English 2 · Pahomov · E Band Public Feed
Kill or Survive: Mindy Saw LoTF Essay
Kill or Survive
What does survival mean to you? In some cases people turn against each other, no matter how little or large they have of each other. There are many ways one can survive, but there are often situations where one doesn’t try and takes the easy way out. How does one survive with a group of people? Given a moment in certain situations, some may act civilized while others may not. Some may think about themselves only. While others who often has interactions with other people such as family, have a habit of caring for and thinking of others as well. Just like in the novel Lord of The Flies, many scenarios are given when the boys have choices among survival. Even so, when it comes down to survival in any case, the killings of other living things do not really come to mind because of the crave that they have for their own survival.
Survival being a huge deal to many people, people often do anything humanly possible for survival, even if it means killing other living things. In China, the Chinese people engage in killing and eating dogs. These dogs are either kept as pets that are torn apart from their owners or they are strays that roam around the streets. They call this tradition. They beat the dogs, they let it bleed out, and they use the blood for meat. “Dog meat is considered a delicacy in China, and traders deliberately kill them in the most painful ways possibly so the animals die filled with adrenaline; the Mirror noted”. They cage up the dogs allowing it to lack dehydration and exposure which led to kill hundreds of them at each killings. Although some may buy dogs not to eat but to keep as pets to campaign the cruelty towards animals, they are often taken from owners when food becomes desperate. After the death of the dogs, they are slaughtered, some even boiled alive, and then taken to markets to be sold. Some markets would take them alive and kill them in front of the people at the market when the buyers come to buy them. At first they claimed that the dogs were “emergency food” for when food becomes scarce, but over time this tradition of killing and eating dogs got out of control. Calling these happenings a tradition, they enjoy the flesh, bones, and blood of dogs. They believe it is a tradition for the survival of their lives dated back from years ago when food was actually scarce. But now they enjoy the killing and slaughterings of the dogs to soon eat for their survival. It turned into such a common thing that the majority of the Chinese people no longer cared about the lives of the poor living things.
This same action is done in the scene where the boys kill the pig and felt the proudness and excitement from doing so, especially Jack. He took the the twins with him to go kill the pig and led them back as they carry the pig that has been killed to eat. As he explains to Ralph how intense when the boys begin to chant “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.” In moments of this scene when Jack and the twins brought the pig to Ralph’s presence, Jack grows in excitement for his achievement, in a constant matter. Quoted in this moment of the scene, “Jack checked, vaguely irritated by this irrelevance but too happy to let it worry him.”We can light the fire again. You should have been with us Ralph. We had a smashing time. The twins got knocked over-” I cut the pig’s throat,” said Jack, proudly, and yet twitched as he said it” (69). From this quote, the cause of excitement that falls on Jack in this moment comes from his desire of being “big and proud.” He felt irritated when Ralph commented on his success and instead of giving any mind to it, he continued to brag upon his success of killing the pig for food. As British schoolboys, they do not ideally kill animals on the daily as a necessity. In this situation, Jack believes that he has the ability to do so with no adults to take matter into their hands. Given the fact that he brags about the killing in excitement makes him think that it was okay to kill a living animal since it was for their survival’s sake. He no longer gave any care to the animal. He describes how the killing went down to Ralph and for a moment he seemed to be uncomfortable being a British schoolboy, “I cut the pig’s throat,” said Jack, proudly, yet twitched as he said it.” This specific line from the previous quote expresses how he may have been uncomfortable killing the pig when he twitched as he spoke, yet still proud for the actions he’s done.
In China there are annual festivals to celebrate “dog meat”. At this festival, they kill over about 10,000 dogs, slaughtered, boiled, beaten, and bled out. This is no longer the fight for scarce food. It is now profound as enjoyment. To declare a whole festival where dogs are killed in front of cheering crowds is no longer a fight for survival. It is seen more as just enjoyment for the celebration they are not being stopped from. To the Chinese people the killings of dogs are found normal, but in certain scenes of the novel, killing pigs or attempting to are not normal nor realistic to happen for British schoolboys. Jack mentions how the pig squealed as the the boys crept up on her to then kill her. The chant that they made “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.” This chant brought the most similarity to the wrongdoings of the Chinese dog killing traditions. “Kill the pig.” They wanted the pig dead under any circumstances. “Cut her throat.” They wanted the pig killed in a humanly way. “Spill her blood.” They wanted the pig to suffer and bleed out to watch it be tortured. Relating back to the Chinese people standing in crowds to watch the dogs being killed and tortured so that they would soon be able to eat them in celebration. The inhumanly cruelty that both the characters in the book and the Chinese people have are because of their carelessness towards the living animals. They believe it is more important for them to survive. The only difference falls upon them when the the characters of Lord of The Flies had no choice, but to kill and eat the pig whereas the Chinese people had choices not to do so.
Survival. To survive is to do what it takes to keep living even if it means killing other living things. In Lord of The Flies, Jack and the boys kill the pig in excitement having done that, as in killing a live animal, for the first time. In real life, people in China kill, torture, slaughter, and boil dogs almost on the daily. Both scenarios started out as the fight for survival, then it turned into advantages, advantages for an easier life, for an enjoyable life. After the death of the pig, their characters become more fierce throughout the book in having to kill other living things. Also after the killings of the dogs, the Chinese took advantage of not being stopped to do so and started up a whole tradition and festival like celebration for the killing and eating of dog meat. In doing so, these people did not have empathy for the living animals anymore.
Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of The Flies. New York: Penguin, 2006.
Francis, Nathan. "Dog Boiled Alive: Shocking Video From China Shows Greyhound Being Slaughtered Before Cheering Crowd At Public Market." The Inquisitr News. The Inquisitr News, 07 Sept. 2016. Web. 31 Mar. 2017. http://www.inquisitr.com/3491289/dog-boiled-alive-shocking-video-from-china-shows-greyhound-being-slaughtered-before-cheering-crowd-at-public-market/
Cooper, Rob. "Dogs Destined for the Table: Horrific Images Show Animals Being Killed, Cooked and Served up as a Meal in Chinese Tradition." Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 25 June 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2017. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2164353/Horrific-images-dogs-killed-cooked-served-meal-sick-Chinese-tradition.html
Civilization vs Savagery: LoTF Essay by Ariana Flores
What makes an individual or a culture uncivilized? Some people may say lack of order, while others could say not socially advanced. However, what does someone consider to be savage? Stripping families from their home lands? Not allowing the conservation of one's culture? Physically abusing others? They all can be seen as unacceptable acts by those in the “civilized” world, and yet they are all acts that were perpetrated by supposedly “civilized” colonists as they [describe what they did]. However, killing for no reason and screaming threatening chants are no great deeds either. Readers of Lord of the Flies by William Golding, view the boys on the island the same way colonists view the “savages” they colonized.
In the scene where the boys on the island portray the killing of a pig, the “beast” emerges from the forest. This beast is no beast at all, but fear disguising Simon as a monster. "At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt onto the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, no movements but the tearing of the teeth and claws (153)." Here, the reenactment has turned into an execution of the "beast". The boys do not try to make peaceful contact or communication with the foreign living being in front of them. The vulnerability of the "beast" as it comes out of the forest is not taken into account by the boys, that maybe the "beast" has feelings and is scared. The adjectives get more intense as the scene goes on, using words like demented, dark, blind, urgent, unbearable. The intensity of the adjectives reaches a climax right before the “beast” is killed and when the boys turn into animals. Their fear blinded their better judgment, and enabled them to look further than the rumors of the beast. This caused them to kill one of their own, who was on his way to them to clear the air about the suspicions of the beast in the first place.
This behavior in the novel also happens in the real world. European pioneers encountered Native Americans, and much like the boys on the island killing the beast, almost destroyed all of the Native Americans. “[...],European conquest shattered many Native communities through forced relocation, warfare, broken treaties and foreign-brought diseases. Most Native communities were completely wiped out,” says Indian Youth.org. Europeans came into a new territory, claiming it as their own without thinking of the lives already present there. With this mindset, they did everything in their power to get rid of anyone who didn't look like them or embrace their culture while degrading them in the process.
Savage was a term used to describe the Native Americans. It is a word that was also incorporated into Lord of the Flies. In this scene, Ralph is furiously trying to avoid being caught by Jack’s tribe. “A smallish savage was standing between him and the rest of the forest, a savage striped red and white, and carrying a spear (195).” This depiction of a feral, small mammal of some sort is a complete one eighty compared to the seemingly innocent boys who crash landed on the island. Jack’s society has turned into a group of boys who smear the blood of animals on their faces, kill for sport, and who kill anyone who doesn’t agree with their ways. In other words, being brought up civilized does not mean that children stay civilized without the guidance of an adult at an age where they're malleable. The “savage” nature will be forced away when the children would be brought back to society. However, the after effects would still be traumatic and possibly cause the children to question what's right and what's wrong after Roger mercilessly killed Piggy in front of many witnesses, who did not necessarily protest, because Piggy did not agree with the conceptions of the new tribe under the leadership of Jack.
This representation of a savage correlates with the European perspective of Native Americans. National Humanities Center.org encourages students to watch 1990 Academy Award winner, Dances with Wolves as opposed to 1992 adaption of James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel Last of the Mohicans. The novel was based on the earliest meetings of Europeans and Native Americans. “Besides a sympathetic white hero in line with Cooper’s own Natty Bumppo, it starkly contrasts “good” Indians (the ever-so-noble Lakotas) and “bad” Indians (the villainous Pawnees, with their roach-cuts and face paint making them look like English “punks” on a rampage).” The painting of faces, and spears are something commonly associated with the “savage”/ “bad” Indians. Familiarity struck with this portrayal, which fit the description of Jack’s tribe. However, the Iroquois Confederacy is what the current Democratic Republic is based off of here in the United States. European philosophical ideas that Locke and Rousseau published were established from Native American ideas. The Europeans called Native Americans savages while they were the ones who published Native Americans ideals, captured Native American land, and took Native American lives?
Overall, biased information can change lives. Decisions based on prejudice won’t necessarily benefit the human race as a whole. Claiming things that aren’t your own, also does not benefit one or more groups in the situation. This is something learned since childhood. However, sometimes it takes people a long time to learn one lesson, and they often have to learn it the hard way.
Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
Dippie, Brian W. "American Indians: The Image of the Indian, Nature Transformed, TeacherServe®, National Humanities Center." American Indians: The Image of the Indian, Nature Transformed, TeacherServe®, National Humanities Center. National Humanities Center, May 2008. Web. 31 Mar. 2017. <http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/indimage.htm>
"Chp 4: Ennobling `Savages', Native America in European natural-rights philosophy, "Exemplar Of Liberty"." Chp 4: Ennobling `Savages', Native America in European natural-rights philosophy, "Exemplar Of Liberty". N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2017. <https://ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/EoL/chp4.html>
"Traditions & Culture." Traditions & Culture | Running Strong. N.p., 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2017. <http://indianyouth.org/american-indian-life/traditions-culture>
The Conch Shell: LOTF Essay- Salsabeel Elbakhadaoui
The Victor and The Victim: LOFT Essay (Christina Santana)
Christina Santana
Miss Pahomov
English 2
31 March 2017
The Victor and The Victim
Innocence. A state so simplistic in its nature, but yet so intimidating and complex to others. It seems baffling, seeing as how innocence is seen as such a positive trait in children, but viewed as a weakness in adults. The complexity of this trait confuses people and makes them doubt themselves, causing them to direct their anger towards their counterparts that radiate innocence. When outbursts of conflict arise, innocent people get killed because the malice and ignorance of their counterparts overpowers their limited ability to protect themselves. In many cases, the people who are affected by these outbursts of violence are bystanders to the madness, victims who were harmed for no reason other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although they could have also been attacked due to their killer’s disdain for them, using their innocence as a dehumanization technique, and counting them as no more than targets who won't fight back. Things like bias and pre-existing prejudices act as a catalyst in the underlying fear that causes people to go after things they don’t understand. In a world where dominance can always overpower innocence, nice guys finish last.
In the novel Lord of The Flies, by William Golding, a group of boys get stranded on a deserted island due to the dawn of a new world war. As conflict arises and order deteriorates, it is up to them to create a makeshift civilization that will protect them from any problems they may face in the future. After having his glasses stolen by the savages, Piggy goes on a conquest to retrieve them. The savages, a group of bloodthirsty adolescent boys, have no empathy for Piggy and no intention to give him his glasses back. As Piggy continues to plead for his glasses, one the savages releases a boulder that crushes him to pieces, killing him in an instant. While the savages were unbothered by his death, Piggy’s friend Ralph was distraught. "Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy,” (202) the narrator says. This quote shows us that Piggy’s death was a shock to Ralph, and the end of a support system. Especially because Piggy was the smartest and most innocent person on the island. He wouldn’t have hurt a fly. The savages’ self-loathing attributes and their want for power overrules their once keen senses that prevented them from hurting others. They see the innocent being as the easiest target to take down on their mission to rise to power. They have no worry that there would be a backlash of attack. This situation is comparable to the Syrian War where innocent people are being killed due to the ignorance and malice of others. They’re lives are taken out of account as they become another number on a death toll, meaning nothing to their murders. Just like the savages, the fighters in Syrian War care more about themselves than the people they are effecting. They take the lives of others with the intention of making an impact for their cause, but instead they take the lives of innocent people. People who did nothing but try to stay out of trouble.
In an article listed on BBC, they referenced The Syrian War as the “Deadliest Year For Children Yet”. According to UNICEF, about 8.4 million - 80% of Syria’s child population - have been affected by this war. Which leads to the question, how could these innocent children be expected to defend themselves when their enemies attack in packs, using weapons and explosives to kill thousands at a time? Fear. The fear of not accomplishing their goals, the fear of the consequences they will face it they go against their leader, the fear of losing. Leading them to go after targets who they know they could win against. Targets who are too young to defend themselves or petrified enough to render them defenseless. After being so fearful to others, attackers being to get scared of themselves. They create facades to hide them from reality, and use them as a way to become a new person. During a roam around the island, the boys discover paint. Jack, the hunter of the group, became enthralled with this new discovery and decided to use the paint to create a mask for himself. As the narrator says, "The mask was a thing of its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness" (34). By looking at this quote, the reader can see that the mask is what Jack uses to “become” a savage.. It acts as a trademark of his savagery, representing the liberation he receives from forgetting the morals he once valued so deeply.
Statistics show that Syrian children are showing symptoms of psychological strain from the traumas of witnessing war. From observing the mannerisms of the characters in Lord of The Flies, we can see that multiple characters have been affected by the constant threat of violence that surrounds the island. They even show symptoms of anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. The traits of their disorders are especially shown after one of the boys gets scared by something they saw in the woods. Leaving a outburst of fear on the island, due to the impending predator that they call now call “The Beastie”. In order to calm down the panicked and fearful children Jack says, "Fear can't hurt you any more than a dream. There aren't any beasts to be afraid of on this island. Serve you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies!" (79) As displayed in the quote, Jack is clearly insensitive towards the feelings of his companions. He dismisses their fear and quickly devises a way to ignore their persistent cries for help. This is a common occurrence, not only in Lord of The Flies, but also throughout our society today. Specifically in the Syrian War where the Syrian government ignores the their civilians attempt to gain help from the enemy. This relates back to innocence because people in positions of power take innocence as a sign of weakness. They view it as something that makes people inferior to them. Something that makes them easy to take down. Innocence is looked at as something to be taken, a prize to be won, a medal to be displayed to represent the impact of the action at hand.
