Follow your numbering. If you are 1, you are expected to attempt all the questions marked as 1 from the three chapters. Yes, that's IT! that's all:)
Chapter 6:
“Beast from Air”
1. What is the “beast from air”? How is it appropriate that
the boys mistake it for a beast—what
connection does it have with the novel‟s themes, and what
does it symbolize?
2. What does Sam and Eric's description of the beast tell us
about human psychology?
3. What significant thoughts does Simon have about the beast
while the boys are walking to the
“castle”?
4. How do most of the boys react to their discovery of the
“castle”? What foreshadowing takes place
at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 7: “Shadows
and Tall Trees”
1. What embarrassing thing does Ralph say to himself near
the beginning of the chapter that he's afraid someone might have overheard? What does he mean by it? What
change in Ralph does the act of talking to himself demonstrate?
the pig? How is Ralph‟s behavior surprising? What does this
behavior foreshadow?
3. Why do you think Jack insists on going up the mountain to
look for the beast even though it‟s
already dark when they arrive? What internal conflict does
Ralph feel about the decision to go up the
mountain in the dark?
4.Why do you think Golding (the author) plotted the story
so that the boys would go up the mountain
in the dark?
Chapter 8:
“Gift for the Darkness”
1.How does Piggy show “intellectual daring”? Why is this so
significant to the boys?
2. What suggestion does Simon make, and why do you think he
makes it? What does he mean when he says, “What else is there to do?” What are the consequences
of the group‟s decision not to follow
Simon‟s suggestion?
3. What foolish decision does Jack make during the hunt, and
why is it foolish?
4. What happens to Simon after the hunters leave his
clearing? What is the “lord of the flies”? What
does it represent? How does it talk to Simon—what does its
speech really indicate?
When Ralph and Jack discuss the geography of the island, they come to the conclusion that the would smash a way through till they found a pig run.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when Ralph realizes that the pig run leads to the mountain, he is rather reluctant to go up there in the night.
However, Jack insists on doing so.
To me, this is because of Jack's pent up emotion, his pent up thirst for power. Golding says 'this was how Jack felt as soon as he ceased to lead', and this opposition is a result of Jack's resentment of the fact that Ralph, and not him, is chief.
He wants to show how powerful he is, wants to put his daring on display, and wants to show the other boys that he is fearless or brave enough to go out in the dark.
I also think, due to the 'rising antagonism' between the two characters Jack and Ralph, Jack is driven to oppose Ralph wherever he finds an opportunity to do so.
Ralph, on the other hand, is in two minds. On one side, he is scared and unwilling to go out in the dark. They would be stumbling about and it wasn't a practical option either.
However, when Jack offers that Ralph go to the shelters and tell Piggy, it is like a direct challenge to Ralph.
It is this internal crisis he faces, whether to be practical and do what he feels is right, or to accept Jack's challenge and 'prove himself' in their eyes.
You have covered all the points but, personally i feel you could have written this answer as a more detailed account there are many details you could have added, such as Jack mocking Ralph and, Ralph succumbing to the pressure that comes along with the kind of leadership he has been aoppinted. Jack's daring and constantly pushing his boundaries due to his desperate desire to be chief.
Delete3/5
You have covered all the points but, personally i feel you could have written this answer as a more detailed account there are many details you could have added, such as Jack mocking Ralph and, Ralph succumbing to the pressure that comes along with the kind of leadership he has been aoppinted. Jack's daring and constantly pushing his boundaries due to his desperate desire to be chief.
Delete3/5
As the boys walk to the castle, Simon feels 'a flicker of incredulity'. It is a strange disbelief- how a beast could scratch, could move undetected, leave no tracks, and yet be unable to catch two young boys, who would be easy prey for him.
ReplyDeleteHere, Simon's role of goodness, his role of knowledge and understanding of the world is justified. While the others worry about the ferocity of the beast, Simon questions its very identity, and while they think of dangerous wild animals, Simon pictures a human, 'at once heroic and sick.'
He is the only one to associate the beast with the devil residing within, and the only one to realize that the evil Man spends his time trying to avoid trying to evade, trying to destroy, is indeed a part of him.
Simon seems rather wistful, as he sighs and realizes that he cannot express all he feels to the group of boys, he feels a 'dreadful pressure of personality.' In fact, this is where the irony is revealed.
Simon is the only one to have realized the true nature of the beast, the only one to have understood it, but ironically, he lacks the ability to articulate it adequately.
This is significant as this seems to be the manifestation of the paradox of humanity.
There are some, like Ralph and Jack, who do not understand that the basic evil instinct resides in them, and spend their lives trying to enunciate how to get rid of it. On the other hand, there are a select few, like Simon, who have come upon this truth, who have realized and known, but unfortunately, do not have a voice.
I unfortunately can't understand how to do the Number 3 question from Gift For The Darkness.
ReplyDeleteI unfortunately can't understand how to do the Number 3 question from Gift For The Darkness.
ReplyDeleteThe following are Jhelum Mukherjee's answers. Her internet connection is not working.
ReplyDelete1.The title of this chapter, “Beast from Air” gives a visual image. The boys’ island is a microcosm in itself, completely cut off from the external world. But it in this chapter Golding makes a connection with the external world, brings to light the unrest going on in the external world which is the primary reason for the boys’ being stranded on the island in the first place. In the middle of the night, unnoticed by the boys, a parachute lands on the top of the mountain carrying a figure of a dead soldier, as much a victim of the war as the boys. The boys, after all, are children and because it was the sea that was the major obstacle between them and rescue, until now they had viewed the sea as their biggest threat. It had not occurred to them that there was a war going on in the air as well. Hence they misjudged the dead soldier as the dreaded “beast”. But the appearance of the soldier also has symbolic significance. Firstly it is a sign that a conflict of power much like that between Jack and Ralph, though in a much larger scale, is going on in the outside adult world. This is in accordance to message that Golding tries to convey about the horrors of war, shattering the popular European myth that war is glorious. Secondly, the perception of the dead soldier as the “beast” serves as a manifestation and articulation of the unknown fears in the heart of the boys. Also the fact that the beast was actually a human body is extremely symbolic and strangely ominous. It symbolises that the beast is not the scary creature that the boys think it to be. It is actually present within the boys. The beast is actually the inherent evil that is an integral part of human nature. This is sensed only by the sensitive Simon and before his eyes, the image of the beast rose as a “picture of a human at once heroic and sick”.
2.Ralph is very critically looks at his own appearance and the change in his own as well as his companions’ habits. Having been raised all his life to follow certain standards of presentation and behaviour, his present conditions bring him shame. He criticises his long, filthy hair, his dirty teeth and his nails which are bitten down to the quick. He says “be sucking my thumb next” aloud and looks around to see whether anybody heard these shameful words of his. This self criticism of Ralph’s are an indicator of his rise in maturity. His thoughts in this portion are far more matured than his twelve years.
They also reflect ralph’s yearning to go back home, to the civilised world. but he then realises “with a little fall of heart that these were the conditions he took as normal now and that he did not mind”. In spite of Ralph’s dire attempts to cling on to his civility and his old life, this statement of Ralph’s show that he too, much as he tries not too, is adapting to the new conditions around him and slowly forgetting the old norms and conditions that he was used too in his previous life.
1. The first answer is very well written. However, i feel you could have added a few quotes to describe the beast better. 4/5
Delete2. I feel the second part of the answer could have had more details. 3.5/5
This is Jhelum Mukherjee's answer:
ReplyDelete3.The body of the soldier had landed on the top of the mountain, close to where the signal fire was located. The boys perceived this soldier as the beast which they all feared and none of the boys, not even the leaders Ralph and Jack had the courage to go on top of the mountain to relight the fire when it went out. Among all the boys, this problem occurred to Piggy first and he also provided the possible solution to it- the fire could be lit on the beach itself, it would not be seen from as far away as the fire in the top of the mountain had, but it would produce smoke just the same. This solved a huge problem of the boys because now they need’nt go near the unspoken terror, the beast. The implication of Piggy’s words were not lost to the other boys who “nodded in perfect comprehension. There would be no need to go near.” Also, after the direct confrontation between Jack and Ralph and Jack’s departure, the atmosphere of the assembly was rather tense. In this time of need and peril, the boy’s had lost a leader, seen their chosen leaders act in fight among themselves unable to give them the reassurance and feeling of safety that they needed. Therefore it was comforting to them to see a definite decision being taken. The idea of concrete work that has to be done also relieved some of the tension surrounding the assembly since Jack’s departure. “now that there was work to be done they worked with passion.” The fact that only Piggy could come up with such an idea showed how he was intellectually superior to the boy’s and his level of maturity.
3. I feel this answer is very descriptive and covers almost all the necessary points. 4/5
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCh6- 1. In the sixth chapter of his novel, Golding realigns the society of the boys, on the island, with the greater, outside world. Till now, the reader was wholly engulfed the story of the boys and oblivious to the developments of the war outside the island. Thus, with the introduction of the man with a parachute, or the ‘Beast from Air’ Golding reminds the reader of the happenings of the outside world. Golding also shatters the ideal and glorified views of the war by showing a realistic picture of the horrors of war.
ReplyDeleteThe term ‘Beast from Air’ was coined by the narrator, and not by other boys, unlike the term ‘Beast from Water’. This is a technique used by Golding to remind us once again, that the boys are children after all. They are still so immature that they do not perceive the air or the sky as a possible rescue option, or an obstacle, as they did for the sea. Thus, all through the chapter, it is the narrator who refers to the figure as ‘beast from air’, unlike in the chapter ‘Beast from Water’, where it was a littlun who came up with the term, and the boys used it comprehensively.
With the switch of the point of view of the narrator, Golding describes the landing of the man on the mountain of the island, where the boys are present.
The man is described as ‘a speck above the island, a figure dropping swiftly beneath a parachute, a figure that hung with dangling limbs.’ The man is carried along by the wind until he starts descending towards the reef and the lagoon. He lands on the slope of the mountain and is slid up by the breeze, onto the mountaintop. Following the rhythm of the wind, the man ‘bowed and sank and bowed again.’
The description of the figure brings to mind the image of a man being carried by greater forces, one who is not in control of himself. This can be, on Golding’s part, an attempt to show how man is actually not in control of his own destiny, he is just a pawn in the hands of greater forces – this resonates his ideas expressed in chapter four, using the words ‘illusion of mastery’.
The man with the parachute is also the first physical manifestation of the boys’ fears. Before this the boys had a vague sense of the presence of a supernatural being, but now they could give their fears a name, they called it a beast. Golding portrays the beast as a human, symbolising a belief that Simon had unsuccessfully tried to articulate to the boys, the belief that the beast is nothing but the boys themselves, it is the inherent evil in all of them. Golding is possibly foreshadowing the dark and inhuman events that are yet to happen.
Ch7-1. Ralph is found absorbed in his thoughts of self-criticism, in the beginning of the seventh chapter. Lost in thought, he unconsciously utters the words ‘Be sucking my thumb next—‘, and looks around, embarrassed, to make sure that no one had heard him.
