Lord of the Flies #2

I think that Ralph and Piggy feel like they need to be a part of "this demented but partly secure society" for a few reasons including security, safety, and group mentality.

On an island where these boys really don't know how to hunt, they don't know how to get food--at least meat. Jack represents strength--they killed the pig. They celebrate it partly because food represents security. It's one of the most basic needs, and when our basic needs are taken care of we feel secure. But security isn't all there is--these boys seem to be dangerous and powerful too. Killing the wild animal gives them power and people feel safe around power. “I gave you food,” said Jack, and my hunters will protect you from the beast. Who will join my tribe?”

Finally, it leads to a group mentality. Ralph and Piggy are hanging back at first. They try to convince the boys not to go over to Jack's side, but they do and Ralph and Piggy get sucked in too. They join because of group mentality. In To Kill a Mockingbird--there is a mob scene where the voice of reason (Scout) changes the mob mentality and diffuses the emotions. There is no such voice in this book, with enough power to change the frenzied rejoicing and when Piggy and Ralph see the exuberance, the mad joy, the dancing and it looks inviting. Peer pressure or mob mentality whatever you call it, we as humans succumb to it. We succumb to wanting to belong. And that mob mentality is a powerful force when you want to belong. That happens in real life too. That is why we have programs such as "Just Say No" because we as people want to belong to something, even something as harmful as drugs. The Lottery follows this same belonging in their current society. If there were enough people who would stand up against it then someone would have said that this stupid tradition of killing someone by lottery is dumb, and we should think about stopping it. But noone was willing to do more than grumble and the Lottery is even more strongly connected to needing to belong because the tradition has been happening for so long.

Lord of the Flies

This is my first blog for Lord of the Flies for my English class.

Dear diary;

Today me and the other boys were talking to the littluns when 'the beast' came up. They were talking about different things the beast could be. A snake or a squid or another kind of wild animal. I tried to disagree with them and tell them what I thought. I don't think it quite worked. I think that the beast is something that live inside all of us. The beast is something, well, something evil. Something bad. The beast that lives inside of us is just waiting to come out, it wants to come out, it wants to get to you, to make you like it is, evil and uncivilized. The beast is the inherent evil that is inside everyone, when we are somewhere like here. This island. There's, well, there's, it's just not a good island I don't think. I don't know if it's a bad island or not, but it is NOT good. Not good at all. The littluns scream in their sleep, they have nightmares. Nightmares about the beast. But, maybe there is something good in everyone too. Something that is like, well, the opposite of the beast. Like what some grownups are. Good, just flat out good. I mean think about it. Grownups feed us and take care of us, they might be annoying sometimes, and sometimes we don't like the rules they enforce, but it's for our good, and good is the opposite of the beast. I really want to get off this island before the beast gets to everyone here, including me. It's happening faster than you would think. The beast is taking over...

Simon