What begins as a peaceful uprising ends as a mourning for loss. Leaving the once confident and innocent being harmed by the actions of its predator. It’s common occurrence in our everyday society, causing people to be fearful of their competitors, and causing them to be fearful of the unknown harm they could face. Because of the fear of the unknown, people hole up and allow others to trample over them. Thus fulfilling the statement nice guys finish last. The sad truth is that the ones who are dominant often understand their dominance, which allows them to take over the ones who are considered “nice”.
Works Cited
"Children of Syria By the Numbers." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, n.d. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/children-of-syria-by-the-numbers/>.
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin, 2006.
Moore, Jack. "Syria war death toll hits 321,000 with 145,000 more missing: Monitor." Newsweek. N.p., 18 Mar. 2017. <http://www.newsweek.com/sixth-anniversary-syrian-conflict-looms-war-monitor-says-465000-killed-or-567181>.
Pruitt, Sarah. "New Book Sheds Light on the Murder of Emmett Till." History.com A&E Television Networks, 03 Feb. 2017. <http://www.history.com/news/new-book-sheds-light-on-the-murder-of-emmett-till-the-civil-rights-movement>.
"Syria war: 2016 deadliest year yet for children, says Unicef." BBC News. BBC, 13 Mar. 2017. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39252307>.
Ole, Ole, Ole - Majd Bostani
Majd Bostani
Ms. Pahomov
English 2 - E Band
March 31, 2017
Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole!
Everyone that has ever been in a large, excited crowd has participated in a chant. Whether the chant is at a sports game rooting for the home team, a protest against an unjust system, or in the case of the savage tribe Lord of the Flies, to celebrate the killing of a pig. These cheers can be used for a variety of reasons: to encourage an individual, excite an action, and/or indicate approval. Each of these outcomes shows that cheers unite a community toward a common goal, and help empower each other to achieve that goal.
In the twelfth chapter of Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the original tribe has separated. There is Ralph, who got dumped by all of his former allies, and is attempting to fend for himself. The rest of the kids on the island formed a savage tribe united under Jack. They threatened Ralph by means of death, to try to get him off of the island. One night, Ralph heard “Kill the pig, cut his throat, spill his blood.” (186) through the trees. Ralph concluded that the savages must be living on the other side of the island. Ralph remembered the chant from when the original tribe would kill a pig and sit around a fire to consume it. Thus he reminisced everyone sitting around together as one. Consequently, Ralph revised a strategy of how he was going to survive, because he was alone and outnumbered by a tribe of his former partners who are threatening to kill him.
Ralph and Piggy - two of the main characters in the book of Lord of The Flies by William Golding found a conch on the island. “He kind of spat,” (16) Piggy instructed Ralph on how to make sound with conches. Following Piggy’s instructions, Ralph blew into the conch which made a loud sound, that could be heard throughout the entire island. “Meanwhile Ralph continued to blow till voices shouted in the forest. A small boy squatted in front of Ralph, looking up brightly and vertically.” (18) Right before the reader’s eyes, a community was brought together. Thanks to this chant, and communication, kids on both sides of the scene were reassured that they weren’t alone. Ralph and Piggy then had the reassurance that they will have the manpower to make a civilization and survive as one unit. It also gave Johnny, who was very young, small, and presumably very afraid, the comfort of having other people with him.
According to William Golding, one of the main purposes for writing Lord of the Flies was to make a book with ample connections to modern society. As stated before, chanting occurs a lot in the world of sports. The spectators gathered around the playing field are yelling, screaming, hooting, and hollering for their home team to win the game. A Sports Illustrated article published in 1992 stated, “Although players and coaches usually have no response to the chanting, fans still do it. This is because they feel personally connected to the teams because of their hometowns, ....” This quote demonstrates that people chant to make themselves feel a part of a bigger movement. In this case, that would be the community of the hometown. This is encountered in Lord of the Flies when the boys would chant. The chant made the boys feel in the mood to kill a pig, and helped them get the encouragement to kill it.
Chanting is one thing humans instinctively do when in a crowd that is dedicated to a task. It doesn’t matter whether it is to support the home team, to encourage something like a fight, or the killing of a pig. At the moment of the chant, it is easy to overlook just how infectious the environment is. However, it is promoting community, unity, and loyalty. Chants allow people the feeling the feeling that their message will get across; especially if the person they are trying to send their message to is in the area.
Works Cited:
Jasmine Watkins @JasmineLWatkins Published on Sep. 26, 2014 Sep. 26, 2014. "'Derek Jeter' chant breaks out at Fenway Park." Sporting News. N.p., 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
"Student Activites | Bryn Mawr College." Student Activites | Bryn Mawr College. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin, 2016.
Dawe, TJ. "Why Do People Cheer for Their Team?" Beams and Struts - A Magazine for Hungry Brains and Thirsty Souls. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
An analysis of fear - Messele Asfaw
Fear is a key theme that shows up throughout all of human history. Some might even argue that it’s one of the fundamental aspects of human behaviour that control how people think. The topic of fear has been talked about, suggested, and even debated about many times. A lot of the times it has been brought up, it is because fear has had ties to violence in one way or another and because the humanity of it is being discussed. Such an example can be shown with the occurrence of the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials were a series of unfair prosecutions and eventual hangings of innocent lives. This is because people were scared of the fact that they could be witches. The development of mass hysteria is not to be expected however because it is human nature to fear what cannot be understood. As Andrew Smith once said, “People fear what they don't understand and hate what they can't conquer.” A lot of this quote is also proven in the book Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. The book follows a group of English boys, aged 6-12, who get stranded on a deserted Island. The group must then make decisions to ensure their survival. The theme of fear often shows up in Golding’s writing and he makes it a point to include it in their choices. Fear is an emotion which leads people to make rash decisions, and to ignore rational thinking.
