Alexis Birliga - Lord of the Flies by Alexis Birliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm en-us 2022-02-13 21:31:36 UTC 2022-03-11 03:52:13 UTC hello@padlet.com Chapter 1 Questions alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2047586670 2. Being the first chapter, there is plenty of room for interpretation and speculation. What stands out to me is the boys’ celebration about being free and unsupervised. They are ecstatic and do as they please, but to what extent? They have already begun forming adult structures like a makeshift government and hierarchy. Thus, their freedom is still influenced by their upbringings. What this seems to foreshadow is that their isolation will lead to mayhem and destruction, their structures will crumble, and their resources will minimize all due to the recklessness and impulsivity of boys. Additionally, them prematurely separating themselves is a sign of disagreements and disputes waiting to happen. As one group of the outgoing and adventurous boys seek food and scope the topography, what are the clever and patient ones doing? If they are working against each other, the island could divide and cause major conflicts.

3. Initially, when the boys, mainly Ralph, realize that there are no adults on the island, they are immensely thrilled. They do not think back on what the consequences of this could be or the fact that their only way out at this point is one of those missing “grownups”. Ralph, particularly, is just happy to be free of responsibility and criticism, but what he does not realize is that he will soon take on more responsibility than everyone else. The scene when Ralph is elected as a leader seems to portray the impulsivity of young boys. Everyone ignores the well-adjusted candidate only to choose Ralph who seems cool and fresh, and who holds the shell. They are mesmerized by it and its power to gather everyone. Lastly, when Ralph reveals Piggy’s nickname from school, he is demonstrating his sheer amount of selfishness. Suitably so, every action Ralph takes is for no one’s benefit but his own. He is happy to have freedom, to be adored and have worshipers, and he is happy to not show sympathy. He is a perfect example of how human nature becomes resourceful in “every man for himself” situations; how humans have adapted to put themselves before others in order to survive and prosper. Ralph has not invented a new concept, he is exercising what people have been doing since the earliest civilization.

4. When the three boys encounter what could have been their meal for the night, all of them are hesitant to approach it. The oldest and the boy with a knife, Jack, is summoned for the task. He struggles to reach the piglet without letting it run away, eventually, he is able to jar the knife at the pig’s hind leg. This moment between Jack hurting the pig and letting it escape is a test for what he is able to emotionally suffice. He feels bashful and weak for not being able to kill the animal and makes excuses such as ‘next time’ or ‘it was too far/fast’. The other boys act as though they are disappointed, but rather, they seem to hold an understanding for Jack. This is likely because if they were placed in the position of killing the piglet, they would not be able to. All of this signifies the imposter syndrome these boys are facing; they are acting out the roles of adults while being at most, twelve years old.


]]> 2022-02-15 02:18:17 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2047586670 alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2049673896 Chapter 2**]]> 2022-02-15 22:39:25 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2049673896 Chapter 3 Questions alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2049765154 2. All of the young boys, or “littluns”, are finding more benefit in play than in work. Ralph and the other leaders have assigned them the roles to make huts for shelter for when conditions get worse. During the meetings, they appear to be very excited about working together to build places to live and make the island their temporary home, but when it comes down to the physical building, they do not care to participate. Golding is alluding to the laziness of the human race. As children, everything was handed to them; their parents were the ones who took care of them and made sure that they were safe. However, now that they are forced into independence, they have yet to realize the responsibility that comes with it. These littluns have not grasped the seriousness of the situation they are in and are growing wild. All of the older boys are showing initiative or any sheer amount of a reaction. They are having a reaction to the situation. They littluns are too young to fully understand that this island is not part of playtime and that their parents are not arriving anytime soon. Ralph, Simon, and Piggy are “grown up” enough to accept that they have to take responsibility.

3. There seems to be a below-the-surface conflict brewing between Ralph and Jack. They are seemingly good mates on the island because they are older, ‘wiser’, and are taking the lead. However, during the election, there was palpable tension between them. Jack rightfully wanted to be leader as he was older and seemed to know more, but the littluns carelessly favored Ralph. In chapter three, the first verbal argument between the boys happens. They both were bursting with anger, but were almost inexpressive of their true emotions. I believe this is because they are mere children, they are taking the responsibilities of adults by caring for the littluns and are worn out from it. They have such strong feelings, but do not yet know how to manage them. Ralph was angry at everyone on the island for foolishly behaving, so he lashed out on Jack who has his own stress for trying feed everyone. Their argument was almost humorous to read as Ralph would say “We want meat!”(Golding 70), and Jack would respond with variances of “But I shall! Next time!”(Golding 71). To an outside reader, who is more mature than the boys, their argument is pointless banter, but to them it is revolutionary. Their differences will likely cause more small-scale tensions, like this initial argument, in the future. But, what I think will become a problem, there tensions might result in a battle for dominance, meaning they might divide the island.

