Is It Good or Evil?

Everything in the world is identified as a certain stereotype such as, good or evil. People believe in many different things no matter if they are good or bad. Society is different in many ways which is why everyone will always have a different opinion. People identify certain things as good or evil with the thoughts that are put into their heads. Jesus is a man who gave up his life for other people’s sins. He sits on a Cross and this is suppose to represent how much Jesus has done for us. Catholics believe what Jesus did is a good thing but others do not. Others believe that what happened to Jesus was cruel. An object can symbolize both good and evil because people interpret the meaning of it in different ways and what seems right to them.

The “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding is a book that focuses on the thought of what is civilized or savage. Boys are stranded on an island and they go through a series of changes in their actions and emotions. Towards the beginning of the book when most of the boys are introduced, they set a rule for the conch. “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” (33) The conch was a shell used to bring all of the boys together. The boys could never get everyone to be silent while one of them was talking. It gave the right to only let one of the boys speak at a time. If one person was not holding the conch, they did not have the right to speak. The boys wanted to keep rules so that everyone would be kept under control since there were leaders, who were Ralph and Jack. The conch set boundaries for the boys and played a part in ways for them to gain respect for each other. It helped them keep an organized system and it had some type of good power to it. It represented good in the beginning because they were using it in a way so that everyone would have a voice.

In some families, hanging Crosses around the house symbolizes good. People believe that having the Cross in their home will keep the demons out and they will be protected at all times. A man named Billy Graham wrote an article called “The Meaning of the Cross”.  It talks about how the Cross shows the depth of people’s sins. Sometimes someone does not realize the actual meaning of their sins, but seeing the Cross reminds them of that. The Cross acts as a pardon for those who aren’t ready for death. “Now,” said the man, “write this beneath them all: The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth from all sin” (Cf. 1 John 1:7). Having the Cross around gives people the thought that they will go to heaven even if they have sinned. It shows that there is always a way for God to forgive everyone for all the bad they have done. In these ways the Cross symbolizes good since there is so much positive meaning to it just as the conch.

The conch didn’t last long at all. The boys were pushing away the system they had created because each boy wanted to be heard and the conch couldn’t control that. Since the boys were stranded on an island, they began to show savage-like behavior. The conch began to represent evil because before they stopped using it, they were using the conch to have a voice over everyone else’s. “You’re hindering Ralph. You’re not letting him get to the most important thing.” (34) Piggy, who was one of the other boys on the island, was never really heard from the boys. He had a little more sense of the situation they were in and the boys were not listening to Piggy, which is why the conch did not go as planned. The leaders set up these rules so that they could follow a system, but having the conch really only made one person overpower the rest. The main people being heard in the group were the leaders, but mostly Ralph.

What happened to Jesus on the Cross was crucial. People think that Jesus being nailed to the Cross was not a good thing at all since it was torture. He was treated like an animal and suffered in one of the worst ways possible. People who do not believe in Catholicism may think that what happened to him was also bad and even people who believe in Catholicism. A church in North Philadelphia wrote an article called “7 Things the Death of Jesus Accomplished”. They go into depth for the “actual” reason Jesus was crucified. The people who killed Jesus did not believe Jesus was working against the Devil but with the Devil. Jesus was being punished for what they had thought he was doing. He was being punished for not only working with the Devil but for incited riots and engaging in treason. This is a way why people think the Cross is an evil thing since what happened to Jesus was being done purposely. Since the conch began to represent evil, it’s an example of the Cross since there are both good and evil sides to it.

Enablers

Can children be born evil? Most people believe that children learn the most during their first few years of life, and during that time they are always distracted with toys, games, and the T.V. while their parents work. Therefore, the kids have the freedom to do whatever they want with their imaginations, not knowing what is good or bad because there is no one telling them what to think. When a child “acts out” or does something that is “inappropriate,” they are not punished because their peers believe children have room for growth and don’t explain to them why something is wrong. Young people get away with bad behavior because their peers enable them to behave however they want.

In the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, a group of young boys on a plane crashed onto an unknown island. The boys unite together in order to survive. One of the things the boys agreed on doing was keeping the fire going so they can get rescued. Shifts were established between the boys and at this moment in the book it was Jack’s, one of the hunters, turn. Despite that, Jack ends up leaving the fire to seek after the pig. “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-” (70). Ralph, the chief, was aware of the inappropriate behavior from Jack since the beginning of their time on the island. His rebellion against the chief could be because he was jealous of him for being the leader of the boys, thus giving him a reason to act out. As a hunter, Jack would kill animals which can be defined as violent behavior. Because of his unsuccessful first attempt, he was even more motivated to catch it this time. Although Ralph addressed the problems, he did not punish Jack. He allowed him to remain a hunter which is enabling his bad decisions and actions. Jack apologized to end the argument between them, but he wasn’t sincere because he does not believe he did anything wrong. In his eyes, it was a great accomplishment that he killed the pig and was looking forward to doing it again. Not only did Ralph allow the hunts to continue but the other boys loved it. They admire Jack for his bravery and skills in hunting which normalized the violent behavior. Their admiration gave Jack confidence and power which only enabled his behavior to progress for the worse.  

Throughout the novel, the idea of a “beast” arose from a littlun. The beast frighten the boys even though there haven’t been actual proof of its existence. Jack, who is portrayed as the brave one among the littluns, was driven to find the beast in order to befriend it or kill it. One night, they all thought that they spotted the beast and attacked it. The boys believed that they were defending themselves against the beast but in reality, they were murdering Simon, a fellow survivor. “At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (99?). They were determined to kill the beast because they only pictured it as something bad. Their imagination urged them to hurt it back because they were surrounded by aggressive and brutal behaviors that were often praised for, such as killing the pigs. When they realized that it was Simon, they ignored the fact that it was him because they were used to the murderous acts. Also, there was nobody there to tell them that it was wrong or to punish them for the murder. The boys came from an environment full of war so killing and violence was often present in their lives. This gave them reasons to think that they did what they had to do in order to protect themselves. Even though Ralph knew it was wrong, he didn’t do anything to explain it to the boys, therefore, enabling their evil behavior.