While the fact that there are no adults around is scary enough to these children, surprisingly, the idea of a beast scares them even more. While two of the boys were attending to the fire, which they hoped would get the attention of a ship, the two boys encounter what they think is a beast. The two boys, named Sam and Eric, get hurt trying to get away from this so called beast. The rest of the boys come to confront them about, and then have a discussion regarding the next best course of action. “ “Frightened?” “Course I’m frightened. Who wouldn’t be(100)?”... “Stay here? And be cramped into this bit of the island always on the lookout? … “What about the littleuns?” “Sucks to the littleuns(101).” . Jack allows for Ralph to openly admit that he is scared. But by proving that Jack was not scared, he makes way for the rest of the group go to him for leadership. This is because when humans are faced against something they cannot comprehend, they fear it. This fear turns to anger, and this anger needs to be let out somehow. The way that the boys let this anger out is that they decide to hunt the beast. This isn’t all however. The fear of the beast is greater than the need to protect their young. At this point in time, fear overpowers every other emotion and allows them to make the reckless decision to put all their effort into hunting a beast that doesn’t exist, rather than look for a way to get help.
The Salem Witch Trials are another example of this. The Salem Witch Trials took place in 1692, and basically, people went around accusing others of witchcraft. Of course, the accusations were false but mass hysteria was at play here so it didn’t really matter. Mass hysteria is described as the phenomenon that transmits collective illusions of threats, whether real or imaginary(in this case imaginary), through a population in society as a result of rumors and fear. One of the wrongfully accused had something to say about this while awaiting trial in prison. "The Magistrates, Ministers, Jewries, and all the People in general, being so much inraged and incensed against us by the Delusion of the Devil, which we can term no other, by reason we know in our own Consciences, we are all Innocent Persons." This man, John Procter, understands that everyone around him is a victim to mass hysteria. He understands this and he accepts this, yet he can’t do anything about it. This type of fear that was produced by these so called “witches” yet again overpowered the need to have rational thinking. It led people to make a decision void of rational thinking.
As the story progresses, we see the intensity of the fear the boys display change too. What once was just a story made up by one of the littleuns, is now a terrifying truth to them. This change in intensity can also correlate to the intensity to the distance they have grown apart from society (which could be a reason they are being scared this much). When the boys are sitting listening to the surrounding environment for the beast, it is described as so, “They lay there listening, at first with doubt but then with terror to the description the twins breathed at them with bouts of extreme silence. Soon the darkness was full of claws, full of the unknown and menace(99).” This buildup of fear causes more tension between the group of boys and leads to many more bad decisions. In the beginning of the book, they would normally just play this off as nonsense. But as they continuously get more and more savage, and they continuously get more and more hostile, their attitudes toward everything requires them to feel in control.
Fear is a very important emotion. Arguably, the most important emotion. The addition of fear to any number of factors when making a decision, greatly affects the outcome, as seen with the examples stated above. Previously, the quote from Andrew Smith, “People fear what they don’t understand…” is very applicable to the scenarios described above. In fact, it describes them perfectly. The concept of fear has been important throughout the book, throughout the birth of rational decision making, and throughout the history of humans in general, but it is this very same concept that allows people to make decisions that do not seem smart.
Works Cited
"Salem Witch Trials." Salem Witch Trials. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017. <http://fearparanoiaintheunitedstates.weebly.com/salem-witch-trials.html>.
"Salem Witch Trials." Salem Witch Trials. A&E Television Networks, 2011. Web. 30 Mar. 2017. <http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials>.
"Salem Village Witchcraft Victims' Memorial at Danvers." Salem Village Witchcraft Victims' Memorial at Danvers. The Salem Village Witchcraft Tercentennial Committee of the Town of Danvers, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017. <http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/Commemoration.html#Words>.
Goulding, william. Lord of the flies. New York:Penguin,2006
Lord of the Flies Essay - Bea Gerber
The perception of something is more powerful than the thing itself. When we are faced with an object, for example a peace sign, we see much more than just a circle with some lines through it. Our minds take into account the opinions of others, the places we’ve seen the symbol, and the way that it is typically used. The final judgement we give of the peace sign takes all of this data into account and influences how we perceive it; in this case, as a symbol of peace, safety, and kindness. The fact that others have the power to control how we perceive things means that they also have the power to destroy those views -- and one way to do this is by attacking the items we associate with those powers. People destroy symbols, both literally and figuratively, in order to assign a new meaning to those objects.