4. Jack and the littluns lack a sort of critical thinking that Ralph, Simon, and Piggy have. They are creating stories and ideas about the “beastie”, when in reality they have never seen it. All of their encounters with this beast stem from the fears they have from the savagery they are creating. The beast is a direct parallel to the increased amount of barbarism on the island. Personally, I believe that Ralph, Simon, and Piggy doubt the existence of the “beastie” because they aphrened the truth behind the cause; and, because if they have not seen, they cannot believe it. The boys who hold a fear of the beast are afraid of the unknown since they do not know any better. The more developed boys have to remain calm and collect to protect themselves and the others in the case of real harm. 

]]> 2022-02-16 00:14:32 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2049765154 alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2050055127 2022-02-16 04:00:15 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2050055127 Chapter 5 Entry alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2080597194 1. Ralph's initial values were to save the boys on the island by attempting to get the outside world to realize they are on the island. As the elected leader, he put forth his attempts to keep a signal fire continuously going. He sectioned the boys to all have different tasks; Jack and the hunters would be in charge of the fire and killing their dinner. Once the fire goes out and possibly their last chance at being saved is missed, Ralph realizes his perspective needs to be altered. He recognizes that there are individuals and groups within the island that are focused on other things. He has now changed the main value from being saved to protecting his authority. If not everyone is going to contribute to a unanimous goal, then Ralph decided to focus on keeping those followers who do share his goals. To protect his power and position, he is focused on salvaging the attention he received from the littluns not yet corrupted by ulterior motives. 

2. After some introspection about the motives of others and his personal shift in values, Ralph feels it is necessary to conduct a meeting. As the boys gather, he already senses a change in the dynamic in his authority. His discussions begin with the sanitation and manners of the boys on the island. They are rambunctious and do not even care to separate their sleeping and dining areas from their waste. This correlates with their continuous suppression of responsibility. Ralph points out that, initially, the littluns agreed to put aside some time to focus on building their shelters; however, all of that reserved time is used for play. All of these announcements are taken lightly and with little to no actual concern. The inability to function properly shows just how savage and untamed the boys have become. Their values hold no significance and are unruly compared to their previously civilized ways of living. The only time the littluns seem to stay serious is when the fire was mentioned, likely because they had a minimal amount of sympathy left for Ralph. Then, the beat is brought up again, a major concern for the littluns. Everyone including Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and Simon has different opinions but all share a common fear of the unknown. It was really important that this was discussed because it demonstrates the scared children hiding behind the survivors on an island. Each point that Ralph was making were his last attempts at consolidation of authority. 

7. Rules are incredibly important to Ralph because he is one of the few boys left that still is holding on to civilization. These rules he is so determined to enforce are the only connection between the boys and maintain from the outside world. Even if the littluns and hunters would rather play and kill then work for survival, if there were some order, it would assure Ralph. He has attached a new connotation of hope to his rules. Most of the boys used to share this same feeling of wistfulness, but are slowly being convinced by Jack and some others of savagery. As Ralph watches the boys grow more and more brutish, he is watching the consequences of disorder play out. Once all the rules are ignored completely, the island will plummet chaos; it will become a place in which civilization is unrecognizable. 

]]> 2022-03-07 02:22:10 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2080597194 alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2080608560 2022-03-07 02:28:24 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2080608560 Chapter 7 Entry alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2080615094 3. While on a hunting expedition, the hunters (which now includes Ralph) sent out to kill some meat for dinner. They encounter a boar, which they had never seen before. They are so focused on finding the beast that many of the hunters mistake the boar for it. However, Ralph reassures them. When they hold a spear in their hands, the boys seem to have this rush of adrenaline and testosterone which contributes to the reenactment of their primitive instincts. Even Ralph who is normally more contained than the others experiences this after he is the first to make a jab at the boar. He is ecstatic and announces to the whole group his doings. He was the one to get the poor boar hurt. The thrill within everyone gets them to play around, this quickly escalates into a dangerous situation. They take one of the boys and pin him to the ground and begin hitting and poking at him with their spears. The whole group is chanting and so euphoric that they cannot recognize the fear Robert was feeling. When they are just about to seriously hurt him, they let Robert loose with only a few scratches, yet they still do not recognize the harm in what they have done. Afterward, the boys make comments on how they should repeat this endeavor with a littlun, it is quite unclear if they were joking. This behavior is clearly foreshadowing events that are to come. It will bring no surprise if the same game is played again and someone is seriously hurt.

