Review on Lord of the Flies

Finally, I have finished reading the book Lord of the Flies. If you don't want to spend time reading my reflection and review, I can tell you here at the beginning that it's not selected as required reading for high school students in the United States for no reason. But if you do decide to spare your time for my thoughts on the book, here they are.

Summary: 

A group of boys are dropped off on a desert island during a world war without any supplies and adults. To survive, the oldest boy, Ralph, takes on the job of leading them along with his right-hand boy, Jack, who is about the same age. However, the two strongest boys have different opinions on their priorities for survival; Ralph focuses on keeping fire and smoke for passerby sails to see them, and Jack focuses on putting their mind on hunting for food. Besides people with different opinions, they have to deal with unknown threats from the dark forest of the island. 

My Reflection:

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses a lot of descriptive writing that made me feel like I'm on the island with the boys. Every detail, from the way the sun shines, the wave of the ocean, the smell of the breeze, the joy, hopelessness, and fear in the boys' voices, to every step they take and every punch they throw, and every shiver they have. The techniques he uses, as I observe, include using verbs instead of adjectives to show the emotions of the characters. For example, when someone is scared, he doesn't use the adjective "scared" but verbs like "shiver" or "hearts pounding." Other techniques include using wrong grammar in some of the characters' dialogues to show their naiveness and lack of proper education and repetitive phrases to build up tension. These techniques helped me a lot with my essays.

(*SPOIL ALERT)

In terms of the plot, here are two of the things I see in the conflict between Ralph and Jack.

1. At the end of the story, Ralph loses almost all his people because he holds onto "keeping the smoke and waiting for someone to see it" but neglected his people's needs: comfort and enjoyment. Although it's a luxury to talk about these two things when you literally have nothing but a desert island, they are what human beings have been seeking since we have culture. Plus, those are just kids who haven't tasted the bitterness of the world, who are supposed to be exploring the wonder of the world. Thus, Ralph loses his people to Jack, who offers meat, safety, and feast and knows the people.

This reminds me of some events in the history of the world. Decades ago, a government in an Asian country focused on industrial development and ignored (worst than Ralph's neglect) what people really needed: food and a safe life. The policy turned out to be one of the largest genocides (in terms of number, deliberate or not) in history.  

Not that having hope is wrong, but I think having only hope is not enough. We need to put reality into consideration. In a time of crisis, the reality is that people's unity is a shot of adrenaline in the country.

2.  On the other hand, although Jack gets the people, he is an autocratic tyrant. Anyone who dares to defy him or have different opinions gets punishment. At the end of the story, he even burns down the forest just to kill Ralph who has been hiding because of standing against Jack. Under this circumstance, the people don't follow him out of respect and love but fear. This reflects the North Korean government in our world. The Kims force their subject to show respect and love to him, feed them their own values, and prevent the people from independent thinking and connection to the world. The only difference is that Jack does offer his people what he promises.

Plus, he is not a man (boy) of dignity. He raids Ralph's camp to steal a spec, the only way to generate fire on the island. I know when someone is thrown on an isolated island, survival comes before everything, but this happens in our world, on entities that have power especially. For example, in March of 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine to force them to give up their defending ability. Russia has almost everything, but it still does this to smaller countries without any dignity. I can even say what Jack does in the book makes sense, but there is no reason for me to stand with Russia.

It's really amazing how a piece from the 40s still applies to the world in the next century. 

These are all just my opinions on and interpretation of Lord of the Flies, and different opinions are more than welcome.

Lord of the Flies (pt.3)

 Summary of what I've read this week:

After fights between boys at both Jack and Ralph's parties, they finally come together and sit by the fire, enjoying the meat hunted by Jack's hunters. Suddenly, a black shadow comes from the mountain, crawling to the boys on the beach. Not knowing the truth about the beast, they think it was a ferocious monster. Encouraged by their first triumph against the aggressive boar, the boys pick up their wooden sticks and rocks and courage against the mysterious black silhouette. Attacked fiercely, the shadow lies by the sea, still as a stone. It turns out, it is not a beast but their fellow who has been gone for hours coming to tell them the truth about the beast.

