|
Post by 2chanhao09 on Apr 13, 2008 1:25:31 GMT -5
RALPH----Ralph is twelve years old with blond hair, and is the most charismatic of the group. He is described as being built "like a boxer," and is initially chosen as leader due to his many positive qualities. He maintains a conflict with Jack throughout the entire novel, attempting to keep order whereas Jack isn't concerned with it. Ralph and Piggy together represent the struggle for order and democracy.
JACK----Jack is about Ralph's age, with a skinnier build and red hair. His freckled face is described as being "ugly without silliness." From the very beginning, he seems to harbor emotions of anger and savagery. At first, he is the leader of his choir group, who become hunters as the book progresses. Finally, his savage personality and ability to tell people wha they want to hear allows him to overtake Ralph as chief.
PIGGY----Piggy is a short and overweight boy who wears glasses and represents order and democracy. He is afflicted with asmtha and doesn't care to do strenuous work on the island. He tries very hard to cling to civilization, and tries his best to keep peace. While probably the smartest boy on the island, he lacks any social skills whatsoever, and has trouble communicating or fitting in with the others. His glasses are a very important part of the book, as they are used over and over to start fires. Piggy's constant polishing of them shows his desire for clear-sightedness and civilization.
SIMON----Simon is younger than the three boys above, but older than other littluns. He is very good and pure, and has the most positive outlook. He insist multiple times that they will get rescued, even when Ralph is strongly doubting the possibility. Simon often travels into his tranquil spot in the jungle, but also tries to help out when it is needed. He meets up with a pig's head skewered on a stick, which becomes known as the Lord of the Flies. Simon is killed soon afterward by all of the other boys who were caught up in a savage dance.
ROGER-----A small boy with dirty and shaggy black hair, Roger represents pure evil and wrongness, moreso even than Jack. He has no mercy, and is the first one to intentionally kill another boy on the island when he smashed Piggy with a boulder. He gets sadistic pleasure from torturing a pig and other boys on the island. Roger is one of Jack's most loyal helpers, and gladly carries out his orders.
Cheers HanHao
|
|
|
Post by 2bterrechua29 on Apr 14, 2008 2:24:01 GMT -5
Hi all, Before i start i would like to say that starting this thread on Characters is quite a good idea actually. I will be approaching an analysis of Ralph. Ralph Ralph is the charismatic protagonist of Lord of the Flies. Elected as the leader of the boys at the beginning of the novel, Ralph, in my opinion, shows signs of law and order, civilization, and leadership in the novel. While most of the other boys are initially concerned with playing, having fun, and avoiding to do work, Ralph sets about building huts and thinking of ways to maximize their chances of being rescued. For this reason, Ralph’s influence over the other boys are secure at the beginning of the novel. However, as the group gradually succumbs to savage instincts over the course of the novel, Ralph’s position declines by a lot while Jack’s rises. Eventually, most of the boys except Piggy leave Ralph’s group for Jack’s, and Ralph is left alone to be hunted by Jack’s tribe. Ralph’s commitment to civilization and morality is strong, and his main wish is to be rescued and returned to the society of adults. In a sense, this strength gives Ralph a moral victory at the end of the novel, when he casts the Lord of the Flies to the ground and takes up the stake it is impaled on to defend himself against Jack’s hunters. In the earlier parts of the novel, Ralph had been unable to understand why the other boys would give in to base instincts of bloodlust and barbarism. The sight of the hunters chanting and dancing is baffling and distasteful to him. As the novel progresses, however, Ralph, like Simon, comes to understand that savagery exists within all the boys. Ralph remains determined not to let this savagery -overwhelm him, and only briefly consider joining Jack’s tribe in order to save himself. When Ralph hunts a boar for the first time, however, he experiences the exhilaration and thrill of bloodlust and violence. When he attends Jack’s feast, he is swept away by the frenzy, dances on the edge of the group, and participates in the killing of Simon. This firsthand knowledge of the evil that exists within him, as within all human beings, is tragic for Ralph, and it plunges him into listless despair for a time. But this knowledge also enables him to cast down the Lord of the Flies at the end of the novel. Ralph’s story ends semi-tragically. Although he is rescued and returned to civilization, when he sees the naval officer, he weeps because of his new knowledge about the human capacity for evil. All in all, Ralph is still a good leader despite some signs of savagery that are displayed by him. This is all i have for Ralph. Going on to analyze on other characters' characteristics. Cheers, Terre Chua 2B29