Violent behavior is also present in the real world. School shootings are one of the most frequent incidents that are happening in America. One of the world’s most fatal school massacres is the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on February 14, 2018. Nineteen-year-old Nikolas Cruz was charged for the murder of seventeen people. Prior to the shooting, Mr. Cruz showed numerous signs of his disturbed behavior.  “A Snapchat video shows Nikolas Cruz cutting his arms and talking about guns.  A message sent by Cruz to a Mississippi bail bondsman says, ‘I’m going to be a professional school shooter.’ An anonymous tip warns the FBI of Cruz’s potential of ‘conducting a school shooting.’” Nothing was done to prevent the incident despite the clear warnings that were given. Multiple people (students, teachers, police, FBI, his guardians) let him be his mentally and emotionally unstable self. His behavior could have trigger because of the passing of his mother in November 2017. Not only was he already challenged in life but he fell into a great depression after her death. If he was approached about his behavior, he could have learned that shooting people is something he should not do, someone could have been watching him, or he even could have gotten help. Instead, his uncommunicative environment only became an advantage for him to express his fascinations for guns. This is similar to the novel where Ralph did not stop Jack from killing despite knowing all the signs of what he was capable of.

Although what Nikolas Cruz did is unjust and horrific, young girls send him fan mail praising him for what he did. The families of the victims are disgusted at the fact that he can receive mail in jail knowing that his court case has not been determined yet.  “Cruz is getting mail, too, including fan letters from teenage girls. ‘He’s famous,’ Finkelstein says. ‘They want to be connected to him. They’re star-struck. I’m ready to call the parents and say, ‘You need to know what your daughters are doing.’” The girls are admiring Mr. Cruz similarly to the boys admiring Jack. This only makes him think that what he did was acceptable in some way. If he wasn’t getting the mail, he wouldn’t know what people were thinking of him. The girls are supporting his murderous behavior that should be corrected as unjust and evil. The parents of the girls are enablers because the girls think similarly to Mr. Cruz and are not being informed of the problems. They are normalizing violent behavior and seize to see the wrong in the shooting. This is like the boys following Jack’s commands and beliefs when they murdered Simon.

Enablers are why bad behaviors are becoming widely accepted among young children. The children are not informed of or punished for their mistakes, therefore they continuously grow worse. In cases like the novel and the real world, people get hurt and die because of evil behaviors and the person who should be held accountable are the people who allowed it to happen. People need to teach children that violence is not acceptable. If this was a standard lesson, then these problems could have been prevented. Simon didn’t have to die and those teachers and students didn’t have to part from their families. It’s unfortunate that we have to learn why awful things happen this way but now we can learn from these incidents and continue to fix our ways for the better.

In “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding a transportation plane crashes on a random island, the only few people that survive are surprisingly a group of young boys and most of them are strangers to each other. This island was not their destination, they’re not prepared to survive on an island, but that doesn’t matter anymore as they’re forced to make choice if they want to survive on this island. As young boys it’s hard, but they must make choices on this island, not solely for their own survival, but as well as every other boy on the island. With most random boys not familiar with surviving on an island the boys aren’t sure of their choices. Once they select Ralph as their leader it seems as though they all understand he is in command and what he says goes. When choosing to follow Ralph, their choices aren’t  dependent on their own knowledge and instinct when under command anymore, they’re dependent on what the other guy is doing. In an rulership, when it comes to following an order complying to what everyone else does and how everyone else acts is natural . But once apart of whatever the crowd does. Without knowing it, people comply to whatever everyone else does, and that begs the question;Is there a silence that fights against the orders of a commander in the form of a question or an idea when it comes to people following orders? Comfort zones are no longer of any importance when the sitation at hand seems normal to those around you

Once the boys all find each other on this island they finally begin to understand that they’re gonna be here for a while. They decided to put somebody in command.Once it came down to determine who their leader would be,the boys voted for Ralph to be their leader by raising their hands. Some of the boys, such as Jack weren’t okay with Ralph officially being elected as their leader. When Ralph’s title as leader was established Jack was disappointed in the decision, but Ralph later gave him control over the choir boys and hunting.”The circle of boys broke into applause. Even the choir applauded, and the freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification. He started up, then changed his mind and sat down again while the air rang” (23).The boys applauding in a situation like this is a way of them expressing content and delight for Jack’s decision as leader. However, the boys clapping could also be to send a message to everyone else about the emotion they want to be comprehended for, content and delight may not be their true feelings. Jack accepted that what he felt was right didn’t matter anymore after he accepted the boys decision and broke into the emotional state of mortification. Him sitting down was him signifying that he accepts the situation at hand and understands that what has happened is glued in place.

In Lord of the Flies by William Golding some of the boys aren’t always comfortable with what their doing. When it came to hunting there was a boy named Jack who overall took control of the leadership role when it came to hunting. Ralph wasn’t a fan of hunting, but since it had become normal to the hunters he decided to give it a shot. While traveling, the boys ended up along the pig track and that is where Ralph spotted a boar. He took aim with his wooden stick, and stuck it into the boar. The boys chased the boar down to the see, but lost track of it. Ralph felt accomplished with his shot after. “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 Where!” (113)

Ralph is rolling with a new crowd when hunting down the boar. He’s not used to this feeling, it felt really good to him because he wanted to have the attention for his accomplishment. He seeked out attention so everyone could celebrate along by his side about his huge accomplishment, but sadly Ralph didn’t understand that not only did his shot not kill the boar, but on top of that, this wasn’t irregular to the hunter, this was in fact normal to them. Hunting while stranded there would be enough spear’s plunging into the flesh of  prey and the feeling of witnessing that wouldn’t excite the boys, but Ralph failed to see that. At the end of his begging, Maurice gave him a nod most likely just to quiet Ralph down while they still tried to catch the undead boar that was running away from them. How the group wanted Ralph to feel was of little importance to the boys as they didn’t see this as an achievement worthy of celebration, rather than just another ol’ day in the life of a hunter, nothing special, it was normal.