ReplyDeleteGolding gives us an insight into Ralph’s mind and we see him pondering over his physical appearance, his shirt, which was dirty but he hadn’t washed yet, ‘he would like to have a pair of scissors and cut his hair’, he wanted to have a bath, to brush his teeth clean, he grimaced at the state of his nails, ‘they were bitten down to the quick’. Ralph ‘discovered with a little fall of the heart that these were the conditions he took as normal now and that he did not mind’
Ralph’s introspective mood shows his transition from innocence to maturity, it shows his realization of the impact that the island was having on him, something he hadn’t noticed until now. It wasn’t just his appearance that disturbed him, but also the fact that he had become used to his unkempt state. This makes Ralph feel nostalgic for the old world, where he could take things for granted, where he was just a child, and the adults were the ones making decisions. Ralph is more suited for civilized society, thus he hankers for rescue.
Yet again, we see a contrast brought out in the characters of Jack and Ralph – where the hold of and longing for civilization is felt by Ralph stronger than ever - he hankers for rescue, Jack is on the verge of giving up all aspects civilization, and embracing savagery completely.
Ch8-1. After Ralph, Jack and Roger return from the mountain, they narrate to the others their encounter with the ‘beast’. Piggy realized that since the ‘beast’ was sitting right beside their place of fire, they would not be able to light it again and there would be no smoke, and no one was daring enough to fight it, ‘even Jack ‘ud hide.’ As a solution to this problem, Piggy showing ‘intellectual daring’, suggests the idea of building a fire ‘on them rocks’, ‘By the bathing pool.’
The solution provided by Piggy was significant in bringing the boys together, giving them a mutual, productive purpose. The boys set out, collecting wood and green stems, busy in the task of building a pile. ‘They worked together with great energy and cheerfulness’, a positive atmosphere as this was seen on the island after very long, possibly for the first time after the building of the previous fire. It seemed as though, with his departure, Jack had taken away all traces of savagery, and the remaining boys were set on a joint mission to return to civilized society.
The incident is also significant because it is the first time that Piggy’s voice is heard and taken seriously, by the other boys. Piggy was ‘full of delight and expanding liberty in Jack’s departure, so full of pride in his contribution to the good of society ‘. For the first time, the brain of the group had the chance to implement his ideas without opposition from Jack.
The building of the fire instilled in the boys (the ones who hadn’t left with Jack) self-confidence and self-belief. It made them believe in the bleak prospect of rescue, and helped in temporarily releasing the omnipresent tension and fear, by making them focus on a productive task.
CHAPTER-6
ReplyDelete4) Jack sees a pink rock cliff he describes as a "castle" and they decide to try this as a possible location for the beast's hideout. He cries excitedly, forgetting their mission, "What a place for a fort!" as Ralph urges them to move forward for the sake of putting on the signal fire again on the mountain. The others pay Ralph little or no attention,not even Jack. As if in another world, they roll rocks down the cliff in joy and excitement. Jack even fantasizes about using weapons. Finally Ralph,becomes extremely agitated, punches the rock and orders them quite rudely to listen to him as he was the chief and make certain that there was no beast and that there might be a ship out there
Increasingly, Ralph and Jack pursue their own desires: Jack wishing to destroy and hunt; Ralph wishing to be rescued, carried back to his home and father and the ponies of which he dreams. Despite their opposite ideals and patterns of behavior, they are similar in personality and motive. Both are dreamers and seem to be distant from the true needs of those they govern; when the littluns have nightmares, Ralph does not care for them but rather is quite selfish, dreaming happy thoughts of home. Jack hardly bothers with the littuns either, referring to them frequently as "crybabies." In any case, once more Jack relents and the group continues on their way, leaving their new-found fortress behind, but surely not forgotten.
CHAPTER-7
4) William Golding builds momentum and explores the effects of the imagination on real events by setting certain incidents at significant times. The darkness is a permanent feature and even having assemblies later than usual changes Ralph's perspective. He wonders, as he realizes how different everything looks, "If faces were different when lit from above or below-what was a face? What was anything?" Ralph also understands that there are certain things that increase the boys' fears, such as "too much talk about ghosts." This information helps the reader see the island from the boys' perspective as, for the boys, "The sun was bright and danger had faded with the darkness." From an idyllic place in the daytime where the boys having few cares or concerns and not an adult in sight, the island at night transforms into a place that hides many unknowns.
Searching for the beast in the dark is significant because Ralph wanted to wait until morning; the reader can sense that his authority is waning. Furthermore, darkness can be confusing and overwhelming and Golding is building up towards this as the boys search for the beast in the dark. Ralph's ability to reason has been affected by what he saw in the dark; he believes it to be the beast, ensuring that the theme of appearance versus reality is prominent in the reader's mind. Darkness encroaches on the boys more and more from the "Shadows and Tall Trees" of chapter seven when they see the beast in the dark, through to the very end when Ralph will weep "for the end of innocence (and) the darkness of man's heart..." which completes the picture.
CHAPTER-8
4) After the hunters leave the clearing, Simon feels a bit odd. A pulse begins to beat in his temple and he can't stop looking at the 'Lord of the Flies'. The Lord of the Flies is a dead pigs head which was killed by Jack and the hunters. It represents the evil within the boys and within human nature. The Lord of the Flies 'talks' to Simon and tells him what he had tried to tell the other boys, that the beastie is actually the boys themselves.
The Lord of the Flies does tell Simon that the beastie is actually just human nature and is living inside every boy on the island, but it also elaborates a little bit by telling Simon that he'll never be able to overcome the beast.
The fact that the beastie is human nature is reinforced again when Simon describes the pig's head as looking like an adult human.
Answer 1 :
DeleteSecond part of the question is missing.
3 on 5.
Answer 2 :
Not a very comprehensive answer. And doesn’t cover all the points.
2.5 on 5.
Answer 3 :
It requires more quotations and hence, be backed by evidence from the book itself.
3 on 5.
Ch6-1.In the beginning of the chapter,"Beast From Air",Golding provides the reader with an objective description from the point of view of an onmisient author,of a parachutist landing on the moutaintop. It is assumed that he fell from a fighter plane because Golding previously mentions a "battle fought at ten miles' height." Through this,he establishes a link with the external world which the boys seemed to have been completely cut off from thus far. This man,who could be alive or dead,is described as a sign that had come down "from the world of grown-ups,though at the time there was no child awake to read it." This incident had occurred at the crack of dawn and none of the boys,not even the twins who were on duty at the fire,had seen it happen.Samneric finally wake up and realise that the fire had gone out. As they begin gathering timber,Eric notices the figure of the man enveloped by the parachute,bowing and sinking at regular intervals. Golding says,"the intensity of Eric's gaze made the direction in which he looked terrible",reasserting in the reader's mind, the vice-like grip this fear of the unknown had over the children. They instantaneously jump to the conclusion that it is the beast,that creature without any concrete manifestation but an indomitable,invincible and insidious presence in their subconscious and in their mind's eye,that they had seen. Hence,"beast from air" is the parachutist whom they mistake for the omnipresent beast.
ReplyDeleteGolding is now in synchronisation with the reader and lets them behold the course of events from a vantage point. The boys are completely in the dark about the parachutist's landing on the mountaintop,and are hence more susceptible to fear. For them,"the darkness was full of claws,full of the awful unknown and menace" and the light,along with hope,had become "sad and grey". They are no longer able to apply their faculties before making decisions,so embroiled ,so consumed are they in their maniacal terror of this creature. The pathways of imagination,fear and anxiety come together and without a moment's deliberation,they take the figure on the mountaintop to be the beast. They add details that weren't there,attributing a set of horrific teeth,a pair of formidable claws to this beast which was only a figment of their deluded imagination
This figure is discernibly that of a man who had been fighting in the war,described as "a figure that hung with dangling limbs" covertly planting an image of a man who is no longer in control of himself,and who has given in to raging gusts,virulent forces that are beyond him,and who has been reduced to a state of complete resignation. This description has probably been employed by Golding to shed light on the dehumanising effects of war. So the fact that Man himself is perceived at face value by the children as being the beast,gives the reader an insight into the novel's central theme. Golding subtly hints at the idea that the beast is within each of us, and corroborates the vague contours of Simon's precocious notion. He displays "the inward sight of a picture of a human at once heroic and sick"--sick with an abundance of evil,rendered leaden by the weight of inherent savagery.
*omniscient
Delete3.5/5- brilliant writing but maybe stick to the question a bit more?
DeleteCh7-1.Ralph is shown to be in a retrogressive mood in the chapter,"Shadows and Tall Trees". It is evident that he feels burdened with the duties that leadership entails and he is described as being "thankful to have escaped responsibility for a time" and as being "content to follow Jack." Having taken a backseat in the government thus,he falls into a reverie and he is absorbed in an inward monologue. He is constantly criticising his bedraggled physical appearance--his overlong,uncouth hair;his unclean,unwashed teeth and other aspects. While criticising these outward changes that life on the island had imposed on him,he says,"Be sucking my thumb next--". This statement immediately breaks his reverie and he looks around furtively,making sure no one had heard this vulnerable admittance.
ReplyDeleteIn his mind,Ralph is tracing the trajectory of the degradation of his outward appearance, and pondering on what it symbolises--his transformation from a civilised person to a coarse,foul savage. What disappoints him even more is how he has come to terms with this barbaric uncleanliness and discovers "with a little fall of the heart that these were the conditions he took as normal now and that he did not mind." It is evident that his journey now has become regressive,his behavioural patterns have begun moving in the negative direction and now,in accordance with this progressive descent into decadence,the next thing that would be natural for him to do was sucking his thumb.
In the beginning of the novel,Ralph is made out to be a convincing orator with distinctive leadership qualities. But since then,his personality has been made to undergo a plethora of involuntary changes,the carefully framed countours of civilisation that he has been trying to hold together,have been disintegrating at the seams. Ralph's power struggle with Jack and the ease with which the latter has oft swayed political opinion in his favour,has made Ralph unsure of himself. This insecurity has probably driven him to seek moments of reclusiveness, of detachment from the expectant masses and has led him to talk to himself. "The daydreams came swarming up" in his mind,of the world where he came from, where "everything was all right; everything was good-humoured and friendly." This retrospection displays a strong yearning in Ralph for his old life. It also demonstrates his newly developed maturity--while at first,he had rejoiced in the prospect of there being no adults,he is slowly beginning to realise the horrific consequences of it. He also draws parallels with the civilised world when he looks up at the sky and says,"Early evening. After tea-time,at any rate."
Ch8-1.The boys are caught in a dilemma when they come to the conclusion that the beast resides near the signal fire. They're evidently too scared to climb the mountain and build the fire again in such dangerous proximity of the alleged beast. At this juncture,Piggy suggests they build the fire on the platform itself,near the pool. These boys,whose thought processes have been somewhat constricted by rules,wee incapable of coming up with this and Piggy,in this way,still in possession of his mental acumen and presence of mind,shows "intellectual daring." Golding goes on to say,"The greatest ideas are the simplest."
