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The following questions need to be answered by 26 May 2015-- 7 pm. If you have any difficulty please e-mail me so that I can help you.
The following questions need to be answered by 26 May 2015-- 7 pm. If you have any difficulty please e-mail me so that I can help you.
CHAPTER ONE:
1.Why is the chapter entitled “The
Sound of the Shell”?
2. What is Ralph’s attitude toward
Piggy in the first chapter?
3. What is the significance of
Piggy’s plea to join the expedition?
4. Why is Ralph elected chief?
5. What is the “scar” that is
repeatedly mentioned?
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ReplyDelete1. The first chapter is entitled ‘The Sound of the Shell’ for it is due to the sound made by using a sea shell that boys stranded on an island come together and form a troop .The shell is called a conch and soon becomes a symbol of authority .
ReplyDelete2. In the first chapter Ralph’s attitude towards Piggy is very nearly dismissive. He makes no effort in getting to know him and behaves rather indifferently. Ralph is an independent boy who considers Piggy to be nothing but an inconvenience. Piggy however continues to be persistently loyal to Ralph.
3 .Piggy is a perceptive yet attention seeking boy. He wishes to join the expedition so that he may feel included. Thus by showing his eagerness to join the expedition, Golding displays Piggy’s character.
4. A group of boys are stranded on an island during a plane crash. When selecting their leader, they choose the boy that stands out, Ralph. There was something calm about his attractive appearance and something almost powerful about the conch he held. And so Ralph was elected leader.
5. It was during the Second World War when a plane rescuing a group of boys crashed into an island in the South Sea. The ‘scar’ referred to by the boys is the deep crater left on the earth by the plane crash.
1. The first chapter is entitled "The Sound of The Shell." This shell is a reference to a "creamy" looking object that had intrigued Ralph and Piggy at the beginning of the story. After Piggy shows Ralph how to use it, the sound of the shell, now called a conch, reverberates through the island. It is used to summon the stranded boys from all corners of the island. As the story progresses, the one with the conch is given the right to speak, thus it begins to symbolize authority and leadership. It is the sound of the shell which marks the beginning of the characters' journey, therefore making it an appropriate start to the novel as well. It is as if the sound of the conch - loud and harsh - beckons the readers to listen, intrigues them and welcomes them to the dark side of humanity.
ReplyDelete2. In the first chapter, Ralph is extremely indifferent towards Piggy. Initially, he makes an attempt to be polite to him,and not make it too obvious to Piggy that he is uninterested, but eventually Ralph begins to treat Piggy like nothing but an inconvenience. He goes to the extent of laughing rather rudely at Piggy's nickname, teasing the boy and making statements such as 'Sucks to your auntie!' Thus, by the end of the first chapter, readers are aware that, despite Piggy's keen interest in Ralph, Ralph does not feel Piggy to be of much importance.
3. Ralph decides that he, together with two other boys, namely Simon and Jack, would go on an expedition to find out if the place they were stranded on was an island. Piggy, on this occasion, tells the boys that he wishes to go, too. This shows a certain persistence in his character- he wishes to be acknowledged. We see Piggy's intense desire to be involved in the proceedings, and his indignation on receiving a refusal shows just how intent he is on being a part of whatever 'action'' takes place on the island. Piggy's plea is very significant as we realize how eager, how interested and just how enthusiastic he is about receiving attention and being an active part of what goes on on the island.
4. Once the conch has been blown and schoolboys assemble, it is stated that a chief must be appointed. As is mentioned in the text, Jack Merridew was the obvious choice, due to his past achievements and his almost overshadowing personality. All wisdom that had been displayed was traceable to Piggy. However, it is Ralph who is chosen chief.
ReplyDeleteThe human mind is easily deceived, and the image of boy blowing a conch shell on a platform had an aura that could not be ignored. It was an aura of strength, almost majesty. In the eyes of these young boys, this boy with a conch seemed formidable, though unclear how, and inexplicably led them to make him chief.
This choice of chief shows us how fragile the human mind is, and how easily it is swung by show. Often, emotion overpowers reason and this leads to decisions that, though seemingly quite plausible at the time, are either baseless or flawed.
5. The story is set during the Second World War, when a flight trying to evacuate children from Britain is attacked by a German U- Boat and crash lands into an island. This 'scar' is the crater that has been created on the surface of the island due to this plane.
This scar, as it is called, represents man and his impact on the world. Before the plane crashed, the island was probably pristine and flawless, but the landing of the flight left an indelible mark on the beauty of the island.
Similarly, man and the evil inside him, the dark inside him, has robbed the world of its purity. Where man goes, destruction and devastation shall follow - that is inevitable. Since generations, ever since humans have begun to inhabit the planet, there have been wars, there have been conflicts. Man has never ceased to inflict hurt - upon himself, upon others of his kind , and upon nature.
Thus, even an island is not spared the horror of humanity. What was once peaceful, silent and unadulterated has now been contaminated by humanity - into something that is, and shall always be witness to the damage the devil in man can cause.
The scar remains an eternal reminder of the events that took place on the island, and the mutilated beauty continues to represent the dark side that is hidden in every human, and makes itself felt at instances of emergency and desperation.
1) The chapter is entitled "The Sound of The Shell" for all of the boys on the island come together as a result of the noise Ralph makes by blowing into a sea shell. Piggy explains Ralph that such a shell was called a conch and was very expensive. The boys eventually decide to use the conch as a symbol of authority and attention. Although it is a small tangible item, the shell may become a very important aspect of the boys' survival on the island.
ReplyDelete2) Ralph sees Piggy as a nuisance.Ralph constantly tries to walk away from him and ignores most of his questions. When Piggy tells Ralph about his nickname (which he was ashamed of) Ralph laughs at him and mocks him. Ralph and Piggy are very different from each other.Piggy is overtly kind to Ralph, while Ralph tries to ignore Piggy as much as possible.
3) Piggy's plea to join the expedition represents how Piggy desperately tries to be like the other boys. He keeps telling Ralph about his health problems in order to gain the sympathy and attention of Ralph ( which he does not). His nickname suggests that he is mocked and laughed at and has always been exploited from groups. But once again, his peers have treated him as an outcast and left him behind.
4) Ralph is elected the chief as he was the first to blow into the conch, which brought the boys together. There seems to be a quiet appeal about Ralph that makes others contented.
5)The scar mentioned in this story is mark on the island that the plane made when it crashed. It is referred to as a scar probably because it is man made rather than an act of nature.
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ReplyDelete3. From the very beginning,Piggy is shown to be overtly eager to talk to Ralph. His garrulousness in the face of absolute disinterest and indifference shows his patience and lack of self-esteem. When Ralph ridicules him for being called "Piggy",he bears it with "a sort of humble patience",in Golding's words. Later in spite of being refused to be included in the expedition,he follows them up to a certain point,revealing his desperation and extreme desire to be included and to be accepted. He is starved of attention and acknowlegment and seeks it like a hungry falcon,roving in search of it. Perhaps this overpowering desire to ingratiate himself with everyone stems from a history of neglect. Maybe,because he was bullied,which is ostensible and evident from the fact that he was called "Piggy", in his school,instils in him an even greater desire to make friends,because he believes he has been given an opportunity to start afresh.
ReplyDelete4. As soon as the boys come together,they arrive unanimouly at the conclusion that they need a leader,a commanding figure whom they could all obey. Jack,who comes off as very domineering and confident,automatically assumes that he would be that person. On announcing this sentiment,he is astonished to find a buzz of disagreement rising stealthily and threateningly in the mob. Finally,someone musters the courage to challenge Jack's complacent sense of security and suggest a choice between Ralph and Jack. Most of the boys had started looking upto Ralph. Golding cleverly insinuates this order of things by stating that the younger boys were squatting and looking up at Ralph,vertically and it was only Jack who had looked down upon him. Ralph,standing on the upraised platform with the conch nestled in his hand,immediately assumes the formidable personality of a leader,and the gullible minds of the boys are drawn towards his magnetic personality,his unspoken confidence in his own competence and potential. Hence,he is voted the chief.
The conch has a very significant,accessory and auxiliary role to play in Ralph's vertiginous rise to power. It had already become a symbol of authority in the boys' eyes and whoever held it,had their loyalty and awe. Therefore,they are inclined to vote for Ralph,even though Jack was apparently no less competent and no less deserving of the accolade.
