Sunday, October 13, 2019
Lord of the Flies Essay -- Lord of the Flies Essays
Hidden inside every human being is the urge to obide by law and authority and to act civilised, but hidden much deeper is the temptation to resist acting lawfully and resort to savagery. Sometimes, these two impulses conflict with one another and people are confused as to which desire to follow through with. William Goldingââ¬â¢s Lord of the Flies and John Polsonââ¬â¢s Hide and Seek are two prime examples that demonstrate the conflict between civilised behaviour and savagery through their charactersââ¬â¢ cultured manners, savage impulses and struggles as they decide who they really are as people. The instinct to follow rules and act in a civilised manner is highlighted throughout the first four chapters of Lord of the Flies, but is especially perceptible in the boysââ¬â¢ behaviour when they first arrive on the island. The first chapter, The Sound of the Shell focuses on Ralphââ¬â¢s discovery of the island and his joy at the fact that there are ââ¬Å"No grown-ups!â⬠(p.12) present and so he can do as he pleases. His companion Piggy however, is obedient to the authority of his home life as he will not run, swim or blow the conch when Ralph does because his aunty told him not to ââ¬Å"on account of his asthmaâ⬠. (p.13) The repetition of Piggyââ¬â¢s referral to his aunty and her rules emphasise his conformity. The formation of an assembly, the ruling of Ralph as chief and the creation of rules on the island such as ââ¬Å"ââ¬Ëhands upââ¬â¢ like at schoolâ⬠also comply with the social standards of order and democracy that they had to obide by in Eng land. Jack, representing a figure of authority, leads his choir who comply with his commands even though they are not at home anymore. ââ¬Å"The choir belongs to you, of course.â⬠(p.31) The choirsââ¬â¢ great compliance to their leader foreshadows t... ...shouldnââ¬â¢tââ¬â¢ be there, but does not actually tell her to go away. Brutality is also evident in Emilyââ¬â¢s actions - while smiling threateningly she destroys a doll infront of the little girl. A close-up camera angle is used during this act to reinforce Emilyââ¬â¢s evil intentions. The charactersââ¬â¢ battle to resolve the conflict between following their natural instincts and satisfying their ultimate desires to kill is achieved in both texts with the impulses of violence prevailing. From the analysis of the charactersââ¬â¢ actions, words and personalities from the novel Lord of the Flies and the movie Hide and Seek, it is evident that both texts represent the conflict existing between morality and sin through their use of the narrative devices of repetition, alliteration and foreshadowing as well as the film techniques of intruding close-up angle shots and manipulative lighting.
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