L ord of the F lies Anna, Dennis, Eva, Isabel, Jessie, Louis, Stanley, Sylvia.

Lord of the Flies

Anna, Dennis, Eva, Isabel , Jessie, Louis,

Stanley, Sylvia

I. Background of The Story Anna

II. Division of the Tribes: Ralph Louis

III. Division of the Tribes: Jack Stanley

IV. Marxism Isabel

V. Character Analysis Dennis

VI. Symbol Jessie and Eva

VII. The text and The World

Conclusion Sylvia

Kate’s ResponseNext Week

Background of The Story

Anna

1939-1945 World War II

1940-1945 Golding joined Royal Navy of England

1954 Lord of the Flies published in England

Story and author’s background -1



- experienced the real-life violence and brutality

- "When I was young, before the war, I did have some airy-fairy views about man. But I went through the war and that changed me. The war taught me different and a lot of others like me,"






-Theme: Golding attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.


Our thesis

Even though the boys tried to borrow the rules from the previous world in order to form their own society on the island ; however, they didn't realize that the condition was different. Thus, the previous superstructure doesn't work on this island.

Piggy:

“We did everything just the way grown-ups would have. Why didn’t it work?” (01:13:55)

Division of the Tribes: Ralph

Louis

Division of the Tribes

I. The Formation of the Initial Tribe(Ralph’s tribe)– Starts from nothing (the shipwreck)– Boy military school– The absence of adulthood– One unity (Jack’s consensus of setting the fire)


– The nostalgia (mocking) of the former ideology

• Hierarchy (army song)• Conch • Election • Demerit

– Making fire/ haunting pig


– The Downfall of Ralph’s camp• The went-down of the campfire • Ideology only, no force • The condition of kids (pleasure principle)• Fairness (division of labor) (01:01:39)

– The shifts of hegemony• Adult, military school,


– Hegemony is the process by which a dominant class wins the willing consent of the subordinate classes to the system that ensures their subordination. The consent must be constantly won and rewon, for people’s material social experience constantly reminds them of the disadvantages of subordination and this poses a constant threat to the dominant class” (Fiske).

Division of the Tribes: Jack

Stanley

• Jack’s disbelief in getting rescued -- “You better start learning to live with yourself

because we ain’t gonna get rescued. ...Who’s going to find us?” (0:14:57) Ralph defends Piggy

-- Peter: Jack says we’re never going to be rescued. Ralph: No, you misunderstood him. That’s not what he meant.

Jack: That’s exactly what I meant.

Ralph: Don’t listen to him. We will be rescued, peter. (0:28:43)

• Ralph’s overgeneralization -- Imposing all the faults on Jack and his

partners. R: If you guys hadn’t let the god damn fire go

out, they would have seen it. J: We were hunting. (40:47) R: Great. Killed a pig. You fucked up. we could

have been rescued. J: I’m sick of your shit and so is my gang. R:

your gang? J: If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop trying to run everything. I’m sick of all of this shit.

• Ralph’s incapability of satisfying kids’ appetite for the meat and for fun -- J: I’m making another camp for hunters and

guys who want to have fun. …When you other brats get older or hungry, you can come join up. (41:55)

-- J: We killed a pig today. There’s going to be a feast. You can eat with us if you want to. (59:17)

-- R: You think one lousy meal’s worth not getting rescued. … J: Join my camp and have all the meat you want. R: We don’t want your meat. (Piggy’s eating.) (1:02:05)

Jack’s integration of Ideologies and force

• Being highly executive, overwhelmingly dominant

• Get the meat, fire (means of production)

• Rules (e.g. whipping the kid)

• There’s going to be a feast. You can eat with us if you want to. “Go on, now.” The chief has spoken. The chief has spoken.

Potential Downfall of Jack’s Tribe

• Elimination of heterogeneities-- internecine result, in order to suppress different

voices

-- Possible assumption: If other kids knew Sam and Eric were not loyal enough to Jack’s tribe, the twins might be severely punished and even killed.

-- J: Is anything over there? Sam & Eric: No. Nothing. (12:23:13)

• Forest fire

Marxism

Isabel

Marxism

• Base – the methods of production

• Superstructure – generates the social, political, and ideological system (the values, art, and rules, ect.)