Hope is rekindled amongst the boys and "they worked therefore with great energy and cheerfulness." This incident also brings out a more confident side to Piggy's otherwise insecure character. He "was speaking now with more assurance and witht what,if the circumstances had not been so serious,the others would have recognised as pleasure". Therefore,he seems to be more in his element,no longer incongruous to his surroundings, and "full of pride in his contribution to the good of society."
ch7- 3.5/5
Deletech8- 4/5. nearly perfect. short and precise
Chapter 6: Question 4
ReplyDeleteWhen Ralph discovers the half-cave like structure which they had earlier called the 'castle', he seems unimpressed. He had been apprehensive about advancing to this area because of the possibility of finding the beast, but now that he realized that he did not expect to see the beast there, he was more preoccupied with other thoughts, such as keeping the signal fire going. He says later that "that's all we've got", implying that it is their last hope. Taking Ralph's point of view, Golding describes the place as "nothing but what you might expect". However, it is not the same case with the others.
Jack is excited at the discovery, and the first thought that comes to his mind is that it would make a good place for a fort. The fact that Jack immediately thinks of making it a 'fort', something so typical of wars and battles, is suggestive of Jack's liking for aggression, and also that he is mentally prepared for some kind of conflict. For he later says, "if an enemy came", even though there is no one on the island besides the Beast and the boys. Jack's fascination for battle tactics reinforces the image we have of him.
The other boys, as Golding puts it, "forgot the beast in the excitement of exploration." Carried away by the adrenaline rush of finding Ralph and Jack unharmed, of crossing the bridge, and of discovering the 'castle', they begin to push at the rock that Jack had earlier spoken about. Ralph is the only one who still seems to care about the beast, or the signal. But he too, is struggling to keep these things in mind, as "something flittered there in front of his mind like a bat's wing". He tries to call the boys back but they protest and we see how getting rescued features nowhere on their list of priorities. They finally agree, but "mutinously".
At the end of the chapter, instead of Ralph, Jack leads the way back across the bridge, right after the boys have, very grudgingly agreed to Ralph's decision to go back. This foreshadows the conflicts between Ralph and Jack that will soon emerge, and the branching off of leadership between Ralph and Jack.
These are the marks given by Aruna: 4/5.
DeleteChapter 7: Question 4
ReplyDeleteThe thing that the boys thought was the beast was actually nothing but the dead pilot who had landed on the island. The darkness was essential for the movement of the plot, and for building the tone of this chapter which relies heavily on visual and aural imagery. The boys had built up the image of the beast in their heads, therefore, in the dark, they failed to realize that the bulge was just a man, and not a "great ape sitting asleep with its head between his knees".
Besides, Golding re-enforces the idea of the "darkness" surrounding them, to set the tone and mood of the chapter. The darkness is represented as something that seems to "flow around them like a tide", almost drowning them. Golding says that Ralph, Jack and Roger are "handicapped by the darkness" and it seems like they are almost completely helpless and blinded. Jack is described as "a stain in the darkness", which presents again, a negative image for his character. The silence of the island is emphasized, and every little sound the boys make is emphasized, or as Golding puts it, "other voices, make themselves heard."
Marks given by Aruna:3.5/5
DeleteChapter 8: Question 4
ReplyDeleteAfter the hunters leave, Simon, hidden by the leaves, remains staring at the sow's head on the stick. He seems disturbed by the image, which doesn't leave him even when he closes his eyes. Simon, strangely enough, seems to be communicating with the sow's head. The head is personified into a strange image, 'grinning amusedly' and is almost brought alive and given a separate all-knowing entity. In the tormenting heat, Simon seems to lose his grip of reality and soon the flies which were around the pile of guts, surround him, and in front of Simon, the sow's head now takes the form of the Lord of the Flies. The all-knowing, amused, grin of the sow's head now is attributed to the lord of the flies. And his gaze is said to be held by "that ancient, inescapable recognition", implying a sort of familiarity which suggests that the Lord of the Flies had always been a part of Simon. Which is truly it's nature, for The Lord of the Flies, the so called 'Beast' is actually something which resides in human nature.
The Lord of the Flies then speaks to Simon. He says, "you don't want Ralph to think you're batty, do you?". The Lord of the Flies seems to know everything about Simon already and he is playing with his insecurities. The Lord of the Flies declares himself to be the beast, and the only words that Simon can get out are "pig on a stick". However, the lord of the flies tells him that the Beast is intrinsically a part of himself, and cannot be tracked down and killed, and is therefore, always with them, never gotten rid of. As the Lord of the Flies laughs again and again, Simon seems to be delusional and imagining things; the beast tells him that there is no escape, then speaks with the voice of a schoolmaster, and then imitates what many of the other boys had said before. Re-enforcing the idea that the beast resides inside each and every one of them. And if Simon tries to escape the beast, if he tries to break free from the animalistic compulsions of a human being, he is going to be shunned by all of them, or even worse, completely done away with.
Finally, as the questions posed by the Lord of the Flies get more and more threatening. Simon is engulfed by the darkness and he falls down and loses consciousness.
Marks given by Aruna:3.5/5
DeleteFrom Habibun:
ReplyDeleteChapter 6
4) Jack sees a pink rock cliff he describes as a "castle", and they decide to try this as a possible location for the beast's hideout. He cries excitedly, forgetting their mission, "'What a place for a fort!'" as Ralph urges them to move on for the sake of rekindling the signal fire on the mountain. The others pay Ralph little mind, including Jack. As if in another world, they roll rocks down the cliff face in glee; one large boulder Jack even fantasizes about using as a catapult-type weapon, "Shove a palm trunk under that and if an enemy came...."Finally Ralph, becomes extremely agitated, punches a rock and orders them harshly, "'I'm chief. We've got to make certain [that there is no beast]....There's no signal showing [on the mountain]. There may be a ship out there."
Increasingly, Ralph and Jack pursue their own desires: Jack wishing to destroy and hunt; Ralph wishing to be rescued, carried back to his home and father and the ponies of which he dreams. Despite their opposite ideals and patterns of behavior, they are similar in personality and motive. Both are dreamers and seem to be distant from the true needs of those they govern; when the littluns have nightmares, Ralph does not care for them but rather is quite selfish, dreaming happy thoughts of home. Jack hardly bothers with the littuns either, referring to them frequently as "crybabies." In any case, once more Jack relents and the group continues on their way, leaving their new-found fortress behind, but surely not forgotten.
Chapter 7:
4)William Golding builds momentum and explores the effects of the imagination on real events by setting certain incidents at significant times. The darkness is a permanent feature and even having assemblies later than usual changes Ralph's perspective. He wonders, as he realizes how different everything looks, "If faces were different when lit from above or below-what was a face? What was anything?" Ralph also understands that there are certain things that increase the boys' fears, such as "too much talk about ghosts." This information helps the reader see the island from the boys' perspective as, for the boys, "The sun was bright and danger had faded with the darkness." From an idyllic place in the daytime where the boys having few cares or concerns and not an adult in sight, the island at night transforms into a place that hides many unknowns.
Searching for the beast in the dark is significant because Ralph wanted to wait until morning; the reader can sense that his authority is waning. Furthermore, darkness can be confusing and overwhelming and Golding is building up towards this as the boys search for the beast in the dark. Ralph's ability to reason has been affected by what he saw in the dark; he believes it to be the beast, ensuring that the theme of appearance versus reality is prominent in the reader's mind. Darkness encroaches on the boys more and more from the "Shadows and Tall Trees" of chapter seven when they see the beast in the dark, through to the very end when Ralph will weep "for the end of innocence (and) the darkness of man's heart..." which completes the picture.
Chapter 6: 3/5. You haven't answered the second part of the question. What foreshadowing takes place at the end of the chapter?
DeleteChapter 7: 3.5/5: I think you could have mentioned the conflict between Jack and Ralph over going up the mountain in the darkness.
from Habibun
ReplyDeleteChapter 8:
4)After the hunters leave the clearing, Simon feels a bit odd. A pulse begins to beat in his temple and he can't stop looking at the 'Lord of the Flies'. The Lord of the Flies is a dead pig’s head which was killed by Jack and the hunters. It represents the evil within the boys and within human nature. The Lord of the Flies 'talks' to Simon and tells him what he had tried to tell the other boys, that the beastie is actually the boys themselves.
The Lord of the Flies is the bloody, severed sow’s head that Jack impales on a stake in the forest glade as an offering to the beast. This complicated symbol becomes the most important image in the novel when Simon confronts the sow’s head in the glade and it seems to speak to him, telling him that evil lies within every human heart and promising to have some “fun” with him. In this way, the Lord of the Flies becomes both a physical manifestation of the beast, a symbol of the power of evil, and a kind of Satan figure who evokes the beast within each human being. Looking at the novel in the context of biblical parallels, the Lord of the Flies recalls the devil, just as Simon recalls Jesus. In fact, the name “Lord of the Flies” is a literal translation of the name of the biblical name Beelzebub, a powerful demon in hell sometimes thought to be the devil himself.
3/5: I think you could have elaborated and used more quotes.
DeleteChapter 6
ReplyDelete2. Chapter 6 is called “Beast from Air”. This is because the parachute and body that drops down onto the island is mistaken by the twins for the beast. They describe it as furry, with wings, and “slinking behind trees” while it chases them. This description depicts the fear within the boys of the beast. Their inner fears take a physical form and they start to think that the beast really does exist, when it is really a human.The twins are terrified when they return to tell the other boys about the beast. The beast starts to show its presence in all the boys minds. They imagine it in every shadow. The twins, by their description of the beast, cause hysterics among the boys and this soon leads to their doom. Their imaginations start to lose control. What they actually see is the silhouette of a dead pilot in a parachute but they describe him as, "it is furry, it has eyes, teeth, claws, wings and it chased them". They have convinced themselves that it is a beast. This shows the fear in their minds. The beast is nothing but a fear that the boys have created in their own minds. It is their dark side. Samn Eric are children who are imaginative, just like all other children. Their imaginations, however, are dreadful because their minds are filled with fear. This stems from the fact that they are young children who are stranded on an island without any adults. They are afraid of the unknown, and in their fearful minds , they create a beast.
Chapter 7
2. Ralph saw a creature bounding along the pig track towards him. He found that he was able to measure the distance, and he took aim. The boar was only five yards away and Ralph flung a wooden stick he had been carrying and it hit the great snout. The boar then started squealing and it swerved aside into the covert. The boys all started shouting then, and the scene became chaotic. The boar managed to escape from the boys despite their efforts. After this incident, the boys conducted a mock hunt where they pretend Roger is the pig. The boys circle around him, and they drive their spears into the ground. The butt end of a spear hits Roger in the back. Here, it becomes clear that the boys are losing all sense of control. The boys start to understand the power that they all possess to actually kill a living creature. They start chanting, 'Kill the pig! Cut his throat!'’. This brings out their inner savage. The boys are no longer afraid to kill as they were in the beginning when Jack had hesitated to kill a pig when he saw one.
Ralph undergoes significant character development in this chapter. He participates in his first pig hunt. Not only this, but after the hunt, he experiences a mixture of emotions. He is excited, to say in the least, and he exclaims "I hit him! The spear stuck in". Golding says that Ralph then "sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all." Ralph had never unleashed the instinct to hunt and kill a living being before. He has started to gain an appreciation for Jack's hunting. We see Ralph's humanity deteriorating; his civil self has somewhat been destructed and we see him unleashing his inner savage self.