*unanimously
Delete5. On the surface,the scar refers to the deep crater that had been formed in the soil of the island by the impact of the plane-crash.
ReplyDeleteBut it has far greater metaphorical connotations. The scar symbolises the first disastrous impact of humanity on the otherwise beautiful island,how the arrival of mankind immediately incapacitated,vandalized and desecrated the sacred,untouched beauty of the landscape. Golding has craftily planned the usage of this word,interspersing the narrative at intervals,to remind the readers of the grim,marred atmostphere and to reinforce the dystopian setting of the novel. The scar is a scathing metaphor for humanity's tarnishing influence on the pristine and pure earth. The metaphor labours to assert the misanthropic philosophy drilled into Golding's thought process as an aftermath of suffering the ravages of war,that Man heralds destruction wherever he goes,that the arrival of Mankind on this serene Earth entailed ruin and catastrophe. Man intiates war and suffering and the darkness in Man is a much more intoxicating and redoubtable force than the good in him. The scar stretching through the expanse of the island,thereby destroying its beauty, is a disheartening and saddening sight to see,like the triumph of evil over good,and the terrifying vision of the inherent neutrality in Man's heart descending into a fathomless pit of darkness,always lingering in the shadows at a close and dangerously viable proximity.
1. When Piggy finds a conch shell lying unsuspectingly on the beach,he's overcome with excitement and to some extent,hope. He is the one who comes up with the idea that it could be blown to summon the others,if any,on the island to congregate and forge a united association. From the very beginning of the novel,Piggy has been showing emotions of alarm and fear at knowing that there were no grown-ups on the island,almost as if he had had a premonition concerning the sinister possibilities of such a situation. So,at first,when the shell is found,it is viewed as a harbinger of hope and optimism. Subsequently,Ralph blows the shell,which contorts his face in unusual and ominous expressions. Soon,other boys gather around Ralph and most of them look up at his figure above the rock,holding the conch in his hand,emitting an aura of absolute but inadvertent and unforced authority,with interest and speculation. Later he is voted chief because the presence of the conch in his possession sways the minds of the mob to such an extent that they automatically accept him to be their rightful leader. Their impressionable and gullible minds are impacted by Ralph's effortless emanation of superiority,which is reinforced by his unchallenged ownership of the conch. Later as we progress in the novel,it becomes clear that the boys obey whoever has the conch,therefore making the conch an emblem of authority. The sound of the shell is such a potent force that its strength reverberates throughout the novel,its significance leaves ripples in the water. The sound of this shell dictates the course of the events that take place,like a devastating domino effect,in the novel.
ReplyDeleteBut as much as it is a symbol of power,it is also a very constant and subtle reminder of the corrupting influence of power.For instance,Golding mentions that Ralph gets a sort of violent pleasure out of making the clamorous sound,out of breaking the silence and peace reigning supreme in the island. Hence,the shell stands for both the human instincts of civilisation and decadence,which are the central themes of the novel. Ergo,the first and introductory chapter of the novel is named "The Sound of the Shell."
2. Ralph comes off as very dismissive to Piggy in the first chapter. His responses to Piggy's persistent questions are perfunctory at best and Golding even mentions that Piggy appears to be an "irrelevance" to Ralph. However,when Piggy unwisely reveals his vulnerable side,Ralph jumps at the opportunity to scathe and ridicule him. Ralph had not been paying attention to Piggy till the latter mentioned that he had an embarrassing name which the boys back in his school used to call him,and which he would rather nobody called him here. Ralph immediately grew curious and asked him the inevitable question. As seen as he got to know the answer,he launched into fervent peals of sadistic and spiteful laughter,which reveals with a shocking suddenness the inherent cruelty,and insensitivity in his character. Golding uses this instance to refute the myth that all children are innocent,and instead establishes the disturbing possibility that children can be cruel too.
Later,when Jack and Ralph decide to go on an expedition to find out for certain if the place was,in fact,an island,they include Simon and inspite of Piggy's constant pleas to be taken,they refuse to do so,labelling him as incompetent. This hurts Piggy,who is very amenable and malleable,and he weakly rebukes Ralph for revealing his embarrassing name to the other boys. This softens Ralph's heart for an instant and he considers apologising. But his pragmatic side quickly takes over and he dons an approach of insouciance and nonchalance to Piggy's suffering. This shows that Ralph does have a compassionate aspect to his character,but he chooses the darkness,and the disdainful monster lurking in him--repeatedly,and horrifyingly.
*soon
Delete*dismissive of
Delete1)The first chapter in entitled "The Sound of the Shell" for it is only when Ralph blows the sea shell and its sound is heard far and wide that all the scattered boys are able to come together.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ralph saw "something creamy" lying among the ferny weeds he thought of it to be a stone but it was Piggy who discovered that it was a shell and can be used to summon the stranded boys on the island. The shell,also called a conch, becomes a symbol of authority and leadership as the story progresses and the person who holds the conch gets a chance to speak without being interrupted.
The shell marks an apt beginning to the novel as it conveys to the readers how the boys, in the absence of adults, are trying to discipline themselves and form a civilisation.
2)The relationship between Ralph and Piggy is like any other relationship where two strangers who know nothing about each other have to come together to survive. Ralph is delighted because he is on the island without any adult supervision and wants to savour the initial moments but Piggy seems to be a hindrance. He constantly tries to bring Ralph back to reality and keeps reminding him that they need to find the others on the island. This agitates Ralph and he sees Piggy as nothing but a mere inconvenience. He tries to ignore him, makes fun of his asthma and mocks at his nickname. He is indifferent towards Piggy and this is proved by the fact that he does not even bother asking Piggy’s name.
3)Ralph,Jack and Simon decide to go on a expedition to find out whether the place that they are stranded on is an island or not. Piggy pleads to join this expedition because he sees in it an opportunity to interact with the boys and make his presence felt.Although he is aware that due to his asthma and weight he would not be successful in the expedition, he still insists on joining the boys. This shows his ardent desire to be acknowledged and accepted in the group.
Thus, through Piggy's plea to join the expedition, Golding brings out the desperation in man to be accepted by society and how, given the chance, he is ready to mould himself according to societal norms.
4)The boys come to realise that a chief must be appointed to take important decisions. Jack seems to be the obvious choice due to his dark, overbearing and intimidating personality. But Ralph's personality had a certain calmness and charisma which made the boys have him as their leader. Moreover he was the unquestionable owner of the conch which was blown to bring all the boys together. The gullible minds of the boys identified the conch as a symbol of authority and thus Ralph, who blew the conch and held it, became the chief.
5) In the Lord of the Flies, a plane carrying a group of British school boys is mistaken for a military craft and is shot down. The “scar” is the crater that has been created on the surface of the island due to the plane crash.
On a symbolic level, the scar left by the plane crash symbolises the damaging encroachment of humans in paradise. It symbolises the damage that human beings can cause to the earth and eventually to each other. The scar also represents explorers from a different land marking a new piece of territory as their own. Since the new piece of land is pristine, the explorers or in the case of the novel, the boys can make the land their own by corrupting it with the evil that lies within them.
On a deeper level, the scar might also symbolise the impact that man has over the world. It represents how the darkness and evil in man has robbed the world of its purity.
1. The first chapter is named “The Sound Of The Shell “ as it talks about how Ralph and Piggy find and utilise the shell to attract and address the other boys. Piggy and Ralph find the creamy shell among the ferny weeds on the beach. Piggy is extremely excited by their discovery and regards the shell with utmost awe saying that it is called a conch. Upon Piggy’s suggestion, Ralph blows the conch to call the other boys who are stranded on the island along with them. The other boys, attracted by the conch’s sound, give Ralph, the holder of the shell, the same respect and simple obedience that they give to men with megaphones. Hence the conch becomes a symbol of order and authority. It also emerges as a vessel of democratic power as being the owner of the conch is one of the main reasons which influence Ralph’s election as the chief.