The relation of base & superstructure

superstructure

base

Superstructure- formed by the base

Base – controls the superstructre

The form of the society

1. Borrowed the superstructure of the previous world.

As As’

Ab BbA – previous world

B – the world on the island

‘ – not the original one


2. The division of the two tribe.

Bb Bb’

‘ – not the original one


3. The reform of their own superstructure.

As’ Bs

Bb Bb’


Civilized life on the island

As As’ Bs

Ab Bb Bb’

A – previous worldB – the world on the island

Character Analysis

Dennis

Ralph

• Representation of civilization; tries to build a miniature democratic society (Ego)

• Believes in the adult; waiting to be rescued

• To survive: establish order, maintain peace, distribution of work

• Goes through changes; loses innocence at the end when rescued

Ralph

Piggy

• Also a representation of civilization, intelligence and rationality (superego)

• Assists Ralph in decision making; using the conch, regulations, etc.

• Believes they will be rescued

• Dislike by many boys, they just want to have fun

• Piggy’s death- destruction of society

Jack

• Representation of savagery and violence, contrast to Ralph (Id)

• Contains himself only in the beginning; driven by total control & power

• Tries to do what he thinks is best; result rather than process

• Manipulates and controls other boys, using their fear

Twins- Sam/Eric

• Not as cruel or barbaric as Jack and his gang

• Used by Jack; the need for food and survival

• Doesn’t believe in the “monster”

• Helps Ralph escape

Twins- Sam/Eric

Simon

• Prophet; sees things to come

• Special bond with nature; innate goodness within him

• Different from Ralph and Jack

• Takes care of other younger boys and Benson

• Not a follower

• Death of Simon, vanishing of goodness

Symbol

Jessie and Eva

Ralph’s Group Jack’s Group

Conch: whoever holds the conch have the right to talk and hold the assembly.

Hidden Meaning:

Democracy. Discipline and rules

Conch: the conch has lost its function. No one

cares about the conch.

Food (Survival) comes first, rules are not necessarily needed.

Glasses:Belongs to Piggy. Sometimes serve the function of make a fire.

Hidden Meaning:

Glasses is the product of civilization.

Sometimes Ralph borrowed it to make fire. Fire is the way to being found.

Glasses: Piggy’s glasses was broken during the fighting. It became merely a tool.

The disappearance of civilization.

Eager to have the fire.

Fire= Means of Production

Ralph’s group Jack’s group

Captain Benson: Although Benson’s unconscious. They still decide to take care of him. Because in civilized world, adults are more powerful than children.

Captain Benson: The kids agree not to take care of Benson because he has fever, and weak.

Captain Benson became an unknown monster in the cave. The hunter’s group is afraid of the “monster”

Spears: If you are in the hunter’s group, you must hold the spear.

Stigma (Face marks):

A mark that means you are conform to the hunter’s group.

Ralph’s group Jack’s group

Helicopter: a gleam chance of survival and it is a transition of the whole story (from peace to dispute)

* 39:21 – 40:

Accordion: a gleam chance of survival and civilization

*01:11:09 – 01:11:23

Flies:flies fly around the rotten pig’s head is like the children who obey a leader without any reasonable reason

Pig’s head: For Jack’s group, hanging the pig’s head is a solution of dealing with unknown fear

How does the text relate to the world?

Sylvia

Phenomena of “Blind and Follow”

A. Shopping Bag of Enya Hindmarch

– phenomenon of making lines

– people do not really know why they do this, th

ey just do it blindly

– ideological control

• Limited edition


B. Contagious Laughing in Class

-- afraid to be abandoned by people

-- peer pressure

-- they do not see the reasons in doing it


C. Collecting dolls (McDonald’s ) and

Collecting toys ( 7-11 )

-- ideological control

( rare and special, a must-have )

-- obsessed with certain ideology


D. 3 college students robbed a foreign labor

-- influenced by “bounding power”

( some joined the fight and some did not )

-- controlled by “id”, impulsive behaviors

-- “superego” has been repressed

Conclusion

• When we are under “peer pressure” and

“bounding power”, it is extremely crucial to

make our own judgments and not to be

controlled by the ideologies created by the

crowds.

Thank You! =)

Between Collectivity and Individual Will

1. If complete autonomy or freedom from ideology is impossible, we try to discuss and negotiate their ‘meanings’ from within.