Chapter6)2)2.5/5. Could have added more quotes. All points have not been covered.Could have been a bit more detailed.
DeleteChapter7)2)3/5. You missed the point about Ralph's reaction.:
"Ralph too was fighting to get near,to get a handful of that brown vulnerable flesh.The desire to squeeze and hurt was over mastering". You Also,more quotes need to be added.
Chapter 8
ReplyDelete2. In this chapter, after Jack leaves, Simon stands up and takes the conch. He says that there must be something they could do. He suggests that the boys ought to climb the mountain. His suggestion is, however, not welcomed by the others and Piggy questions about what use there was in climbing the mountain when there was clearly nothing they could do. To this, Simon says, "What else is there to do?" The boys were clearly out of options, and not knowing what to do, Simon says that this would probably be the best way to go. He does not know what else can be done and he questions the boys on what other options they could possibly have. Simon, therefore, makes this suggestion. Simon makes this decision because he was curious to figure out what the beast truly is. After his idea is not accepted by Piggy and the others, he goes and sits far away from the others. He must have been hurt at their disapproval of his idea, especially Piggy’s, since he was one of the only boys who had been nice to Piggy when everyone else would jeer at him and tease him.
Simon goes and climbs the mountain himself, since none of the boys comprehended his idea. He wants to do something instead of just sitting around and waiting for something to happen, a rescue perhaps. Instead he decides to go to the mountain to see for himself and to quench his curiosity as to what the beast was. It is also seen throughout the novel that Simon liked to think alone, and being in the mountain alone gave him the opportunity to spend some time with himself, away from the others.
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DeleteChapter8)2)4/5.This answer is good. Just add more quotes.
DeleteMehr Akhtar's answers-
ReplyDeleteChapter 6
2. SamnEric described the beast by saying that 'it was furry. There was something moving behind its head wings'. They said that the beast had teeth, claws, eyes and was following them. One of the two said, that it nearly touched him too.
SamnEric were extremely frightened. The thing about the existence of a beast, the fear was built up so much that every single moving thing in the dark, was mistaken to be a beast. The fear made them so aware of their surrounding, the darkness that even a little noise or anything different from the regular, caught their attention and increased their heart beats. The way they describe the beast shows that when we are frightened of something, when we are not fully aware about the appearance of something, we start forming and interpreting things. Sam and Eric, we were frightened of the unknown thing, they called it a beast and due to coining it as a beast , they see the unknown thing as a beast only.They describe it in such a way which exactly shows us what a beast is like. As they had the idea of a beast fixated in their mind, they are not able to see its actual form and the conclusion they come to, is based on the idealic,actual image of a beast. Thus, it is human nature to see things the way they want to see it, the way they predict it to be and not accept it, if it does not match their predictons and opinion.
I think you have covered most of the points, but try to improve the coherence and expression of your answer ?
Delete3/5
Chapter 6 question 4
ReplyDeleteThe “castle rock” that the boys had spotted earlier was one of the less frequented parts of the island. However, during the hunt for the Beast, the boys had to visit it. Ralph was not particularly impressed, as Golding implies when he says through Ralph’s mind that the place was “Nothing but what you might expect”. He realises that the place has no fresh water and that it was ”rotten”, before moving away to more important matters, like the preservation of the signal fire, at not having found the beast there.
Jack however gets pretty excited by the positioning of the castle rock and decides that it would be a perfect place for a “fort”, yet again bringing to the forefront his rather unnatural fascination towards concepts of warfare and violence. Some other boys support this idea too.
At the end of the chapter, Jack is the one who leads the party away from the Castle Rock whereas Ralph is subject to “mutinous” silence and muttering. This foreshadows a decline in Ralph’s powers and prowess as a leader and the gradual passing of the baton from his hands to those of Jack.
4/5- Very well expressed but i think when you talk about foreshadowning you could have also mentioned the conflict between Ralph and Jack that is bound to arise.
DeleteChapter 7 Question 4
ReplyDeleteEssentially, the darkness in the setting is used to emphasize the element of fear that the unknown presents. The boys venture towards a Bulge in the mountain, at a place where “no rock should be”. An exploration of this nature is rather alien to them and requires a great deal of courage, meanwhile stimulating a great deal of anxiousness and fear, that the darkness compliments.
On another level, the darkness functions to enhance the boys’ misguided assumptions, reflecting the absence of the light of logic and reason in their minds which brought this about. The figure that they mistook for the Beast was the corpse of a man and not a "great ape sitting asleep with its head between his knees". Yet, they were so petrified, they did not bother to prod beyond the first impression and fled.
Most importantly, however, the darkness is the most essential element for setting the mood and tone of this chapter. Shadows and tall trees is a chapter which is based greatly on the imagery. Golding uses the darkness as a deluge that flowed “ around them like a tide” and “handicapped” the boys. This makes the rather gothic theme of the chapter shine out and adds to the element of suffocation.
4/5- You have covered all the points but when you mention about the absence of the light of logic, you could have also mentioned about the conflict that arose between Jack and Ralph over looking for the beast in the dark; both of them were trying to overpower each other rather than thinking rationally and working together as a team in the face of danger.
DeleteChapter8 question 4
ReplyDeleteAfter the hunters left the clearing, Simon remained where he was sitting, staring at the cut head of the sow. The head, with its hooded eyes “dim with the cynicism of adult life” brought to the forefronts Simon’s sub-conscious, which took form of the head and started having a conversation with Simon’s conscious state of mind. At one point during this silent intercourse, Simon lowered his head and shielded his eyes with his hand, such that the real seemed “illusive’. In this state, the flies lost their definition, becoming a mere black blob that moved from the pile of guts to Simon, almost as though they were symbolic of the connection between and the oneness of Simon and the head. It was then that Simon was struck by an ancient, inescapable recognition and had an epiphany. He realised that the severed head of the sow, a symbol of man’s cruelty, was the Lord of the Flies.
Thereafter, the head started speaking to Simon, voicing all of his fears, suppositions and questions. He spoke about Simon’s fear of alienation from the boys if they started considering him “batty”, his own astonishment as to why he hadn’t run away from the Beast yet. Most importantly he made obvious what Simon had always believed- that the beast resides within them. The Pig’s head on a stick was a manifestation of human cruelty and was nothing that could have been killed or escaped from. He was Beelzebub and was an intrinsic part of every man’s soul. Thus, the Lord of the Flies’ speech was fundamentally an assertion to Simon’s point of view, yet being in the voice of an adult, it would have been far more believable than Simon’s supposition alone.
4.5/5- You have covered all the points but you could have elaborated a bit more :)
DeleteChapter6,Q4)When Ralph and the hunters arrived at "castle rock",Ralph decided that being chief,he would take responsibility and be the first one to enter the place. He had to somehow force himself to do so.Everything to him seemed like a sign of the beast as he even seemed to see the rise and fall of the waves of the Pacific as "breathing of some stupendous creature.However,he did not expect to meat the beast.
ReplyDeleteJack on the other hand was very excited about the fort once he entered it.He saw it to be a perfect place for fortification. Once they were out of there,the other boys saw this as a sign that the "castle rock" was safe to enter and "forgot about the beast in the excitement of exploration".They started heaving and pushing rocks,much to the annoyance of Ralph.They wanted to stay in the fort longer. Some even suggested that they could stay there.To this,Ralph said that there was no food or water. When this does not stop them from going on about the fort,Ralph has a furious outburst saying that he was chief(also implying his authority) and that they had to go over to the mountain. To this,the boys fell "mutinously silent". This meant that Ralph had started losing his grip over the people and that he was no more the acknowledged authoritative figure .
Mention the other littluns (rolling rocks etc.)and talk more of the foreshadowing element. 2.5/5
DeleteChapter7,Q4) The darkness can be symbolic of a numerous things. It can signify ignorance,fear,lack of knowledge and also seen as one of the omens. Golding set the plot plot in such a way,that the boys would go to the mountain in the dark. This darkness would obviously heighten their fears as in the broad daylight,everything is revealed by the bright rays of the sun while in the dark,much of it gets hidden.
ReplyDeleteThe boys were by now sure that there was a beast,when in reality there wasn't. They had believed the account of samneric that was blown out of proportion by the twins for this same darkness. This darkness is the symbol of ignorance, Despite it being false,everyone genuinely believes that there is a beast living on th island,even though Simon points out that this is was not possible.
So,when the boys are going to the mountain,they anticipate the presence of something terrible on the mountain. They do not have any credible proof of its existence.Ralph goes so far as to verbally deny the presence of one,but it is quite evident that he too was scared of this beast and anticipated something terrible to happen.Also,this darkness would heighten their senses,make them perceive things in a more exaggerated manner.The fear of the unknown is one of the greatest fear that man harbors within them. Hence,when they see the dead pilot,they see it as a "great ape" that was "sitting with its head between his knees".
Chapter8,Q4) When the hunters were gone,he remained as a "little brown image ,concealed by the leaves".He was quite affected by the sight of the sows head on the stickas he thought that the "half shut eyes were dim with infinite cynicism of adult life". He felt that whatever was happening was "a bad business".Suddenly,he replied with "I know that". This was when he started to speak his thoughts out aloud.When he opened his eyes(he had shut his eyes probably out of horror) the sow's head seemed to be grinning at everything "amusedly".He suddenly realised that the head was a gift for the beast and that it would be coming that way. All of a sudden,the sow's head started to communicate with him. It "silently" agreed with him and asked him to run away and "go back to the others" as it was all a joke and that he was wrong after all.Simon shut his eyes and covered them with his hands.He refused to look at the head. He somehow did not want to face it,in a similar way in which humans refuse to face reality. However,the innumerable flies that had been sitting on the spilled gut of the pig started attacking Simon. This compelled him to finally look at the head.
The Sow's head claims to be the "lord of the flies". The lord of the flies is also Beelzebub,The Seventh Prince of hell,protege of Satan and also happens to be the next Demon King.The Lord Of The Flies reveals to Simon that he is the beast and that he is there within all of the boys.This is symbolic of the fact that the devil lies within us and certain situations can bring out the demon inside us. This was Golding's message to his readers that the beast that we are lookin for outside is and always has been within our own hearts. What we are truly scared of is that diabolic facet of human nature that is the cause of war,bloodshed,violence,injustice,corruption and other social evils. This was written in the setting of WWII,hence it is possibly a symbolic representation of that war.
4. The existing points are put forward fairly well, but you could cover a lot more. 3/5
Delete5. More or less well written. 4/5
These are Tarusi's answers:
ReplyDeleteChapter 6-Question 2
Their imaginations get away from them.All they really see is the silhouette of the dead pilot in the parachute,yet they describe him as , "it is furry,it has eyes,it has teeth,claws,wings and it chased them".This description cements the fear within the boys of the beast as a real physical manifestation of their fears. Sam and Eric are children and children are filled with imagination. Their fears are embellished with horror especially because they are already without parents and scared on the Island.