My reflection:

The boys  kill the unknown creature blindly only to survive, or maybe it is because Jack wants to show off his power now that he's the new one in charge. But however it is, I think when we are doubting something, we should have a full view of every aspect of the thing before deciding what to do. For example, when there's a negative rumor about a celebrity, some media don't check the facts, and lots of blind readers start to attack the celebrity with harsh words, causing damage that can't be undone. Or, on a piece of news I saw years ago, a young man was criticized by an elder lady for not giving the seat to her. But the truth was, the young person's legs got injured so he couldn't stand for too long while the elder lady obviously was energetic enough to shout at him. She didn't see the "unkindness" from every angle, and neither did lots of newsreaders. After the young man clarified, the table turned and the gun was pointed at the elder lady and those who commented with aggressive words. If the elder lady had considered all the aspects, the fight wouldn't have happened. 

However, critical thinking is easier said than done. Even I, myself, sometimes am led by the nose by the opinions of the majority. Let's all work harder on this together, and the society will be a better place.

Lord of the Flies (pt. 2)

 Summary for what I've read this week:

The threat of the mysterious beast from the dark keeps haunting the boys in reality and in their dreams. After several quarrels, they summon courage to find the beast. Along the way to the mountain top, two leading characters, the leader Ralph and his second hand, Jack, who respectively represent ideals of "being content with the status quo" and "growing in adversities," have another several quarrels over how to survive and how to lead. Reaching the mountain top, Jack goes alone for the unknown where the beast might be dwelling, while Ralph avoids getting close to danger.

At this moment, the readers would have known that the beast is actually a fallen paratrooper who is now hung on a tree by his parachute, which is showed two chapters before. But in the kids' eyes, the human transforms into an ape-like beast under the influence of dark surroundings and fear rooted in their hearts. Returning to where Ralph stands, Jack shows rare hesitation when Ralph suggested going to take a closer look himself. Confirming the existence of the beast, Ralph and the boys was told to retreat by their subconsciousness. Even the brave Jack who stands for "growing in adversities" sees slight, almost no chance of fighting the beast with merely sticks they have in a deserted island.

Back to where they camp, Jack decides to overthrow Ralph's rule for the leader's lack of courage on the mountain top, but none of the other 10 boys agrees with him after his emotional speech. However, four of the boys go with Jack furtively after Jack's lone departure. They hunt down a boar as they are the only ones who have experience hunting while Team Ralph have only fruit to eat. Team Jack later raids Team Ralph and takes their fire which Team Jack don't know how to make, inviting other boys to join them for a feast. This invitation makes the heart of some littler boys tilt towards Jack, for all they think is nothing more than having fun.

My reflection:

As there are more serious tensions between the character, the story gets deeper. Not only do the boys have to survive and fight the threat from the island, they have to fight each other. The author gave the characters childish thoughts and lines, but I feel like they are adults fighting, because after all, that is actually how some adults fight: like kids, speaking the ill of each other to get more supporters for their party instead of recognizing each other's advantages and rationally communicate. In the middle of crisis, if people still fight like this and don't work as one, they will be doomed eventually.

And as always, the descriptive writing of the author pictures every detail of the settings and every motion of characters, making me feel like I'm actually stand there, seeing what they see, hearing them fighting.
 

Lord of the Flies

About the Author:

William Gerald Golding wrote his first novel Lord of the Flies after World War II while teaching school, followed by novels such as The Inheritors (1955), Pincher Martin (1956), and Free Fall (1959), as well as a play, The Brass Butterfly (1958). In 1983, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his novels which, with the perspicuity of realistic narrative art and the diversity and universality of myth, illuminate the human condition in the world of today." He was a member of the Royal Society of Literature and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988.  (Excerpted from Lord of the Flies, Penguin Books)

Summary of What I Have Read:

During a war involving atomic bombs, a group of boys, 12 to be precise, aging from 6 to 12, was dropped on a desert island after their evacuating aircraft was hit. With no adults around, this group of kids needs to survive on their own. But it is never easy for kids to settle down in a way of maturity. They have been disagreeing and fighting with each other, though from time to time they find enjoyment as normal kids. Now, they are facing a threat from the island, a beast, or a ghost, they claim. No one ever knows what there are in the darkest, deepest woods of the island......

Reflection:

Lord of the Flies is listed as one of the required readings for high school students in the United States. How the author depicts the details of the island, the appearance of the characters, and every action and sound happening brings a novel with dead words alive. When I'm reading, I can actually imaging and feel and hear as if I were there with the boys. Furthermore, distinct personalities of each character are brought out by the sophisticately designed dialogues. The fights, quarrels, and tension between the boys come out of the book and surround me. The eerieness, mystery, and uncertainty of the dark forest crawl out from the naive yet frank dialogues of the kids.