ReplyDelete2.At the beginning of the novel, Ralph treats Piggy with disregard and is quite dismissive of him. though Piggy tries very hard to form an acquaintance with Ralph, he does not so much as ask him his name. Ralph also ignores many a thing that Piggy is saying and when Piggy tries to win his sympathy by talking about his many ailments, Ralph disregards this too. Already it is seen that Piggy seems to accept Ralph as his leader. Ralph mocks at Piggy's nickname, which is his most vulnerable side, with a sort of meanness which brings out the spitefull and cruel side of his character. To Ralph, Piggy is nothing but a nuisance who interupts his daydreams about the freedom that the lack of adult supervision in the island presents by his practical and pessimistic remarks. later on,Ralph reveals Piggy's shamefull nickname to the other children even though Piggy had earlier asked him not to.When Piggy tries to rebuke him for this Ralph,seeing that he is hurt and crushed, for a moment considers apologising but the pragmatic side of his character takes over and he frankly tells Piggy that it is better to be called Piggy than Fatty.He also refuses when Piggy asks to accompany Ralph, Jack and Simon when they were setting out to explore the island, saying that he was not cut out for that sort of work. This shows of how little importance Piggy is to Ralph.
ReplyDelete3.Piggy is though a very bright boy, rather insecure and lacking in self-esteem. He has endured mock and ridicule throughout his life on account of his weight and illnesses. He is thus very desperate to be included. Therefore when Ralph and two other boys, Jack and Simon, set out to explore the island, Piggy wanted very badly to accompany them. He wanted to feel usefull and included. But the others paid him no attention even when he told them that he had a right to accompany them as he was the one who was with Ralph from the begginning and was told to go back to taking the names of the other children rather roughly. The others then left him feeling hurt and humiliated without a thought.
4. Ralph is the main protagonist of The Lord Of The Flies. It is Ralph who blows the conch to assemble the other boys for a meeting. Though neither the smartest nor the strongest of all the boys, he has a certain quite charisma and inherent leadership in him which causes Piggy to recognise him as the leader even in their very first meeting. Therefore when the boys are asked to select a chief for themselves, although Jack is the most obvious choice, Ralph stands out due to his charisma, his attractive goodlooks and the fact that he has blown and now holds the conch. The conch to the boys is a symbol of political legitimacy and authority, therefore making it's owner a formidable and powerful figure. The fact that Ralph holds the conch makes him stand apart and thus eligible for election as chief. So, even though Piggy is the most intelligent and Jack the most authoritive, it is Ralph who is elected as the leader by all the other boys.
ReplyDelete5.The Lord Of The Flies was written at a time when the Second World War was going on. Towards the end of the war, due to the threat of air raids, most school children were being flown out of London. Ralph and the other boys were in one such aircraft when their plane was attacked and it crashed in the desert island . The crashed aircraft was like an open gash on the face of the beautiful, wild island and this is referred to as the scar. The word Scar may symbolise the wounds that mankind inflicts upon nature. The island was unpolluted by human presence before the crash. It is man who corrupts nature through his activities. So the symbol of man's destruction, the bombed plane, created an ugly scar on the beautiful face of nature.
1. The chapter is entitled 'The Sound of the Shell', because Ralph and Piggy find a shell and Piggy tells Ralph that,that kind of a shell is called a 'conch'. When Ralph blows into the conch, all the boys on the island come together and decide upon using the conch as a symbol of authority. The children decide that whoever holds the conch in his hand, would be allowed to speak to all the other boys.
ReplyDelete2. In the first chapter, when Ralph first comes across Piggy, he does not like him and tries to walk away and ignore him. Ralph is a boy who likes to be lone and does not want to interact with Piggy. Ralph thinks that Piggy is a boy who is fat and wears thick spectacles. When Piggy tells Ralph that he was so called by his friends in school, Ralph started laughing and made fun of Piggy which did not speak well of his attitude towards Piggy.
ReplyDelete3. The significance of Piggy's plea to join the expedition is that Piggy desperately wanted to be a part of the group. It shows that he wanted to be acknowledged by the others and make his presence felt. Eventhough, he thinks that he might not be successful in completing the expedition due to his asthma, he insists and pleas to be a part of it, just to grab the attention of others, especially Ralph.
ReplyDelete4. Ralph was elected the leader of the group of school boys. This is because Ralph had an attractive personality and all the young boys wanted to have him as their leader. Ralph had an attractive appearance, there was a stillness about him as he sat waiting for the boys to elect their leader, with the conch balanced on his knees, that marked him out. The fact that he was the one who blew into the conch and it was due to him that the boys assembled, was another reason that made Ralph stand out amongst the rest of the boys. Hence, Ralph was elected the leader of the group.
5. The 'scar' that is repeatedly mentioned in this chapter, is a mark made on the surface of the earth by the plane when it crashed. The mark is referred to as a 'scar', maybe because it is the damage caused to the earth due to a human activity and not any natural calamity.
1. The first chapter has been entitled “The Sound Of The Shell.” In the first chapter we see how the boys are stranded on an island, we learn only about Piggy and Ralph and their immediate experiences on the island. One of which, is when they find an object, which turns out to be a shell. They use this shell to grab the attention of all the other children on the island and slowly come together. It symbolises the beginning of the new life of the boys on the island, just the same way as we hear the sound of a shell at the break of day.
ReplyDelete2. In the first chapter Ralph is dismissive when it comes to Piggy. He tries to ignore him completely and doesn’t bother with pleasantries. On the other hand, Piggy has the curiosity and want to know more about Ralph. When Ralph only thinks of Piggy as an inconvenience. And in this way, they soon establish a leader-follower pattern.
3. When Ralph decides that he, along with two other boys would go on an expedition to know more about the island that they were stranded in, Piggy shows his keen interest in going with them on the expedition too. It shows how Piggy wants to do everything he can in order to get acknowledged by his peers.
4. After the shell/conch has been blown and all the boys from various parts of the island are bought together, it is stated that a chief must be appointed. Ralph is chosen to be chief as, he has a certain kind of aura, almost powerful that makes the rest of the boys want to elect him as chief.
5. The novel, “The Lord Of The Flies” has been set against the background of the Second World War, when an airplane evacuating a group of school boys crash lands into an island. A crater that has been created on the surface of the island due to the crash of the plane has been referred to as the ’scar’.
1) The first chapter is entitled “The Sound of the Shell” because it talks about the discovery of the ‘creamy’ shell by Ralph and Piggy and how they utilise it to summon all the other boys from different parts of the island. Piggy, upon seeing the shell, grows extremely excited and also shows Ralph how to use it. Later in the story we learn that holding the shell, or ‘conch’ as they call it, would give a person the right to speak and thus it in this way it becomes a symbol of authority.
ReplyDelete2) In the first chapter, Ralph is extremely ignorant towards Piggy, despite Piggy’s clear intention of wanting to be friends with him. Ralph barely pays attention to him, even though Piggy desperately tries to be acknowledged by talking about his physical ailments, his asthma and his auntie. Ralph does not even bother to find out his name, but once he does, he behaves very rudely and continuously laughs at the name ‘Piggy’.
3) Piggy desperately wanted to be acknowledged, yet nobody in the island paid attention to him. So, when Ralph decided to go on the expedition with Jack and Simon, Piggy voiced his wish to go along with them but was refused. This shows how much Piggy wanted to feel involved and participate in the on-going activities of the island.
4) The boys realized they needed a leader to guide them and they chose Ralph as theirs because they were impressed with his calm and charismatic personality. Also the fact that he was in possession of the conch, which had already been established as a symbol of authority in the minds of the boys, helped them with their decision.
5) In the novel, the ‘scar’ refers to the deep cut that has been created on the island due to crashing of the aeroplane. It is perhaps referred to as the scar because the earth had been wounded by the crash.
1) The first chapter in William Golding’s Lord of The Flies is called “The Sound of The Shell”. When Ralph and Piggy were sitting on the fallen trunk near the cliff, Ralph noticed something creamy in the ferny weeds. They realized it was a shell. Piggy told Ralph that is was called a conch and was very expensive. He also told Ralph how to blow it so that they could call all the other stranded boys and have a meeting. After a few failed attempts Ralph managed to blow the conch properly and its sound reverberated throughout the island. Hearing its powerful sound all the other boys soon gathered at the platform near the lagoon where Ralph and Piggy were.
ReplyDeleteAs the story proceeds we see how the conch becomes a symbol of authority. Ralph is elected chief as he has the conch, even though Piggy is the intelligent one and Jack is the one with the obvious leadership qualities.