Before 1920, the hooked cross, or swastika, was no more a symbol ofr evil than the cross or Star of David. In fact, the symbol had been used for religious purposes for over 5,000 years before Adolf Hitler claimed it as the face of the National Socialist Party in Germany. Jainism, Hinduism, Odinism, Buddhism, Aryan nomads, and many other groups used and/or still use the swastika as a religious symbol. For them, the swastika represents the movement of the sun across the sky. It’s name comes from a Sanskrit word that means “well being,” and it symbolizes luck, prosperity, the creator, the Buddha, and rebirth; a stark contrast to what the symbol became known for after Hitler stole it. His reasoning behind choosing the symbol was that he needed to put a face to the party. He needed something to draw in the working people and to give them hope. The swastika was chosen, in particular, because of the Aryan’s ancient ties to German culture. Hitler falsely took this to mean that if the Aryan’s used it and were ancestors of the Germans, then the swastika had always been an anti-semitic symbol, making it perfect for his regime. The Nazi flag became a red background to symbolize movement, a white circle to symbolize the Nationalist ideals, and a black swastika in the center to symbolize the struggle for victory of the Aryans. Regardless of its pleasant religious ties, after Hitler claimed the swastika as the symbol of Nazi Germany, the old meaning was destroyed. The swastika will never regain its former peaceful glory because Adolf Hitler destroyed it in order to create his symbol of terror. From this we can see that no matter how strong or positive a symbol may be, once destroyed, the destroyers have the power to give it an entirely new meaning.
This theme of assigning new meaning to symbols is also found in William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies. In the final chapter, Ralph has been exiled by the remaining boys on the island and is being hunted by them in the woods. When they first arrived on the island, the boys killed a pig together and placed its head on a spear as a symbol of their power. While running away, Ralph finds this relic, and stops to think: “The skull regarded Ralph like one who knows all the answers and won’t tell. A sick fear and rage swept him. Fiercely he hit out at the filthy thing in front of him that bobbled like a toy and came back, still grinning into his face, so that he lashed and cried out in loathing,” (185). Understanding the contrast in Ralph’s relationship with the skull before and after this interaction is key to breaking apart this quote. The skull on the spear is a standing symbol of power. It was constructed by the boys to make them feel strong at a time when they were unified, so it can be thought of as a symbol of their strength and unity. The fact that Ralph finds this symbol of unity as he is running away from the boys he now feels completely isolated from is pretty striking. In that moment, Ralph feels something, most likely betrayal when thinking about it as a symbol of unity, and starts to destroy the skull. This skull represents the boys. This object that he once looked to to feel safe now makes him paniced and destructive. As in Nazi Germany, a once cheerful symbol has taken on a completely opposite meaning thanks to its destroyer.
Directly after punching the skull, Ralph reflects on what he’s done, and how the symbol has changed for him; “Then he was licking his bruised knuckles and looking at the bare stick, while the skull lay in two pieces, its grin now six feet across. He wrenched the quivering stick from the crack and held it as a spear between him and the white pieces. Then he backed away, keeping his face to the skull that lay grinning at the sky,” (185). Here, the changed meaning of the symbol fully comes to life. Ralph has hit the skull, effectively destroying the bond the boys once had, even though it injures him. He is hurt by the destruction of something they built as one. Next, Ralph looks at the bare stick, and this is where a switch in his thinking happens. Previously, he has not been too focussed on self defense, and was only acting out of anger and fear. Now, he physically separates the spear from the skull. He makes a weapon out of something he loves. He destroys something he cares about in order to defend himself. He has to use the boys against themselves, and in the end of the story, that is basically what he does. Ralph is forced to outsmart the boys at their own game. This short interaction between Ralph and the skull not only demonstrates a change in Ralph’s mindset, but also in the traits of a key symbol from the novel. After this section, the old meaning is completely gone, and only the new destructive meaning remains. Ralph has injured himself during the process of this transformation, proving how unstoppable a motivated destroyer can be.
A powerful person is someone who can alter the minds of others. Both in Nazi Germany and on the island in Lord of the Flies, a powerful person changed the perception of an object, either to German citizens or to readers. By taking a joyous symbol and turning it evil, both men gained power and strength over their lives and the lives of those around them. Hitler was able to command the masses to commit a genocide, and Ralph was able to command himself to be fearless and survive. While one may have had a most massive impact on our world, both are equally good examples of people destroying old symbolic meanings to create their own new ones.
Citations:
"History of the Swastika." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
"The Swastika: A Sign of Good Luck Becomes a Symbol of Evil." Holocaust Teacher Resource Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
"What the Swastika means - Times of India." The Times of India. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.Savagery Unborn - Harlem Satterfield
Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of young boys stranded on a completely deserted island. They are left to fend for themselves with little to nothing. At first, it seemed simple; one boy would be chief, one group would hunt for food and another would build shelters and support the others. However, the island’s limited resources and conflicts in the group slowly drove most of the boys to madness and savagery. They no longer saw right from wrong; all they saw was hunt, kill, and fun. They are left with much worse than what they started with and even though they do get saved, the trauma of the experience leaves with them. The conditions and the way we express anger and savagery affects not only how others see us, but how we see the world around us and what we do.
Anger is a recurring emotion in our lives, and a powerful one. This emotion can take over anyone, even the best of us. It reprograms our brains and can lead us to do things we can never imagine ourselves doing, such as crime and murder. Some people argue that extreme anger and savagery are results of negative genes. In that case, the victim would have no control over their negative actions. Others believe that situations with severe limitations, such as the predicament in Lord of the Flies, are what drive people to madness. Take Jack for example. We’ll get into it later, but Jack is a character who exhibits anger and savagery throughout the novel.
