Last Week for This Blog

I know it is sad to hear, but our blog concerning the Lord of the Flies is winding down.  Why?  The new school year is almost here!  As a teacher, I officially return August 8th, but I will be preparing various sadistic lesson plans and activities for the enitre year in the days leading up to then.  We will finish discussing this novel, particularly the meaning of the title, the significance of Simon, and, of course, the conclusion.  If there are any topics you would like for me to address before August 8th, you need to submit them to me via the comment section.  Please do not email me at my school email address - I can't access my school email account this week.  Thanks, enjoy the remainder of summer break, and don't eat at Chick-fil-A!

Great Teachers Know How to Get a Response

As a teacher, I want responses from my students.  I must be slowing down during Summer break, because I know how to get students to interact or participate with a lesson.  If this doesn't work in getting comments, I will end all of my LOTF blogging, and bid you all a gentle good-bye.  But I think I can do this.

What?  You want some evidence?  Well, then the challenge is to watch the video below and not state anything in the comment section about how "cyoot dat liddle kittin' weally is!"  If you coo aloud about any minuscule instance of kitten cuteness, then you are required to submit it via the comment section.

P. S. After adding a comment to the comment section, the second half of this video and the completely surprising ending will be revealed.  It is so ironic!

More on Conch

Is the magnificent shell of the conch one of nature's ready-made musical instruments?  Can one simply pluck any old conch shell from some sandy shore and make it sound like some horn?  Sorry, but nature does not present the conch shell in this way.   First of all, the conch shell is the home of the conch - think of it as some kind of beauty queen clam.  In order to make the shell an instrument, you need to remove the inhabitant:

Next, in order to make it a true instrument, other modifications or changes also need to take place.  Watch until the end and you will hear the sound created by blowing into a modified conch:

This is my first attempt to embed YouTube videos in a blog.  Let's hope it is successful across all computer platforms!  Just a little side information which I love to share with my students.  Please go to the comment section and write about what an awesome teacher I am.  Thank you.

Irony in LOTF

Love it or hate it, irony is nearly impossible to escape.  A fine example of ironic foreshadowing occurs in chapter two, at the bottom of page 42, when Jack speaks:

"I agree with Ralph.  We've got to have rules and obey them.  After all, we're not savages."

Once again, in the comments, please share how you find this statement, especially by Jack, to be ironic.  What type of irony is it: verbal, situational, or dramatic?  It can be more than one type.  Why?

Might you have forgotten your irony definitions?  Try this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony#Verbal_irony

Let's get a little conversation going in the comments. Answer, ask, or comment, and I will respond.  What more could you want?  From experience, I know participation on this level makes for a much better blog.  And it will make me happy, which is the only thing that matters.

Thanks.

Piggy's Glasses

Just as I asked in the post about the conch, Piggy's glasses are more than just a pair of spectacles.  On one level they are simply spectacles, just like the mattress in "Eyes on the Prize."  On a higher level, just like the conch shell, Piggy's glasses represent or symbolize much more.  Using your knowledge of the entire book,  what different things can they possibly symbolize?  How are the important to the story?  What happens to the glasses eventually?

I need each of you to respond in the comment section.  Please do not make me continuously beg.  Thanks again for following along!

The Conch

What is a conch?  We have all seen this beautiful shell on ocean beaches, in photographs, and in gift shops.  Here is a photo:

The pronunciation can be either exactly as it is writen, conch, with the -ch ending sound like the -ch ending for the word church, or by pronouncing the ending -ch as the sound of the letter K - http://www.macmillandictionary.com/pronunciation/british/conch.

It is also a regional food specialty of the Caribbean.  On many visits to the Bahamas, I have feasted upon conch fritters, conch salad, and fried or cracked conch (images in descending order).

More importantly and academically, the conch shell appears throughout the novel when meetings are called (or sounded) and to take turns speaking at these meetings.  What does the conch symbolize for the boys, especially Piggy?  Please leave your answers in the comment section.  PLEASE!  I hate begging.

Student Participation

Participating within this blog is so key to making it successful.  It truly helps me to help you if I receive question or comments regarding anything to do with the Lord of the Flies, the IB program, or just knowledge and learning in general.  I want to thank the three commenters so far: Francesca, Jenny, and someone with the handle of Raven4134 (your "mmm" comment had me double-checking to see if you were comment on my food blog!).

For anyone entering the IB program at South Fork, you are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to ask some questions of a former student and recent graduate who has been there and done that.  She will not disappoint.

Anyway, with 33 page views so far today, I am very happy (take that Facebook!).  I will continue to post analyses of LOTF as long as students continue to view and comment upon them.  Thanks!

Do We Ever Learn Piggy's Real Name?

I scribbled this exact question in my book at the top of page 19, probably out of frustration as a reader rooting for the character of Piggy.  I mean, you know he is important to the meaning of this novel by this point in the book.  Perhaps Piggy is an "anti-hero"?