2) In the first chapter we see that Ralph is very dismissive of Piggy. He ignores most of what Piggy says and considers him with his practicality and pessimistic remarks to be a hindrance in his daydreams and freedom from adult supervision. He mocks Piggy because of his asthma and his nickname. Later he also tells all the other boys Piggy’s nickname even though he specifically asked him not to. When piggy confronts Ralph about this, Ralph can see he is hurt and thinks of apologising but, his pragmatic side takes over and he chooses not to. Ralph and Jack together call Piggy incompetent for coming with them to see wheather the place was actually an island or not. Therefore through the first chapter we see that Ralph’s attitude towards Piggy is dismissive and rude although Piggy is eager to be friends with him.
3) We can understand that Piggy has had a rough childhood as his father is dead and he lives with his aunt. He was also bullied in school as he was called Piggy. Due to this he wants attention and thinks Ralph can give that to him. He thinks it is his right to go along with Jack, Simon and Ralph to cheak if they really were at an island because he was with Ralph at the time they found the conch and even before that.
4) After all the boys are gathered together they decide they have to elect a chief . Jack believed he was the obvious choice as he was head boy and chapter chorister but , they decided to put it to a vote. All the choir voted for Jack and everyone else for Ralph. As the majority voted for Ralph he was elected chief. No one found a good reason for this as the intelligent on was Piggy and Jack was the on with the obvious leadership abilities. The presence of the conch in Ralph’s hand was the main reason for his election along with his size and attractive appearance.
5) The story is set during the Second World War, when a flight is evacuating a group of students from Britain but, crash lands into a desert island. The impact of the aircraft left a crater on the virgin island which is referred to as the scar by the stranded boys.
The scar on the untainted island is also an allegory showing the destruction human beings cause to their surrounding for their personal needs. The beauty of the virgin island is marred forever .
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ReplyDelete1) In the first chapter, 'The Sound of the Shell', we are introduced to the characters in the book and we see them trying to make sense of their new surroundings. All the characters are English school boys in their teenage years. They have crashed on an island and with no grown-ups among them, they decide to try and establish some sort of a social order or discipline to make their hopefully short time on the island easier till they are rescued. Right from the start, we follow two boys, Ralph and Piggy. As the chapter progresses, all the boys, who up till now had been scattered throughout the island in small groups or individually, meet each other. The first chapter mainly concentrates on the event of a meeting among all the boys. Ralph blows the conch and the loud, harsh sound which it emits, reverberates throughout the island and draws the kids out to a common point. Here, they hold a meeting and elect Ralph as their leader. This meeting was brought about by Ralph blowing the conch. The fact that it was Ralph who blew this shell and called the boys to himself also makes him seem like a leader to the rest of the boys and contributes to his election as the leader. In the meeting, the boys also decide that the shell will serve as a symbol of power and authority as whoever holds it, shall have the freedom to talk without being interrupted by anyone other than their leader, Ralph himself. This meeting is the central focus of the chapter and it helps in the progression of the story. This meeting is only brought about by the sound of the conch. Thus, the sound of the shell is an important aspect of the chapter and it serves to knit together the events before and after the meeting. Hence, this chapter has been called 'The Sound of the Shell.’
ReplyDelete2) In the start of the chapter, we see that Ralph is quite flippant and dismissive in his attitude towards Piggy. He does not make it too obvious but he also does not make any effort to hide his disinterest in Piggy and whatever he is talking about. Ralph almost ignores Piggy, giving him short and blunt answers and does not even bother to ask Piggy for his name. Ralph makes attempts to leave Piggy behind and wander off by himself but Piggy follows him loyally. As the chapter progresses, Ralph cares less and less about Piggy’s feelings and makes little to no effort to cover up his rudeness, making fun of Piggy’s name which had been given to him by the boys at his school and his asthma. He shows a little more interest in the conversation sometimes but only when it relates to himself or the island. It is obvious that he does not care much for Piggy and his stories. Ralph is quite oblivious to the fact that Piggy is quite perceptive and intelligent. As soon as the other boys arrive after hearing the sound of the shell, Ralph completely forgets about Piggy and that it was Piggy’s idea in the first place that they blow the conch to call a meeting and ignores him. Moreover, he even sides with Jack Merridew and starts to ridicule him in front of everyone, telling all the boys that the poor boy was called ‘Piggy’, even though Piggy had expressly told him that he hated being called by ‘Piggy’ and did not want anyone to know about it. When Piggy approaches him at the end of the meeting, humiliated and hurt, wanting to accompany him and the other two boys to explore the island, Ralph turns him away. However, we see that for a moment, Ralph is torn between apologising to Piggy and ridiculing him further. He settles for a blunt dismissal, allotting Piggy the job to collect the names of all the boys present. He is not too unkind about it but he is still quite stoic and unimpressed by Piggy. In all, we see that Ralph does not care much for Piggy and considers him to be a bother rather than a friend.
3) Piggy’s plea to join the expedition brings out Piggy’s character quite clearly. We see his desperation to be included and accepted. It has been implied by his nickname that he was bullied by his peers even in his school at home and does not quite fit in anywhere. He is eager to get the approval of people and wishes to feel useful and needed. To some extent, he even just simply wants their attention and acknowledgement. He is ready and eager to prove himself to the boys, thus asking them to let him come with them to explore the island. However, Ralph’s blunt refusal leaves him humiliated and he is forced to turn back, dejected. He does not stand up for himself and this shows us that he has very little self-confidence and self-esteem. Piggy’s character invokes some sympathy in the reader as he is quite desperate to fit in but does not quite manage it. Hence, in this way, Piggy’s plea to join the expedition is quite significant as it allows us a further insight into Piggy’s character.
ReplyDelete4) Ralph is elected as the leader or the ‘chief’ by the boys during their first meeting. All the boys except those belonging to the choir, vote for Ralph. The reason for Ralph being chosen is not very clear as the obvious choice would have been Jack Merridew, who was already the leader of the choir and had a quite intimidating personality. Neither was Ralph particularly intelligent as it was Piggy whose idea it had been to blow the conch to call all the boys together. Nevertheless, Ralph’s attractive looks as well as for the fact that it had been him who had actually blown the conch which had grouped them together, made him seem like the best choice for leader to the rest of the boys, most of whom were very young and did not look past the superficial qualities to make a right decision. The shell already seemed like a symbol of power and authority to the boys and Ralph’s possession of it at the time contributed to his election as leader.
5) The novel, ‘Lord of the Flies,’ is set during the time when the Second World War was going on and all around the world, there was destruction and devastation on a huge scale. During this time, the school boys were being taken away from the places of war action to safer areas. One such evacuation journey is being made in the book when the plane carrying the school boys crashes and leaves them stranded on an island with no means of escape. The plane crashing on to the island leaves a huge crater or mark on the island which in the book is referred to as a ‘scar.’ It is called so because it is the result of the cruel and war-prone nature of man and not just another natural phenomenon. Golding viewed being human as a ‘disease’ and it is clearly reflected by the use of the word ‘scar.’ It shows that wherever mankind goes, it takes with it destruction and damage. Mankind, in general, is never satisfied with what it possesses and always greeds for more. In the course, it destroys and plunders. Similarly, the crashing of this plane leaves a huge mark on the island, disrupting nature’s simple beauty. It is the sign of mankind, once again, trying to leave their mark and take over something which does not belong to them.
1. When Ralph spots a 'creamy' object lying among the fern weeds, Piggy immediately recognises it as a shell, a 'conch' they call it. A brilliant idea sparks into their minds - they could use the conch to congregate the others, if there were any others that is. This is symbolic of man's intuitive need to form a group and shows the vulnerability he feels when alone. From the most primitive times man has tried to form groups and organisations and eventually whole civilisations.
ReplyDeleteThe reverberating sound of the conch draws children of varying ages to the spot where Ralph and Piggy were. The powerful notes travelling far and wide inadvertently becomes a sort of binding force between them. When they see the conch it immediately symbolises authority, unquestioned absolute. As the story progresses, we see that the person holding the conch has the authority to speak and express himself without interruption. Ralph, blowing the conch, becomes the inadvertent leader in everybody's minds though he is officially elected as leader later in the chapter. He emits an aura of authority and dominance.
Blowing the conch symbolises the exercise of power and Golding tries to show how power is an essential force in forming a congregation and binds the people together but as time passes man starts enjoying this power it eventually becomes like an addiction. In the story Ralph starts blowing the conch only to draw the people out, as an attempt to form a group, but eventually he notices the authority the conch gives him and starts enjoying it.