2. Instead of being fixed on a certain position, we try to think and judge and adjust ourselves all the time among the competing hegemonies.

3. Instead of being completely disciplined and used, we try to use the regulatory power on us ‘meaningfully.’

4. But are there times when discussion does not work, and power means violence? (ref. Robinson Crusoe; The Coral Island -Ralph, Jack and Peterkin)

Kate’s Response

Violence vs. Rationality

• Jack’s group 1. “Monster” 2. Robs the survival knife -- “Home” chant, Monster-

Hunting ritual; Denies the conch, kills Simon

-- Whipping3. Robs the glasses -- Kills Piggy

-- Hunt for Ralph

• Ralph and Piggy 1. No monster—many left 2. “you have no right.”—Simon

checks out on the cave; R&P go talk to them (1st time) Simon killed.

• (accordion) 3. “You’ve got no right” go

talk to them (2nd time) Piggy’s death

4. -- Ralph alone• * goes talk to the twins “all

his slaves” (3rd time) Ralph hunted.

Why does irrationality reign?

• Piggy’s proposal: “What we need here is positive people, not people scaring people.” “We got to be sensible and make things work.”

• Why does violence happen? Why can’t they work together?

• Possible Reading (1) appropriation: See analogies in us (our blindness to ide

ological control)(2) Contextual reading: Golding’s pessimism about his time,

anti-war/totalitarianism sentiment. “I am thinking of the vileness beyond all words that went on, year after year, in the totalitarian states. … I believed then, that man was sick-- not exceptional man, but average man.” (Spitz)

(2) Contextual ReadingThe Kids’ Connections to the War

• From an army school, singing an army song.

• Helicopter and soldiers as the only possible rescue.

• TV programs as their ways of telling time.

• Talks about the Russians red scare

(2) Contextual ReadingThe Army Song –Ironic Signs of

degradation and control

Mama, mama can't you see? / What the Army's done to me? / They put me in a barber's chair. / Spun me 'round, I had no hair./ I used to drive a Cadillac. / Now I'm marching in a pack. / I used to drive a Chevrolet. / Now I'm marching for my pay. / They took away my T.V. / Got me doing I.T.

(2) Contextual ReadingThe Lord of the Flies as

Human Evil

The Historically Specific: The Lord of the Flies is expanding his Reich (德國 ).All treasures, all blessings are swelling his might. . . .Down, down with the handful who doubt him!• —Stefan George, 1907 (Stefan George is one of the most importa

nt poets of the early twentieth century, and became a source of inspiration for Fascist circles in Germany.) (Diken)

The General Implication:

Flies – blind followers, meaningless lives. "As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods, — They kill us for their sport". (King Lear Act IV, Scene 1)

Symbol of Evil -- the name of the biblical name Beelzebub, a powerful demon (SparkNotes)

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/themes.html

(1) Appropriation: Lord of the Flies and The Human Stain

•

Between Violence vs. Rational Control

–there can be Negotiation;

Amidst Self-Centeredness, Segregation, Strict Regulation and Self-Righteousness

there has to be desire crossing the racial and class boundaries, and—sympathy.

Crises, risks and instabilities can disrupt our sense of boundaries, reduce our sense of correctness and lead to violence of different kinds;

they can also help stimulate human sympathy and solidarity.

e.g.

The strike in France (over special interest pension plan our 18%?);

US’s sub-primary mortgage market crisis,

rise of wheat price, etc.

Taiwan – endless political conflicts

For Next Week

• Quiz 2 – due 12/24 (6 multiple-choice Q’s and two short-essay Q’s. One ¶ each.)

• Watch-- The French Lieutenant’s Woman and

• Read-- the excerpt from the text book & chap 10.

Reference

• Diken, Bülent and Carsten Bagge Laustsen. “From War to War: Lord of the Flies as the Sociology of Spite.” Alternatives 31 (2006), 431–452. Source Database: POA

• David Spitz, “Power and Authority: An Interpretation of Golding's 'Lord of the Flies.‘” The Antioch Review, 30.1 (Spring 1970): 21-33. Source Database: Contemporary Literary Criticism

L ord of the F lies Anna, Dennis, Eva, Isabel, Jessie, Louis, Stanley, Sylvia.

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