Allegory in Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Allegory in Lord of the Flies Essay In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, which is set during World War II, English school boys, escaping war in England, crash on a deserted tropical island. From the protected environment of boarding school, the boys are suddenly thrust into a situation where they must fend for themselves. In order to survive, the boys copy their country’s rule for a civilized life by electing a leader, Ralph. He promises order, discipline, and rules for the boys so that they form a small civilized society. This civilized society does not last. Struggling with Jack who wants to be the leader and the boys’ fears of the unknown, Ralph is unable to maintain control, and the boys fulfill Golding’s perspective that human nature is inherently negative as the boys become savages that brutally and viciously kill. Golding creates an allegory by using symbols to show his pessimistic view of human nature through the boys’ desire for civilization, their struggle against evil, and their descent into savagery. Golding develops the allegory using symbols of the boys’ desire for civilization. Leadership and reasoning are represented by the symbols of Ralph and the conch and Piggy and his glasses. Finding a conch on the beach, Ralph uses it to keep law and order or peace among the boys. â€Å"Ralph grasped the idea and hit the shell with air from his diaphragm. Immediately the thing sounded† (15). Blowing into the conch, Ralph assembles the boys for meetings. He uses the conch to promote fair play by passing it around so that each boy has the opportunity to speak freely and express himself. â€Å"I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking† (39). Ralph represents the order that is necessary in a civilized society, and the conch is the means by which he establishes this order. In addition to establishing order, Ralph organizes the boys into separate groups like hunters, gatherers, and shelter makers to aid the survival of the group giving more evidence of his leadership abilities. Ralph delegates one responsibility to Jack making him in charge of the hunters. Although the boys would prefer to have fun and play games, they follow Ralph’s rules at first. This order is maintained until Ralph loses his leadership role to Jack. After providing, or bribing, the boys with juicy pig meat, Jack asks â€Å"’Who’ll join my tribe and have fun? ’† (211). This lure of enjoyment along with the promise of more food sways the boys to follow Jack. With the demise of Ralph’s leadership and under the leadership of Jack, the boys begin to turn towards savagery. From this point on, the change in the leadership brings with it the transformation of the boys from ordered society to savages. Through the downfall of Ralph’s leadership and the resulting descent into savagery, Golding is able to reveal how the dark side of human nature can prevail. Golding’s character Piggy portrays the voice of reasoning and logic and his glasses symbolize his wisdom. Ralph recognizes Piggy’s ability to think with clarity and soon depends upon him in his role as leader. Piggy’s idea to use the conch to assemble all the survivors leads to Ralph’s election as leader. Ralph uses Piggy’s ideas for building shelter and Piggy’s glasses to ignite the signal fire. â€Å"Ralph moved the lenses back and forth, this way and that, till a glossy white image of the declining sun lay on a piece of the rotten wood† (30). Golding shows his pessimistic view of human nature as Piggy, whose ideas and logical thoughts have been so important to the boys’ survival, becomes irrational. Once the voice of reason, Piggy refuses to accept his role in the death of Simon. The destruction and loss of his glasses destroys Piggy’s ability to see clearly and decreases his ability to influence the actions of the group. Upon an attack, Piggy, who once refused to believe in the beast, thinks Jack is the beast and cries out â€Å"’It’s come! ’ gasped Piggy. ‘It’s real! † (233). Piggy continues to believe the group of boys will respond to logic when he asks them if it is better to be like savages and kill or to have order and be rescued. The boys remain silent when Roger pushes a big rock on Piggy to kill him. â€Å"Piggy, saying nothing, with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air sideways from the rock, turning over as he went† (255-256). With the death of Piggy, who was the icon of reasoning, Golding shows that the dark side of human nature triumphs over reasoning and rational thinking. Golding extends the allegory by exploring the boys’ struggle against evil with the beast symbolizing the boys’ fears of evil and Jack as the symbol of the lure of evil. At one of their first meetings, the boys discuss their predicament with optimism that they will soon be rescued, and until that time, they will enjoy the freedom of the island. One of the smallest boys is urged by his peers to come forward to speak and asks reluctantly what will be done about the beast. The others laugh at him until he describes the beast as a big, snakelike creature that comes in the dark wanting to eat him. Ralph tries to dismiss the boy’s ideas as merely a nightmare, but the crowd did not completely believe him. â€Å"The eyes that looked so intently at him were without humor† (44). This moment plants the seeds of fear in the boys’ hearts that will later unleash their inner savage. Ralph returns to the topic of the beast at another meeting in hopes of calming the worries that began with the littluns and spread throughout the group. At this meeting Jack takes the conch and attempts to convince the boys again that the beast is just in their imagination. â€Å"’The thing is – fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream’† (110). Even Piggy speaks up to say that there is nothing such as the beast to be afraid of in the forest until he has the realization: â€Å"’Unless we get frightened of people. ’† (113). Golding’s development of the boys’ fears using the beast shows the struggle of humans with their inner selves and the evil that lies within. Golding creates the character Jack as a catalyst for the allegory by his luring of the boys into the evilness of savagery. When Jack first attempts to kill a pig, he hesitates because he still belongs to the civilization he left when the plane crashed. The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be† (35). At this point, Jack changes. He loses the sense of self that resists the lure of evil and begins his descent to his dark side. â€Å"He snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree trunk. Next time there would be no mercy† (35-36). Jack becomes obsessed with hunting and works to perfect his weapons and his stealth. Jack dons a mask that frees him from his self-consciousness and shame creating a new person ready to kill. Jack takes some boys with him and kills a pig. When they returned, all are chanting â€Å"’Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood. ’† (90). Jack transforms the young boys from innocent children to violent killers. Golding uses Jack to lure the others to evil and awaken their inner savage instincts. Golding’s allegory is further developed by his description of the boys’ descent into savagery symbolized by the deaths of the pig and Piggy. Golding shows Roger’s descent into savagery when Roger, excited and blood thirsty, begins a brutal attack on the pig. He plunged his spear into the pig and â€Å"began to push down with all his weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high pitched scream† (189). Roger’s sense of elation derived from killing the pig makes him want more blood. Roger delves deeper into savagery as he takes the life of a fellow human being. No longer killing just for survival, Roger finds satisfaction in the death of Piggy. â€Å"Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever† (255). Crushing Piggy with the rock, Roger silences Piggy forever. With Piggy’s death, Roger has committed murder, the ultimate crime. Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel in which Golding uses the symbols of the conch, Piggy’s glasses, the beast, Jack, and Roger to reveal his views that human nature is innately evil. Through the boys’ desire for civilization, their struggle against evil, and their descent into savagery, Golding portrays humankind as civilized only on the surface with evil lurking just beneath. As Piggy said â€Å"’What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages? ’† (122).