Conformity is trying to match people’s feelings and beliefs to be the same as anybody else’s in the crowd. In today’s world conformity is seen in everyday lives, at school, work, or even riding the bus. Part of this reason is because of people being unaware that they’re conforming to another group. For example, acts such as smoking and drinking in a highschool environment may seem normal to those around somebody, but when somebody decides to partake in the same actions as the next person people may come to find out that they’re not comfortable with what they’re doing. People’s own comfort begin to become less important when going along with the crowd becomes more important.  Back in 1935 a Psychologist published his experiment about conformity. “Asch used a lab experiment to study conformity,whereby 50 male students from Swarthmore College in the USA participated in a ‘vision test.’ Using a line judgment task, Asch put a naive participant in a room with seven confederates.” In this experiment the questions asked in this test were obvious when using common sense, however with 7 confederates there their job was to try to get the one participant to their answers, instead of the obvious answer. Even if the participant was not comfortable with the answer he chose it because he trusted in what the 7 other confederates answers were. This real world example connects to Ralph’s decision to try out hunting. Even though he wasn’t comfortable with it, he still chose to do it because everyone around him were hunters and felt comfortable hunting.

Hernan Cortes was an explorer. In 1521 he conquered the Aztecs with the help of his men. He traveled to mexico with 500 of his soldiers. Once he went from wanting to explore to wanting to conquer the Aztecs all of his men were not on board with his plan any more. One man tried to assassinate him for his change of heart, but Hernan Cortes found out his plot and had him hung. None of his other men tried anything like this again. “Cortes and his men were in the center of the city, and would most likely have to fight their way out no matter what direction they took.” Cortes men ended up being in the city anyway and attacking the Aztecs and torturing their people. His men winded up fighting no matter what there comforts were. They weren’t on board with Hernan Cortes’s plans but they never tried to rebel against because of the first failed attempt by their fellow soldier

Comfort isn’t important to people when it’s normalized amongst those around you. How comfortable somebody is at times may not be that important to that person, or what they’re conforming to may be more fun or exciting than their own comfort so they decide to take a risk. This could be a good or bad thing but in general, it's natural. In conclusion, the world has shown accounts of this since the beginning of time, but being aware of the conformity you partake in is what makes somebody different from everyone else.

Work Cited

1.Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience, www.units.miamioh.edu/psybersite/cults/cco.shtml.

2.McLeod, Saul. “Saul McLeod.” Simply Psychology, 1 Jan. 1970, www.simplypsychology.org/asch-conformity.html.

3.“Fall of Tenochtitlan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Apr. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Tenochtitlan.

Do you ever get looked over? Or have people think less of you? Usually being bullied leads to suicide. In today’s society many are being bullied or thought less of because of their past or who they are. This leads to many things such as depression and or spiritual and physical suicide. People target those who are less of them, less stronger, and more shorter.

In ¨Lord of The Flies¨ by William Golding, a group of kids on a plane crash land on an island. Trying to be organized yet still have fun, being bullied or looked over occurs throughout the novel many times. While trying to figure out every boys name that was on the island, a character named Piggy was unexpectedly made fun of. ¨You’re talking too much,¨ said Jack Merridew. Shut up fatty¨ Laughter arose. He’s not a fatty,¨cried Ralph ¨His real name’s Piggy! Piggy! Piggy! Oh Piggy!¨ (25). As being made fun of because of his weight Piggy only wanted to establish order and make friends. Instead he got made fun of because of his weight.        

Also in the novel, Piggy the victim that's being bullied or shown not respected is being told that he did nothing. Jack just tells him that he did nothing and just sat down waiting. ¨We haven't made a fire,¨ he said, ¨What's any use. We couldn't keep a fire even if we tried.¨ Piggy said this with the response of Jack saying. ¨A fat lot of you tried,¨ said Jack contemptuously. ¨You just sat.¨ We used his specs.¨ Said Simon.¨(42) In the novel this particular scene is very interesting because instead of trying harder to make a fire all Jack does is complain that Piggy did nothing yet they used his glasses to try and start something. Also Jack wants to make it seem like Piggy has a lack of effort, he isn’t trying to get off the island or try and help.      

The scenes in the novel also correlates to the real world. Being bullied usually comes from someone's past, how they look, or the way they act, or even their interests. Also being bullied leads to more things that is not good for a healthy lifestyle. It leads to more low self-esteem. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year.  

Josh was bullied at the age of 11 years old. He was excited to start middle school for the first time. He did not want to stay home instead, he wanted to go to school more often. Soon he was bullied, coming home with injuries almost everywhere on nis body. After recess he would find notes on his back saying ¨kick me¨ or ¨loser¨. Everyday in lunch he would get food pelted at him, soon enough he would sit in the hallway instead of the cafeteria. On the third week of school, he went home with a broken foot, soon after he went back the kids told him, ¨When that one heals, I’m gonna break the other one.”

In Conclusion, being treated as trash is not a good thing. Being bullied leads to more unhealthy lifestyles. Some get bullied because of how they look, what they wear, how they act, and more. Usually telling adults does not help, they respond with, ¨Just ignore it¨ but you cant ignore something that's hurting you. In the novel, Piggy soon enough steps up for himself. Josh stood up for himself, he punched his bully in the back of the head. People target those who are less of them, less stronger, and more shorter.