I read with audiobook so I could immerse more and read with more ease. In the first draft of my first descriptive essay, I took reference from the lines in the book. 

I consider myself as a slow reader, so it's going to take a few more days for me to finish the book. But I can already see myself enjoying the atmosphere of oppression Lord of the Flies brings.

My Real-life Application from The Richest Man in Babylon

About the Author: In 1926, George S. Clason issued the first of a famous series of pamphlets on thrift and financial success, using parables set in ancient Babylon to make each of his points. These were distributed in large quantities by banks and insurance companies and became familiar to millions. (Excerpted from page 91 of The Richest Man in Babylon. )

Have you ever longed, or, ARE you longing for wealth that makes possible all the desires you have? Be it fancy clothes, luxury vehicles, relaxing travels, or benevolent charity. But, the obvious, cruel fact that we have limited resources to meet the infinite desires blocks us from enjoying our lives at the maximum. To become a wealthy big name like Terry Kuo or Elon Musk, it takes the indomitable will of steel, the still commitment of stone, the rare opportunity of diamond, and more. We, commoners, might not be able to come by all those requirements and get wealthy overnight, but we can apply the wisdom from the richest city of the ancient world and accumulate wealth day by day.

The Richest Man in Babylon shows the basic rules of money management applied by the wealthiest people in ancient Babylon city, which are still applicable in modern days no matter how little one earns each month. Unlike other "tool" books, it uses parables that resonate with the real world to make reading more entertaining and less serious.

I am still a college student who takes part-time jobs, earning far from enough to support even myself. But the parables tell me even though I make little, I should still follow the Rules of Gold, one of which is "saving at least ten percent of your earnings and still having enjoyment in life." Before, I would have wasted all the money I earn on things that I don't often use, which suggests I am not and will not become rich unless I win the lottery. But the effect the Rules of Gold bring in the stories woke me up and made me more careful with my expenses. I have practiced this rule and saved 20 percent of my monthly earnings for a few months. Whatever I want to buy, I don't use that 20 percent unless necessary. My wallet is getting fatter and fatter now, while I can still enjoy a few decent meals each week.

A Chinese expression goes, "Gathering small sands, you get a big tower." The parables in The Richest Man in Babylon reach not only the field of finance but also the attitude we need for everything we want to achieve. Even just a small amount of time each day will make a big difference in life.

If the thoughts and fear of not having enough money always haunt you like they did me, then you might find the cure in The Richest Man in Babylon.

Zack's Self Intro

  

About Me

Hello. I am Zack, 許哲瑋 in Chinese. I am now a sophomore in Applied Foreign Languages.

To me, the English language is like a chain that connects the world, and that’s why I learn this language. I get to know what’s happening in this world first-hand, thinking from a different angle of the language from the other side of the world. (And also, there are no other things that I’m good at.)

 

However, I mostly put my emphasis on the human interaction side of the English language which to me is listening and speaking. That’s why I don’t see myself as a reader (or a writer). I can even say I “hated” reading. Sitting there for hours staring at words that are not alive, having to picture the settings myself, and winding up getting more confused. I would rather spend those time on Netflix or browsing memes to relax myself. I just didn’t see the point of reading, until last summer.

 

I was told by a tutor that successful people read a lot and that through books, I could absorb knowledge, culture, and wisdom in a way that I had never experienced. So, I decided to give it a shot and bought some books from Amazon based on that tutor’s recommendation. “Will I enjoy this? Maybe it’d be more worth it to spend the time watching Netflix instead of getting in the boring words. It’s my vacation! Why would I spend it on what I don’t like?”

I started out on the first book “As a Man Thinketh.”
I had always been the kind of person who thinks “I can’t do it” or “I don’t deserve her. She’s out of my league,” but after reading this book, I implemented the thoughts and values I got from the book, which was “how we think makes what we are.” I started to tell myself “Today will be a good day, and I can achieve anything I want.” Everything went smoothly on days that I told myself that. Maybe it was just my subconsciousness telling me to focus on the good things, but how I thought really made what I was. At the end of the summer vacation, I was offered a job as a teacher’s assistant which I feared failing at first. I told myself again and again that I can do it, and I found I was able to summon the courage that I thought I didn’t have. That was when I realized what impact a book can bring to a person. 

 

Even though now, I still don’t like reading, I have found the meaning of it and won’t reject it as I did before.