Thursday, February 28, 2008

Blog 11 (Naval Officer's Perspective)

Imagine my surprise when we saw the smoke rising from this uninhabited island. When I landed on the beach I saw the most amazing sight... a bunch of little boys, filthy, painted like little savages romping on the sand, pretending to be warriors. Cute but strange. No adults to be found. Incredible really that they were able to survive on their own. It seems that this one little boy was the leader and kept them all alive during this strange and frightening experience. He must be quite a smart lad since he told me that only two boys died during this time.

Children will be children no matter where they are and even in this strange situation they find the time to play and relax. When I arrived, it was quite cute because they were chasing the leader in some kind of game like tag and I could hear the ululations coming from their tiny mouths. The boy was pretending to cower as the other boys approached.

When I asked the boy to elaborate, he simply broke down and started crying, his chest heaving with huge sobs, because he must have been so relieved to be rescued. It's hard for me to visualize what they have been through since their plane crashed. But they all seem healthy and once they have a good bath and hair cuts they will be back to normal and forget about everything that happened on this island. They will be so happy to see their parents again and I'm sure that they are looking forward to having cooked meat for dinner again. It must be so boring to just eat fruit everyday.

These boys are so cute even though they look like little savages. Thank goodness my crew and I saw the smoke. The boys were quite clever to start this fire as a signal even though they seem to be a little careless and let the fire get of of control. They should have been more careful because they might have hurt themselves.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Blog 10 ( Sam and Eric's Perspective)

We're scared. What are we going to do without Piggy's glasses? We're scared because now it's just us and Ralph and Piggy. All the other boys went with Jack and even though Jack's kind of scary all painted up they seem to be having more fun over there. We like Ralph but sometimes he's as bad as our teachers back at school. He has all of these rules and he even wants us to take a bath before we go over to Castle Rock. He's crazy. What difference does it make? Besides we jump into the lagoon anyway.

We're scared. What are we going to do? We didn't want to go to Castle Rock but it would be too scary to stay here by ourselves. Since we were going why couldn't we paint ourselves up just like Jack? That would have been fun. That's the trouble with Ralph. He's no fun. He's always talking about the signal fire and he always wants us to find wood and work. We knew we shouldn't have gone to see Jack because when we got there bad things happened. Jack and Ralph are always fighting about who is the leader. Why can't they both be leaders? Ralph could be like our mom and Jack could be our dad and Piggy is like our babysitter. Why can't we have Ralph's rules and Jack's fun and hunting? Nobody's listening to Ralph anymore but they should because he wants to protect us.

We're scared. What are we going to do? Piggy is dead. Roger killed him and then they tried to kill Ralph. Next it will be us. What are we going to do? We hear the other kids screaming and laughing like hyenas. They have pig blood painted all over them and they dance around us as we lay in the middle of the circle just like Si... don't want to think about that. We're scared. What are we going to do? Who is going to save us?

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Blog 9 (Piggy's Perspective)

Ralph made a joke about it but I seriously wish I could write to my auntie and tell her to come and get me. Things are getting out of control. Ralph said that the other boys murdered Simon but that's not true. I told Ralph that we were all scared by the storm and that crazy dance and that Simon was crazy for crawling out of the jungle when it was dark. I told him that it was an accident but Ralph doesn't seem to believe me. We shouldn't feel bad because we weren't part of it. We were standing on the outside of the circle. Ralph is losing it. He seems to be giving in and he's forgetting things like why we need to keep the fire going.

But how are we going to keep the fire going now that Jack has stolen my specs? I shudder when I think about when the boys sneaked up on us. I couldn't breathe and I felt like a huge fist was covering my face trying to smother me. I could hear Sam and Eric's stifled screams. In the daylight, seeing the beautiful phosphorescence of the ocean, I think back to last night's invasion and it just seems like a horrible dream. In the distance I can see a blurry figure who I think is Ralph gesticulating wildly. I think he's talking to Sam and Eric but I should go see what's making him so excited.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Blog 8 (Simon's Perspective)

It's so hot and I'm so thirsty and the sign of Jack's moral corruption is right here before me, covered with flies and laughing at me. The sweat is trickling down my body just like the blood is trickling down the pig's head. The Lord of the Flies has told me what I already know. The beast cannot be hunted and killed because the beast is in all of us. It is that dark place in our heart that is usually hidden by civilization's rules and laws. But out here on this island we are letting the beast get loose and I can't stop it. I'm just one little boy that the beast is going to play with.

I want to tell everybody that the beast is not real. I saw the dead man with his parachute tangled up in the rocks. I saw the wind fill the parachute and pull the rag doll body up. I heard the moaning of the wind that blew the rag doll body back down. I've got to tell the boys that they should not be afraid of the imaginary beast on the mountain. I've got to tell the boys that they should be afraid of the beast that is swelling up inside of them. I hear the screams and the chant coming from the beach. "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" Those words are calling the beast out. Dead people. Dead pigs. Decay. Lord of the Flies. We have got to remain steadfast in the face of all this evil.