Work Cited:

Modifica, Lisa. “Josh's Story: Getting Bullied at School.” Parenting, 21 June 2016, www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/combatting-bullying-or-is-this-just-the-new-normal/.

“What Are the Causes of Bullying.” NoBullying - Bullying & CyberBullying Resources, 18 Apr. 2017, nobullying.com/what-are-the-causes-of-bullying/.

In the novel “Lord of the Flies,” by William Golding, he gives examples of the different way in which rituals can become a daily part of life. In the book, a group of boys endure but survive a plane crash, which causes them to be trapped on an island. As they are on the island they realize they need to figure out a way to survive, and upon this, they learn many new things, that which include rituals. The boys also set rules so they can stay civilized. Some rituals are followed in the real world. A ritual the boys followed was the use of fire. In the book, a fire did have a big impact on the boys.  Fire is an important part of rituals whether or not it is used in rituals or for survival.

In the novel, one of the boys, Ralph, came up with an idea for survival. Ralph insisted to make a signal fire. They chose to use fire as a signal so the boys can be rescued. In order to start the fire, they use Piggy’s glasses. "'The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don't keep a fire going? Is a fire too much for us to make? Look at us! How many are we? And yet we can't keep a fire going to make smoke. Don't you understand? Can't you see we ought to-- ought to die before we let the fire out?'"(Pg 80-81) The reader can clearly understand how important the signal fire was. The fire represents their stability and connection with their humanity. In order to stay civilized, the group of boys had to keep the fire going because it was the only hope to be saved. In this quote, Ralph who is speaking says that they ought to die before they let the fire go out. By this, he is showing how important the signal fire is, too. Not only they used it as a signal, the fire was used for survival. The fire provided them with many things while they were stuck on the island.

In the book, fire is also used as destruction. Ralph stabbed a little boy and ran away. He decided to hide again. As he lies in his hiding spot Ralph realizes that the fire set to smoke him out. The boys germinated a smart plan to contact other civilization by the smoke that aroused from the fire on the island. According to the novel, Golding states, “They had smoked him out and set the island on fire.”(197) From this quote, the reader can understand that the fire caused a wildfire. It was a huge destruction. One of the boys Jack has set the whole jungle on fire. The fire controlled a signal because of the smoke and a ship lured to the island. The boys in this scene used the fire as a resource for survival.

According to the Mahavidya article in the religion of Hinduism fire is both the creator and destroyer of life. The fire has a huge a significance to the religion Hinduism and Zoroastrian. In the religion, Hinduism fire is used on many occasions. Fire is used during funerals, weddings, and praying. In the article, the religion Zoroastrian fire is known as the light of God. As you can see the significance of fire. In the novel fire is used as protection, like in these religions. The fire was helped for protection in the book because it helped them so they can be saved. Another connection to the novel and in these religions fire is providing light. Fire is a signal of life or death in the religion of Hinduism. In the novel, the boys used fire as survival. Also, it caused destruction which leads to death. Fire supplied for both Hindus and the boys in the novel.    

In conclusion, the ritual fire has a huge significance. It’s apart of rituals. Fire is very important to both the boys in the book and in real life. Fire is important because the boys used it to be saved. The fire has used a signal and it represents civilization. In many societies and tribals, fire is a significant spiritual enlightenment. Not only is fire used as a symbolic statement, it is a crucial resource for surviving for humans.

Kennedy Fields

Ms. Pahomov

English 2

4 April 2018

Imagine someone is meeting another at a party, and that person has a meaningful discussion. That someone becomes very social and comfortable speaking to them, saying whatever they please. Now imagine the same person going to the party in a police uniform. Does this change how that person would act? Would that person become more mindful of what they’re saying? Talking to someone with higher power and authority, influences people on what to say-- and count on physical aspects to show us who has that power. When society’s status symbols aren’t physically with someone, it changes the dynamic between the two becoming arbitrary. Being entitled to status symbols, or honorary items has the ability to upgrade someone's role in status.

In the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a group of young boys crash land on a remote island with no adults. They battled to survive on this island and needed to designate someone as chief. The leader, Ralph, has a right hand man, Piggy, who gives smart, meaningful ways to advance them in survival. After the crash, the two meet and discovers a conch on the beach. Piggy explains that the conch can be used as a way to call others by blowing into it. After more boys join them, they establish a rule for everyone to follow: whoever holds the conch has the right, and authority to speak, no one else. The conch symbolizes power.

When seeing an officer in uniform in badge, the natural instinct given is to act accordingly, drawing no negative attention or showing the fear of  being cuffed. Holding a badge shows power because it’s a representation of an officers job in protecting law, and no one is to be superior to the law. Fifty-one year old, Louis Arcila, was caught in a misfortunate event; groping a 30 year old woman. It was later discovered during investigations that Arcila was an off-duty police officer. The heinous crime was deplorable, leading to the press to follow the case. In the Long Island Newsday article by Bridget Murphy it says, “..defense attorney Joseph Lo Piccolo had contended Arcila wasn’t wearing his badge that night and never touched his accuser.” There was controversy over him wearing the badge. one side says he had it on the other disagrees. The crime remains the same, but what he was wearing matters all the more. Saying Arcila wasn’t wearing his badge declines his status in society. A responsibility that comes with an officer's badge is to protect others from wrongful crimes. The responsibility for the boys is to honor the rule that comes with the conch shell. Wearing or not of his badge in his crime had the ability to change his notability, and superiority in being an officer who holds power in enforcing the law.

In the novel Lord of the Flies, Ralph, the chief decides that the conch would be of great use to call and gather others. When he does, the reader is introduced to many of the other boys on the island, who came seeking to find the noise coming from the conch. Ralph, blowing the conch, formed a meeting to discuss the idea  of someone becoming the leader. On page 22 of The Lord of The Flies, William Golding wrote, “But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet the most powerful, there was the conch.” (22) After the author describes Ralph in that moment it leads to the election of Ralph. The author gives the reader clue Ralph has become leader due to the “most obscurely, yet the most powerful conch.” Ralph was a highlighted because of appearance and size, but what really sold him in changing his status was the conch. The conch was used to unite the group of boys, which shows the power in the conch. Ralph goes from being a good looking boy in a group of lost boys to the leader due to a mysterious conch. His election to power was counted on a physical cue to the group.