Anti-hero: A central character in a work of literature who lacks traditional heroic qualities such as courage, physical prowess, and fortitude. Anti-heros typically distrust conventional values and are unable to commit themselves to any ideals. They generally feel helpless in a world over which they have no control. Anti-heroes usually accept, and often celebrate, their positions as social outcasts.  Quoted from: http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/glossary/

I also must scream out - why did 'so-and-so" tell Ralph that his nickname was Piggy?!?!???

Ralph is not afraid to make use of this info to his advantage.

Previous book check:  In Night, was Elie Wiesel an anti-hero?  In Animal Farm, was Benjamin the donkey an anti-hero?

Ralph and Jack

Once again we have a rivalry for leadership, I mean power.  In Animal Farm we had Napoleon versus Snowball.  In LOTF, we have Ralph (and Piggy) versus Jack.  Please share similarities and differencews in comments.

Fire on the Mountain

The title of chaper two, Fire on the Mountain, also happens to be the title of a song by the Grateful Dead. 

Here are the lyrics:  http://www.lyricsfreak.com/g/grateful+dead/fire+on+the+mountain_20062436.html

Here is a live rendition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wqg47JKFEU

Check it out.  Any connections?  Do n ot dismiss the cultural importance of the Grateful Dead on late-twentieth-century-American history!  Seriously, Ken Kesey, an incredible author, was part of this west coast cultural scene during the 1960's.  Anyway, enjoy.

Extinguisher

I'm going to jump around the book a little bit instead of writing simply about it chronologically.

On the first pages, pages 58-59, of chapter four, the bottom of the page has an interesting simile:

"When the sun sank, darkness dropped on the island like an extinguisher and soon the shelters were full of restlessness, under the remote stars."

"like an extinguisher"  We (you and me, my readers) immediately visualize a fire extinguisher: the first image in my mind is red, cylindrical, with a black tube, fits in hands, bursts of white clouds directed at flames - this image does not fit within the context of its scene/paragraph.  This simile is describing a sunset.  This made me think - the copyright for LOTF is 1954.  Ahh, let us put this image within its historical context!

William Golding is a British author.  The conditions in England during the Great Depression, World War II, and the recovery from both disasters took a heavy toll on the citizens of the British Isles: unemployment, bombings, food shortages . . . An individual living during these times would most likely be very familiar with and a consistent user of candles.  A candle does not require electricity, something in short supply during this period of time.  So I re-thought the simile/image.  I have seen devices used to snuff a candle.

As a teacher, I am compelled to share the educational materials I come across.  Here is a frustratingly rewarding video (2 min) of a robot extinguishing a candle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh1l5kOWrqo

But I must disappoint you as I have been disappointed in my search for a YouTube video that would somehow effectively demonstrate the change from light to dark, as the hood of the antique candle extinguisher slowly shrouded what the candle's flame illuminated and could be seen.  I guess you will have to imagine this simile on your own.  If this doesn't work, watch the sun set one day (and hang around to admire dusk, too).

The Theme of Power

Having recently mastered George Orwell's Animal Farm and three of its themes, we should ask ourselves if any of these themes are present in the Lord of the Flies.  The theme to concentrate upon  is the "corrupting nature of power."  How does power play out in LOTF?  Which characters wield power, successfully or unsuccessfully?  Perhaps it is a matter of analyzing which types of power are at work.  What do you think?  Write notes in your book as you read!

To a lesser extent, examine if the theme of the "oppressed tightening the noose of oppression" can be identified.  What do you think?  I demand that you share your thoughts, questions, and answers in the comment section!

The third and final theme from our reading of Animal Farm was "tyranny distorting history and language."  I am skeptical, but maybe some of you can make the connection?

As the objective written upon my white board throughout the second semester stated - use your external knowledge to connect concepts.

The Hidden Symbol That Summarizes This Story

I like the repetition of similar sounds in the title of this post.  What do we call that?  Alliteration!

Page 15 contains two sentences that simply and subtly symbolize and summarize the full development of this novel and its ideas:

"Near to Ralph's elbow a palm sapling leaned out over the lagoon.  Indeed, the weight was already pulling a lump from the poor soil and soon it would fall."

Symbolism, eh?  What is being symbolized?  What is being represented, via imagery, in this brief description?  And as I always ask, why is this particular detail being included at this point or moment of the narrative (story)?  Why is the reader being informed about this sapling and its current and future situations?  Why does the author make sure to tell us that the sapling will fall?

First, what is a sapling?  A sapling is a young tree or plant - a child, in essence.  Can you see the connection between this young piece of vegetation and the young characters in the story?  So the sapling represents the individual child, and in this story the symbolic child will fall, fall from innocence into evil.  If you know this tale in full, then this interpretation of mine makes sense.  Oh, and I guess that the soil is similar to Piggy's cries for his Auntie - they represent a stable or authoritative foundation.   Yet we are always most welcoming of any other thoughts and ideas in comments!

