Are They Really All Savages?

In Lord of the Flies, it is evident that there is a separation from Ralph, Piggy, and Sam and Eric to Jack, Roger, and the tribe. Ralph and his group are trying to hold on to civilization and a society with some order. This is evident because Piggy especially and Ralph still hold on to the value of the conch. The conch is the symbol of society. Jack and his tribe could care less about a well organized society and the conch. All they care about is hunting. Jack and his tribe are very savage and Ralph and his group aren't. At one point in the novel, all of the boys become savages for a short period of time. This was when all of the boys, including Piggy and Ralph, did the dance in the circle. When they did the dance, they killed Simon. All of the boys were involved in the death of Simon too. Ralph and his group had the capability to be savages just like Jack and his tribe. This backs up Golding's belief that men are mostly evil. Ralph and Piggy were good people, they just had a temptation that they couldn't resist. They gave in to the evil. They wanted a well organized society, but when the evil looked like fun, they didn't think about what was right, they were just involved in the moment. This holds true in our society today. Many people are good on the inside. When they get caught up in the moment or with the wrong crowd, they tend to do things that they know are wrong. This helps prove that all men have the capabilty to be evil, and it also backs up Golding's main theme for the whole novel. Men are mostly evil. Even the mostly good people do bad things.

Molly Gamble

Piggy's death brings Ralph strength?

Ralph often used Piggy for wisdom and often looked to him for help in situations in which he didn't know what to do. With Piggy's death I think Ralph found that he had to figure it out for himself on what to do and realized how smart Piggy really was on taking names and how much he reallied on him. During the time when Piggy was alive Ralph realized that without Piggy he wouldn't be able to survive on the island and it was Piggy's knowledge that may have been keeping them alive and not becoming a savage; for Piggy often kept Ralph on track for having the priority be to keep the fire going so that they get rescued. When Ralph witness' his friends death I think that is when it really clicks to him that these savages aren't afraid to kill a person and will most likely do it again. Ralph has to gather himself and get himself rescued because he has nobody left to take care of him or look out for him. I think it's through Piggy's death that Ralph realizes how important being rescued really truly is if he wants to live. Yes he knew being rescued was important, but seeing someone being purposely murdered shows him that in order to live he has to leave the island. All of the order they had at all is completely gone at this point also and this also may give Ralph the strength to survive.
*Kaylee

Ralph feels smart?

In chapter 12, as Ralph was sneaking into his secret hide out in the thicket, he realized that he was at the scene where Piggy was killed. Golding said that Ralph felt safe and smart while he was in this hiding spot. I think that what Golding meant by that is that even though Piggy is no longer on the island physically, his presence can still be felt by Ralph. Samneric have abandoned him, so at this point, Ralph is really in need of something to keep him going. I thought that it was an interesting way to separate Ralph from the rest of the boys because, even though they don't want to admit it, all the boys on the island have to be somewhat scared. I mean, come on? Any 12-year-old child would be scared to be on a deserted island, especially when he knows that he isn't liked by everyone on the island. And at this point, can you consider any of them smart due to their actions (example: killing Piggy and Simon). So to point out that Ralph feels safe and smart while being surrounded by his enemies was an interesting way to separate the savages from Ralph.

- Tyler Norman

P.S. my page numbers are different than the rest of the books used in class, so that's why there are no page numbers sited in my blog.

Could the pigs also be the beast?

In Chapter 8, Jack and his hunters had killed the mother pig and put her head on a stick for the beast. Later in the chapter, Simon finds the pig’s head on a stick. Simon is a little out of it and slightly delusional and ‘talks’ to the pig. Although, it’s more of his ‘good side’ verses ‘evil side’ conflicting. On page 143, the pig says, “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast.” When I read this line I thought that Golding was indicating that the pig was actually the beast and not just the boys themselves. This is so because the pigs are bringing out the savageness in the boys by making them want to kill, which is causing chaos throughout the island; therefore, making the pigs the beast–the one who brings out the worst in the boys. So when I read that and pieced it together in that aspect, I thought the beast was the boys, but also partially the pigs. But after discussion in class, I see that the beast is really just the boys themselves, but the pig being the beast was just another way that I had looked at it.

-Kearsten

Piggy and Science

Golding: "Piggy understand society less than almost anyone there. He's a scientist. He is naive, short-sighted, and rationalist, like most scientists."

Think about Piggy's death and how much he valued the conch. How might it illustrate this quote?

There are many ethical issues in science facing us today where "naive" or "short-sighted" decisions could have serious consequences. Your thoughts?

In your opinion, have there been time in the past when scientific advancements, inventions, and technology should have been prevented?

Politics and beyond

Golding: "It seems to be the dilemma we are faced with that, on the whole, the politician is likely to be a Jack, and, at best, a Ralph--never a Simon."

Do you agree with this quote? Evaluate the leadership qualities of these characters and/or compare/contrast them with past or current political figures.

Golding's Thoughts and Yours

Years later in an interview tiha reporter from the New York World-Telegram and Sun (1963), Golding insisted that the novel’s primary purpose is to serve as a warning of man’s potential for brutality to his fellow man. He said, “I learned during World War II just how brutal people can be to each other. Not just Germans or Japanese, but everyone. I tried to point that out…Some have said that the brutality of the novel is impossible. It’s not. Look at any newspaper.”

What do you think? Do you agree with Golding's theme? Offer evidence one way or another.