The chapter is entitled 'The Sound of the Shell' because essentially it is this sound that enables the children to come together and form a group. The sound inadvertently sets its blower apart and attributes leadership powers to him. The conch, or the shell, becomes a mark of authority for the person holding it.
2. Ralph is indifferent towards Piggy and gives him little importance. Piggy’s frenzied questions and suggestions elicit little or even no response from Ralph. He is lost in his own world, contemplating the favourable prospect of living by himself without adult supervision, and Piggy’s incessant chatter is nothing but an interruption to his thoughts.
Piggy, trying desperately to get even a little recognition, resorts to revealing his embarrassing nickname. Ralph, although very uninterested until now, jumps at the opportunity humiliate Piggy. He bursts into laughter, revealing his innate spite and insensitivity. It shows man’s readiness to spot people’s vulnerabilities, plague them, and derive sadistic pleasure out of it.
Although not openly mean, Ralph is dismissive of Piggy. He excludes Piggy from the expedition even after Piggy’s repeated pleas to join them. When confronted by Piggy about revealing his nickname, Ralph felt sorry for a moment, but considering Piggy to be of not much importance his dismissed his feelings, taking the easier path and brushing it off with an attitude of nonchalance.
Through the Ralph-Piggy relationship Golding tries to show how man has a tendency to label people unimportant or incompetent when he sees someone without a strong personality or someone who does not assert himself. He feels that non-assertive people are meek and won’t do them much harm, which in
turn shows that man is only nice to people with either power or influence.
3. Piggy seems to have a history of being bullied and left out in school and is called by a humiliating nickname – Piggy. At the island, he sees a chance to start afresh and for this reason, is very eager to be part of things. Moreover, he was there when Ralph found the shell, so he believes that he deserved to be included, when Ralph chose two others for the expedition. He appears hurt on being excluded and meekly rebukes them for leaving him out. This shows his desperation to be included and his thirst for acknowledgement. It also shows that Piggy has low self esteem and is unable to assert himself. When denied the opportunity to join the expedition, Piggy is left to dwell in the humiliation of not getting even an iota of attention.
ReplyDelete4. From the beginning of the story we notice that Ralph emits an aura of self confidence and leadership. He makes his own decisions and does not think twice before taking lead. Unlike Piggy, he is not frightened by the prospect of living without adult supervision, he is rather excited by it, this confirms his self-confidence.
When all the boys gather to form a group, on hearing the sound of the conch, they notice a well-built boy blowing into the shell, the sound of which symbolises power and authority. They inadvertently attribute this authority to the boy and in their minds he is already the unspoken leader. When Ralph stops blowing into the conch, they see a self-confident boy with noticeable nonchalance. The hazy picture of Ralph as a leader, in their head, becomes clearer and their submission to his authority becomes absolute.
5. The ‘scar’, repeatedly mentioned in the story, is a manmade crater formed on the surface of the island due to the crashing of a plane. The plane, carrying British school children, was mistaken for a military airplane and was attacked by a German U-boat, during the Second World War.
The scar symbolizes man’s immense capacity of destruction. He uses destruction as a tool to illustrate the extent of his authority and in the process destroys the simple beauty of things. The scar is proof that man brings destruction wherever he goes and cannot let things be beautiful in the way that they naturally are. This again is a reflection of his need to be at the helm of the world and control the way everything is. The scar is a permanent mark that will now serve as a constant reminder of man’s capacity of destruction.
Chapter 1.
ReplyDelete1. The first chapter starts off with Ralph. Later, another boy- Piggy stumbles upon him and insists on staying with Ralph. The author makes it apparent that these boys are on an island because of a plane crash. Piggy is determined on finding other survivors of the plane crash but Ralph is not interested.
Soon, they discover a conch shell and, on Piggy's instruction Ralph blows it. On hearing the sound of the shell, the other boys who have been hiding in the wilderness reveal themselves. Soon, all the boys who have survived the crash gather at the platform where Ralph is repeatedly blowing the conch.
The boys use the conch to be heard. Whoever holds the conch is listened to, no one interrupts them and every boy, regardless of his age listens to the one who holds the conch. Thus. the conch symbolizes power and authority.
Therefore, the first chapter is called- The sound of the shell.
2. Ralph is generally disinterested in befriending Piggy. There are several events which bring to light this fact, Ralph does not wait for Piggy when Piggy goes to inspect some fruit. One being asked his name, Ralph does not ask Piggy the same question. This clearly shows his disinterest in having Piggy as a company.
Piggy , carries forward conversation and asks Ralph not to call him what students at his old school used to call him. Ralph does the exact opposite and teases Piggy , attaining an almost sadistic pleasure in doing something that heartless. Not only does he tease him, but Ralph also tells all the other boys to call him Piggy. At this point, the author tries to bring to light the fact that even children who are considered divine and angelic are capable of being brutal.
In my opinion, the author tries to tell us that human beings have a choice between being good and evil, but because being evil so easy, most of us always choose the latter.
Ralph is annoyed and irritated by Piggy's own disabling of himself, he curses Piggy's aunt and his asthma.
After all the boys gather, Piggy is given the menial and petty job of counting and knowing names of all of them. Though Piggy does this, it shows us that Ralph did not know the value of friendship.
Ralph's first act as chief is to go out on an expedition to confirm whether they are on an island or not. In this expedition, Ralph takes with him Jack and Simon. When Piggy expresses his wish to accompany Ralph and the others on this expedition, Ralph tells him that he is not cut out for such a job. This shows that Ralph bends under the pressure of leadership and society's expectations. It was Jack who bluntly told Piggy that he was not wanted. Had he tried, Ralph would have succeeded in letting Piggy accompany them but, he chose not to.
Thus, Ralph was rude, arrogant and unfriendly towards Piggy.
3. Most likely an orphan, Piggy was a pampered and over-protected child. He had spectacles since he was three and asthma sine he was born, strangely Piggy seems to take pride in these disabilities that he has. Thus, he further disables himself - always wearing the wind-breaker and unwilling to swim with Ralph due to his asthma. Piggy seems unnerved that they have no adult supervision on the island and takes up the role of one himself.
ReplyDeleteAll this, shows that Piggy, in some sick way enjoys the attention he gets because of his disabilities. He is intelligent but not appreciated. In my opinion, humans strive for appreciation and attention. And when you don't get it one way, you try for another one. Similarly, Piggy in his hunger for attention and to finally be accepted in the group wants to have some power. He wants to show to the others that he is Ralph's friend and thus, he can accompany Ralph. Thus, he tells Ralph that he wants to go with them.
Piggy is not an adventurous kid. He would prefer staying safe than risking his life. But, at this point, Piggy wants recognition and in his desperation to fit in and be accepted, he asks Ralph.
Thus, this event tells the reader a lot about human character and how he would behave just to be socially accepted.
Also, it shows another side of Ralph, one which is mean and ruthless. Aside which is dark and enjoys the power of humiliating and making those inferior to him feel petty.
4. Though, Jack physically looks like a chief and has the authoritative aura about him and It is apparent that Piggy is intelligent, The author tells us that
" There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, his attractive appearance; and most obscurely yet most powerfully, there was the conch."
As a new born animal believes what it sees first to be its mother, It was Ralph who had called these boys, who had blown the conch , Thus , the boys naturally voted for Ralph to be their chief. Moreover, Ralph had the conch with him, the symbol of poer and authority - this made him important. Hence, the obvious choice was Ralph.
5. The 'scar' is the site of the plane crash. The area was burnt and charred. Trees lay broken and dying, jagged trunks jutting out from here and there. Just as all wounds leave a scar on our body, The plane crash left one on the earth. Just as all scars have a painful story behind them, so will this one, All scars are man-made and so was this ugly scar.
By using the term 'scar' for the site of the plane crash, The author wants to convey to the reader that man is the cause of all that is evil , tragic and unnatural. Man has an innate darkness within him which he would not hesitate to embrace. Man is aware of the causes of his actions and often enjoys the sadistic pleasure he gets from hurting everything around him. He has no consideration for nature and leaves everything scarred.