Before we do anything, let’s take a look at Jack. At the start of the book, Jack was a complete jerk, but he at least understood the situation at hand and offered to help the others survive. He also wanted to be chief at the beginning of the book, but didn't get nearly as many votes as Ralph did. “‘All right. Who wants Jack for chief?’ With dreary obedience the choir raised their hands. ‘Who want’s me’ Every hand outside the choir except Piggy’s was raised immediately. Then Piggy, too, raised his hand grudgingly into the air. ‘I’m chief then.’” (23). After this little election, Jack was pretty upset about not becoming chief. On the plus side, he became in charge of a choir of boys, who’d later become his troop of hunters. This setback has probably increased his anger, though as of now, he shows no ill will to Ralph. Besides, he gets to hunt. That’s something he’s offered and has been willing to do since he got on the island.
Now, let’s skip ahead a couple chapters. One time, when Jack and a few others came back from hunting, Ralph got mad at them because they let the signal fire go out. “Ralph spoke. ‘You let the fire go out.’ Jack checked, vaguely irritated by this irrelevance but too happy to let it worry him.”(69). Jack must’ve been very proud of his catch, and he must love hunting. “‘I cut the pig’s throat,’ said Jack, proudly, and yet twitched as he said it. ‘Can I borrow yours, Ralph, to make a nick in the hilt?’” Hunting seems to be an outlet for him, a way to escape from the other boys and express himself. He and the other hunters love the activity so much that they even made little chant they say whenever they capture a pig. “Kill the pig. Cut the throat. Spill her blood.” This chant varies throughout the book. However, they did let the fire go out, and thus missed a chance to be rescued, much to Ralph’s dismay. He chews Jack out for blowing it, and then Jack gets mad, presumably because his kill wasn’t as important as the situation at hand. “I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk, But you can’t even build huts-then you go off hunting and let out the fire-”(71). Ralph is starting to act a lot like a parent to the others, him being chief. Jack must like the idea of no grownups around, and Ralph is ruining that. Still, nothing was going to stop Jack from hunting pigs, he’s getting to be addictive to it. And then this happens. “This from Piggy, and the wails of agreement from some of the hunters, drove Jack to violence. The bolting look came into his blue eyes. He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy’s stomach.”(71) This little shenanigan angered Jack as well, and quote reveals that he’s been itching to hit someone for a while. Now that’s two things that make Jack angry: power and Ralph’s parenting. He’s on his way to savagery.
Let’s look towards the end of the book. At this time, nothing is in order. Savagery and anger have taken over Jack, who has broken away from the group and began his own tribe, gaining many followers. This leaves only Ralph, Piggy, and the two twins, Sam and Eric. One night, Jack’s savages break into what’s left of their shelters, ravage the place and steal Piggy’s glasses. The next morning, the four boys head over to the castle rock, the other tribe’s home, in hopes of getting the glasses back. When Jack refuses, Ralph calls him a thief, and the two fight. “Jack made a rush and stabbed at Ralph’s chest with his spear. Ralph sensed the position of the weapon from the glimpse he caught a Jack’s arm and put the thrust aside with his own butt. Then he bought the end round and caught Jack a stinger across the ear. They were chest to chest, breathing fiercely, pushing and glaring.” (177).
Despite Jack’s superiority, Ralph was right about everything; he was initially voted to be chief, and Jack did attack them and stole Piggy’s glasses. Ralph tries to reason with him, but the Jack he knew was long gone. He wasn’t hiding behind just a painted face, but savagery and anger have clouded him, making him a completely different person, feared by even his tribe members. That’s enough to make anybody crazy. There seems to be three things that sent Jack over the edge: hunger, desire for power, and Ralph’s constant nagging and superiority. By the way, it’s a fact that hunger can cause savagery. The kids on the island have been living water, nuts, berries, and, for some, pig meat. That isn’t very much food to get through the day. Anyway, Jack has always been someone who doesn’t like to be defied, especially by someone who he thinks is inferior to him. And now here was Ralph walking up to him demanding things, again.
In these horrid conditions, Jack became a savage. Again, there were three things that set him off: hunger, power, and Ralph. This island experience was traumatizing for everyone, but I think Jack was affected the most. His thirst for hunting and violence made him a perfect victim of savagery, which I honestly think was bound to happen.
Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin, 2006.
Brown, Zachary. "Can Extreme Hunger Trigger Humans to Become Savages?"Www.quora.com. Www.quora.com, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.<https://professorianrobertson.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/savagery-explained-5-reasons-humans-become-inhuman/>
"Savagery Explained: 5 Reasons Humans Become Inhuman." The Winner Effect. N.p., 18 Aug. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.<https://www.quora.com/Can-extreme-hunger-trigger-humans-to-become-savages>
Deans, Emily. "A Gene For Violence?" Psychology Today. Www.psychologytoday.com, 30 Oct. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.<https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201410/gene-violence>
Could a day get better?
“Hmm what do I still need to do today?”
“Ughh, why can’t I think? Hmmmmm.”
“Ohh that’s right, I still need to go food shopping, and I still have to drop that sweater off at Jack’s house, hmmmm homework, laundry, cleaning my room, blaah blaah.”
“Ughh I’m so tired? Why do I always have so much to do,? I just want a break.” (Sigh)
“I'm writing a letter to you (laugh), even though I know you're never going to receive it but I'm just going to update you on the things that have been happening so far In my life. I wish you were here it would've been different, not (hesitates)-hard, I miss you so much you can’t imagine..and-and sophomore year now, uhh it's crazy!”
“The days are flying by so fast. I still remember the day we were applying for middle schools you and I and now here, IN high school already.”