5. The group of hunters had spent the entire day roaming areas of the island that they had not inhabited. They were gone for many hours and it was getting dark out, they had made a promise to the boys not on the trip that they would return soon or tell them that were to be out later than anticipated. Even though Jack knew all of this, he still insisted on staying and moving up the mountain. He did this because he had to prove that he had a different mindset than Ralph; he desperately wanted to show how impulsive he could be. He shamed the other boys for showing weakness and of being afraid of the night. Particularly, he ridiculed Ralph for being the leader and for not wanting to go up the mountain. This caused the internal conflict within Ralph, he needed to decide if he was going to prove his dominance or his rationality. He concluded that he had to go up the mountain because logical reasoning does not merit much when in control of barbarics. Additionally, he needed to meet Jack at this level and prove his bravery.

6. When the three boys made their way up the mountain, it was pitch black out and difficult to adjust one's eyes to. Golding made this strategic decision in order to make it complicated to make out what exactly was on the top of the mountain. If it had been daytime, Jack would have been able to see that the foreign object was indeed the parachutist. Instead, in the dark, it perfectly resembled the beast they had been looking for. The boys were able to let their fear grow and their savagery run rampant because of this detail in the setting. Golding is able to manipulate many of the ways the plot continues with his descriptions and characterization.

]]> 2022-03-07 02:32:21 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2080615094 alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2083013169 2022-03-08 02:32:05 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2083013169 Chapter 9 Entry alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2083085109 2. Once Ralph and Piggy were awarded with the meat, Jack had decided it was time to discuss the divide between the group. As Jack interrogates the hunters and littluns, everyone is very hesitant to abide. This is mainly because Ralph is pleading for his authority as the elected chief. He is trying to reason with the boys telling them about rescue; this serves no purpose as these boys who wish to join Jack are far past the desire for civilization. Only when Ralph and Piggy create a scope of reality do the boys start to panic, they had mentioned the storm that was approaching. Because everyone had been so focused on the blissfulness of meat and games, they failed to recognize the water dripping down at them. Once they were alerted of the rain, they began to panic. The only way Jack could suppress this was with the chanting and dancing that puts them into a trance. Similar to wearing the war paint, the chanting brings the boys to their primal instincts. They feel buoyant and are no distracted by anything. A sudden force compules them and pushes them to extremes they normally would not reach.

3. Once in the trance of chanting, the hunters are sired and lose control over their actions. This trance caused them to mistake an injured Simon as the beast. This is incredibly ironic since at this moment, Simon had lugged himself down the island to inform everyone that the beast on the mountain was a mere soldier who had fallen just as they had. Possibly it was the subconscious effects of the chants and dances or the way in which Simon presented himself, but they killed Simon. They treated him just as they would the beast; they kicked and poked at him, slowly pushing him towards the ledge, there they began to rip at him and bite pieces of his flesh, then finally let him fall into the water and stain the sand with blood. This occurrence is seemingly tragic for the island not only because they killed something that was not the true beast and that they still do not know that the “beast” on the mountain is a dead soldier, but additionally because Simon was the only symbol of unison left. Simon was the sole character that fell between the rivalry of Jack versus Ralph, or of savagery versus rescue and responsibility. Without him, none of the littluns will find reassurance to stay indecisive and the tensions will run deeper.

4. Golding made the artistic decision to have the figure fly over the boys in order to symbolize their fears continuing to stay relevant. At the moment, the boys believed that the original beast had come down from the island and that they had just discarded of the body. The parachutist cascading down on them proves this belief illy. Additionally, Golding had Simon’s body slowly drift out towards the sea to have the boys watch their mistake and to symbolize the unity and spirituality leave the island for good. Simon had been the last benefactor of reason as well as the sole proprietor of seeking ordeals from a spiritual lens. Without him, the island will grow more hostile and nothing will be taken from a higher perspective. Both of these occurrences happening made sure that the boys will never know who the true beast was. Simon, being the only one who saw the beast in daylight, and the beast himself, and gone.

]]> 2022-03-08 03:09:22 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2083085109 alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2089007428 2022-03-10 19:13:20 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2089007428 Chapter 11 Entry alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2089669775 2. Their attempt was set up to fail all because of their lack of motivation and lack of coordination and numbers. They were deciding to bombard dozens of savage boys with their measly quad, one of them blinded and unwilling to defend himself. All they had to fight were some wooden spears. They were very credulous as they expected Jack and the others to hold a conversation with them. They had not been expecting all of these boys to have turned completely rabid. When they arrived they were surrounded by wooden spears and hostility. When they asked to speak to Jack, the others might as well have laughed in their faces. Ralph, the twins, and especially Piggy were filled with terror as they encountered the copious amounts of weapons and boys. Their feeble determination could not amount to the anger and barbarism that prospered within Jack’s tribe.