I'm getting closer to the boys. I have to tell them. "The beast isn't real," I try to say out loud, but my voice is tremulous, a whisper not a shout. They're running towards me. Maybe they're happy to see me. But their spears are raised and their eyes are blind with fear and hatred.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Blog 7 (Roger's Perspective)

"Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Bash him in!" Those words keep going through my head and they make me feel strong, brave, and like I can do anything. When I hear that chant it makes me feel crazy like my blood is racing through my body at one hundred miles per hour. When we surrounded Robert I almost forgot that he was a kid. I felt like he was an animal that we found in a covert, and I wanted to kill him, stick a spear into him and see the blood gush out of his body. I wanted to get really close so that I could see his fear and hear his screams. When Jack grabbed him and pretended to slit his throat I could see in his eyes that he forgot for a moment that Robert was a kid and not a pig. Jack is great. He is uncompromising in his desire to hunt and kill pigs. That's the most important thing to him. It's infuriating that Ralph keeps spoiling our plans and getting in the way of our hunting all the time. Who cares about the fire? Who cares about shelter? We're on this great adventure with infinite possibilities for fun. Piggy and Ralph snivel about wanting to be saved. They talk sagely about protecting the littluns and they act like mini adults.

Ralph surprises me sometimes. He was the one who wanted to continue climbing this mountain to find the beast. Now it's dark and we might just make a huge blunder by blindly walking right into the beast's lair. That would be fun! Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Bash him in! I can't get those words out of my head. I hope we can kill something soon.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Blog Quest: Symbol Profiles

Piggy's Glasses
Piggy's glasses symbolize seeing the world clearly. Another way of saying this is that Piggy, who wears the glasses, sees reality and his character is the voice of reason. When Piggy's glasses are half broken, his ability to see clearly is diminished and what he sees through the broken glass are splintered images. These splintered visual images are a metaphor for what is happening to the boys on the island as their behavior breaks down and disintegrates into savagery. Also Jack is the character who breaks the glasses and this is symbolic because his savage behavior wrecks Piggy's ability to see clearly.

The Conch
The conch is a symbol of law and order. It also represents power because whoever holds the conch has the power to speak at the assembly. The conch also symbolizes organization. Whenever Ralph blows the conch the kids come together and are united in one group. The conch only has power if people continue to obey its call and this is what Ralph is afraid of. He's worried that he might blow the conch and Jacks gang will ignore it.

The Signal Fire
The smoke form the signal fire is like the string that attaches the boys on this island to civilization. This signal represents connection to life before this crash. It also represents hope. If the signal fire goes out all hope of rescue will die. That is why Ralph gets so angry with the other boys when they let the fire go out. They don't seem to share Ralph's intense desire to get back to their old lives.

The Beast
The beast keeps changing form. First it is something that comes from the sea. Then it is something that comes from the air. The beast is a symbol for whatever fear the boys have. Some boys are afraid of the dark. Some boys are afraid of each other. Some boys are afraid of Jack. The beast is a product of each boy's imagination. It's not real because it is just a feeling of fear and being afraid.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Blog Quest: Lord of Psychology

If we think of Lord of the Flies as an allegory of Freud's theory of the id, ego, and super ego we see that Jack represents the id, Ralph represents the ego, and Simon represents the super ego.

The id is the aggressive, irresponsible, instinctual drives in a person. Jack's obsession with killing a pig and his exhilaration over the blood and slitting the pig's throat are examples of aggression and instinct. He is like an animal who is hungry so he needs to hunt food and get immediate satisfaction. He has no patience for Ralph's plans because they take too long and he doesn't see the results quickly. Jack has no moral code. He values physical strength and picks on the weakest boy in the group which is Piggy. When Jack kills the pig, he slaps Piggy and refuses to give him a portion of meat. This is like animals in the wild who let the runt of the litter starve because the law of the jungle says that only the strongest survive.

The ego is the part of the brain that acts like a referee, a judge who creates balance and is committed to being reasonable and cautious. Ralph represents the ego because he wants to plan and control what happens on the island so that their chances of survival and being rescued are the best. He is most interested in the groups safety. He builds the huts on the beach to protect the boys from bad weather. He wants the signal fire to be lit all the time just in case a ship is passing by. He creates rules about where the littluns go to the bathroom and he wants to make sure that they have fresh drinking water all the time. He is democratic and allows each boy to have a turn to speak at the meetings.

The super ego is the part of the brain that is our conscience. It creates our morality and prevents us from doing things that will harm society and other people. Simon represents the super ego because he is a quiet presence who is naturally good and moral. When Piggy is not given food by Jack, Simon shares his meat with Piggy. When Ralph needs help building the huts so that he can create a sense of order on this island Simon helps Ralph. When the boys are talking about what the beast is, Simon says that "the beast is us." He knows that every person has a darkness inside that is controlled by society. But what happens when society's rules and laws no longer exist? The darkness begins to come out of each of us.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Blog Quest (Interview with Piggy)

Interview with Piggy

KIRA: Hello Piggy. Today I'm going to ask you a few questions about your adventure on the island. Were you angry when Ralph betrayed you and told everybody that you were called Piggy by all the boys at school?