“It sucks, it really does!”
The amount of homework you get! It bothers me that I have such a big responsibility not only in school, but at home as well.
I feel like they think after school from 3:00 to whatever time I go to bed is all for homework, it isn’t, I need to take a nice long nap once I get back from school A BREAK and I wake up until really late and then there's all this homework I have to do ughhh
Life and school can be exhausting and being a teenager I know you never got to teenager but it sucks.
They think that I - (hesitate) Well teenagers are soooo bad but really it's not like that being a teenager is just stressful I don't understand what can we do that's so bad when all we want is to take a break it's not like we can go anywhere Where just stressed and want a nap and a break from everything and we have a bunch of homework so we can't do anything anyways
And on top of all of it they never trust you and blame your phone for everything like “I'm hungry” that's because of your phone then they just make you hate yourself for even talking in the first place and TO BE HONEST this is 100% accurate to all teenagers all they really want is a bowl of popcorn and watching Netflix and curled up on the couch with a blanket even when our friends texted us saying hey do you want to hang out “I'm really busy today” But we actually arnt were laying on our bed watching a movie. That's all we really want is a break and for everyone to stop thinking that teenaghers make stupid decsions and are reckless and cannot be trusted. That’s in the movies but in reality it's not true at all more and more reasons why i’m so stressed and don't even get me started on boy problems ughhhh so confusing but so far my day sucks just like every other day so i’m kind of used it and I… (Cut off)
Wooaaahhh! (Shake)
okaaayy…. (Confused/scared feeling)
“probably just a little bump, no big deal”
“I mean they're just a little scared because we weren’t expecting it, Right ?”
(Because everyone looks scared)
“Okayyyy…. Um, what just happened?”
“Why are the lights getting dimmer?” Ahhh (holding on)
Woooaaaaaaahhhh!
“What’s going on?”
“OH MY GOD, What’s happening?”
“What's going on I can’t see anything”
“OH MY, T-Tthe lights are off!”
AHAHHHHHHHH!!!
(people screaming)
“COULD THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE ?!”
(Hyperventilating)
“It stopped” (surprised happy)
“It stopped, it actually stopped”(everybody gets quiet)
(Banging)
They're going to save us they are
(low) they are
I guess a day could get a little better (smiles)
(small laugh)
Ignorance
Make sure you call me when you get home. I don’t know why you didn’t let my mom drive you,Said my friend.
It’s cool, and I’ll call you as soon as my foot touches my front step. I promise.
Before I locked my phone, I saw the red low battery at the top of my screen. 20 percent. Why the hell didn’t I charge my phone when I had a chance to. Now it’s about to die, and I need to get home. I just need to walk past the Mcdonald's on Oregon Avenue to get the G bus. The only thing is, I don’t know where I am now. This is actually my first time on this side of South Philly. I never stay out this late. Especially in unknown neighbourhoods, I should know better than that. At least I had fun, I haven’t seen my friends in a long time. They do say, time goes faster when you’re having fun, right? 18 percent.The street signs blended into the darkness of the night. I couldn’t even read the letters. It took me minute or so to realize I was about 8 blocks down from where I needed to be. Great. If I had charged my phone I could use siri, but I need to preserve as much battery as I can. I need to think more, mom would kill me if she knew I let my phone die like this. Speaking of, let me tell her I am on my way home.
Hey mom, everything is all good. I am heading home now, ttyl.
I hope she replies before my phone dies.
Where are you? Said my mom, her text message lit up my phone. Almost as a beacon, for my journey ahead.
I'm heading toward 12th and Oregon to catch the bus now, I have to walk through a few neighborhoods.
She replied, Ok be careful. Please call when you get on the bus.
11 percent.
Oh wow, I walked four blocks already? This isn’t so bad. The streetlights on this side of the street are getting dimmer though, so I should probably cross over.
Hey you nigger! Get out of our neighborhood, before we have to force you out. Your kind isn’t welcomed around here.
Who is he talking to? He isn’t talking to me right? Is there anyone else walking besides me? I turned a round, and saw a group of tall men on the corner of a pub. They’re probably drunk.
Yeah keep on, somebody watch her and make sure she doesn’t disappear into the night.
Are I would have never thought of hearing this outside of a Hollywood Movie! I thought of saying something, but my body kept moving forward. He really just called me that. So much for times have changed, “We Are the World” bullcrap! You know what, why don’t I say something back? I’ll shut him down real quick. I tried to gather the words to say, but my mind blocked me from putting them together. My brain was like an intense game of scrabble. Why couldn’t I twist words off the tip of my tongue, and hurt this man’s pride like he did mine? The word kept repeating in my mind, like a broken record in a way taunting me. WHY COULDN’T I SAY ANYTHING! I realized, I could never stoop down that low. To judge someone for something they cannot change, is not who I am. The difference between him and I is
Ignorance.
I’m not even gonna give this racist the time of day. The bus stop is right down the block. To avoid this, I’ll just hurry along before this escalates. I hear a commotion, are they following me? I’m already on my way, Leave me alone! There goes the bus, I need to run. Running seems like the only way to escape the harassment. I ran to the bus, swiped my pass and I smiled to my bus driver. I pulled out my phone to text my mom, 5 percent.
Mom, I’m on the bus. Man do I have a story to tell you.
ENG2-022
- Term
- 2016-17