Chapter 7-Question 2
After the group of hunters and Ralph encountered the pig,they pretend that Robert is the pig and jab at him with their spears.They chant "kill the pig!cut his throat!kill the pig!bash him in!" Even Ralph was fighting to get near,the desire to hunt taking control of his actions.Poor Robert is actually in pain and shouts for them to stop,and after a while they do,leaving him on the ground.This event shows that even Ralph is starting to become primitive and savage,and possibly hints that he too will eventually become like Jack and the hunters as the story progresses.
Chapter 8-Question 2
Simon suggests that the boys climb the mountains to find out if there really is a beast.The boys react with fear and even Piggy,who doesn't believe in the beast,doesn't understand what good that will do.Simon then asks "what else is there to do?" This implies that the only way not to fear the beast is to face it. We then follow Simon up the mountain where he sees the brutal killing of the female pig.
These are Tarusi's answers:
ReplyDeleteChapter 6-Question 2
Their imaginations get away from them.All they really see is the silhouette of the dead pilot in the parachute,yet they describe him as , "it is furry,it has eyes,it has teeth,claws,wings and it chased them".This description cements the fear within the boys of the beast as a real physical manifestation of their fears. Sam and Eric are children and children are filled with imagination. Their fears are embellished with horror especially because they are already without parents and scared on the Island.
Chapter 7-Question 2
After the group of hunters and Ralph encountered the pig,they pretend that Robert is the pig and jab at him with their spears.They chant "kill the pig!cut his throat!kill the pig!bash him in!" Even Ralph was fighting to get near,the desire to hunt taking control of his actions.Poor Robert is actually in pain and shouts for them to stop,and after a while they do,leaving him on the ground.This event shows that even Ralph is starting to become primitive and savage,and possibly hints that he too will eventually become like Jack and the hunters as the story progresses.
Chapter 8-Question 2
Simon suggests that the boys climb the mountains to find out if there really is a beast.The boys react with fear and even Piggy,who doesn't believe in the beast,doesn't understand what good that will do.Simon then asks "what else is there to do?" This implies that the only way not to fear the beast is to face it. We then follow Simon up the mountain where he sees the brutal killing of the female pig.
Chapter 6 : Question 3
ReplyDeleteSimon is a very open-minded person and so as they walk to the castle, he is recalling his thoughts about the “beast”. He tries to connect the beast with the other boys as it says, “the picture of a human at once heroic and sick”. It shows how Simon starts to realise how the beast exists within man himself; something that Piggy had previously mentioned with regard to having fear: “Unless we get frightened of people.” Simon thinks about the strange features of the beast and how it can leave no tracks since in a child’s imagination, a beast would ideally have claws and it would scratch. He starts to believe that the beast is but a figment of the boys minds, and they themselves are becoming the beast. He can think openly and see past the fear.
Chapter 7 : Question 3
Jack was possibly so insistent to go up the mountain because he is accustomed to the savagery life. He is used to hunting and wandering. I think that though Jack portrays himself to be unafraid, there is a part of him that remains child-like and afraid of the unknown. It seems that Ralph is afraid to go up the mountain in the dark while Jack isn’t. By going up the mountain, Jack could also be challenging Ralph to see if he is leader enough. Thereby undermining his capabilities as leader. He (Jack) may be doing this to prove himself; maybe because he thinks that finding the beast and fighting it in the dark would gain him utmost respect and to gain control over the other boys.
Ralph thinks that there is no use going up the mountain in the dark as they would have trouble seeing, they were only three of them at a time and as they were only carrying sticks as weapons. He may also believe that there really is no beast or if there is, they might see something in the dark and not see it properly and they might take it for something else and get even more scared and fearful of the beast when in actuality it may be something completely different and could just be a figment of their imagination. Ralph might also be feeling conflict whether to go up the mountain and prove himself as a leader or not to go up the mountain and potentially loose his role as chief.
Chapter 6: I think you could have gone into more details regarding the symbolism of the beast. 3/5
DeleteChapter 7: A comprehensive and well written answer. 4/5
Please post your third answer of Chapter 8.
CHAPTER 6
ReplyDeleteQUESTION 1
At a time when no child was awake to read it, a sign from the world of grown-ups came down to the island. A bright explosion led to a limp figure dropping swiftly beneath a parachute. The figure with its “dangling limbs” was being swept by the wind and, the crumpled figure had been dragged up the mountain by the wind. This figure is of a man fighting in the war.
In the darkness of early morning, as Sam-n-Eric work on rekindling the fire, they notice the figure and mistake it for the “beast”. An assembly is called truth is intermingled with imagination and thus, the crumpled figure in beneath a parachute is mistaken for a beast and, for the boys, an anticipated fear comes to life.
The boys on the island are fighting with their innate darkness. The island is compared to Eden and, it is a very “giving” island-It is abundant in fruit, is uninhabited and has favourable weather. Thus, the conditions on the island are favourable for the boys to survive. But, with the darkness within themselves, can humans survive anywhere? It is the choices we make that define us and in this particular novel, this saying holds true. The boys expect some unknown entity to crush this mirage and, the perfect island makes them all the more fervent. In my opinion, the boys want to see the beast so much that, their mind conjures it for them. The truth of Samneric’s statement was never questioned. All the boys were anticipating the presence of a beast and, when the twins brought news, it was readily accepted. Thus, it is this innate duality of man that led to the twins mistaking the parachute figure for the ‘beast’
Golding subtly hints at the darkness prevalent in man. The beast, an unknown entity is given an identity by the boys. It is really a mere figment of the boys’ imagination.
3/5
DeleteYour points and interpretations are valid and relevant but I think you should've supported your claims with some more evidence and direct quotations.
CHAPTER 7
ReplyDeleteQUESTION 1
The beginning of Chapter seven explores Ralph critically examining his physical appearance. We see Ralph distastefully pull at his grey shirt and, enter his mind as we listen to him think about cutting his filthy hair and have a proper wallow with soap. These are things a child living in a civilised, structured and institutionalised society would think of. As he examines his hands, Ralph notices that his nails had been bitten to the quick, although; he could not remember when he had restarted this habit. Ralph was rather disgruntled with himself and, said to himself that he’ll be sucking his thumb next. As soon as he said this, he looks around furtively for fear of someone hearing him.
Nail biting had a been a bad habit and, Ralph wasn’t rather pleased with himself for indulging in it. It was something children do, and being Chief, Ralph found the habit ridiculous. Thus, since his physical appearance and habits were degenerating, Ralph remarked such a thing to himself.
Ralph is accepting these physical and mental changes as he discovers with a little fall of heart that these were the conditions that he took as normal now and he did not mind. The island and, the new lifestyle led by him were leaving an impact on him and slowly but surely he changed according to the requirements of the situations. The island sure leaves an impact on him as humans leave an ompact on nature.
4/5
DeleteSpeak a little bit more about the mental changes he goes through.
4/5
DeleteSpeak a little bit more about the mental changes he goes through.
CHAPTER 7
ReplyDeleteQUESTION 1
The beginning of Chapter seven explores Ralph critically examining his physical appearance. We see Ralph distastefully pull at his grey shirt and, enter his mind as we listen to him think about cutting his filthy hair and have a proper wallow with soap. These are things a child living in a civilised, structured and institutionalised society would think of. As he examines his hands, Ralph notices that his nails had been bitten to the quick, although; he could not remember when he had restarted this habit. Ralph was rather disgruntled with himself and, said to himself that he’ll be sucking his thumb next. As soon as he said this, he looks around furtively for fear of someone hearing him.
Nail biting had a been a bad habit and, Ralph wasn’t rather pleased with himself for indulging in it. It was something children do, and being Chief, Ralph found the habit ridiculous. Thus, since his physical appearance and habits were degenerating, Ralph remarked such a thing to himself.
Ralph is accepting these physical and mental changes as he discovers with a little fall of heart that these were the conditions that he took as normal now and he did not mind. The island and, the new lifestyle led by him were leaving an impact on him and slowly but surely he changed according to the requirements of the situations. The island sure leaves an impact on him as humans leave an ompact on nature.
These are Sehrish Shuja's answers:
ReplyDeleteChp 6: What does Sam and Eric’s description of the beast tell us about human psychology?
Chapter 6 of William Golding’s novel “Lord of the Flies” is entitled “Beast from Air”. In Chapter 5 of the same novel, Ralph had wished for a sign from an adult world- “If only they could send us something grown-up… a sign or something.” In chapter 6, a sign comes down from the world of grown-ups though at that time there was no child awake to read it. Military airplanes battled fiercely above the island and a parachutist drifted down from the sky towards the island- “the figure fell and crumbled among the blue flowers of the mountain side”; “as the stars moved across the sky, the figure sat on the mountain-top and bowed and sank and bowed again”.
Sam and Eric were on fire duty that night. They woke up and approached the mountain to tend to the signal fire. In the flickering firelight, they see the twisted form of the dead parachutist and mistake the shadowy image for the figure of the dreaded beast. They rush back to the camp, wake up Ralph and tell him timorously, about the beast- “It was furry. There was something moving behind its head wings. The beast moved too.”, “That was awful.”, “There were eyes-’’; “teeth”, “claws-’’.
For Sam and Eric, their initial fright magnifies their involvement with the creature. They report eyes, teeth and claws that they possibly couldn’t have seen. It tells us that human psychology especially in children, tends to imagine the worst possible scenario. The beast, until this chapter, had no physical existence. However the first alien thing that the boys see on the island is labelled as the beast. This tells us how human beings have an intense urge to give a physical manifestation to anything beyond their understanding- we try to label our fears, give them a physical existence. We live in a civilized society, which offers us protection but as we drift away from it, our fears blur our ability to think rationally.
In this chapter both Jack and Ralph lost sight of their priorities and tend to compete with each other; with a cutting desire to establish themselves as capable leaders. Towards the end of the chapter, the boys resist when Ralph announces that they need to go and check on the fire but he forces the issue and Jack leads the way back up to the fire sight.
3.5/5- You've answered it well but I don't think the last and the first paragraphs are truly required. The second paragraph is well expressed though.
DeleteThese are Sehrish Shuja's answers:
ReplyDeleteChp 7: Q 2: What disturbing thing do the group of hunters and Ralph do immediately after their encounter with the pig? How is Ralph’s behaviour surprising and what does it foreshadow?
Chapter 7 of “Lord of the Flies” is entitled “Shadows and tall trees” And presents a visual imagery. The connotation the “shadow and tall trees” suggests a frightening, omnious and dark atmosphere.
On the way to the mountain, Jack leads a pig hunt in which he gets slightly wounded and Ralph gets his first taste of hunting as he strikes a boar in the snout with his spear. “I hit him all right!”, “I wounded him!” and feels that “hunting is good after all”.
The group then begins a mock pig hunt with Robert acting as a pig. They make a ring around him and Robert squeals, in real pain, asking them to stop. The boys hold his arms and legs and Ralph was carried away by a thick excitement and jabs at Robert with a spear. He was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy, however, Ralph’s desire to squeeze and hunt was over-mastering.
Ralph undergoes significant emotional and psychological development in this chapter. Following his spontaneous participation in the pig hunt, he experiences the exhilarating mixture of emotions. We, as readers, are made to realize that Ralph’s veneer of civilization is crumbling; his savage self is being touched and awoken. Ralph is opening up the floodgates of aggression and dislike, which civilized conventions are intended to control. Ralph, until this chapter had a very strong hold on civilization and the rules of the world that he once belonged to,but he seems to be drifting away and the dark, evil side in him is revealing itself.