A police badge today is a modern symbol of law enforcement. Wearing it on the job gives on significant power. Badges during the middle ages were worn by commoners and those noble, and during this time, power was not strong or prominent. The badges were to show ranking and nobility in the house or group. They weren’t even used to show a specific job or duty. Eventually, over time, it became a symbol for servants to use in households, that established their status role. Timothy Roufa, writer of History of the Police Badge says,” To the police officer, the badge represents the public trust, with which she has the authority to act and to which she has the duty to remain true.” Once an officer receives a badge after rigorous training, he is obligated to maintain a trustworthy environment for the public. This is similar to the Lord of the Flies, relating to the conch because once someone holds it they are obligated to respect the rule of only one person speaking. Respecting the rule is a way the young boys can remain true on island with one another, without it the “society” they’ve tried creating falls. When the conch is present between the boys it changes the dynamic between the two versus when it is not.

Immediately after Ralph is elected roles, rules and regulations are set. There’s Ralph the leader, and Jack Merridew the hunter. Jack was a candidate in the election of him and Ralph, but was not chosen. During the meeting many of the boys begun to all call things out desperate to be heard, leaving Ralph unpleased. He suggested using the process of hand raising as done in school, but then explained, ”I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak...and he won't be interrupted. Except by me.”(33) Similar to a badge the conch gives authority. When a boy has the conch in possession he is to perform a job, speaking. When a cop has a badge in possession he also embodies a performance, to protect. The boys become vulnerable without the conch because they can’t speak. Without it they’d have no voice in the larger picture. A police officer without a uniform and no badge is taking away authority when in the presence of another individual, because symbol and job is no longer present.

The conch throughout William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies gave the boys the utmost power on the island, only if it was in your possession. As for a police officer they reach maximum strength and power. Items that symbolize power and boost one's rank in society have become an arbitrary because it’s a random decision people make based upon an item.

Works Cited:

Murphy, Bridget. “Off-Duty Officer Found Guilty in Groping Case.” Newsday, Newsday, 24 Mar. 2018, www.newsday.com/long-island/crime/police-trial-groping-1.17632387.

Roufa, Timothy. “Find Out What the Police Badge Means and Why Officers Carry Them.” The Balance, 15 Nov. 2017, www.thebalance.com/why-do-police-officers-wear-badges-974606.

Who’s really in power, the leader, or their followers? Kings or people in power are powerful, but there are plenty of moments in history where they have been overthrown by their subjects. Throughout  history the people serving their monarchy would lead rebellions, and revolutions trying to overthrow the monarchy, or leaders in rule. The monarchy tells the people what to do or maybe moves them out of position to overthrow. The King is stereotyped to be the one in power but little do they know the servants are working the behind the scenes and know their every move. This shows that leaders may not have all the power they think they have. Followers will overthrow or switch sides when conditions start to be unbearable or disagree with an order.

We see an example of this during King Edward II’s ruling. King Edward II was a King of England he ruled from 1307-1327. In an article explaining the reason for why King Edward was overthrown, it gives a break down of the cause and effect of his actions with his close friend who contributed to it. According to the article, Edward was an unpopular king and a ineffective ruler. He was overthrown  and betrayed in a conspiracy led by the queen herself, his empire fell down in a terrible fashion. Edwards unpopular status led to his own kingdom started to switch sides Edward’s wife also found out he had a male lover. The way in which she overthrew him was by bringing his close friend to live in his household. This close friend later turning out to be Edward’s lover, and the queen’s jealousy led her to lead the kingdom against him. Because the kingdom didn’t like the nature of the king's relationship with his “Friend”. It made it easy to overthrow him. One of the main reasons why the queen led the overthrowing was because of her uncomfortability. Edward's wife's living conditions would of been bad with Edward's new lover. In those times, women were given little to no power oftentimes and seen as less than men. This made it harder for women to have certain positions and titles in that society. To be a woman, involving with overthrowing was not only unthinkable but unsuspected. There would be more consequence for a women seen doing this, or involved in this, more so than a man. This is what makes this situation of overthrowing so unique in the case of King Edward, not only was it his queen who overthrew him, but also a women who although had power was not considered to have that much authority or much voice, especially to overthrow him.

In “Lord of  Flies” by William Golding, a group of boy were on a field trip and tragedy struck when they got into a plane crash. Realizing they were stuck on the island with no adults they decided to choose a leader amongst themselves. Ralph the main leader of the boys was voted by the boys,and thought to be the best option. Co-leader Jack, leader of the choir boys  was also chosen and made responsible to hunt. Ralph always calls an assembly to discuss decisions. The boys use a conch to help them to make important decisions. This conch gives the person that's holding it the power to speak out. Ralph blows the conch to call an assembly to have a checklist of things they need to do in order to survive on this savage island. As weeks go by, there began to be more tension between Ralph and the boys as Ralph began to display actions that were not of agreement to them. He became less and less admired by them, and the more this happened the more unfit he became as a leader to them. This caused for much conflict between them which made the desire to overthrow him stronger and stronger.

