I don't even know where to begin; I am in awe at this exceptional story--it brought back so many "heart of darkness" memories; the loss of innocence, the tightly crafted characters that all had such a perfect part in the story-- the conch, the pigs, the fire.... I think I'm in literary heaven.
It's such a thought-provoking novel, and yet I don't know how to begin. I'd like to write a paper on it, it just begs to be written about.
What were your thoughts on the book? loved it? hated it?
I loved the symbols, and the language; "Samneric", the "beastie", the "littluns"...
And the foreshadowing!! Jack and Ralph were going to be enemies from the start, the "beast" that was really nothing but "us", as Simon says it, although he doesn't quite manage to express himself-- and who could utter that sort of thought? Piggy understood, he didn't dare look at the dark side and his attachment to the conch was such a vivid image of his clinging on for dear humanity to any civilization that remained. With his glasses, sole "tool" that they retain from their life before (there's Jack's knife, but somehow it's more a part of him... or maybe it also shows how so-called civilization is sometimes just as savage), he is the only way to fire, their chance for rescue, and he is the ultimate link to a society. Once Piggy dies, all hell breaks lose and there is no more home, just the tribe of savages and Ralph, who has lost everything now.
I read it in high school- and like most books we were forced to read I figured I would hate it. Big surprise when it became one of my favourite books. Loved loved loved it. I think it is a very fair and interesting analysis of human behaviour.
ReplyDeleteI have always been a big fan of Lord of the Flies. Such a great novel - and I take it you've read Heart of Darkness aka one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteConrad may have been a racist, but I think that adds even more context to the novel. Brilliant discussion on human nature.
In fact, I had to write a comparative analysis on LotF and HoD in high school. Fun stuff. I'm glad you liked it.
Maybe it's because I haven't read any other Conrad, but I don't buy that he was all that racist-- I think that there were several messages in Heart of darkness that showed how men, no matter their race or culture, are actually the same; the passage where he speaks of the drums in the jungle being the same as the british church bells--I think that he understood that racism existed because the british thought the other cultures were so savage, but in reality they were simply expressing their faith/beliefs/culture in a different way. Does it make me a nerd that a comparative analysis on LotF and HoD sounds like so much fun? Maybe after dancesport... Lord of the flies really got my creative juices going--it's been a while since I've read such a.... meaningful book.
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