Foreshadowing in Chapter One

So, we have the theme of the Garden of Eden and the innocence of the surviving boys (see earlier post), but surely there is a flip-side to all of this innocence?  In fact, there are many and repeated references to evil, night, death, and the dark side of the force - more so than to positive, hopeful, and bright references.  Let us examine what Golding repeats throughout chapter one to create a sense of foreboding, to tilt the expectations of the reader toward darkness, and to foreshadow the evil to come.

How does Sir William Golding foreshadow, let us count the ways!

Page 7 - While describing the horrific disaster of a plane crash, the first paragraph concludes with a description of a bird's "witch-like cry."  Why witch-like?  Doesn't sound pleasant, does it?  Also, does this sound contrast with the sound or value of the conch shell as a signal?

Page 9 - "The fat boy waited to be asked his name in turn but this proffer of acquaintance was not made."  Piggy (will we ever learn his real name?) is dissed (aka disrespected) by Ralph.  Such disrespect, and worse, will afflict Piggy throughout the story.

Page 10 - The word choices employed to describe Ralph as he explores the beach all but raise red flags and wave them in the reader's face!  Ralph "stood there among the skull-like coconuts . . ." and "undid the snake-clasp of his belt."  Skull-like and snake-clasp?  Sounds evil to me.

Page 14 - During Piggy's and Ralph's conversation they bring up the topic of their fate on this island.  Piggy offers up this particular outcome: "We may stay here till we die."  This is an example of foreshadowing.; in fact, it is an important one, as important as the sapling post that follows.

Page 14 - "the sun's enmity.'  Enmity is hatred or ill will.  Just another example to lump onto the pile of evil word choices.

We will skip over references to the "bat-like" creature and other evil and nightmarish lines because they will wind up in a different post that tackles the meaning of Simon.  Did you know that Simon is a character in the Bible/New Testament?

One last general example of "evil" in chapter one is on page 20.  I include this because my mental visualization invited Severus Snape.  When we first meet Jack and his minions "He turned quickly, his black cloack circling."  Do you see Snape like I do?  Anyway, swirling black cloaks are sign of evil.  Don't argue. 

Rhetorical Device Alert!

William Golding presents his readers with an excellent use of multiple rhetorical devices at the bottom of page 18.  To save you from your much used 8th grade language arts notebooks or from a search, here are reminder definitions and examples:


Anaphora: "Repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines."


Example: "Not time, not money, not laws, but willing diligence will get this done."


Synecdoche: "A whole is represented by naming one of its parts (genus named for species), or vice versa (species named for genus).


Example: "You've got to come take a look at my new set of wheels."


Back to the text on page 18.  Here anaphora and synecdoche entwine with one another:


"Their heads clustered above the trunks in the green shade; heads brown, fair, blick, chestnut, sandy mouse-colored; heads full of eyes that watched Ralph and speculated."


Obviously, the anaphora is the repetition of the word "head," which is also a synecdoche for each of the individual children - they are more than heads.


A case can even be made that this quote includes enumeratio:


"Detailing parts, causes, effects, or consequences to make a point more forcibly:  Dividing a subject into its adjuncts (a separate, less important thing added to something), a cause into its effects, or an antecedent into its consequents."


Example: "I love her eyes, her hair, her nose, her cheeks, her lips [etc.]."


We observe enumeration in the listing of different types of "heads," presumably the color of each child's hair.

Flinked?

Here is a word that gave me pause while reading: flinked.  It occurs on page 10, during an initial description of the island: "Out there, perhaps a mile away, the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue."

I had to check out this new word!  What kind of verb is this?  Transitive or intransitive?  Can I "flink" something?  Perhaps we can add it to WTF - What the flink?  What does "flinked" mean?

The best explanation for our novel comes from WikiAnswers:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_definition_of_flinked_from_Lord_of_the_Flies.

So you don't have to click thru:

Quote.. "The white surf flinked on a coral reef..." The word flinked appears to have been invented by the author and in this passage seems to be suggesting the distant flickering glint of white caused by the waves breaking on the coral reef. It has been suggested that the word was formed from a combination of the words flashed and winked.
That's cool, I guess.  To me, one usually sees such inventive language and word creation more often in poetry, especially for a word that is not central to the meaning of the literary work.  "Flinked" is an intellectual amusement or curiosity, and not much more.

Other online references were not helpful, though interesting.  These you can click thru.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/flink

http://www.word-detective.com/2011/03/flink/

I cannot recommend Urban Dictionary. ;-)

Gilligan's Island Theme Song

Ha!  I wonder if you are old enough to know about Gilligan's Island, the television series!  Fortunately, I was unable to figure out how to have this song play repeatedly on the blog.  Any other songs or videos that can make fun of LOTF (or seriously re-inforce it) can be suggested in the comment section.