PIGGY: Well I wasn't really mad but my feelings were hurt because Ralph seemed like a trustworthy person, a smart boy who had a conscience. He really surprised me when he told everybody my secret and I was disappointed in him. I'm used to being made fun of so I wasn't surprised when all the boys on the island started making fun of me. Even though we were in a new place, boys are the same wherever you go. People don't change very much even when they crash onto a deserted island.

KIRA: You seem to be very insightful about what makes people behave the way they do. Where did you learn all about this?

PIGGY: I guess being an outsider gives me more time to observe people since I'm never included. Also I have a lot of time to sit and think about things and I can tell a lot about a person by the way that they treat me. For instance, I knew that Jack was trouble from the first moment I saw him strutting up the beach and flaunting his cape like a super hero costume. He prided himself for his physical strength and he was disdainful of anybody who did not have that ability. So of course he was going to make fun of me and hate me because I'm fat, I have asthma and I wear glasses. Jack lived in his body and not his mind.

KIRA: What about Ralph? How did you feel about him?

PIGGY: I knew that it was important to stay close to him and to convince him to remain the chief because he protected me against Jack. Ralph sometimes liked me and sometimes didn't. He liked that I was smart and reassured him that his fears were imaginary. He didn't like me when he wanted to be liked and accepted by Jack.

KIRA: From the very beginning you were very protective and sweet with the littluns. Do you have younger brothers and sisters at home?

PIGGY: No I'm an only child but I really understood how the littluns felt on that island because I have the same feelings a lot of the time. For instance they felt helpless because the big boys were so much stronger and physically able to do more than they could do. I really envy Jack's physical strength and feel helpless a lot of the time because I never know when my asthma is going to stop my breathing. Also without my glasses I'm helpless because I can't see clearly. The littluns wanted the big boys to tell them what to do, to create rules that would create order. I wanted an adult to do the same thing for us on this island because I was frightened about the chaos that would occur without law and order.

KIRA: Thank you Piggy for being so honest. You have had a terrible and frightening experience and I'm glad that you are back and safe.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Blog 5: Zip Lining in Costa Rica

The van picked us up at the hotel and drove us deep into the heart of the rainforest. As we drove through the pot holed dirt roads, the laughter and conversations of all the passengers became impossible as our bodies crashed together. The multi-colored buildings and irresistible smells of cooking food from the town quickly disappeared and were replaced by the dark, muted greens and browns of the jungle. When we left the hotel the sky was ominous and rain clouds blocked the sun. An eerie silence filled the jungle, broken only by the strident shriek of a monkey hiding in the treetops.
By the time we arrived at the zip line base camp the sky had opened up and huge pellets of rain struck our bodies without mercy. It was noon but the darkness created by the dense treetops made it seem like twilight. The distant rumble of thunder smothered the sounds of my feet as I climbed the first forty foot ladder to the first zip line. Wearing oversized rain gear, helmets, and rawhide gloves, we all looked like shapeless yellow ghosts about to fly above the rainforest canopy.
My vision was blurred by the downpour and I tried not to look down to where the ground lay so far below me. As I was launched off the platform onto the zip line the only sound that I could hear was the shrill scream of my harness skimming along the line. Then, a squawking parrot rose up into the sky, disturbed and angry. I knew that the eyes of other hidden creatures watched me as I sailed through their habitat. I heard another rumble of thunder, closer this time and then realized that it was the pounding of my own heart.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Blog 4 (From Ralph's Perspective)

"Things are getting out of control and the implications are frightening," I said to Piggy.
"I know. The little ones are scared," replied Piggy. "They whimper and have nightmares every night. They miss the songs that their moms croon to them at bedtime that give them comfort and allow them to fall asleep and have good dreams."
"I'm really getting worried about Jack," I said. "There is something malevolent about his fascination with blood and killing and his gang of boys are exhilarated by cutting the pig's throat. It's like they think this is a game and it seems like they have forgotten all about going home."
"Yeah, this idea seems preposterous but it's like they want to stay here forever," said Piggy incredulously.

I thought about this some more but didn't share any more thoughts because I didn't want to scare Piggy. Being saved has become an irrelevance compared to the shrill death cry and horrible gyrations of a dying pig. They don't seem to care that they let the fire go out. They don't seem to care that they are breaking all of the rules that we all agreed on. They seem to admire Jack so they do everything he tells them to do. They're not afraid of me so they just ignore my rules.
Our group is breaking apart, splitting in half like a log that is struck by lightening. I'm afraid that the power of the conch, like a mirage is disappearing from view and pretty soon all of my power will be gone. I admire Jack. He is brave and likes a good adventure. But he is also a bully and has no respect for civilized rules. He is wild and if we are not saved soon, he will only get worse and more savage. I gazed out at the opalescence of the ocean, hoping and praying that another ship would magically appear on the horizon but all I saw was the endless water. There's nothing I can do to make this situation better. "Please find us", I thought desperately.