During an assembly, Ralph calls out some of  the hunters who are laughing at him as he speaks, about fire. Fire is the most important thing need in order  to get noticed on the island., so that they can be rescued. Ralph feels that this matter is not being taken seriously and is immediately drawn to anger. The hunters stop laughing and start shouting at Ralph even though Ralph is in power with the conch. ”There was a row immediately. Boys stood up and shouted and Ralph shouted back” (81)The boys were already separated when Ralph gave Jack power over the choir boys, but Ralph was always the leader of everyone, but Jack shows a little resentment to Ralph, showing that he and the hunters have already discussed Ralph’s leadership. This resentment influences the tension that Ralph feels toward them and already gives them a sort of upper hand because they have more power not just among themselves but because Jack as co-leader gives them an advantage. The boys are slowly turning on Ralph, not  the chosen one, not heeding to the fact that he was already made to be leader. They also do not care or worry that they do not have as much power. Although the boys are not considered on such a high level of power, they still hold power amongst themselves, that makes the overthrowing of Ralph as leader more possible.

My second reason for why overthrowing of Ralph became more desired by the boys, was because of the way Jack appealed to them more and portrayed his leadership. Jack was always willing to help the boys out and keep their best interest in mind, while Ralph did not he did stuff to survive.This quickly made him a better candidate for them and a better in their eyes, than Ralph.

Despite Jack’s and Ralph's disagreements in the past, Jack kills a pig and invites Ralph, Piggy and most of Ralph’s followers to a big feast. Ralph accepts to try to calm the tension between him and Jack and gain control so they can survive the island together. Jack is painted as a king on a throne he has people giving commands to all the hunters. Post meal Jack offers an invitation to all Ralph’s followers to join his “Kingdom.” Which totally backfired on Ralph because his purpose was the  completely opposite. Most of them accept, despite Ralph’s attempts to not lose his followers.” Whos going to join my tribe? I gave you food and my hunters will protect you from the beast who will join my tribe?”(150)

“Im chief,” said Ralph,”because you chose me. And we were going to keep the fire going. Now you run after food-”

“You ran yourself!” shouted Jack

“Who’ll join my tribe?”

“I will”

“Me”

“I will”(151)

Jack took advantage of the littluns age and fed them and made it seem there tribe was better than Ralph’s tribe and had more resources than Ralph. Ralph tried to blow the conch but he's in Jack’s kingdom. Jack is the co-leader so he has a higher power and supposed to take orders from Ralph the main leader. Jack took over with his power and became bigger than Ralph to the point Ralph’s loyalist became Jacks new servants.

Another monarchy that was betrayed was Charles the first. Charles ruled 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles was married to a fifteen year old french princess many members of the Commons were opposed to the king's marriage to a Roman Catholic. According to my source many of his subjects opposed his policies. I think this King is similar to “Lord of the flies” the leaders make decisions that the servants don’t like and they can turn on you in a instant.

Conclusion:When times start to get tough you see who is really loyal to you and whos going to stick with you. We saw how King Edwards the second trying to live up to his father's expectations and failed. Charles the first was another high monarchy that crashed and fell when he married a fifteen year old french princess many members of the Commons were opposed to the king's marriage to a Roman Catholic which played a big part in his downfall. Ralph actions lead followers to leave like King Edwards building a shelter instead of rationing some food for days led to some littluns going to Jack’s tribe. When you fail people will switch sides they turned on King Edwards the second like Ralph. So Who has the most power now the leader or the servants?

Cited sources

In younger children it is very common for beastly things such as monsters to influence their behaviors. As a child being afraid of monsters could drive them to be afraid of their own room or having to sleep with their parents. But what happens when adults believe in certain monsters? Adults aren’t afraid of the same type of monsters as children, instead they’re afraid of demonic figures that they have been exposed to through their own personal beliefs. In both children and adults beastly figures can make them act a certain way. How do figures like a beast or Satan effect how people live their lives and their actions? People who believe in demonic figures are afraid of them because they see them as the embodiment of evil. As a result, they are cautions about their interactions with those figures.

In William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” a group of choir boys get stuck on a island with no adults. While being on the island they have to learn how to survive and live without the things they once had when they were not stranded. On the island there are a range of ages. The boys always calm that there is a beast on the island. But the leader Ralph does not really believe. Eric and Sam are twins on the island who admit that they have seen the beast. At a meeting called on the meeting they explained their interactions and said “‘We ran as fast as we could’--’Bashed into things’--’The beast followed us’--’I saw it slinking behind the trees’--’’(101). Eric and Sam were so frightened of the thought of coming in contact with the beast they recklessly ran away. The boy were so afraid of what would have happened if the beast caught them. This scene from the book is a prime example of how people are cautious of interaction with the things that they are afraid of. If the boys were not afraid of the beast they would not have ran away or even brought up the event at the meeting.

In the novel Ralph, the leader is somewhat in disbelieve that there is actually a beast on the island. Being the leader he feels like he has to prove to the rest of the boys on the island that do believe that there is a beast that it is nothing. Although he doesn't believe that there is a beast on the island entirely he still has his doubts. He is thinking to himself as him and a couple other boy decide to go looking for the beast he says “If there was no beast ---in this case, well and good; but if there was something waiting on the top of the mountain --what was the use of three of them, handicapped by the darkness and carrying only sticks”(120). It is obvious that Ralph is very unsure if there is actually a beast but he is still tentative about what will happen if they do see the beast. In this scene it proves that in some circumstances even when people don't believe in the beastly figures they still worry about how the interaction will go.  

In the real world everyone has different beliefs. There are many different religions that have different beliefs about how the world is and what type of things are in the world. The devil/satan is someone Christians believe in. Christians are taught not to sin. Sinning would result in not being accepted into Heaven and result in going to Hell. Hell is where the devil resides and a figure that no one should want to come into contact with. In Christians belief they are taught that the Devil is evil is bad. Christians are mindful of how they act and treat others so they can get accepted into Heaven and will not have to face the Devil in Hell. Christianity is one of the three major religions in the world. So there are many people try to stay away from sinning and activities that will keep them from getting into Heaven. Acknowledging the fact that Christians all over the world believe that the devil is somebody that they should avoid, proves that people everywhere are cautious about interactions with figures that they are scared of.