Chapter 7, especially the change is Ralph’s behaviour, foreshadows the upcoming tragic events. Jack, who is increasingly confident as a hunter and leader suggests that his violent impulses are now directed towards the group of boys. Ralph seems to be losing control over himself and this will ultimately lead to Jack taking control of the boys. Moreover, the tension between Jack and Ralph is escalating which indicates that there maybe a division of groups in future. The mock hunt- foreshadows the brutality of two future killings.
Towards the end of the chapter, the boys discover the parachutist whom they mistake as a beast and whose arrival foreshadows a series of events which will lead to complete anarchy and bloodshed.
4/5- The answer covers all the points and I especially like the bit of your answer about the foreshadowing. One quote that you could have added (according to me :P) is "The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering." (for Ralph)
DeleteCHAPTER 8
ReplyDeleteQUESTION 1
As Ralph and the other boys find themselves at a dead-end, Piggy’s intellect-which until now was scorned- helped them find a way out. The beast sits up on the mountain, near the signal fire, the only way to get rescued. So, in stead of going up the mountain to rekindle the fire, Piggy suggests they build a fire by the bathing pool, on the rocks. “The greatest ideas are the simplest” and, Piggy, by his sheer intelligence helped solve this problem. The signal fire is the only way of rescue for the boys and, for the first time, the boys too realised the importance of intellect.
3/5
DeleteI think you should try to be more descriptive, and analyze the phrase "intellectual daring". Why the boys themselves couldn't come up with the solution.
3/5
DeleteI think you should try to be more descriptive, and analyze the phrase "intellectual daring". Why the boys themselves couldn't come up with the solution.
CHAPTER SIX: A4) When the boys first reach the castle, they are filled with a sense of fear and anxiety. They all are reluctant to go ahead and explore the castle as they dread the presence of the ‘beast.’ It is then Ralph who, taking on the responsibility of being chief, swallows his terror and decides to search the castle alone. As he nears the cliff of the castle, he realises that “he did not really to meet any beast and didn’t know what he would do about it if he did.” Sometime later, he is joined by Jack, who says that he could not let Ralph go alone. They find a sort of ‘half-cave’ and here, Golding brings out the difference in Ralph and Jack clearly through their reactions to the site. Jack is excited at the discovery of this new place and thinks that it would make a brilliant ‘fort.’ Even though Jack is far away from the war going on in the rest of the world, its effect on Jack is still easily visible when he says that the loose rocks of the cliff could be used to destroy all possible enemies. Ralph, on the other hand, is still more perplexed with the task of finding a way to be rescued. He is worried that with no smoke, there is no way for them to get rescued. Thus, the difference in their personalities and aims is clearly brought out by Golding and this is also a foreshadower for the conflict which is about to come between Jack and Ralph in the next chapter.
ReplyDeleteJack and Ralph return to the rest of the boys, who, seeing them come back unharmed, forget about their previous fear and anxiety and in their excitement of exploring the ‘castle’, seem to forget all about the beast. The daylight washes away all their worries and they protest against Ralph’s decision to head back to the mountain to light the fire and instead wish to stay at the castle for longer. They fall silent though, when Ralph asks them whether they wish to be rescued or not and head back to the mountain, led by Jack. This is another way in which Golding foreshadows the split in leadership between Jack and Ralph which is about to come by having Jack lead the boys back to the mountain.
you covered most of the points but i feel that you could have included how Jack's comment about the 'fort' says that all this is still just a game to him.
Delete4/5
CHAPTER SEVEN: A4) Golding is a master of setting the mood and tone of a scene and of creative visualisation. He plotted the story so that the three boys would have to go up the mountain in the dark for a number of reasons. The first reason was that the cover of the darkness disguised the dead man on top of the mountain as the ‘beast.’ The fear and dread which resulted in the boys due to them thinking of the shape of ‘a great ape…with its head between its knees’ as the beast helps to further bring out their characters and shows that despite being stranded on the island and facing numerous difficulties, they are still only children. Their vastly different personalities are united by the common fear which they feel when they turn and run from the ‘beast.’ The dark also serves to heighten their fear. The sense of security and carelessness which the boys feel with the arrival of daylight is washed away and is instead replaced with trepidation. Golding says that Ralph, Jack and Roger are ‘handicapped by the darkness.’ Golding uses words like ‘stain’ to describe Jack’s form in the dark which further portrays him as a dark, negative character to the readers. Thus, for all these reasons, Golding plots the story such that the three boys have to go up the mountain in the dark.
ReplyDeleteYour answers very precisely and clearly states the points. You have used quotations from the texts and your usage of language is good.
Delete4.5/5
CHAPTER EIGHT: A4) After the hunters leave the clearing, Simon is left alone with the pig’s head which the hunters have mounted on a stick as an offering to the beast in the hope that by doing so, the beast will decide not to hunt them. The head of the animal haunts Simon even in his wakeful state, it seems to be talking to him, assuring Simon that ‘everything was a bad business.’ Simon’s head starts to pound as the dead pig’s head continues to ‘talk’ to Simon, confirming his belief that the beast was none other than the boy’s themselves, that the beast was within them. The head warns Simon that he would never be able to escape the beast, because it was inside him and all the other boys. The head of the pig is the Lord of the Flies, representing the inner darkness and evil nature of humans. It knows a lot about Simon’s nature, as when it ‘talks’ to Simon, it talks about things of the past and present like a schoolmaster and what Simon thinks of Ralph and the other boys. This is so because, as the head itself tells Simon, it is a part of Simon himself, it is the dark and twisted part of Simon which is the inescapable beast. When Simon looks at it, he sees ‘the white teeth and dim eyes, the blood—and his gaze was held by that ancient, inescapable recognition.’ Simon sees himself in it. Soon after, Simon loses consciousness.
ReplyDeleteYou could have elaborated on the very sinister implications of Simon's realisation.
Delete3/5
Chapter 6.Question 1.
ReplyDeleteAs the boys struggle with life on the island, hunting, surviving and trying to figure out where the beast resides, a struggle of its own is going on in the civilized world. In the chapter "Beast from the air" Golding, for the first time, establishes a direct contact between the outside world and the world that the boys have created on the island. Ralph, Piggy, and Simon finished the previous chapter detailing the merits of adults and adult behavior, reminiscing how adults would remedy their unpleasant situation with ease and dignity. Yet that night, "a sign came down from the world of grownups" that is frightening and mysterious instead of comforting.
As the boys sleep at night a battle between two planes wages on in the air above the island and one of the planes is destroyed. Drifting down to the island after the explosion is the lifeless body of its pilot, bound tightly in a pilot suit and parachute cables. The "beast from the air" is thus the dead body of a pilot, suspended from a parachute, which descends from the air and lands on top of the mountain. This body and its "flapping" parachute are mistakenly identified in the dark as a "winged beast" by the twins Sam n Eric, who are called Samneric by the other boys.
The main theme of this chapter is the effect of fear. For Samneric, their initial fright magnifies their involvement with the creature from merely seeing movement and hearing the parachute to being actively chased down the mountain as they flee. They report eyes, teeth, and claws that they couldn't possibly have seen. And thus in sync with the naivety of their age, the boys mistake the dead pilot for a beast. The beast symbolizes the fear that the boys have of the unknown. The landing of the dead pilot is pivotal in the development of the characters of the boys here on. The pilot represents an actual manifestation of the beast whose existence the boys had feared but never confirmed. In this way the author subtly indicates the prevalence of a beast within every man.
3/5. You have covered the first two parts of the answer well but the theme and symbolism could be better
DeleteChapter 7. Question 1.
ReplyDeleteAs Ralph experiences an exhilarating onslaught of emotions after experiencing the seductive nature of hunting, he is reminded of how disgustingly savage the boys have become. He feels disgruntled at the sight of his unkempt hair and clothes. Whilst recalling changes about himself that he didn’t notice earlier, he says "I'll be sucking my thumb next" Ralph made this comment after realizing that one of his bad habits had resurfaced itself (biting his nails to the quick). He thought that since one habit returned another one would also. The comment was sarcastic but, Ralph hopes it doesn’t return. Ralph's heart falls at the thought that looking this way had started to feel normal and he wishes that it were otherwise.
Ralph can only talk to himself about things of this matter because he's cheif and he has to have boundaries with the boys he leads.As the representative of the adult world on the island he has to maintain a certain distance from the other boys. It’s ironic that the boys had elected Ralph as their leader considering his physical attributes and now that Ralph could see his superior looks withering away, the boys start loosing faith in him.
2.5/5. The points can be elaborated and the questions haven't been fully explored.
DeleteChapter 8.Question1.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter “gift to darkness”, Golding brings the two worlds of civilization and savagery face to face. Ralph represents civilization while Jack with his hunger for hunting represents savagery. Ralph states and correctly so that if the beast were to emerge, not even Jack would fight it and Jack defends himself by bringing down Ralph and demeaning his leadership qualities. A direct confrontation thus takes place which results in the group of boys splitting among themselves.
Once split, the boys other than the hunters wonder how to go about being rescued without the mountain to build a fire on. Piggy comes up with the idea of building a fire on the beach. Thus like always Piggy is the sharpest mind present, that more than makes up for his physical disabilities, and he shows his “intellectual daring”. Piggy’s ability to think clearly in the hardest of times gives the boys a sense of hope. The fat boys though always underestimated, now becomes an asset to the boys due to his intellectual capabilities. His intelligence is thus something the boys can rely upon to be an asset in their struggle to survive on the island.
You have drifted away from the question a bit and have too long an introduction. The main points need to be emphasised. 2.5/5
DeleteThis is Sehrish Shuja's answer:
ReplyDeleteChapter 8: Q2
In chapter 8 of the novel, Jack calls a meeting and informs the group that there is a beast on the island and they have to do something about it. He tells them that Ralph isn’t a “proper chief” and calls him a “coward.”
When the boys refuse to vote Ralph out of power, Jack leaves the group.
After he leaves, the boys hold another meeting in which Simon suggests that they should climb the mountain as they clearly have no other option-they have to face the beast; find out who it really is.
After the boys refuse to act on this suggestion, Simon climbs the mountain alone and he witnesses the brutal killing of the female pig by Jack and his hunters.
2.5/5- I think you wandered from the actual question in the first part of your answer and your second part is a bit too vague and doesn't really answer the question in detail.
DeleteChapter 6, answer 3: As the boys set out towards the castle, Simon feels a "flicker of incredulity." As wondered over the beast, it's description by Samneric, according to him, didn't quite add up. A beast which had claws, left no tracks, yet wasn't fast enough to catch Samneric created the picture of a human infront of his mind, which was "heroic and sick". This is a depiction of Golding's vision of humanity as flawed by inherent evil.
ReplyDeleteFrom the very beginning, the readers suspect that Simon is no ordinary boy, and as the novel progresses, this suspicion gets further verified. This is again another instance which would support our case. Simon is considered an outsider by everyone, and which is why he has the "dreadful feeling of pressure of personality" as nobody, including Ralph, is ready to listen to his views and dismisses his points as being ridiculous. Thus, he doesn't speak up.