|
|
|
Post by 2bterrechua29 on Apr 14, 2008 2:34:28 GMT -5
Hi all, I will be approaching an analysis of Jack. Jack is, in my opnion, a strong-willed and obsessive person. In other words, He is also the antagonist of this novel. He shows signs of savagery, violence, and the desire for power. From the beginning of the novel, Jack desires power above all other things. Hence, He is furious when he loses the election to Ralph and continually pushes the boundaries of his subordinate role in the group. Early on, Jack retains the sense of moral politeness and behaviour as he was the leader of the choirboys. Futhermore, it is stated in the book that the first time he encounters a pig, he is unable to kill it. But Jack soon becomes obsessed with hunting and devotes himself to the task, painting his face like a barbarian and giving himself over to bloodlust. The more savage Jack becomes, the more he is able to control the rest of the group. Indeed, apart from Ralph, Simon, and Piggy, the group largely follows Jack, all turning towards savagery. Jack’s love of authority and violence are sort of connected, as both enable him to feel powerful and exalted. By the end of the novel, Jack has learned to use the boys’ fear of the beast to control their behaviour—a reminder of how religion and superstition can be controlled as instruments of power. This is all i have for Jack. I hate Jack by the way. Going on to analyze on other characters' characteristics. Cheers, Terre Chua 2B29
|
|
|
Post by 2bterrechua29 on Apr 14, 2008 2:40:36 GMT -5
Hi all, I will be approaching an analysis of Simon. Whereas Ralph and Jack stand at opposite ends of the spectrum between civilization and savagery, Simon stands on an entirely different medium from all the other boys. Simon represents a kind of innate, spiritual human goodness that is deeply connected with nature and, in its own way, as primal as Jack’s evil. The other boys abandon moral behavior as soon as civilization is no longer there to impose it upon them. They are not innately moral; rather, the adult world—the threat of punishment for misdeeds—has conditioned them to act morally. To a certain extent, even the seemingly civilized Ralph and Piggy are products of social conditioning, as we see when they participate in the hunt-dance. Unlike all the other boys on the island, Simon acts morally not out of guilt or shame but because he believes in morality. He behaves kindly toward the younger children, and he is the first to realize the problem posed by the beast and the Lord of the Flies, which is, that the monster on the island is not a real beast but rather a savagery that lurks within each human being. The sow’s head on the stake symbolizes this idea, as we see in Simon’s vision of the head speaking to him. Ultimately, this idea of the inherent evil within each human being stands as the moral conclusion and central problem of the novel. Against this idea of evil, Simon represents a contrary idea of essential human goodness. However, his brutal murder at the hands of the other boys indicates the scarcity of that good amid an overwhelming abundance of evil. This is all i have for Simon. Simon was such a nice person. He was quite pitiful since he died so innocently. Going on to analyze on other characters' characteristics. Cheers, Terre Chua 2B29
|
|
|
Post by 2bterrechua29 on Apr 14, 2008 2:47:40 GMT -5
Hi all, I will be approaching the analysis of less major characters. Piggy Ralph’s “lieutenant.” A whiny, intellectual boy, Piggy’s inventiveness frequently leads to innovation, such as the makeshift sundial that the boys use to tell time. Piggy represents the scientific, rational side of civilization. But, to me, he is a baby since he cry a lot. Roger - Jack’s “lieutenant.” A sadistic, cruel older boy who tortures the littluns and eventually murders Piggy by rolling a boulder onto him. He was one of the people who changed the most after they were stranded on the island. Samneric - A pair of twins closely allied with Ralph. Samneric are always together, and the other boys often treat them as a single entity, calling them “Samneric.” The easily excitable Samneric are part of the group known as the “bigguns.” At the end of the novel, they fall victim to Jack’s manipulation and compulsion. However, they still did not betray ralph when Jack and the others were hunting for Ralph. Cheers, Terre Chua 2B29
|
|
|
Post by 2balcanderseah01 on Apr 14, 2008 6:18:29 GMT -5
hi all, I will be approaching the analysis on Lord of the flies.