An Analysis of Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions Essay -- Vonnegut Bre

An Analysis of Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions Kilgore Trout is a struggling novelist that can only get his novels published in porn magazines. Dwayne Hoover is a fabulously well-to-do car salesman that is on the brink of insanity. They only meet once in their lives, but the entire novel, Breakfast of Champions (1973), is based on this one meeting. The meeting is brief, but that is all the author, Kurt Vonnegut, needs to express his message. In fact, it is quite crucial that the meeting starts and ends almost instantly. It is the meeting between sanity and insanity. Kilgore Trout is simply the novelist that Vonnegut was when he was younger. Dwayne Hoover is the older, insane man that Vonnegut has turned in to. The meeting between the two is the exact moment when Vonnegut has transformed. The bad chemicals now will run amuck through poor Dwayne's head. Mr. Trout has spent his whole life writing crazy novels, mostly about other planets and the crazy things that happen on them. He lives alone in his house with only his parakeet, Bill, to keep him company. Most of what he talks to Bill about is how the world will be ending very soon. "Any time now," he would say, "And high time, too"(pg 18). This is a product of Dwayne's theory that the Earth's atmosphere would soon become "unbreathable" [sic] (pg 18) and kill off all living creatures. This idea was crazy, but Kilgore does many more things that would seem eccentric to any normal person. The adventure of Kilgore Trout starts when he receives a letter from Midland City. One man, Mr. Rosewater, wants him to come to their fine arts festival as the guest of honor. Kilgore had no idea that he has even one fan. Enclosed is a check for one thousand dollars, which would aid him on... ...whole life. The ink hold that he has on Trout, is now being released. It is almost as if he is releasing sane Kilgore and accepting insane Dwayne. Dwayne read Kilgore's novel and went on a violence spree. He spent the rest of his life in an asylum. Kilgore went on to become a world-renowned novelist. Vonnegut is a world-renowned novelist, who is known for his crazy and insane novels. It seems as if he feels that he has wasted the first part of his life in the novel, when he is Kilgore Trout. After he meets Dwayne he seems to have all of his success and make all of his money. Kilgore confirms this in the end when he only wants one thing from his creator. He yells out to Vonnegut as he disappears, "Make me young, make me young, make me young!"(pg 295) Work Cited Vonnegut, Kurt. Breakfast of Champions. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 1973.