Since the readers are already aware that the beast is actually a human parachutist, we cannot help but wonder that perhaps Golding had given this knowledge to Simon to reflect the place visionaries or mystics typically hold in society:on the fringes, little understood by the majority, and usually feared or disregarded.
3/5
DeleteYou more or less have talked about Golding's depiction of the beast. You have also talked about Simon and what the readers get to know about the beast. But the question asks about the thoughts Simon had about the beast. I think that is missing in the answer.
Chapter 7, answer 3: Jack as has been observed in the earlier chapters, is adamant on proving himself as the rightful Chief. Thus, in order to do this, he must earn the respect of the other boys and this can only be done if he can go against the beast. The boys already looked up to him because of his hunting skills, and he could not afford to back down at this point even though it was dark and obviously dangerous. Yet, his need to prove that he was fearless and brave and a much more suitable Chief than Ralph, led him to his decision to go up the mountain.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the chapter, Ralph displays and surprises himself with his coolness under pressure. when Jack invites him to go up the mountain, Ralph immediately senses that the invitation is actually a challenge and another attempt of Jack's to bring him down and his rational explanation of there being no light run futile. Throughout the chapter Jack keeps trying to challenge Ralph into doing something really dangerous and Ralph is torn between trying to be rational and practical, and proving himself in the eyes of the other boys.
3.5/5
DeleteYou have given a clear view of what has been asked in the question. But it would have been better if you had quoted from the text.
Chapter 8, answer 3: During the hunt, Jack makes the foolish mistake of attacking a defenseless sow who is vulnerable while she nurses her piglets. This is an act of supreme cruelty. It is foolish because he does not realize that by committing this heartless crime, he and the other boys lose the last shred of humanity that was left in them. The sow's death and disfigurement marks the triumph of evil and the climax of the novel. Jack's selection of the vulnerable sow arises from is defeated attempt to depose Ralph and foreshadows his later acts.
ReplyDelete3/5
DeleteAgain, quoting from the text is required. Otherwise the answer gives me an idea about the mistake Jack made.
Chapter 7
ReplyDelete2) Immediately after the hunters and Ralph encountered the pig and the pig escapes, excitement takes over Ralph. The fact that he had hit the boar, wounded it, made his 'desire to squeeze and hurt' over-mastering. As Ralph was narrating what made him hit the boar, he jabbed at Robert and the others supported it. Robert kept screaming in pain but the others nor did Ralph, who was 'carried away by a sudden thicken excitement' stop.
This behaviour of Ralph is very surprising. In the earlier chapters, we see how Ralph is not very appreciative and supportive of Jack's want and desire to hunt and kill. He stays away from it but what we see here is that Ralph gets excited upon hurting someone. He somehow does not even understand what he is doing and jabs at Robert as well. This behaviour shows that the beast inside Ralph, is getting awakened, the savagery is taking over him, he is seen to be somehow loosing his senses and something as hurting and killing, excites him. It shows, how the beast inside him, is struggling to come to the surface.
Elaborate a little more on Ralph giving in to his instincts and talk about what it foreshadows - 2.5/5
DeleteChapter 8
ReplyDelete2) Simon suggests to climb the mountain. I think, that Simon makes this suggestion because he wants everybody to face their fears.he himself is scared of the beast and just wants them all to face it at once and get over it rather than staying afraid of something all the time.they will have to face it sometime or the other and they cannot continue running away from it forever.
When he says 'what else is there to do?', he is suggesting that they have to and it's time to face their fears. There is no point in running away from it. Also, it was essential to start the fire again, if at all they wanted to get saved and for that, they would have to climb the mountain.
The group decides not to follow Simon's suggestion. They come up with their own ideas and start a fire by the bathing pool.
Mention the consequences and elaborate on Simon's insightful nature - 2.5/5
DeleteChapter 7: Answer 3
ReplyDeleteDuring the hunt, Jack follows fresh tracks to a drove of unsuspicious pigs lying together. Here, among all the bloated and fat pigs lying together, Jack chooses to hunt down a sow, who is 'sunk in deep maternal bliss.'
Anxious to protect her piglets and filled with the additional adrenaline of a threatened mother, the sow ran as far as she could.
In fact, she was hit by spears, yet staggered on, 'bleeding and mad', and almost outran them in the forest.
To me, this choice of animal was the most foolish action Jack undertook during the hunt that day, because a mother animal, as hunting experience may have taught him, would be even more agitated and active than the others.
Also, his foolishness is reflected when he commands his hunters to stop being afraid of the beast or stop having nightmares, as if either action could be controlled on command.
There were other foolish actions that Jack carried out, and although the hunt itself wasn't a very wise thing to do at that particular time, the reader cannot forget the situation that Jack is facing, or how old he is. Jack should probably have postponed the hunt until he made peace with Ralph and the others so they could live more coordinated, civilized lives, but the instincts of bestiality that had now revealed themselves showed that this was beyond their control now. A large number of his actions could be labelled as 'foolish' or 'wrong', but in relation to his current situations, such judgement does not permit itself.
A very well framed answer. Don't you think that the hunt was essential for Jack to establish himself as the one in control, since he was quite power hungry. nevertheless. It is an interesting interpretation.
Delete4/5
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChapter 7: Answer 3
ReplyDeleteDuring the hunt, Jack follows fresh tracks to a drove of unsuspicious pigs lying together. Here, among all the bloated and fat pigs lying together, Jack chooses to hunt down a sow, who is 'sunk in deep maternal bliss.'
Anxious to protect her piglets and filled with the additional adrenaline of a threatened mother, the sow ran as far as she could.
In fact, she was hit by spears, yet staggered on, 'bleeding and mad', and almost outran them in the forest.
To me, this choice of animal was the most foolish action Jack undertook during the hunt that day, because a mother animal, as hunting experience may have taught him, would be even more agitated and active than the others.
Also, his foolishness is reflected when he commands his hunters to stop being afraid of the beast or stop having nightmares, as if either action could be controlled on command.
There were other foolish actions that Jack carried out, and although the hunt itself wasn't a very wise thing to do at that particular time, the reader cannot forget the situation that Jack is facing, or how old he is. Jack should probably have postponed the hunt until he made peace with Ralph and the others so they could live more coordinated, civilized lives, but the instincts of bestiality that had now revealed themselves showed that this was beyond their control now. A large number of his actions could be labelled as 'foolish' or 'wrong', but in relation to his current situations, such judgement does not permit itself.
Chapter 8 : Question 3
ReplyDeleteWhile hunting, the foolish decision that Jack makes, is to hunt the sow. He sees the pigs together and how the sow seems to be “marital bliss” and chooses to kill her. Without realising the consequences. The sow, being the most agitated of the pigs, driven by motherhood.
He also commands his hunters to not have nightmares and to stop being afraid of the beast now that they have come to a different part of the island; when these two are things that cannot be controlled.
We also see how Jack and his hunters do not wash their hands after the hunt, which can make them really sick. The decision of leaving the sows head to the flies is another foolish action. Because though it was left for the beast, it will attract other wild and dangerous animals that are there on the island. Which is why, they are getting themselves in danger.
I think it's more of a summarisation and not an interpretation and you could have quoted some more from the text. 3/5
DeleteI think it's more of a summarisation and not an interpretation and you could have quoted some more from the text. 3/5
DeleteChapter 6
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2
In chapter six of William Golding's novel 'Lord of the flies', Golding tries to explain the psychological need of humans to give a physical existence to their fears. Earlier Ralph had wished for a sign from the adult world. However, when this sign comes down from the world of grown ups, there is no child awake to read it. When Sam and Eric were on fire duty that night, a parachutist drifted down from the sky towards the island- "the figure fell and crumbled among the blue flowers of the mountain side" also, "as the stars moved across the sky, the figure sat on the mountain top and bowed and sank and bowed again."
In this flickering fire light they saw the twisted form of the parachutist and mistook it for the figure of the beast. They rushed back to the camp and waking Ralph up, told him all about the dreaded beast. Sam and Eric's initial fright is magnitised with the involvement of the beast. It tells us about the psychological condition of humans especially children, when in stages of fear. Imagination starts running and they find themselves stranded in the worst scenario possible; hence the description of eyes, teeth and claws are given (which they possibly couldn't have seen).
The first alien thing observed on the island by The boys is labelled as beast- telling us that human beings have an urge to give a physical manifestation to anything which is beyond their understanding.
This is Rishleen'S answer.
Delete3/5
DeleteIrrationality and naive nature of the boys are important points too.
Chapter 6, Answer 2:
ReplyDeleteThe sixth chapter of William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” is titled “Beast from Air”.
In this chapter, a dead parachutist lands on top of the mountain, near the fire. Sam and Eric, the twins were given the duty of keeping the signal fire running that night. As they marched up the mountain the check the fire, they spot the "the figure sat on the mountain-top” and they watched it as it "bowed and sank and bowed again”. SamnEric, in a state of panic and extreme fright did not go close to the figure to see what it actually was, instead they ran down the mountain and woke up Ralph and Piggy. They tell Ralph that they had seen the beast; they describe the beast as, “It was furry. There was something moving behind its head wings. The beast moved too.”, “That was awful.”, “There were eyes-’’; “teeth”, “claws-’’. Sam and Eric gave vivid and horrifying descriptions of the beast, which in reality did not even exist. In this chapter Golding depicts typical dynamics of the human psychology and basic human nature. Sam and Eric were after all, just kids, and in their state of paranoia and frenzy, they gave physical attributes to the beast, which was a mere human. They also explained that the beast had followed them, which was impossible because the parachutist was dead; Every shadow and each and every sound in the dark night, was deemed as the beast. This shows how human beings tend to fear the unknown, and also tend to label and give physical dimensions to their fears. Sam and Eric’s description of the beast also stands as a symbol of their vulnerability; in this novel a group of boys, far away from civilisation and authority tries to survive on an uninhabited island, they pretend to be “grown up” and try to think like adults, but this chapter breaks all pretences and depicts the reality; these young schoolboys, are after all children, and without any guidance they seem lose all links from civilisation and society.
Chapter 7, Answer 2:
ReplyDeleteThe seventh chapter of William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” is titled “Shadows and Tall Trees”. Jack and Ralph in the previous chapter decide to look for the beast and kill it. On their expedition the group gets distracted and they decide to follow a Pig trail instead. Ralph in the heat of the moment, after spotting a boar, aims a spear at the animal, which lands on the snout and wounds the boar. This is Ralph’s first experience at hunting, and he finds it exhilarating, he finds that he wants to be the centre of attention, and craves for an acknowledgement from the group. Ralph repeatedly exclaims, "I wounded him!” , “I hit him all right!”, and he finally seems to agree with Jack and feels that “hunting is good after all”.
What follows after this is extremely disturbing. The group then engaged in cosplay of the pig hunt. Roger pretends to be the boar while the others encircle him playing the role of hunters. They grab him, by his arms and legs; Ralph’s rationality slips as he hits Roger with the back of a spear, he seems to enjoy inflicting pain. Roger screams out in agony and pain, but the group finds excitement and thrill at the thought of killing a living creature. This incident is where the boys lose all shreds humanity and civilisation. They turn into complete savages.