Lord of the flies:
The Lord of the Flies is mainly the bloody, severed sow¡¯s head that Jack had speared on a stake in the forest glade as an offering to the ¡°beast¡±. This symbol thus becomes the most important image in the novel when Simon confronts the sow¡¯s head in the glade only to be told that it was the evil lying within every human heart and promised to have some ¡°fun¡± with him. In this way, the Lord of the Flies becomes both a physical manifestation of the beast, symbolising the power of evil, and a kind of Satan figure who stirs up the savagery and violence within each human being.
The name ¡°Lord of the Flies¡± is a literal translation of the name of the biblical name Beelzebub, a powerful demon in hell. Name given to the sow¡¯s head that Jack¡¯s gang impales on a stake and erects in the forest as an offering to the ¡°beast.¡± The Lord of the Flies also comes to symbolize the ancient instincts of power and cruelty that is manipulated by Jack.
That is all I have to say for now. Thank You.
|
|
|
Post by 2bongyuhao17 on Apr 14, 2008 6:46:19 GMT -5
JackThe strong-willed, egomaniacal Jack is the novel’s primary representative of the instinct of savagery, violence, and the desire for power—in short, the antithesis of Ralph. From the beginning of the novel, Jack desires power above all other things. He is furious when he loses the election to Ralph and continually pushes the boundaries of his subordinate role in the group. Early on, Jack retains the sense of moral propriety and behavior that society instilled in him—in fact, in school, he was the leader of the choirboys. The first time he encounters a pig, he is unable to kill it. But Jack soon becomes obsessed with hunting and devotes himself to the task, painting his face like a barbarian and giving himself over to bloodlust. The more savage Jack becomes, the more he is able to control the rest of the group. Indeed, apart from Ralph, Simon, and Piggy, the group largely follows Jack in casting off moral restraint and embracing violence and savagery. Jack’s love of authority and violence are intimately connected, as both enable him to feel powerful and exalted. By the end of the novel, Jack has learned to use the boys’ fear of the beast to control their behavior—a reminder of how religion and superstition can be manipulated as instruments of power. Piggy Ralph’s “lieutenant.” A whiny, intellectual boy, Piggy’s inventiveness frequently leads to innovation, such as the makeshift sundial that the boys use to tell time. Piggy represents the scientific, rational side of civilization. Roger Jack’s “lieutenant.” A sadistic, cruel older boy who brutalizes the littluns and eventually murders Piggy by rolling a boulder onto him. Sam and Eric A pair of twins closely allied with Ralph. Sam and Eric are always together, and the other boys often treat them as a single entity, calling them “Samneric.” The easily excitable Sam and Eric are part of the group known as the “bigguns.” At the end of the novel, they fall victim to Jack’s manipulation and coercion. The Lord of the FliesThe name given to the sow’s head that Jack’s gang impales on a stake and erects in the forest as an offering to the “beast.” The Lord of the Flies comes to symbolize the primordial instincts of power and cruelty that take control of Jack’s tribe. RalphRalph is the athletic, charismatic protagonist of Lord of the Flies. Elected the leader of the boys at the beginning of the novel, Ralph is the primary representative of order, civilization, and productive leadership in the novel. While most of the other boys initially are concerned with playing, having fun, and avoiding work, Ralph sets about building huts and thinking of ways to maximize their chances of being rescued. For this reason, Ralph’s power and influence over the other boys are secure at the beginning of the novel. However, as the group gradually succumbs to savage instincts over the course of the novel, Ralph’s position declines precipitously while Jack’s rises. Eventually, most of the boys except Piggy leave Ralph’s group for Jack’s, and Ralph is left alone to be hunted by Jack’s tribe. Ralph’s commitment to civilization and morality is strong, and his main wish is to be rescued and returned to the society of adults. In a sense, this strength gives Ralph a moral victory at the end of the novel, when he casts the Lord of the Flies to the ground and takes up the stake it is impaled on to defend himself against Jack’s hunters. In the earlier parts of the novel, Ralph is unable to understand why the other boys would give in to base instincts of bloodlust and barbarism. The sight of the hunters chanting and dancing is baffling and distasteful to him. As the novel progresses, however, Ralph, like Simon, comes to understand that savagery exists within all the boys. Ralph remains determined not to let this savagery -overwhelm him, and only briefly does he consider joining Jack’s tribe in order to save himself. When Ralph hunts a boar for the first time, however, he experiences the exhilaration and thrill of bloodlust and violence. When he attends Jack’s feast, he is swept away by the frenzy, dances on the edge of the group, and participates in the killing of Simon. This firsthand knowledge of the evil that exists within him, as within all human beings, is tragic for Ralph, and it plunges him into listless despair for a time. But this knowledge also enables him to cast down the Lord of the Flies at the end of the novel. Ralph’s story ends semi-tragically: although he is rescued and returned to civilization, when he sees the naval officer, he weeps with the burden of his new knowledge about the human capacity for evil. www.sparknotes.comHappy Reading!