3. I believe that Roger mindlessly decided to push the rock off the cliff of the castle because he feels no remorse; I choose to label him as a sociopath. Roger has never shown any emotional significance in any respect. He is eager to kill and to remain savage. Once he killed Piggy with the rock, the violence and maliciousness relinquished from his brain. It acted as his adrenaline and he was able to kick the rock off in mere desire. He had no hesitation, even when he watched the blood and brain matter ooze out of his skull. The final discarding of the rock was pitiful violence, he senselessly acted upon his ferociousness. A character like Jack would not have been able to do what he did. Jack had originally felt strong emotions and desire to do good, however, his hunger for power won the match between good and evil. Jack would have felt instant contrition after killing Piggy. It would have been very similar to how he reacted to Simon’s death; after the delusion subsided, he forcefully suppressed his guilt and attempted to obliterate his memories. This is where Roger and Jack differ, both are savage, but only Roger has and always will be that way. 

4. When the rock was thrown straight for Piggy and the conch, all of the island’s civilization and strategic thinking was destroyed. The conch was used to designate the permission to speak and to call meetings. Over the ordeals in the book, it has been partially ignored but never forgotten. Even when Piggy, in his last moments, was calling out that he had the conch, he silenced even the most rambunctious of the savages. It was a signal that that person had some authority, and that they had something important to say. Once the savages threw the rock, all of the order was lost. There was no way to consolidate anyone anymore and anyone who shared the smallest amount of hope had lost it. The physical shattering perfectly parallels the shattering of everyone's hope of rescue. Alongside the conch, Piggy dies as well. His skull shatters just as the shell did. This creates a second parallel where his skull, and brain, held all of the scientific knowledge and reasoning that kept the island together, for the most part. Therefore now the island is left without hope, civilization, and logical reasoning.

]]> 2022-03-11 03:10:46 UTC https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2089669775 Chapter 12 Entry alexisbirliga https://padlet.com/alexisbirliga/rr94olyulh94shvm/wish/2089731133 3. Samneric most likely join Jack’s chiefdom because they are afraid of being outcasts. They are seeing what is happening to Ralph and they unanimously decide that they would rather disguise themselves as the hunters instead of becoming the hunted. This decision is completely out of fear and they practically have no other option. I choose to believe that they did not have a choice in giving up Ralph’s location either. It is very likely that one or many of the savages heard or saw Samneric speaking to a foreign figure in the bushes. Because of this, they were threatened to tell the others what had been discussed. Their ultimatum was either being killed like a pig or revealing the information. However, it could also be that the boys had given up on rescue once they witnessed Piggy’s death and the destruction of the conch, the last signs of rescue. Their only chance at life was the accept the coerced invitation to the cultish rituals that is Jack’s tribe. 

5. The cultish tribe reveals their pure hatred for Ralph and his logical reasoning. They are determined in hunting and killing Ralph as quickly and as dramatically as possible. Their wise thinking leads them to foolishly decide to burn the island to the ground in order to drive Ralph out and lure him into their hands. This proves that Jack and the others are terribly rash in their decisions and lack proper excogitation. Deciding to flush the island with fire did not just banish Ralph, but it would have killed all of the savages. They are far past any edification, not one of Jack’s tribe stopped to think about the repercussions that come with setting fire to their home. Only Ralph, even as he was running for his life, stopped and thought about how all of the fruit trees and shelters were being burnt. He thought about how impetuous their choices would affect their living conditions. If they had been successful in narrowing down Ralph, they would have happily killed him, but been full of contrition since they ruined their chances of survival. They would not have been able to hunt any more animals or sharper any more spears. This is specifically suggestive of the passion that surrounds hatred and violence because all these now savages were once jolly choir singers and six-year-olds on the playground. It proves how certain situations can spark strong desires to release one’s innate primal instincts. These boys turned vicious due to their primitive instinct for blood-lust and survival. Any form of reason and logic was undervalued in comparison to benefiting the individual’s intrinsic motivations.


6. Ralph spends plenty of time thinking about where to hide after discovering the hunt that would take place the next day. He contemplates hiding in a tree or running from the other boys as if he were a pig being hunted. He decides against both of these options since either way he could easily be hunted down and singled out. He then remembers how safe he has felt within the burrows of the undergrowth of the thicket. He was hidden and in a large domain; he wanted to recreate this feeling of security. His new location was deep into the forest and very low to the ground whereas you could only spot him if you crouched very low. Both of these spaces represent a security blanket where Ralph is surrounded by the comfortability and familiarity of civilization and societal order. These were locations where he felt that content once again. This is completely opposite to being out on the island for Ralph. He imagines himself sleeping out on the island at night whiles the others look for him. This instills instant fear and makes him feel like he is submitting directly into the hands of savagery. At this point in the novel, feeling exposed, and without his security blanket, leaves without protection from the commandings of Jack and his brutish cult.



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