lord of the flies
Chapter-1 The whole scheme of Golding's writing is based on the concept of situation, even though he has varied approaches in his novels. 'Lord of The Flies', the first novel, has incorporated some moral issues and has thus drawn on an indigenous tradition of sober moral enquiry. Like any religious writer, Golding, has treated the question of 'Good' and 'Evil' and the theme of original sin in allegorical method. In his own way, Golding tries to bring home the idea that man by birth is sinful. As though a moralist, he points out the fallen nature of man. It is this thesis that attempts to construct in this novel. He has done a critical investigation into a primitive spectrum of human experience and the question of religious and moral aspects comes to the fore front. In a way the implied argument of the novel seems to be specific and arresting because we may agree at the end of the novel that if we scratch the civilized man a little, we find the savage inside. It is beyond doubt that 'Lord of The Flies' is based on and reshaped from the situation of Ballantyne's 'Coral Island'. In his interview with Frank Kermode, Golding has stated that 'Lord of The Flies' is in fact a realistic view of the Ballantyne situation. But what is unique with this novel is that it is cast in a modern atmosphere and it deals with the contemporary predicament. Golding invents a new
Explore the implications of the title "Great Expectations".
Explore the implications of the title "Great Expectations" Throughout literary history, the titling of a novel, play or poem can, has and will continue to define not just what a book will be filed under, but how it is received by the readership and critics alike. In the case of Dickens' "Great Expectations", the thematically driven ambiguity of the title allows readers and critics to draw interpretations of its implications based on theme, character and the interweaving of these in the narrative, whilst providing intrigue over its relevance and suitability to the Bildungsroman that Dickens crafts. Naturally, the very phrase "Great Expectations" provokes intrigue as to what these expectations are, and the variation between what is great, and expected by various characters is central to the presentation of character and its depth in the novel. For Pip, the idea of "great expectations" is precisely that, a superficial idea, and it is Pip's vehement and frequently misguided idealism over the obstacles and events that he comes across throughout his life that shapes his actions. One of the most important examples of this is upon his dreams of becoming a gentleman being realised- the superficial picture of the behaviour that constitutes "gentlemanliness" that he draws from the "very pretty, very proud and very insulting" Estella and the vengeful Miss Havisham lead him to begin to
"How does Dickens teach both Scrooge and the reader a moral lesson in "A Christmas Carol".
"How does Dickens teach both Scrooge and the reader a moral lesson in "A Christmas Carol" Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in 1843. It was a story that is designed to harness our emotions and rattle our consciences. His reasons for writing the book were to convince his readers for the need of reform. Dickens did this because he was aware of what life used to be like: many houses had an average of thirty people and children as young as nine were working. Charles Dickens intended to write a story with an uplifting moral. He showed this by Scrooge being visited by Marley and three sprits. Dickens did this because he felt he could make a difference to try and change wealthy people into giving money to the poor as he saw what poor people and himself went through. The spirit of Christmas Past, Present and Future all represented different parts of Scrooge's life and made him think about himself. Dickens' moral on the spirits of Christmases is that it is charity, generosity and kindness and it belongs to us all year round. When the spirits visit Scrooge his is taken on a journey of self-discovery. Dickens makes clear to us in the opening stave that Scrooge is a character who needs to learn a lesson. He does this by comparing Scrooge a lot to hard and cold words to create imagery. Scrooge is seen as miserly because he doesn't let Bob Cratchit have a decent fire. "; and so
Assess the subversive politics of gender and masquerade Louisa May Alcott's Behind a Mask
Assess the subversive politics of gender and masquerade in Louisa May Alcott's Behind a Mask Written in 1866, Louisa May Alcott's sensationalist novella Behind a Mask explores the subversion of gender by sex itself, and through masquerade. The central character, Jean Muir, 'a haggard, worn, and moody woman of thirty at least' (**), is an actress, playing her way through the reductive gender politics to gain security and social status. The Victorian "Cult of True Womanhood", as it was known, was an established view amongst the middle and upper classes that women should embody perfect virtue, through piety, purity and domesticity. This was in accordance with the "Separate Spheres" ideology, in which women's domain was the private, domestic sphere and men's was the public. However, there is obvious crossover in these spheres, for example, women educating their children in the home who were then to go into the public environment. These blurry distinctions and the pressures of submitting to expectations, combined with the significant lack of protection from the law made it almost impossible for women to advance themselves in society and 'actually encouraged people to subvert it' (Keyser 1993:49). Women who had broken out of these expectations, given into seduction or sin were "fallen women" who were disregarded by society. As the 'divorced wife of a disreputable actor'
Pincher martin
CHAPTER-2 Pincher Martin, Golding's most powerful and greatest literary achievement, has certain elements that enable us to discern it as a novel of situation. The competition against the sea by a Naval Officer for survival is the basic tension and conflict before death and endows this relevant situation with some kind of religious sanctity. It is a complex work of art, and it appears to be the most significant expression of Golding's capacity to fuse content and form in the novel. The novel has a very simple story. What we enjoy in the novel is the soul-drama of the protagonist. Martin, the naval officer is thrown into the North Atlantic at the time of attack from a submarine. Once in the vast Ocean, he fights for life and finds a rock in the ocean for help. Having reached it and occupying it, he began finding ways of escape. The novel is filled with Martin's thoughts and recollections of the by gone days. This offers a peep-hole to look into the secret in a hopeless situation on the Rock, in North Atlantic Sea. Since the novelist gives importance to the situation, it is no question whether Martin died within the second page of the novel itself or suffered for seven days. The story is about Martin and his struggle and suffering and his death becomes sublime, which is therefore non-specific with regard to time. In Pincher Martin the psychology of the protagonist
This paper explains that Gulliver's voyage to the land of the
This paper explains that Gulliver's voyage to the land of the Houyhnhnms, the dominant race, contains elements of racial tension and ethnic identity. The author points out that, although they do exhibit positive qualities, which to aspire, such as altruism, intelligence and rationality; nevertheless, the Houyhnhnms persecute the Yahoos and even suggest castrating them to kill of their race. The paper relates that the Houyhnhnms judge Gulliver based on his resemblance to the Yahoos, even though it is clear that Gulliver possesses a superior intelligence and emotional capacity. Gulliver's adventure in Lilliput begins when he wakes after his shipwreck to find himself bound by innumerable tiny threads and addressed by tiny captors who are in awe of him but fiercely protective of their kingdom. They are not afraid to use violence against Gulliver, though their arrows are little more than pinpricks. But overall, they are hospitable, risking famine in their land by feeding Gulliver, who consumes more food than a thousand Lilliputians combined could. Gulliver is taken into the capital city by a vast wagon the Lilliputians have specially built. He is presented to the emperor, who is entertained by Gulliver, just as Gulliver is flattered by the attention of royalty. Eventually Gulliver becomes a national resource, used by the army in its war against the people of Blefuscu, whom the
Flight - creative writitng.