|
|
|
Post by 2bmarcuschong03 on Apr 14, 2008 9:01:40 GMT -5
Hey all, here to voice my opinions.
Ralph is among the oldest of the boys, at twelve and a few months, and has an air of strength about him. He acts as the initial leader figure and organizes the boys into some semblance of society. He wants the good for the tribe, but is often confused, because unlike Jack or Roger, he has a sense of morality from society. He is often considered part of a triad with Piggy and Simon. Ralph is the athletic, charismatic protagonist of Lord of the Flies. Ralph is the primary representative of order, civilization, democracy, and productive leadership in the novel.
Jack was the leader of the choir at the boys' old school and competes with Ralph for the position of "alpha male" on the island. Jack was described as dark, a creature, and controlling, rather than leading, the choir. Jack is the exact opposite of Ralph. From the beginning of the novel, Jack desires power above all other things. Early on, Jack retains the sense of moral propriety and behavior that society instilled in him. But Jack soon becomes obsessed with hunting and devotes himself to the task, painting his face like a barbarian and giving himself over to bloodlust. Casting off moral restraint and embracing violence and savagery. Jack is used by Golding to represent fascism.
Piggy is a fat twelve-year-old boy who has asthma and "specs". In the book, he represents maturity, civilization, science, intellect, clear-sightedness, and an adult figure. Most of the boys have shaggy, long hair by the end of the novel. Piggy is the only character whose hair has not grown. This ties him to civilization and maturity as well. He is whiny, but the smartest of the boys. He is first described as a voice, and he remains the voice of reason throughout the book. He is vilified for not helping, whining and generally being unhelpful but he is the intelligence behind the democracy that is set up. His death signals the final end of the democracy and his 'empty-head' as it splits on the rocks the end of rational thought.
Simon is a calm, passive boy who claims no leadership or intelligence, but shows a wisdom beyond his years. Simon, an important character, has an important message which no one listens to. He then dies and thus nobody hears his crucial message. He is sometimes said to be the only boy in the novel with natural good in him. Simon also holds the key to their salvation, the knowledge, that they hear from him, that the beast is no more than a dead man. He holds the key to removing Jack from any position of power and is murdered for it.
Roger is mysterious like Jack, and is mindless to the consequences of his actions. He follows the group and acts on their behalf. He becomes Jack's right hand man. Creating fear, without being conscious of the immorality of his actions. He is overcome by the evils of the island, or himself. He represents clearly the example of humans and their destruction of each other. He also represents sadism and torture to the extreme.
Samneric are identical twins, while on the island, they lose their identity. They are the most obvious example of loss of innocence. They represent society. They are easily manipulated, as seen with Jack.
The hunters are the group of boys under the direction of Jack on the island. They also show the degeneration of the island civilization, turning from the 'choir' to the 'hunters' and finally to the 'savages'. They may be seen to represent the military in time of war and are certainly violent in nature and unreasonable in outlook.
The littluns are the smaller boys on the island that only care for having fun and nothing more. They represent the plebeians and masses who are swayed from one leader to another, but are required by a leader to rule over.
Regards, Marcus Chong 2B03
|
|
|
Post by 2btaytianwen28 on Apr 18, 2008 8:27:05 GMT -5
hi all,
i will be approaching an analysis of Piggy.
at twelve years and a few months of age, Piggy exalts maturity that surpasses that of others about his age. He is able to think wisely in a wider perspective, democratic, and symbolises wisdom and democracy.