1. The first chapter in William Golding's, Lord of the Flies is appropriately entitled The Sound of the Shell. The book starts with two boys finding a creamy looking thing in between the weeds. Ralph uses a sapling and wrenches the conch out of the ground. Piggy teaches him how to blow it. He comes up with the brilliant idea that they can use the shell to attract the attention of the other children and hold a meeting. This shows the innate desire for the company of other people present in the boys. Hearing the loud and slightly unpleasant sound of the conch, several children come out slowly from the jungle. Thus, I think that The Sound of the Shell is an appropriate title for this chapter.
ReplyDelete2. Piggy, was most likely an orphan. He was bespectacled and had asthma since his birth. He was quite plump and had thus earned his nickname. His general manner and attitude suggests that he had been made fun of by everybody back in school. When he meets Ralph, he tries nearly everything so that Ralph notice him. He tries to gain Ralph's sympathy, follows him around and at length, tells him an embarrassing secret hoping Ralph may at least laugh at him. This shows a perverse desire for acknowledgement.
Even though Ralph is dismissive and treats Piggy as a nuisance, it is enough for Piggy. While Piggy continuously talks about his various problems, Ralph looks disinterested and walks off. He makes several derogatory statements such as," Sucks to your auntie! " and " Sucks to your ass-mar! "
3. Ralph, being the Chief decides that he, along with Jack and Simon, will go on an expedition. They are to find out whether they have been marooned on an island. Piggy says that he too wishes to go. This shows that Piggy is not afraid of the elder boys even after he has been humiliated and ridiculed by them. He is a brave and courageous young man. When his request has been refused, we realise the significance of his plea. He does not want to be left out. He is very earnest and attempts to follow the other boys but eventually has to back down.
4. Hearing the harsh sound of the conch, a crowd slowly appears near Ralph and Piggy. The first thing that they see is a boy, older than them, standing tall, confident and strong, holding a mysterious object that they begin to associate with power and authority.
Once they realize that the conch, blown by Ralph, has brought them all together, they immediately decide that Ralph should be elected Chief. Their decision is opposed by Jack Merridew, the leader of the choir, who thinks that it his God given right to be the Chief. However, Ralph exudes an aura of superiority, calm and confidence, standing on the platform with the conch nestled by his side. This image easily deceives all of them and Ralph is elected Chief..
5. The first description of the island, which Golding gives us, is with the image of the scar: "All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat." This scar, is the vivid trail created by the plane when it crash landed.
The island can be compared to The Garden of Eden, which was unmarred and pristine, before it had been exposed to man. Golding tries to tell us that destruction follows man wherever he may go. He cannot rest until chaos and disorder rule.
The scar represents one of the central themes - man being at odds with nature. Evil is an inherent quality that can reduce something beautiful into rubble. A scar is a healed wound that leaves a permanent mark that can never be removed. It may suggest that man's presence will always be felt long after they leave the island.
1. In the first chapter, the protagonists Ralph and Piggy find a shell in a lagoon on the island which immediately grabs their attention. Piggy recognises this shell to be a “Conch” that can make loud piercing sounds when blown into and suggest to Ralph to do the same in order to attract the other boys who were with them on the aircraft. Ralph follows Piggy’s suggestion and as Piggy anticipated, every last boy on the island makes his way towards the scar following the sound of the shell. They see Ralph holding and blowing into the shell and immediately identify him to be a figure of authority as to them, the shell seems to ooze magnanimity and authority as though it were an equivalent to a sceptre or perhaps in the contemporary world, a megaphone. It is for the same reason that they later decide unanimously to treat any holder of the conch with respect and listen to anything that he has to say.
ReplyDeleteHence, in a scenario where there are no adults and therefore no order, the shell becomes a hero, symbolising and bringing about order. This is why the first chapter is called “ The Sound of the Shell”.
2. In the first chapter, Ralph appears to be rather indifferent towards Piggy. Initially, he tries to make his indifference seem inconspicuous so as to spare Piggy’s feelings. However, as the chapter progresses, his arrogance starts to shine through and reaches its pinnacle when he rather unceremoniously ridicules the nickname that piggy was so sensitive about.
Later, as he meets people more like him, namely Jack and Simon, his attitude towards Piggy changes from indifferent to dismissive. He now announces Piggy’s nickname to the group of boys and does not hesitate before openly laughing at him.
However, when Piggy asks him why he disclosed his nickname to the boys, Ralph finds his harsh demeanour softening albeit only for a moment before returning to normal.
3. Piggy is the regular adolescent school-goer who is bullied in school because of his chubby appearance and immature ways. Besides, he is an orphan living with his aunt, his lone companion, who tries to over-compensate by pampering him. Therefore, his desire to fit in with boys of his age is very natural. He sees being stranded in an unknown island, with a group of unknown boys, to be an opportunity to start over. It is the same desire that expresses itself when he asks Ralph if he could join them in their expedition. Perhaps, going with them would make him feel important and needed, arguably for the first time in his life.
4. From the very beginning, Ralph seems to be completely on control of himself, his thoughts and his emotions. He is almost certain that it is an island that they are stranded on and is equally certain that his father, a naval officer, will come to their rescue. Unlike Piggy, he is rather optimistic about this entire situation and wishes to make the most of it, excited about the absence of adults among them. This attitude shines through while he addresses the other boys on the island and appeals to them, acting as the primary reason for him to be elected Chief. Besides this, as discussed in one of the earlier answers, to the boys the conch was a symbol of authority. Hence, the knowledge that Ralph was the one to find the conch and the first one to blow it brought the boys to the conclusion that Ralph was a figure of authority and perhaps would be responsible enough to be their leader. Hence, he was elected the Chief by the boys.
ReplyDelete5.The spot on the island, where the plane had crashed, had become a kind of a crater. This crater has been referred to time and again as “the scar”.
The Island before the plane crash was perhaps absolutely uninhabited by humans and hence, still possessed its maidenly charm. It is a widely acknowledged fact that human presence brings with it a kind of ugliness that is not in concurrence with Nature’s design – man’s greed seems to tarnish Nature’s selfless ways. This is why the crater is referred to as a “scar”. Hence, it seems that Golding tries to draw an analogy between this crater on a virgin island and a scar on a beautiful unmarred face.
These are Damayanti Saha's answers. I'm putting them up on the blog because her internet connection isn't functioning.
ReplyDelete1. In the first chapter,Piggy and Ralph find a shell among the ferny weeds near the lagoon. They first regarded it as a plaything--something interesting and pretty,before Piggy realised that they could use it to make a sound which would let the other children know where they were. They soon blew into it and produced a sound loud enough for the other children to hear and they soon came to Piggy and Ralph. This is why the chapter is entitled "The Sound of the Shell".
2. Ralph's attitude towards Piggy in the first chapter is offhanded and indifferent. Right from the beginning we see how Piggy attempts to be friendly with him,but Ralph is only slightly courteous and does not talk to Piggy except to answer a question. As the story proceeds we see Ralph abandoning all politeness and being rather rude to Piggy. He is dismissive of Piggy and the things he says,and makes his feelings quite clear when he says "sucks to your ass-mar!" and "sucks to your aunty!". He makes no attempt at befriending him and not only laughs at his name,but also tells the others about it,despite Piggy telling him not to. He treats Piggy as something of a nuisance and by the end of the chapter,the reader is made quite aware of the indifference that Ralph has for Piggy.
3.Piggy's plea to join the expedition shows that he wants to be acknowledged as one of the leaders of the group. He wants to take an active part in whatever the group does. Like he says multiple times, he wants to "do something". His nickname suggests that he was a subject of mockery in his school,and that combined with his many physical ailments,might have prevented him from being a part of the activities his fellow classmates undertook. He therefore desires to be accepted as one of the other boys.
4.When the children decide to have an election,there were three obvious contenders. Ralph,Jack, and to some extent Piggy. Although all the choir boys voted for Jack due to his obvious air of authority,the other children were moved by the stillness of Ralph's demeanor. His size,his attractive appearance but most importantly,the presence of the conch in his hands, set him apart. The conch was a symbol of wonder and power and authority. And the being that bad blown that,had sat waiting for them on the platform with the delicate thing balanced on his knees,was set apart.
5. The scar that is repeatedly mentioned is the gash made in the forest where the plane carrying Ralph and Piggy had crashed.