The Kukeri Festival happens in Pernik Bulgaria. The festival happens January 27- 28. At this festival people dress up in costumes and go through the streets of Pernik. The purpose of this festival is to perform rituals that will keep the evil spirits and demons away. Bulgarians do rituals at Kukeri to avoid having to deal with evil spirits that they are afraid of. Unlike in the novel Bulgarians do not run away from the evil figures they take part in different rituals to make sure that the figures they fear do not come into their safe places they call home. Although this happens in the real world it stills demonstrates how people are cautious of their actions and behaviors when it is in connection with a demonic figure or in this case evil spirits. Everyone reacts differently when they are dealing with frightening things.  The costumes they dress in during the festival protect who they really are from the evil spirits. The costumes protect them from the evil spirits and keeps who they are secret.

The novel “Lord of the Flies” just shows some cases when people are cautious about their behaviors. The novel demonstrates how younger children react to when they are afraid. But it doesn’t just affect children it affects all people old and young. Looking closer to why people act the way they do. This is another explanation to why certain behaviors come up. The way figures are viewed or come off will play a huge role on how people react to them.  Also the situation that people are in. In the novel the boys were stuck on the island so their imagination ran wild. But in other cases like mentioned in previous paragraphs it could simply be how people are raised. If people believe certain figures are evil they will be cautious and mindful of their actions and behaviors.

Is it okay to slaughter an animal? For contemporary western societies, animal slaughtering caused by hunting is not a ritualized practice. However, there are still religions today where hunting is one of the most significant rituals of their beliefs. They slaughter animals to provide dinner for their families. Many religions still adopt and maintain these rituals to practice, commemorate, or celebrate many of their beliefs. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, slaughtering an animal is a ritual that germinated for the purpose of the stranded boys’ survival. Though both forms of extermination of an animal, which one that is sacrificial and another that is a form of survival, share similarities in terms of purpose, a ritualized slaughter of an animal are more civilized because it is a practice respected by the society that performs it.

Throughout the novel, chaos ensues when a group of young boys crash into a deserted island with no adult supervision. The boys later select a leader and split into groups that are in charge of different parts of the island for their survival. One of the groups is called the “hunter boys” and is responsible for hunting prey for the boys to feast on to stay alive until they are rescued. In this moment,the group of hunter boys has finally secured a pig to kill. Upon capturing a pig, many of the boys chant and sing, “kill the pig. Cut his throat. Spill her.” And right after that they did just as so. Many of the boys reacted to this slaughter in many different ways. Jack, in particular, says, “I cut the pig's throat,” and with pride, he twitches as he says it. Alongside Jack,” The boys chattered and danced. The twins continued to grin” (69). Golding challenges his readers to questions what differentiates a savage and a civilized slaughter of an animal practiced by a society. What might be considered as savagery in this scene is Jack’s desire to kill the pig to prove his ego and bravery. However, the society, which includes the other boys, respects his bravery and his act . Jack’s savagery is perceived as his ability to serve as a productive member of the group. Jack breaks rules of their civilization making this slaughter of the animal a “normal” act.. Their hunger and starvation overpowers their decision-making , their last concern is the mortality of the pig. The boys all respect Jack and one another for killing the pig because they know it is their only way of ending their hunger.   

In connection to Jack's civilized slaughter and his understanding and guidance of his group's rules, Judaism’s animal slaughtering practices are also civilized. In Judaism, “shitah” is the most humane way to kill an animal. Just as the religion maintains strict rules for killing animals, the boys in Lord of the Flies also maintain rigid practices. There are seven laws that have been provided to Noah’s son. A verse from the Torah states, “Thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee.”The verse states, “I Have commanded thee” also means, “I have commanded you”. This giving a rightful order and permission for the people to be able to kill animals. Then a verse later on in the Torah that is also part of the seven laws,” one does not eat from an animal while it is still alive .” In this law it's giving the ultimate purpose of actually being able to eat the meat because one can eat from an animal however if the animal isn't killed/ dead then it is not civilized to eat the animal. As shown in both societies from Lord of the Flies and the religion, Judaism, there are rules presented for the slaughter of an animal. Though slaughtering an animal is permitted, it becomes savage and is not civilized when the society fails to respect the procedures, in this case, laws, that come with the practice.  In these two societies, both parties respected the slaughter’s rules making it civilized.

Later on, towards the end of the book, the boys are taking action of killing another pig for food. Diverging from the previous slaughter, the boys portray savage characteristics during this ritual practice they have germinated for their group. This killing is not as easy as the previous killings. Golding describes the gruesome scene, writing, “the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror”  Later on, after the slaughter, what really directed Jack “giggle[s] and fleck[s] them while the boys laugh at his reeking palms. Then Jack grabs Maurice and rubs [s]d the stuff over his cheeks” (192). Jack’s behavior of laughing and rubbing the animal blood all over his group member’s face clearly shows the disrespect that is being directed towards this slaughter ritual. In this scene not only is one individual laughing and making jokes towards the dead pig but it states, “ while the boys [are] laughing” meaning that they took part of this disrespectful act as well.

On the other hand, Jews are not allowed to make disrespectful acts towards the animal slaughtering ritual. This ritual slaughter that can usually take place in the most joyful holidays or celebrations, it is still always done with respect and maturity from the society. The general principle of compassion for animals according to the Torah it is represented in the term “tzaar baalei chaim.” This is basically meaning having pity for the pain of living creatures. In the practice of the slaughter of the animal, the people that are involved need to take it seriously and still in a way feel tenderness for the animal. The society of Judaism differs from the scene in Lord of the Flies because this slaughter is still portrayed as civilized while the other is portrayed as a savage slaughter. The actions that are taken up by the Jewish people and the society in the duration and after the slaughter proves the respect that they have for the ritual of the slaughter of the animal. Differently,  when Jack and the other hunters giggle and play with the blood, Golding challenges us to question their humanity. Judaism, instead, takes their rituals seriously and show respect for the dead animals they handle. This proving that the society and the individual that did the killing actually respect the ritual of the animal slaughter.