Letter of recom

He has been a student In the â€Å"Computer networks† and laboratory sessions In â€Å"Computer networks and case tools† and â€Å"Network programming† during the IT program at EWES college. I have worked with many students having essential knowledge In Information technology. Every year I notice that a few outstanding students offer a unique perspective and really embrace their learning of the subject matter. Mr.. EX. has consistently shown such a strong desire in practical subjects to learn, that I simply loud not turn down his request for recommendation.At numerous occasions, he would contact me after the class and try to understand logics behind various programming. Also, he contributed astutely to class-room discussions that proved his intellectual might. He asked most penetrating questions about the subject being discussed and explicated his ideas with effortless impromptu grace. During discussion of case studies, he was highly effectual in applying the cou rse material In analyzing the problem situations. He explained his views very concisely, clear and coaxing. He performed good leadership skills when Involved In group project.During several team case studies, he took charge of the team and he was aware of strengths and limitations of his team members and assigned task accordingly. He Is very well liked and respected by both peers and his professors. He continues to impress me with his knowledge, skill and dedication to his work. I'm sure you will find him to be a student whose talents will only shine further through your graduate program. It is my sincere hope that you will accept his application to your university with financial assistance.Please feel free to contact me if you require further information. Yours truly, proof. BBC Head of Department, Information Technology, EWES college. Letter of recon By Cahill-Guava student in the â€Å"Computer networks† and laboratory sessions in â€Å"Computer networks have worked with many students having essential knowledge in information discussion of case studies, he was highly effectual in applying the course material in coaxing. He performed good leadership skills when involved in group project. During and limitations of his team members and assigned task accordingly.

Love Can Change the World - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 607 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/13 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Love can change the world. Not the romantic, head-over-heels kind of love, but selfless love. Selfless love is giving of yourself, your time, and your resources for the benefit of others. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Love Can Change the World" essay for you Create order It is caring about others’ quality of life and helping those in need. Changing the world will not happen by introducing people to a formula or giving them ten steps to make their lives better, but by showing them our love. What makes us human is our capacity to love. Love is that quality that erases prejudice and moves us to forgive, gives us peace of mind in a turbulent world, and keeps us sane. This kind of love starts with having compassion. When we live selfishly we have no concern for anyone else. All we care about is pleasing ourselves, and people around us often get hurt. Eventually we start using people and stepping on their toes because it makes us feel better or it advances us in our career or our popularity. We see no problem with using others because it benefits us and we do not even think about how they might feel. We do not care about those who suffer those who starve to death, or the people who are dying because they cannot go see a doctor. We do not think about others because we are too consumed with our own lives, because we have no love for anyone but us. What are the results of being so self-centered? India is the largest democratic country in the world, yet people suffer from depression, pain, and false relationships. People are confused because they can have anything and everything they ever wanted. They work their whole lives to please themselves, but they cannot figure out why that does not satisfy them. People are still left empty and looking for something else. We rarely stop to consider what we could do to make our world a better place. If we tried, we might just be blessed beyond imagination, and those who suffer would be taken care of. We have to take our eyes off ourselves to see the needs of others and to allow ourselves to feel compassion for them. We must have love. When we love, we will want to reach out to others, build relationships, and make a difference in the world around us. Love can move mountains. It can shake the foundation on which people live. Love can work miracles in the hearts of those who receive it, and we have the power to give it. Love sees broken souls and heals them. Love hears plaintive cries and answers. Love discerns a need and fulfills it. Love does not see color, race or features; love sees people. Just think what we can accomplish if everyone loved unselfishly? Sometimes, because of our experiences in life, we forget how to love but we should always remember that without love we lose the most important part of us. Without each persons love, the world is poorer and our hearts become, just an ice box. The power of love knows no boundaries, no walls. Love does not ask for anything in return. It is at times a self-sacrificing gift but it is given freely. For when we give love and see the difference that one act of love can make, the feeling is priceless, indescribable. And in that one moment, we get a glimpse of the power contained in each of us, the power, not to change the world, but to change a part of the world. And then we see the power of our love working in unison, the power to change the world.