1.The first chapter is entitled "The Sound of the Shell" becaue it is with the help of the shell, referred to as a "conch", that the other children on the island came together. It symbolises authority and leadership, as the person holding the conch, Ralph emits a vibe of superiority. It is described as "something creamy" and is later developed into an important part of the chapter. The relation between the shell and Ralph is interdependent- the shell in itself was not powerless because it played a major role in moving the plot forward and giving it a definite shape and structure; whereas, if it was not for Ralph, who blew it then it would have no importance or significance in the story whatsoever. Moreover, it is because of the shell that Ralph's authority increases to an extent, also, the fact that it is because of the shell that he is elected chief shows that the shell was not worthless in any way.
ReplyDelete2. Ralph's attitude towards Piggy in the first chapter was rather indifferent. Ralph is clearly uninterested in whatever Piggy had to say. He wanted to make the most of being without any adult supervision, whereas, Piggy on the other hand had different plans. Ralph saw Piggy as an obstacle in his way. In fact, at one point he ridicules Piggy for having such a nickname. Although Piggy madehis interest in getting to know Ralph and his will to strike up a conversation oobvious; Ralph continued to remai unaffected.
3. Piggy has ben made fun of and laughed at every given oppurtunity in his school for his appearance. The fact that he was an orphan and was brought up by his aunt doesn't help things either. This kind of a childhood has made Piggy's self-esteem really low. He has developed a deep need for attention and recognition, be it negative or positive; just being acknowledged makes him happier. In this situation Piggy sees a chance to start fresh, to please everyone and finally fit in withthe rest of the boys. Hence, he jumps up at the oppurtunity of joining Ralph and the other few on their expedition.
4. Ralph is elected chief as he, from the beginning, had a commanding and a more mature aura about him. He was instantly looked upon as a leader figure, with trustworthy qualities. He was sure of his actions and did not doubt any of his thoughts either. Another small yet noteworthy part of the reason why Ralph was elected chief was because he was the one who blew the shel and brought everyone on the stranded island together; hence, it was settled in all the boys' minds that it was Ralph who was responsible for guiding them.
5. The "scar" that is repeatedly mentioned inthe text is the indentation made by the plane crash. It was made due to the collision of the boys' plane in the land below.
1. The first chapter has been entitled ‘Sound of the Shell’. In the first chapter, Ralph was intrigued by a ‘creamy’ looking shell among the ferny weeds, in the lagoon. On asking Piggy about the shell, he said that it was called a ‘conch’. Ralph found it to be a ‘worthy plaything’. However, they realised that it was a valuable object and Piggy gave Ralph the idea that he should blow the shell to assemble the other boys stranded on the island for a meeting. After the boys assemble and the story progresses, we find that the conch becomes a very significant object. Any person who was to speak, must have the conch in his hand. The conch immediately gives the person holding it authority and power.
ReplyDelete2. In the beginning of the story we find that Piggy has a keen interest in Ralph and wants to make friends with him, but Ralph does not show any such interest in Piggy. Initially, he tries being nice to him, but later on he mocks him by the name people used to call him in school, ‘Piggy’. Although Piggy tells him not to use this name, or atleast not tell anyone about it, Ralph is insistent on calling him Piggy, and even tells the rest of the boys about his embarrassing name. Thus, we see Ralph is rather cruel to Piggy in the first chapter and enjoys picking on him.
3. Ralph decides that three boys would go on an expedition to find out if the barren land on which they were was an island. It was a given that he himself would go. He decides to take with him Jack, and after some hesitation, decides that the third person would be Simon. On hearing this, Piggy said that he too wanted to come. Ralph promptly told him that he was no good at that sort of a job. Jack flatly stated that he was not wanted. Piggy protested that he had been there before anyone else and he was with Ralph when he found the conch. However, no one paid any attention to him. Over here we see that even though Piggy was a great deal smarter than the rest and was very eager to go, none of the boys wanted him there and that left him feeling very neglected.
4. It is seen in the text that Ralph is chosen as the leader even though Jack Merridew stated with great arrogance that he should be the chief. From the beginning of the story it had been obvious that Piggy was the one who was the most intelligent. However, Ralph was voted to be the chief. None of the boys could have justified this, but there was a ‘certain stillness’ is Ralph that made him stand out from among the rest. There was of course his size and his attractive appearance but it was mainly because of the fact that he had blown the conch that had gathered everyone to this meeting. The boys vote for Ralph not based on any reasoning, but simply based on emotions, as he was the one who had summoned them there.
5. Lord of the Flies is a story about a group of English school boys who are marooned on a tropical island after their plane has been shot down during the Second World War. The ‘scar’ is a crater on the land of the island because of the crashing down of the plane. The crater has not been made because of nature, it was man-made. It represents man coming into uninhabited territory and scarring it. It is also representative of the gash in society when all rules are taken away, and people are left to their own devices. It mainly symbolises man’s violence and destruction. It is a symbol of what happens when something beautiful is destroyed.
1.Ralph and piggy see “ something creamy” lying among the ferns in the lagoon which catches their attention. Piggy recognises it to be a conch and immediately comes up with the idea of using it to call the rest of the survivors of the plane crash to the pace where Ralph and Piggy were. On learning how to blow the conch, Ralph-after a few failed attempts manages to blow it successfully. The conch makes a harsh resounding noise which leads the surviving boys two the both of them. Ralph is immediately held in admiration by everyone making them subconsciously acknowledge him as their leader.
ReplyDeleteThe conch was initially only “interesting and pretty and a worthy plaything” for Ralph. Ralph’s charismatic persona lends the otherwise ordinary shell power hence, making it a symbol of power when Ralph is referred to as “him with the shell” .This is maybe Golding’s portrayal of reality, where humans lend an ordinary object power making it immediately a thing to desire for. The conch which is in the beginning an image of innocence with its cream shell becomes the means by which Ralph, Piggy and the other boys enter and get themselves entangled in the dark world of human desire, their primeval lust for power and their bestial attributes. This makes the title “The Sound Of The Shell” an appropriate title for the first chapter.
2.In the first chapter, Ralph is at firs rather disinterested in Piggy. Only Piggy tries to make an effort to hold a conversation while Ralph is indifferent to him. Piggy and Ralph’s relationship as leader and follower is already visibly obvious. Piggy follows Ralph around and does everything Ralph is doing. Ralph’s interest in Piggy is only mildly aroused when Piggy starts telling him about something that is his weakness. “Piggy” is only a name he was called by hiss schoolmates. Yet, even after knowing that Piggy does not like to be called by that name, he mocks him. Through this Golding established the fact that even children can be rather cruel.
By the end of the chapter, a certain kind of friendship is established between the two, when Ralph clumsily attempts to apologise and justify himself when he by mistake lets slip to everyone that “Piggy “is Piggy’s nickname. Ralph tries to make Piggy in turn feel important by asking or rather commanding him as his leader to take down everyone’s name.
3.Piggy was always coddled at home by his Aunt. From childhood, he had received attention from her. When he entered school, he realised that no one was paying attention to him, making him crave for it. This turned him into a rather attention seeking person. That is evident in the fact that he told Ralph his nickname even though he did not like it, probably solely for the fact that he wanted to be acknowledged. Similarly, when Ralph, Jack and Simon decide to set out for an expedition, he too insists on joining them probably because he felt the need to come across as important or did not want to be left out or feel left behind by Ralph. To his dismay, Ralph tells him to stay behind and write down the names of people. It can also be that Piggy wanted to capture the attention of just Ralph like every follower wants to capture the attention of their leader.
ReplyDelete4.Ralph is described as a fair haired boy hence already categorising him to be quite attractive to look at. It has been observed in humans that they often tend to choose things which are attractive to look at, like the child who picks the prettiest flower in his garden. On top of that, Ralph was the one who had blown the conch to summon people, making him the first one to try to put things in order. These might have influenced the vote taken by the boys. On top of that, Ralph had a charismatic nature which attracted the rest like bees to a honeycomb. He also had a brave and bold nature, as in he was the only one who dared to do things like when an overbearing Jack tries to impose his leadership on everyone, Ralph is the only one who opposes and proposes the idea of a vote. Along with all this, the shell which he used to summon everyone made him look even more appropriate as a leader.These might be the reasons that influenced their choice to elect Ralph as the chief.
5.The book “Lord of the Flies” is the story of children who get stranded on a virgin island during WWII. A plane rescuing British school boys was attacked by a German u-boat as it was mistaken for a military airplane and crashed into this island. The “scar” is the permanent dent made by the aeroplane on the face of the rocky island, hence marring it forever.