In the novel, Lord of the Flies, and the religion of Judaism there’s a clear portrayal of respect and disrespectful ritualized animal slaughter. In the real world, the killing of animals frequently occurs in slaughterhouses and hunting which gives a different perspective towards animal slaughter, other than a ritualized animal slaughter that was performed at the beginning of the novel and in the Judaism religion. There are many religions other than Judaism today that practice this ritualized animal slaughter. The reason why is because it's a practice respected by the society that performs it. The modern societies should frown upon the traditional killing of animals as an opposed to frowning upon ritualized slaughter.

Works Cited

Golding, William, Lord of the Flies, New York : Penguin, 2006

Crabtree, Vexen. “Animal Sacrifice and Blood Rituals in Traditional World Religions and in Satanism.” Www.humanreligions.info, www.humanreligions.info/animal_slaughter.html#Islam Links to an external site.

“Qorbanot:  Sacrifices and Offerings.” Qorbanot:  Sacrifices and Offerings / Torah 101 / Mechon Mamre, www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/qorbanot.htm.

“Sacrifice, In The Old Testament, 2 - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.” Bible Study Tools, www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/sacrifice-in-the-old-testament-2.html.

People all deal with fear differently. Some people scream, some people shrivel away and hide and some people cry. Some people push it away and don’t acknowledge it. The same fears are being shown but people all react differently to it. In the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding there are a few examples of how people react differently to fear. When people are afraid they project their fear in a way that they see is reasonable because it’s their natural impulse.

Medically when people are afraid a part of their brain called the amygdala is activated. This part of the brain controls how humans react to fear. Fear is processed differently than any other emotion. Before fear gets to the amygdala it bypasses the sensory cortex which processes what the things people see, hear, feel, taste, or smell.  LeDoux is a neuroscientist that focused on emotions specifically, fear and anxiety. According to Bigthink,  “To become consciously aware of a particular stimulus takes 250-300 milliseconds, says LeDoux. But a fear-evoking stimulus can reach the amygdala in a mere 12 milliseconds, which is evolutionarily advantageous if one's response time means the difference between life and death.” This quote explains how quickly people process fear and how it is helpful to human life. Fear can become a thing of advantage or disadvantage. If there was no fear, people wouldn’t know when to protect themselves or run away. It has helped make advances to protect people. Fear can also be used to trick people into doing certain things that they unwillingly could have to do. In a place run by a tyrant or a monarchy, when fear is set in place it can scare people into following their leader. If a tyrant threatened to remove someone's family then that one person would be inclined to do whatever the tyrant asked for.

When people are faced with fear they will do one of two things, “fight or flight”. According to a recent article by Verywell Mind, they wrote:“The fight-or-flight response plays a critical role in how we deal with stress and danger in our environment.” Based on this quote it can be seen that the reaction that someone gives to fear can have a big impact on what happens next. This quote relates to the novel in the sense that all these boys are faced with the same fears but they each chose either fight or flight, and each character is different in the way they respond. When Ralph, the main character, hears a noise that sounds like a monster he gets people to arm themselves with spears, so his reaction was to fight. Another character named Piggy was confronted by a scary noise but instead of sticking his ground he ran away scared. These different reactions show how even though all of the boys are going through the same situation, they handle it in different ways which shows who they are underneath.

In the novel “Lord of the Flies” Jack is a major character. He's characterized as having a confident facade when in reality he's equally as scared as the other boys on the island. “ ‘…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!’(82-83). ” Jack’s way of dealing with fear is by making others feel bad. Deep down he feels scared but he plays it off by putting others down and acting less afraid than them. This puts him in a position where he feels more powerful and can hide his true fears. Jack also uses his words to play off his anxiety. This quote also shows part of Piggy’s fear of speaking to the other boys, because they talk to him like this and call him names and make him feel bad constantly. Jack doesn’t see how his words are affecting other characters and even though he may be trying to comfort them by telling them not to be afraid, it makes them fearful of him instead of the “beast”.

Piggy is a crucial character to the story who plays the smart, anxious, and self conscious character. Piggy has good ideas, but he does not have the confidence to speak up and tell the other children. Piggy is known as the shy kid and the one people can easily pick on. He is very sensitive about the way people speak to him or about him.  Interactions with these other boys made him very fearful. “ ‘You’re talking too much,’ said Jack Merridew. ‘Shut up, Fatty’ (21).” By jack calling him the slang word of “fat” it demonstrates a clear disrespect to piggy and his feelings. This gives him all the more reason to be fearful of the other children. It shows that jack thinks that Piggy is inferior and picks on him to make himself feel stronger and more incharge.

When people are scared they may show their fear because it is impulsive. Fear applies to everyone in a unique way. By showing the example of Piggy being too scared to speak up this shows one way people show fear differently than others. Everyone's reaction to fear will decide what happens next whether they chose “fight or flight”. Each of the boys in the story has a different fear, showing how everyone has something they’re afraid of and everyone has their own way of dealing with that fear.

Works Cited

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Mohney, Gillian. “The Science of Fear: What Happens to Your Body After a Good Scare.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 30 Oct. 2015, abcnews.go.com/Health/science-fear-body-good-scare/story?id=34855202.

“Your Fear Reaction Is Lightning Quick.” Sciencenordic.com, sciencenordic.com/your-fear-reaction-lightning-quick.

Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/monitor/mar06/fear.aspx.

Adolphs, Ralph. Current Biology : CB, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 21 Jan. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595162/.

Cherry, Kendra, and Steven Gans. “How the Fight-or-Flight Response Prepares Your Body to Take Action.” Verywell Mind, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-fight-or-flight-response-2795194.