*all shreds of humanity
ReplyDeleteChapter 6
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 6,” Beast From Air” are the boys are on the way to castle rock as it was the only unexplored part of the island and the only place where the beast could come from on the island itself. Enroute Simon had certain revelations about the beast. Thinking rationally, he realizes that although the description of the beast they had was very mighty, with large claws to scratch, that sat on the mountain top and did not leave any tracks , Samneric were able to escape from it unharmed, it was not fast enough to catch them. When he tried to visualize the beast, there arose before his inward side “the picture of a human at once heroic and sick”. We can clearly see that Simon is identifying the beast’s true form and identity. While the others picture the beast to an animal like creature that they can hunt and kill Simon is edging toward truly comprehending man’s innate brutality, savagery and evil as the true beast. The realization is confirmed to him in chapter 8, when he talks to the Lord of the Flies, who tells him, “You knew, didn’t you? I’m a part of you?” This realization occurs during the march to the castle, only Simon is not able to understand and accept it fully just yet. Further he is afraid to express his views cause when he did try to do so in chapter 5, it only gave rise to superstitions and talks of ghosts
3.5/5
DeleteYou've covered most of the points,but it'd be better if you used more quotes. Also elaborate a bit more on Simon's nature and gradual characterisation.
ReplyDeleteChapter 7
“ Shadows and Tall Trees” is a chapter that highlights the conflict for leadership between Jack and Ralph. This is the chapter just before Jack establishes his tribe , therefore the relation between the two characters are hostile and tensed below the cool surface. After the boys did not find the beast on the castle, Ralph convinces them to go to the mountain so as to relight the fire. Soon the boys realized that they wont be able to get back to the platform before dark and so Simon volunteers to go inform Piggy. They decided that they would smash their way to till they found the pig run that would lead them to the mountain. Jack asks Ralph if he doesn’t want to go up the mountain. Ralph sighed, sensing the rising antagonism in Jacks voice. He realized that was how Jack felt “ as soon as he ceased to lead”. Ralph rationalizes that by the time they reach the mountain it will be dark and they will be fumbling about but Jack replies that he’ll go when they get there and then taunts Ralph. Ralph makes the decision that they will go to the platform and continue up the mountain the next morning. Jack tries to convince everyone to come up at that time itself , but the boys being tired and scared chose to go back to the platform. Ralph tried to make Jack see the sense in returning but Jack asserted that he was going up to hunt the beast in the dark and simply asked Ralph if he was coming. Jack was so insistent to go up the mountain in the dark because it was exactly the opposite of what Ralph wanted to do. He wanted to establish his dominance over Ralph and see whether he could manipulate Ralph into doing what he wanted. He also wants to prove to the other boys as well as himself that he truly was a hunter he could destroy anything in his path including the beast and was absolutely unafraid.
2.5/5
DeleteI think it's more of a summarisation than an interpretation of the text. Also,a couple of points could be put in about Ralph's internal conflict. Quoting from the text is required.
Chapter8
ReplyDeleteAs the novel has progressed we have seen that Jack has been obsessed with hunting, from the promise of not hesitating the next time he saw a pig in chapter one , to an actual kill in chapter 4. He justifies this by saying that the boys need the meet but to him it is the hunt that takes the precedence. We have also seen how the size of the animal to be killed has increased thus increasing the thrill. From a piglet to a boar and in chapter 8, “ Gift For The Darkness” attacking a mother sow. The foolishness in this is that although the rewards and thrill received at the end of the hunt is greater the risk is too. The hunters have to chase the sow a lot and even when she was hurt Jack could not have overpowered her alone. He should have realized that a mother pig would be more wary of danger so as to protect her piglets. Also by hunting a suckling mother, Jack destroys the last shreds of humanity that he had within himself.
2.5/5
DeleteLogically sequence your points and maybe improve the expression of your answer.
Chapter8
ReplyDeleteAs the novel has progressed we have seen that Jack has been obsessed with hunting, from the promise of not hesitating the next time he saw a pig in chapter one , to an actual kill in chapter 4. He justifies this by saying that the boys need the meet but to him it is the hunt that takes the precedence. We have also seen how the size of the animal to be killed has increased thus increasing the thrill. From a piglet to a boar and in chapter 8, “ Gift For The Darkness” attacking a mother sow. The foolishness in this is that although the rewards and thrill received at the end of the hunt is greater the risk is too. The hunters have to chase the sow a lot and even when she was hurt Jack could not have overpowered her alone. He should have realized that a mother pig would be more wary of danger so as to protect her piglets. Also by hunting a suckling mother, Jack destroys the last shreds of humanity that he had within himself.
Chapter 8, Answer 2:
ReplyDeleteThe eighth chapter of William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” is titled “Gift for the Darkness”. In this chapter, Simon takes the conch, for the first time he actively participates in an assembly. He suggests that they ought to climb the mountain, and see for themselves what the beast looked like. Simon is a visionary and also the voice of reason. He is the only one who truly understands that there is actually no beast, the beast is nothing but a figment of their imagination, and a symbol of their fears and insecurities. Simon asks “What else is there to do?” because he wants everyone to face their fears, and not hide from them. The assembly refutes Simon’s suggestion, and the consequence of this action was that Simon had to witness the gruesome murder of the pig, and eventually, Simon sacrifices his life; Simon is killed by the group of boys.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 - Question 4:
ReplyDeleteThe boys discover the castle while on an attempt to find the beast. When they reach here, they feel anxious as they do not know what to expect. All of them are reluctant to go forward and search. Ralph, being leader, takes on this responsibility. He goes forward and is soon joined by Jack who says, "Couldn't let you do it on your own." Jack is incredibly excited and says that it is a great 'place for a fort'. This signifies how Jack is still a child and treats their situation as a game. Jack also comments how the loose rock can be used to the defeat their enemies. This is Golding's way of showing that even though Jack is a long way from the war, it has had a lasting effect on him. On the other hand, Ralph is more realistic and goes on about the 'signal'. He says that "the signal is all we've got." This, again, shows Ralph's maturity and his ability to prioritize.
The difference between the reactions of the two boys foreshadows what is to come. Golding sends an ominous message which causes the readers to understand that a conflict will arise between Jack and Ralph regarding leadership as well as their ideals.
Chapter 7 - Question 4:
I feel that Golding is brilliant at setting the mood of any scene. Whether it be a meeting held at dusk or, in this case, the boys going up the mountain in the dark.
Firstly, the dark ends the little sense of security that the boys feel. It heightens their fear, their insecurity and to an extent, cause them to rely a little more on each other. The dark frightens the boys. Ralph thinks himself a fool and says that, " ...the darkness and desperate enterprise gave the night a kind of dentist's chair unreality."
Secondly, the darkness disguises the dead man as the 'beast'. He is described as a 'rock like hump where no rock should be' and ' a great ape sitting asleep with its head between its knees.' This description, once again, brings forth the fact that these boys are very young. I also feel that, had it not been dark, the boys may have explored further. But their joint fear of the unknown and of the darkness, caused them to turn and 'take giant strides' away from the 'beast'.
Chapter 8 - Question 4:
Once the hunters left the clearing, Simon stayed there. 'A small, brown image , concealed by leaves.' Even if he shut his eyes, the sow's cut head remained as an 'after image'. Its half shut eyes were dim with the infinite cynicism of adult life assuring Simon that everything was bad business.
Simon shielded his eyes but after a while, the flies found him. They tickled under his nostrils and played leap frog on his thighs. They lost their definition and Simon began to feel that they were innumerable and suddenly, his sub-conscious, taking the form of Beelzebub, stood before him. Simon, at last, looked up and faced that ancient, inescapable recognition.
The Lord of the Flies calls Simon a silly, silly boy and begins to give voice to Simon's fears and insecurities. He mentions that the beast is not something the boys can hunt and kill. The beast is part of every man. He says that Simon does not want the others to think he is batty and highlights Simon's fear of becoming an outcast.
In this way, Beelzebub, is just a voice that says aloud what Simon feels. However, being the voice of an adult, it is more believable.
Chapter 6 - Question 4:
ReplyDeleteThe boys discover the castle while on an attempt to find the beast. When they reach here, they feel anxious as they do not know what to expect. All of them are reluctant to go forward and search. Ralph, being leader, takes on this responsibility. He goes forward and is soon joined by Jack who says, "Couldn't let you do it on your own." Jack is incredibly excited and says that it is a great 'place for a fort'. This signifies how Jack is still a child and treats their situation as a game. Jack also comments how the loose rock can be used to the defeat their enemies. This is Golding's way of showing that even though Jack is a long way from the war, it has had a lasting effect on him. On the other hand, Ralph is more realistic and goes on about the 'signal'. He says that "the signal is all we've got." This, again, shows Ralph's maturity and his ability to prioritize.
The difference between the reactions of the two boys foreshadows what is to come. Golding sends an ominous message which causes the readers to understand that a conflict will arise between Jack and Ralph regarding leadership as well as their ideals.
Chapter 7 - Question 4:
I feel that Golding is brilliant at setting the mood of any scene. Whether it be a meeting held at dusk or, in this case, the boys going up the mountain in the dark.
Firstly, the dark ends the little sense of security that the boys feel. It heightens their fear, their insecurity and to an extent, cause them to rely a little more on each other. The dark frightens the boys. Ralph thinks himself a fool and says that, " ...the darkness and desperate enterprise gave the night a kind of dentist's chair unreality."
Secondly, the darkness disguises the dead man as the 'beast'. He is described as a 'rock like hump where no rock should be' and ' a great ape sitting asleep with its head between its knees.' This description, once again, brings forth the fact that these boys are very young. I also feel that, had it not been dark, the boys may have explored further. But their joint fear of the unknown and of the darkness, caused them to turn and 'take giant strides' away from the 'beast'.
Chapter 8 - Question 4:
Once the hunters left the clearing, Simon stayed there. 'A small, brown image , concealed by leaves.' Even if he shut his eyes, the sow's cut head remained as an 'after image'. Its half shut eyes were dim with the infinite cynicism of adult life assuring Simon that everything was bad business.
Simon shielded his eyes but after a while, the flies found him. They tickled under his nostrils and played leap frog on his thighs. They lost their definition and Simon began to feel that they were innumerable and suddenly, his sub-conscious, taking the form of Beelzebub, stood before him. Simon, at last, looked up and faced that ancient, inescapable recognition.
The Lord of the Flies calls Simon a silly, silly boy and begins to give voice to Simon's fears and insecurities. He mentions that the beast is not something the boys can hunt and kill. The beast is part of every man. He says that Simon does not want the others to think he is batty and highlights Simon's fear of becoming an outcast.
In this way, Beelzebub, is just a voice that says aloud what Simon feels. However, being the voice of an adult, it is more believable.
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DeleteChapter 6- you could have elaborated more on there reactions and what it signifies about both of them individually. Also, for the second part, mention about Jack leading the boys to the mountain which foreshadows the rising differences and split in leadership. 3/5
Chapter 7- More or less, the points are covered but you could elaborate. 3.5/5
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