about talking to the pig. 

http://www.lucifereffect.com/  - The Lucifer Effect was a Stanford Prison Experiment at Stanford University. This experiment was a physiological account of how ordinary people turned crazy and evil after just being shut up in a basement "prison". The experiment involved college students; guards and prisoners. It was an experience of being out of control. One of the college students that was a guard said, "Once you put a uniform on, and are given a job to keep these people in line, you really become that person once you put on that khaki uniform, you put on the glasses,you take the night stick." In this case the prisoners forgot the reason of why they were there. The students has absorbed there roles and and they were so involved that they forgot they were students, not prisoners.The prisoners were ostracized from the rest of the world and they hated that they were told what to do by the guards. They became crazy and needed to be expunged (released) and some said "No, I can't leave, they will think I'm bad", but then they realized that it was just an experiment and they weren't really prisoners. This relates to how Ralph acted when he forgot what the fire was for. The fire was for getting rescued and he wasn't focusing on getting rescued. Though people are well behaved after being trapped on an island and being jailed in in a "prison" for so long, people actually forget the purpose of why they are there.

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In Lord of the Flies, chapter 9, Simon goes back into the jungle to go look for the beast. He sees the beast and notices that it is just a parachutist who has been rotting. Simon releases the corpse and gives him back his dignity. Simon see the good truth in humanity, sees deep into nature of reality, Simon is like a Christ figure, he is very candid. Simon is going back to the troop, to deliver the news that the beast is a parachutist. When Simon goes back to tell everyone the news, the boys start to reenact the hunting of the pig, and they mistake him for the beast and start attacking him with their bare hands and teeth. Jack bigots Simon because he is different from the other boys, he doesn't adapt to his surroundings. Eventually, the boys kill Simon and he jettisons over the rocks onto the beach and is swept into the ocean. Golding chooses to kill Simon because Simon is one of the good kids and Simon highlights savagery, fading of rational thinking, and goodness in society. Golding also takes Simon out because if Simon were to tell everyone that there was no beast, Jack would not be powerful anymore, he would not be the leader. The Actual Beast kills the news of the proposed beast. The way Simon is killed is significant because they tear him apart with their own hands and they act like beasts. The forget what they are doing and kill one of their own. 

   

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Peter Brook uses many different types of images and sounds to describe what happened before the plane crashed on the island/sea. Peter Brook sets up the story and gives us background. He gives black and white images to show how long ago this happened. He gives an image of an evacuation plan in case the students have to evacuate because they are at war. He gives an image of smoky clouds and planes to show that war has started and that there are many disasters and crashes. Peter Brook also gives sounds like a drum beat that relates to when the boys said "Next time we need a drum beat to go with the reenactment of the pig hunt." He also gives a gong crash to show when the plane crashes in the sea. He gives sounds of boys' singing to indicate what the boys' did at school. This is a transition from good to bad because it shows how happy people are and all of a sudden the war starts and planes start crashing. The adult conflict bleeds into the lives  of the kids. The sounds and images are used to give the movie/book visual and listening techniques and to heighten emotions. 

Blog # 3

This week in class we have been discussing Lord of the Flies,by William Golding and how everything is evolving into life or death situations!
Golding has characterized Jack in many ways that shows various changes in the novel. Jack has become more of an avaricious and stuck up boy where as before, he used to want to get off the island, wanted to take care of everyone, and behaved. Now all he wants to do is hunt and get meat for everyone, while Ralph, Simon, and the others need shelter, water, and the need to be rescued. Jack isn't thinking about survival skills,nor does he have the need to get rescued anymore like everyone else. He is not thinking about the little ones who need love, care, and safeness so that they don't cry at night because Ralph said that the little ones talked about a beast when they were asleep and they were scared of the "beast"! In my opinion, Jack IS the beast, because he has evolved into this crazy, wild boy who isn't responsible anymore, and he painted his face to make himself look different. But really he sees a different person when he sees himself with the mask on his face.He paints his face to change his appearance because he doesn't like the way he is. He makes himself more wild and creates a whole new Jack. The mask makes Jack feel more powerful and makes him think that he can do whatever he wants. He also wears the mask to be more furtive in the forest in order to kill a pig!

Jack has become very selfish with his actions. He hasn't been taking care of the fire in order for everyone to get rescued. He doesn't care for other people's feelings and hasn't been listening to Ralph even though he is the leader. During the feast of the pig, Jack kept on interrupting and wasn't following the rules about the conch. Jack always gets irascible and calls the children a bunch of babies and sissies that cry at night and are always talking about a beast. Ralph is very surprised by what Jack calls the children: the children are obviously going to cry when they have no one to look up to and feel safe around. Ralph is beginning to realize that the dreams that the children have are about how Jack is becoming more wild and beastly-like. 

While Ralph wants unity with the whole group and wants to get off the island, Jack worries about meat and lets the fire go out when a ship passed by. Jack tries to influence the younger boys to be scared so that he gets more power. Jack also contradicts himself when he says that there is no beats: but if there is, then i'll kill it! During the feast of the pig, I can see that the children are starting to pick who they are going to follow in order to be safe!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/29/charged-bullying-massachusetts-teen-killed/?test=latestnews

This current event represents the bullying that happened when Jack calls the boys sissies and babies. Jack just wants to seem like he has more power so he can do things on his own and not have a responsibility of taking care of the children and fire, ..etc.. In this situation, this young girl killed herself because she was being bullied and harassed at school. These young boys will soon be pressured to pick which side they will be part of (Jack's or Ralph's). Ralph has to make some decisions so that the children don't lose hope to get rescued!