Tuesday, September 6, 2011

English 11:  Topics of the week ("a lot", there/their/they're, and less vs. fewer).  British Literature timeline.  Pp. 6-7 in the lit anthology.

English 11 Honors:  Topics of the week, timeline, 1984 quiz, and essay assignment for 1984. 

English 10:  Survival scenario and writing assignment.

MME Test Prep:  Survey, videos on the ACT English, 2 passages in the ACT English test.

http://www.helium.com/items/1146423-lord-of-the-flies-allegory-novel

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, as an allegorical novel

by Marijane Suttor

The Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel written by William Golding in the post World War II era. Golding uses the concept of stranding young boys between the ages of 6-12 on an island due to a plane crash as a way of pointing out all the warts and flaws of mankind.
It presents the age old question of whether goodness and evil are inborn characteristics or if it is learned behavior. Would young boys imitate adults if they had the opportunity to be independent of themselves? In the novel, Golding explores these quandaries while using allegory and symbolism to elevate the tale beyond simply the plot of an adventure story.
First we must establish a definition of allegory. An allegory is an extended comparison that encompasses a longer work of literature. If we throw out a phrase such as life is a rollercoaster, we get the impression that life has ups and downs. In an allegory we may establish that life is an amusement park as an overall theme, and then there are several smaller allegories that can be held in comparison about life to the amusement park. Allegory is more in depth than a simple metaphor or simile. With allegory a case is made. To analyze one can find a series of pieces of evidence that make up the comparison and the message that the author is trying to convey.
There are several levels of allegory in the novel including government, intellect, power, and religion which will be addressed here. Lord of the Flies is rich with allegory beyond just these areas as well.
GOVERNMENT
One of the most dominant allegories in the novel is government. Golding early on establishes Ralph as chief. Within a few chapters Jack is already jockeying for power. Later on in the book there is an underlying hint that Roger is increasingly desirous of power too. With this, Golding establishes that leadership is a very tenuous string that is easily cut by those that wish to usurp its strength. The conch is a symbol of government on the island. It provides initial order and control. The boy that has the conch has the right to speak. As the novel progresses, the boys increasingly abandon the conch which was a symbol of order and control. With the later destruction of the conch, it is symbolic that government, order and control have been abandoned on the island. Through this allegory Golding conveys the fragility of government.
INTELLECT
Another important allegory in the novel is intellect. Piggy, with his glasses, embodies the importance of intellect in the world. Piggy is able to see the problems as see the truth from early on. He realizes the boys are acting rashly with the early lighting of the fire. He sees the growing unhappiness of Jack and views him as a threat. He understands that gathering names and shelter are important to their fledgling society. On the other hand, Piggy's intellect is not valued by the boys.
Intellect does not always come in a pretty package that sells well. Piggy was not a pretty package nor an articulate messenger. He was insecure, but correct in his judgments. Ralph immediately disregarded Piggy due to his outward appearance. By the end of the book Ralph can see the value of intellect. He sees through the pretty packaging of Jack and understands that truth is not always pretty.
With this allegory, Golding establishes how society regards intellect. It is something that is disregarded as unimportant. Power trumps intellect in the society of mankind just as it does in Lord of the Flies.
POWER
Power is another level of allegory in Lord of the Flies. At the beginning of the novel, power lay in government, order and control. Increasingly power comes to lie in the ability to hunt and gather food. Jack grows in power because he has the ability to gather food for the group. The lure of food is much like a baby. A baby does care who is holding the bottle, if it is hungry it will suck. The boys represent citizens of the world. They are depicted as simply going along with the events of the world just as the boys go along with Jack just because he supplies the food. They throw their lot in with the one that they feel will benefit them the most.
As Ralph's power degenerates and Jack's power accelerates, the abuse of power becomes an increasing temptation. This level of allegory depicts that whoever is in power as letting it go to his head. Just as Ralph's power is usurped, there is a growing sense of power in Roger. Roger represents and even more extreme abuse of power: brutality and bloodlust. With the killing a Piggy and the hunting of Ralph, brutality and blood lust have trumped order and intellect.
RELIGION
On a different level The Lord of the Flies represents a religious allegory. Simon is often analyzed as Jesus figure in the novel. He represents goodness and truth, but when he comes to tell the truth to others he is symbolically crucified for it. With the destruction of the symbol of religion in the novel it opens the door for all other forms of evil and brutality to dominate the characters. Mankind is depicted as sinners in this level of allegory. Power trumps religion as well.
With these multiple layers of allegory, Golding depicts the world of mankind in an unflattering light. There is good, order and intellect in the world, but they are triumphed over by evil, brutality and bloodlust. Golding is trying to depict to his audience that the island in The Lord of the Flies is just a microcosm of the real world.

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Sample APA Paper

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf

Chapter Questions for Lord of the Flies

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AxBqanizVIPaRBPjuLK7BbkkETFDYnvQmKnnqxUNLX8/edit?hl=en&authkey=CP-L5a8H

Research Paper Links for College Writing

Annotated Bibliography directions:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/

Sample Annotated Bib:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090309032047_614.pdf

*Remember that your research paper will be in APA format (American Psychological Association):
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf

Long Answer Portion of Pride and Prejudice Test

Directions:

Select three of the following themes and explain why they are significant in Pride and Prejudice.  Your response should be two to three fully developed paragraphs with specific examples from the text that demonstrate how the theme relates to the story.  Consider what Austen is trying to say about each theme (her message/purpose). It may be appropriate to include information from the Regency period as it applies to the theme.

Marriage                                Pride                                       Prejudice                    

Gender roles                          Social class                             The use of satire

 

Example Essay on Jealousy in Othello:

    Jealousy is the theme that drives the play Othello. Iago, the villain, incites the conflict because he is jealous of Cassio getting the lieutenant’s position instead of him. Because of his own jealousy, Iago leads Othello to believe that his wife is having an affair with Cassio. Roderigo is also jealous of Othello’s relationship with Desdemona, so Iago is able to use him in his plan to ruin Othello.

    Jealousy is Othello’s tragic flaw. Because of the jealousy that Iago instills in him, Othello kills his wife. Iago also dies as a result of his jealousy, because his wife reveals his plot to the other characters in the play. Roderigo also dies because he is manipulated by Iago. If Othello would have trusted his wife and not allowed his jealousy to overcome him, he would have lived happily ever after.

PP Test Prep

Make sure you know the characters and events in the story, and also be able to write thoroughly on three of the following themes: marriage, pride, prejudice, gender roles, social class, and the use of satire.