The Garden of Eden

Ever read the Bible ?  Some of it?  How about watching a Hollywood version of a biblical story?  Ever go to church and pay attention to the prayers, stories, and sermons?  Knowledge of the Bible is vital to the interpretation and understanding of literary works (at least those from Western civilization).  Can I get some feedback from previous IB'ers on the importance of biblical knowledge for the IB program?  What about other cultures/religions?


The Lord of the Flies begins with children surviving a plane crash on a desserted island.  The island is tropical, with a thick and lush jungle presenting  plenty of "fruit" for these characters to pluck.  There are importsant connections to be made between these two texts, and our author, Sir Golding, definitely desires that we recognize them.  The story of the Garden of Eden can be found not only in the Bible, but online as well.

Here are the actual words, if my quick study proves accurate:
http://www.dltk-bible.com/genesis/chapter2-kjv.htm

One can always check out wikipedia, but it doesn't satisfy me:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Eden

In our book, the children arrive on the island in the same state of innocence as Adam and Eve in the Bible.  (It should be noted, however, that LOTF does not include any female characters.  Interesting.  Any thoughts from you, my dear readers?)   This state of innocence, at least child-like innocence, is first emphasized when Ralph exclaims: "No grownups!" (p. 8).  While Piggy continually attempts to introduce authority into the situation by constantly referring to his auntie, the lure of the state of nature and innocence hooks the rest of the young boys. 

The word "fruit" is repeated throughout the first chapter.  The repetition of this word keeps nudging me towards the concept of the Garden of Eden.  Within the Garden of Eden grew the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  G-d forbade Adam and Eve from eating the fruit from this famous and dangerous tree.  Yet, they did, committing the first act of evil, also known as disobedience to G-d, by a human being.  Because of this transgression, Eve and Adam were exiled from the Garden of Eden.  Can we see something similar with the LOTF?  I don't know.  What do you think?

Anyway, here are the three mentions of the word "fruit" in the first chapter.  Please alert me if any were missed.  Thanks.

On page 10, Piggy's excuse for not keeping up with Ralph: "I'm sorry I been such a time.  Them fruit - "

On page 17, a description of one of the boys who arrive after the first sounding of the conch by Ralph: "his face covered with a sticky mess of fruit."

On page 18, three small children appear from the jungle, "where they had been gorging fruit."

Next we shall examine possible themes for LOTF.  Any suggestions?  (Anything from Animal Farm?)  Put them into the comment section.

Detective Work

Read as if you were a detective!  Read slowly!  Linger over provocative details, the details that stir a reaction of any sort, then ask yourself why were you so stirred.  That is how I read, when I read academically.  I would not read a newspaper article in such a manner.  There are as many ways to read (and interpret) as there genres for writing.  When reading a literary classic, especially if it is an assignment for school, read academically - that is, as a detective!  Observe and collect.  Seek patterns and repetitions.  Question these images and ideas.  I do.  I write in the margins of every literary work I undertake to understand it best.  I wrote "not nice" several times throughout the LOTF whenever Piggy was somehow treated unfairly.  I circled almost every appearance of the word "fruit" in the beginning of the novel.  I underlined most recurrences of the words "mirror" and "reflection."  You should do the same.

Can you make external links to other books or historical events?  No such thing as a poor initial attempt to grasp the central meaning of a book when using this approach.  Ah, is there a repetition of this connection?  As I say continually throughout the school year in my class room: "A good author emphasizes something by repeating it."  Repetition can occur as a single word within a sentence or sentences ("Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow!  Segregation forever!"  This anaphora, spoken by Governor George Wallace during the civil rights movement of the 1960's, emphasizes his committment to Jim Crow Laws); it can occur as an idea or image re-represented with different words (synonyms) throughout a literary text (think of how equality is expressed within Animal Farm); and it can also occur as a theme, such as the motif of eyes in Elie Wiesel's Night.  So grab your magnifying glass, put on your hat and trenchcoat, and enlist your friend Watson because we are going to investigate Sir William Golding's "The Lord of the Flies!"

Welcome - 1st Post - Blog's Beginning, etc.

Welcome all!  It has been many, many years since I last read "The Lord of the Flies."  Yet, we will read and reflect throughout this text, just like we did with "Night" and "Animal Farm," ("The Lord of the Flies" closely mirrors the themes we explored together in George Orwell's fairy story.) 

Congratulations on your promotions from middle school to high school!

Please sign in somehow via the comments section.  Or send me an email at matlucm@martin.k12.fl.us.  Please let me know you are here.  Thanks!

Your Teacher Always,

Mr. Matluck