Maturity that surpasses others
This is evident from how Piggy is able to straighten and prioritise what is most important. Instead of following Jack's tribe of savages, who steal the fire for cooking meat, he stays with ralph, and wants the fire not for cooking , but for the boys' rescue.
Democracy
This is evident in howPiggy shows sensitiveness to others and is willing to "keep the peace " between the boys rather than use brute tactics as Jack dies.
Wisdom
Piggy’s inventiveness frequently leads to innovation, such as the makeshift sundial that the boys use to tell time. Piggy represents the scientific, rational side of civilisation here as well.
But however, Piggy has certain disadvantages.
Weak-spirited
This is evident in how the other boys taunt him and poke fun at him by calling him "Piggy". In fact, in Ralph calls him so, so much so that, he has accepted it as his nickname throughout the entire story. Instead of protesting against the taunting, he gives in to it, and this shows the weak spirit in him.
Do post any comments.
Thanks,
Tian Wen
|
|
|
Post by 2bwenkang04 on Apr 18, 2008 9:06:53 GMT -5
Hi everyone, I would be doing an analysis of Roger here in the novel.
Just as Piggy represents Ralph's best quality, his attempts to act mature, so Roger stands for Jack's worst characteristic, his lust for power over living things. Roger is first introduced as one of the biguns who "kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy." He only muttered his name softly to Piggy who asked what his name was, this is significant as it highlights that at the start, Roger was highly reluctant to give out this information about him and we could infer that Roger could not get along with the tribe and thus, in the later part of the book, mutinied against Ralph, along with Jack.
While Piggy thinks about ways to be rescued, Roger is "gloomily" pessimistic about the group's chances. Acting on his darker impulses, at first in small ways, he knocks over Percival and Johnny's sand castles. Then he throws stones at Henry, only missing because his arm "was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins." This is significant as it shows that Roger is cruel and sadistic in nature.
Once he sees how Jack's "dazzle paint" created a mask that "liberated him from shame and self-consciousness," however, it is only a matter of time before Roger comes under Jack's power. First we see him, along with Ralph and the rest, participate in the mock pig kill in celebration of the successful hunt. Then, not long after Jack parts from the group, Roger follows him and is soon hunting pigs and offering to help Jack steal fire from Ralph's group. Though part of Roger still questions the irresponsibility of some of Jack's actions, like beating Wilfred, he nevertheless goes along with them. This highlights the fact that Roger does not care about law and order or human rights. Roger is shown as a cruel and sadistic boy who only cares about himself and bullying others.
Roger, "with a sense of delirious abandonment," released the boulder from Castle Rock that killed Piggy and destroyed the conch. This is significant as it shows that the conch, which represents law and order and authority, being destroyed. This shows that savagery has finally taken over Jack and Roger's hearts and they lost their sense of civilism. And it is Roger who, "wielding a nameless authority," moves to detain Sam and Eric.
This shows that Roger himself is more worse off compared to Jack and represents cruelty and sadisticsm.
Thank you Chow Wen Kang
|
|
|
Post by 2cleeyiren16 on Apr 20, 2008 8:15:53 GMT -5
i believe all of you have posted very detailed description of characters which are rather similar. I discovered that the characters names have origins that are quite associated with the story....
Roger: The name in Germanic in origin and means "spear".
Jack: The name in Hebrew in origin and means "one who supplants".
supplants means "To usurp the place of, especially through intrigue or underhanded tactics. "
Ralph: The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon language and means "counsel".
Piggy: The name can be associated with wild pigs that are hunted on the island.
Simon: The name comes from the Hebrew word meaning "listener".
Do you think it makes sense? How is it associated?