The scar signifies the fact that the island is pure no more, as humans, who can be compared to parasites, have landed on the island. This is a big reminder of the fact that humans are a destructive and corruptive race and tend to destroy things especially what they find pretty. For example they are destroying the Earth through wars and by abusing natural resources in turn not only endangering other species of animals but also digging their own grave.
The first chapter starts off with Ralph and soon another boy- Piggy stumbles upon him and insists on staying. These boys have been stranded on the island due to the plane crash. Piggy is determined on finding other survivors of the plane crash but Ralph is not interested.
ReplyDeleteSoon, they discover a conch shell and, on Piggy's instruction Ralph blows it. On hearing the sound of the shell, the other boys who have been hiding reveal themselves. Soon, all the boys who have survived the crash gather at the platform where Ralph is repeatedly blowing the conch and form a troupe.
The boys use the conch to be heard. Whoever holds the conch is listened to, no one interrupts them and every boy, regardless of his age listens to the one who holds the conch. Thus. the conch symbolizes power and authority.
Therefore, the first chapter is called- The sound of the shell.
2. In the first chapter, Ralph’s attitude towards Piggy is very nearly dismissive. Several facts bring to light the fact that Ralph is generally disinterested in befriending Piggy. Ralph does not wait for Piggy when Piggy goes to inspect some fruit. This clearly shows his disinterest in having Piggy as a company. Also he makes no effort to getting to know him and behaves rather indifferently.
Piggy , carries forward conversation and asks Ralph not to call him what students at his old school used to call him. Ralph does the exact opposite and teases Piggy , attaining an almost sadistic pleasure in doing something that is heartless. Not only does he tease him, but Ralph also tells all the other boys to call him Piggy. At this point, the author tries to bring to light the fact that even children who are considered divine and angelic are capable of being brutal. Ralph here is shown as an independent boy who considers piggy as nothing but an inconvineince.
Ralph is annoyed and irritated by Piggy's own disabling of himself, he curses Piggy's aunt and his asthma.
After all the boys gather, Piggy is given the menial and petty job of counting and knowing names of all of them. Though Piggy does this, it shows us that Ralph did not know the value of friendship.
Ralph's first act as chief is to go out on an expedition to confirm whether they are on an island or not. In this expedition, Ralph takes with him Jack and Simon. When Piggy expresses his wish to accompany Ralph and the others on this expedition, Ralph tells him that he is not cut out for such a job. This shows that Ralph bends under the pressure of leadership and society's expectations. It was Jack who bluntly told Piggy that he was not wanted. Had he tried, Ralph would have succeeded in letting Piggy accompany them but, he chose not to.
Thus, Ralph was rude, arrogant and unfriendly towards Piggy. Wheras Piggy continues to be persistently loyal towards Ralph.
3. Most likely an orphan, Piggy was a pampered and over-protected child. He had spectacles since he was three and asthma sine he was born, strangely Piggy seems to take pride in these disabilities that he has, and is a perceptive yet attention seeking boy. Thus, he further disables himself - always wearing the wind-breaker and unwilling to swim with Ralph due to his asthma. Piggy seems unnerved that they have no adult supervision on the island and takes up the role of one himself.
ReplyDeleteAll this, shows that Piggy, in some sick way enjoys the attention he gets because of his disabilities. He is intelligent but not appreciated. Piggy in his hunger for attention and to finally be accepted in the group wants to have some power. He wants to show to the others that he is Ralph's friend and thus, he can accompany Ralph. Thus, he tells Ralph that he wants to go with them.
Piggy is not an adventurous kid. He prefers staying safe than risking his life. But, at this point, Piggy wants recognition and in his desperation to fit in and be accepted, he asks Ralph.
piggy is shown as a character who can go to any extent of behaviour to be excepted. Also, it shows another side of Ralph, one which is mean and ruthless. Aside which is dark and enjoys the power of humiliating and making those inferior to him feel petty.
4. Though, Jack physically looks like a chief and has the authoritative aura about him and It is apparent that Piggy is intelligent, The author tells us that
" There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, his attractive appearance; and most obscurely yet most powerfully, there was the conch."
As a new born animal believes what it sees first to be its mother, It was Ralph who had called these boys, who had blown the conch , Thus , the boys naturally voted for Ralph to be their chief. Moreover, Ralph had the conch with him, the symbol of power and authority - this made him important. As there was something calm about his attractive appearance the, obvious choice was Ralph.
5. The 'scar' is the site of the plane crash. The area was burnt and charred. Trees lay broken and dying, jagged trunks jutting out from here and there. Just as all wounds leave a scar on our body, the plane crash left one on the earth. Just as all scars have a painful story behind them, so will this one, All scars are man-made and so was this ugly scar.
By using the term 'scar' for the site of the plane crash, The author wants to convey to the reader that man is the cause of all that is evil , tragic and unnatural. Man has an innate darkness within him which he would not hesitate to embrace. Man is aware of the causes of his actions and often enjoys the sadistic pleasure he gets from hurting everything around him. He has no consideration for nature and leaves everything scarred.
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ReplyDelete1. As the story begins, we are introduced to Ralph, the protagonist. Later, Ralph comes across a boy, named Piggy. As the story progresses, both of them stumble upon a "creamy" object in the lagoon. Piggy explains, that the object was a conch. He then urges Ralph to blow the conch, in order to summon all the boys stranded on the island. The harsh and deep sound of the conch brings together all the boys. The conch, becomes a symbol of power, authority and democracy, as later in the chapter, the possessor of the conch is immediately recognised as a figure of authority and is looked upon as a leader. The chapter is entitled "the Sound of the Shell" as the conch, or the shell, plays an important role in uniting all the boys, it imparts power to the blower, and it also hints at the theme of the chapter.
ReplyDelete2. In the first chapter, Ralph seems to be indifferent to Piggy. Although Piggy is persistent, Ralph's answers to Piggy's eager questions are dismissive and terse. Piggy fails to grab his attention until, he talks about an embarrassing name, which he rather, no one knew. This whets Ralph's curiosity and he finally asks what the name was. Upon hearing the name, Ralph laughs and mocks Piggy, this introduces us to his negative side, where he seems to be insensitive and a borderline bully. Later in an attempt to defend Piggy, Ralph discloses his name to all the boys, therefore breaking his promise in the process. Although he does seem to be a tad bit remorseful. Piggy seems to show a keen interest in Ralph, even after being made fun of, but at the same time Ralph treats him as nothing but an inconvenience.
3. Piggy's plea to join the expedition is extremely significant. It throws further light on his character. Piggy seems to be under an inferiority complex. He lacks self-confidence, which might be partially because of the fact that he's unfit and unattractive. Most likely, he's an orphan, who's bullied at school. He lives with his aunt, who is overprotective and constantly restricts him, and reminds him of his disablitlies hence making him feel abnormal and inferior. Piggy is drowning in a pool of self pity, he refrains from swimming or running, as he believes that he won't be able to do it. He is desperate for acceptance and any form of attention. This is the primary reason why he pleads to join the expedition, as he wants to be a part of the activities, and wants to be appreciated and recognised.
4. When the boys meet, they come to a conclusion, that a leader must be appointed. The two choices are Jack Merridew and Ralph, between the two Jack seems to be a better candidate, but the boys, unanimously vote for Ralph. Ralph is elected as chief, as the image of a boy blowing a conch, seems to instill a sense of respect and admiration for the boy. The gullible minds of the schoolboys, are easily influenced by a mere conch, which to them represents a symbol of authority. Another reason why Ralph was chosen was, that Merridew seemed to be imposing, his arrogance and over-conifedence was probably disliked by the boys, who had already accepted Ralph as the leader subconsciously.
5. The "scar" literally, refers to the crater created by the aircraft that crashed into the previously flawless island. Symbolically the inhabitation of human beings, is referred to as the "scar" on the otherwise pristine and virgin island. Human beings are believed to bring along with them, negativity and destruction. Humans contaminate the chastity of the island, as they slowly utilise its resources and destruct the nature.; man is responsible for his own suffering as well as that of others. Golding uses the "scar" as a metaphor to depict the dark side of humanity. The scar on the surface of the beautiful island represents the darkness and evil that resides within humanity, camouflaged by a facade of compassion and morality.