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ForumsDiscussion Forum → Need feedback on my essay
Need feedback on my essay
2005-04-04, 5:58 PM #1
Its about the themes and symbols of Lord of the Flies by William Golding (not the final copy yet):

==============================================

The main theme of lord of the flies is man against society. As Ralph and Piggy who symbolizes democracy and the good in man, is outnumbered by the evils of humanity and anarchy symbolized by Jack and his savage tribe.

In the novel, Golding seems to show the reader that this “ethical nature” is not inherent in mankind. There is room for evil that is hidden away in man; his morality is simply shallow. Nonetheless, it is this moral integrity that must prevail in order for him to be ethical and thus for society to be maintained. Without this suppression society caves in upon itself (as seen in the book), lawlessness reins and life becomes a free-for-all.
Although this is the main idea of the story, others exist underneath it. The most prominent of these, probably, is the fact that often times people single out another person, or another group of people to look down upon in order to feel secure. Piggy’s character personifies this societal flaw, as he is always shunned and made fun of.

The theme of Lord of the Flies has been questioned and speculated about for decades. To answer the critics, Golding quotes that the theme was to trace the problems of society back to the sinful nature of man. He wrote the book to show how political systems cannot govern society effectively without first taking into consideration the defects of human nature.
The defects of human nature are exemplified in Golding’s novel through the characters of Jack and his hunters. Here, Golding shows that men are inherently evil; if left alone to fend for themselves, they will revert back to the savage roots of their ancestors. This is seen in the novel near the end, when the tribe is hunting Ralph. Matters had become quite out of hand by this time. Even the naval officer who saves the boys knows their society has become savage.

Yet Golding’s last comment in his press release criticizes not only the boys on the island but also the society of adults in which the officer lives. Golding asks— while the ship saves the boys from killing each other, who will save the ship from killing other ships or being killed? In this way the society of the outside world mirrors the island society on a larger level. Remember that the novel takes place during World War II. Golding got the idea for the book because of his experiences in the war, where he served in the Navy and learned the inherent sinfulness of man. It’s interesting that the war is mentioned indirectly at the beginning and end of the novel but nowhere in between. This is a remarkable literary device of Golding.

It is obvious that Piggy and Jack symbolize two opposite extremes of human behavior while Ralph is pulled between these philosophies. Piggy demands adherence to the rules of his auntie while Jack subscribes to the philosophy, "If it’s fun, do it." Ralph empathizes with parts of both sides; that is why he walks the tight rope. Eventually he seems to side with Piggy, but actually Ralph never changes his philosophy— it is Jack and the rest of the boys who become more extreme in theirs (hunting humans, forming their own tribe, etc.). In this way Ralph portrays the role of government in any modern society. While he wants to satisfy the wishes of the public, he must also realize that certain rules of behavior must be followed in order to prevent anarchy.

Unfortunately anarchy defeats order. This is the outcome because Golding believed that government is an ineffective way to keep people together. No matter how logical or reasonable, government will eventually have to give in to the anarchical demands of the public; the cause which lies not in the infrastructure of the government but in man who runs it itself.

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Feel free to criticize (or compliment) :D
|-|E|_|_O
2005-04-04, 6:02 PM #2
I hope your teacher doesn't check [url]www.turnitin.com[/url] because anyone here can submit that essay and get you in trouble.
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
-----------------------------@%
2005-04-04, 6:09 PM #3
What are the chances of a Massassian in the 10th grade going to my school having to write the same essay??!! Unless someone wanted to sabotage me....

||RANDOM THOUGHT||

I wish she was my teacher:

[http://www.babeskickass.com/pics/hot-teacher-stripping.jpg]

RRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr

:em321: :em321: :em321:
|-|E|_|_O
2005-04-04, 6:20 PM #4
Cheater's suck.
You...................................
.................................................. ........
.................................................. ....rock!
2005-04-04, 6:22 PM #5
your grammar is terrible, and that picture is inappropriate.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2005-04-04, 6:36 PM #6
Quote:
Originally posted by Darth_biggs
Its about the themes and symbols of Lord of the Flies by William Golding (not the final copy yet):

==============================================

The main theme of lord of the flies is man against society. As Ralph and Piggy who symbolizes democracy and the good in man, is outnumbered by the evils of humanity and anarchy symbolized by Jack and his savage tribe.



Might want to have a real introduction paragraph. English teachers like that. A quote I like to use for this type of essay is Rousseau : "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains." There's a lot of analysis you can give that really make this quote relevant to your thesis. These children are "free", more free than they are in society, but they can't break free of that human nature that drives them. Meanwhile, "society" is at war. I think the parallel the author makes between the warring societies are that while one society is fighting with guns and planes and boat and another is fighting with sharpened sticks and spears, both are driven by the inherent human qualities.

Additionally, your thesis statement here is one sentence and then a fragment. You should also write it in a more subtle fashion in order to increase the style of it, incorporating it into your other paragraphs better.


Quote:
In the novel, Golding seems to show the reader that this “ethical nature” is not inherent in mankind. There is room for evil that is hidden away in man; his morality is simply shallow. Nonetheless, it is this moral integrity that must prevail in order for him to be ethical and thus for society to be maintained. Without this suppression society caves in upon itself (as seen in the book), lawlessness reins and life becomes a free-for-all.


I think the morality that Golding discusses is more personal---not laws. Because our democracy can be as bureacratic/lame as the government the children setup. The conch (IE order) can be broken by humans...

Look at the conflict between the character Simon and the Lord of the Flies, the pig himself. I think that's where you find a lot of the theme of the book. Don't forget that titles are often used to help you understand the work as a whole.

Really, the essay needs discussion of the pig and Simon (I think that's the name of the Jesus-like kid who gets slaughtered by his "friends"... similar to Jesus' death :p )

Although this is the main idea of the story, others exist underneath it. The most prominent of these, probably, is the fact that often times people single out another person, or another group of people to look down upon in order to feel secure. Piggy’s character personifies this societal flaw, as he is always shunned and made fun of.

Quote:
It is obvious that Piggy and Jack symbolize two opposite extremes of human behavior while Ralph is pulled between these philosophies. Piggy demands adherence to the rules of his auntie while Jack subscribes to the philosophy, "If it’s fun, do it." Ralph empathizes with parts of both sides; that is why he walks the tight rope. Eventually he seems to side with Piggy, but actually Ralph never changes his philosophy— it is Jack and the rest of the boys who become more extreme in theirs (hunting humans, forming their own tribe, etc.). In this way Ralph portrays the role of government in any modern society. While he wants to satisfy the wishes of the public, he must also realize that certain rules of behavior must be followed in order to prevent anarchy.

Unfortunately anarchy defeats order. This is the outcome because Golding believed that government is an ineffective way to keep people together. No matter how logical or reasonable, government will eventually have to give in to the anarchical demands of the public; the cause which lies not in the infrastructure of the government but in man who runs it itself.

=============================================

Feel free to criticize (or compliment) :D [/B]


Not sure if Jack is really an anarchist. He seems to USE the ideas of anarchy to fuel his own power movement and demagoguery, creating enemies to attack for the purpose of his own power.

I think the essay is good, just wanted to give some ideas. I wasn't particularly good at interpreting Lord of the Flies when I read it.

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