|
|
|
Post by 2cleeyiren16 on Apr 20, 2008 8:32:54 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Protagonist:[/glow] Ralph [glow=red,2,300]Antagonists:[/glow] Jack, the Imagined Beast, the Evil Inside the Boys [glow=red,2,300]Ralph [/glow]Handsome, athletic 12-year-old elected leader by the boys. He is sensible and self-confident but gradually becomes disheartened under the burden of leadership, and Jack plots to overthrow him. Note: the British usually pronounce the name Ralph as Rafe. [glow=red,2,300]Jack Merridew [/glow]Aggressive older boy who envies Ralph and vies with him for leadership. He leads the choirboys. [glow=red,2,300]Piggy[/glow] Fat, clumsy, asthmatic older boy who befriends and advises Ralph. Piggy is an orphan. [glow=red,2,300]Simon [/glow]Timid, highly sensitive older boy who respects everyone and learns a dark secret. [glow=red,2,300]Sam and Eric [/glow]Twins who support Ralph in his struggle with Jack. [glow=red,2,300]Roger [/glow]Cruel older boy who seems to enjoy harming others. [glow=red,2,300]The Choirboys [/glow]Singers led by Jack. They remain loyal to him in his struggle with Ralph. [glow=red,2,300]Naval Officer [/glow]British seaman who arrives at the end of the novel to rescue the boys.
|
|
|
Post by 2btaytianwen28 on Apr 20, 2008 8:49:53 GMT -5
Hi all, Yi Ren, well done. Nice one with the name translations Perhaps you could have elaborated on how the translations hold a certain meaning in the story, which i will do now. Roger sharpens a stick at both ends to impale to sow's head as a gift to the LOTF ( correct me if im wrong). Jack eventually gains absolute control over the boys except Ralph and Piggy, through underhand means, where in this context, stole Ralph's tribe's fire and green branches to make a cooking fire and also (somewhat) used the "beast" to gain control over the boys. Simon can be best described with the chinese analogy in this situation : the person who's playing chess is oblivious to the situation, but those that watch the chess match are absolutely clear. He is a listener, a person closely linked with nature, and somewhat kind and gentle. It is he who discovers the truth behind the LOTF, and often wanders in the forest, admiring the beauty and vibrancy of it. Thanks, Tian Wen
|
|
|
Post by 2cjaredkoh13 on Apr 21, 2008 8:28:40 GMT -5
RALPH----
There is an air of superiority around Ralph. He seems to command a certain amount of respect and awe from the smaller kids.
This is evident in the novel that even though Piggy was holding the conch, Jack interrupted him. Although Jack attempted to interrupt Ralph, when Ralph shot back, Jack kept silent.
Ralph also knows hot to put first things first, like building a shelter first instead of hunting.
JACK----
Jack is a potential leader. He has a great desire of wanting to be a leader. This is evident in when they were about to hold a vote to decide who was chief, Jack was praising himself in hope of being anointed chief.
Jack has some characters of a leader. This is evident when Jack successfully lured most of Ralph's subordinates to his sides. This shows that Jack has proven himself to lead and thus attracted many followers with the exception of Samneric, who was forced.
PIGGY----
Piggy is the final object that was ldestroyed which was civil at the end of the story. He sides civilisation and rules, such as insisting he has the conch and has the right to speak.
Piggy's glasses, though small and insignifincant, plays a major role. It is known that the glasses was the one which started the fire at the end of the story which drew the attention of a rescue ship, resulting in the boys being rescued.
SIMON----
Simon is younger then Piggy, Ralph and Jack but is the oldest littlun. He seems to be optimistic about the rescue of the boys and often mentions it, to Jack's skepticism. Simon seems to be a nature loving boy as he likes to 'meditate' in some spot in the jungle.
ROGER-----
Many people claim that Roger is evil, savage and all a load of other crap.
But, I would like to bring up another point, that is, he is actually pure. A few may be surprised but, yes he is pure. If he was savage and ot in the right state of mind, he would have gotten into trouble with Ralph a few times.
What I am emphasizing is that he is not evil, he just lacks self-control and thinks too naively. He easily has the blood-lust and joins Jack's group without a thought, which further worsens his blood-lust condition.
The rest of you all can reflect on that.
|
|
|
Post by 2btaytianwen28 on Apr 22, 2008 4:36:54 GMT -5
Hi all,
Jared, you stated that you found Roger "pure". In what way is he so? Why do you say he is so? Is the contextual evidence to support so?Unless you have textual evidence or a strong personal rebuttal, this is an assumption by far.
Why an assumption? Roger plays a rather less significant role than Jack and Ralph, but can be identified as a person full of evil, perhaps even the devil incarnation. He was the mastermind behind Piggy's death, and other malicious acts.
Perhaps he being pure AT FIRST was not potrayed too clearly in the book. In any case, i seek clarification on this.
Thanks,
Tian Wen
|
|