John McGrath Assignment 8: 'Flight' There he was alone in the corner of the garden leaning backwards on his deckchair. The sun is shining and the weather is sweet. The type of weather he was looking forward to for his pigeons. They hated the cold. He never seemed the same without his favourite granddaughter, like there was something missing. After all he had only himself and his memories to keep him company. Nobody bothered about him anymore, only his daughter, who to be honest he did not appreciate. He found her attitude towards him annoying and condescending. She treats him like a child. Nobody enjoys being treated like a child, being bossed around all the time, and being patronised. He was contemplating on the past. He had not seen his granddaughter since the day she left home and moved on with her life. She is married now, nobody was there to see the big day, just her and Steven. He began to think back to the day when he realised he had lost her forever... ...I can remember that day as if it was yesterday, the sense of the garden was warm and welcoming, the trees were bristling in the wind and the pigeons were fluttering in their dovecote. Everything was going fine. I was in the garden playing with my bird, admiring its plumage. I loved all of my birds. But this one was my favourite out of them all. It was a special bird to me, I had had it for over five years and I
Cannibalism – the Last Taboo
CANNIBALISM - THE LAST TABOO The purpose of this assignment is to compare and contrast the highly individual views of two authors on their interpretation of cannibalism and how they use their writing to put across their views. Cannibalism is defined as the eating of any animal by another member of the same species. It can serve as a means of genetic control by irradiating the weaker member of the species or a mechanism for population control when food sources are short. It is very rare in the civilised human species but it has occurred in modern society usually as a result of extreme necessity in isolated surroundings. A Modest Proposal was a satirical political pamphlet written by Jonathan Swift, the Protestant Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, in 1729. Swift wrote many political and religious works in addition to his great literary classic Gulliver's Travels and on his death was revered by Protestants, Catholics and Presbyterians throughout Ireland. Although he was born an Englishman and initially hated Ireland describing it as "this vile country", he grew to love it and its people. Much of his writing was directed against the social injustices inflicted on the Irish people by their English masters. Alive is a contemporary novel written by English Catholic author Piers Paul Read. It is based on true incident, which happened in 1972, when a plane carrying a
The Theme of Industrialization in Carlyle and Dickens
The Theme of Industrialization in Carlyle and Dickens The invention of the steam engine and the development of the railways brought England a profound change by proliferating the Industrial Revolution, which created deep economic and social changes by the beginning of the Victorian age. "Hundreds of thousands of workers had migrated to industrial towns, where they lived in horribly crowded, unsanitary housing and worked very long hours -fourteen a day or even more- at very low wages. Employers often preferred to hire women and children, who worked for even less than men."1 Victorians debated the good and mostly bad sides of industrialism due to its great effect on the society and economy. Many philosophers and thinkers suggested a number of solutions for the problems of harsh working conditions, the unemployed poors and child labour. One of the most debated theories on the poor was "Utilitarianism" based on Jeremy Bentham's idea that pleasures, in so far as they are pleasures, are capable of being compared with each other as regards their quantity: a calculus of pleasures and pains is possible. The end pursued by morals and legislation is the greatest happiness of the greatest number, or . . . the identification of the interest of all with the interest of each. . . . 2 He argued that pain and pleasure was universal and they could be calculated as concrete objects. As he
How does Swift satirise human behaviour within Book IV of Gulliver's Travels?
Lauren Carnegie Jack Hill LT111 How does Swift satirise human behaviour within Book IV of Gulliver's Travels? 'A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms' is the fourth journey of Swift's satirical travel book, in which he explores the idea of a perfect society based on pure reason. With the placement of Gulliver, a very average man of his time, Swift compares the beliefs and actions of his contemporary society with that of the Houyhnhnms. Through the Yahoo's he expresses human behaviour as an extreme against the passive reasoning of the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver's experiences throughout the book, as a whole, change his perceptions of both himself and others, which Swift uses to parody contemporary society. He examines the vices of society in the search for an understanding of the virtues expressed by the Houyhnhnms, but also to satirise the actions of society and the faults within, "In it's most fundamental sense, the myth of the voyage to the Houyhnhnms is a myth about true knowledge."1 Rosenheim suggests that this society is an experiment into the functions of interactions and hierarchy and the ideal behaviour of beings within a culture. He refers to it as a myth, and with this fictitious nature suggests the impracticality of the society, but also the idealism of which Swift writes. However Swift uses the Houyhnhnms, also, to express underlying human flaws by hinting at faults in the