Civilisation and Savagery in William Goldings - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1551 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Lord of The Flies Essay Did you like this example? â€Å"Civilization is like a thin layer of ice upon a deep ocean of chaos and darkness.† (Werner Herzog) This quote explains and represents the novel, Lord of the Flies in many ways. In Lord of the Flies, written by the Nobel Prize winner William Golding, identity and civilization occur as fragile parts of society. The book was written after World War II, and the aftermath of this event heavily influenced the people, especially the authors and poets. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Civilisation and Savagery in William Goldings" essay for you Create order Golding wrote the novel based on his own experiences, as he fought in World War II, he was part of the Navy and he was involved in the invasion of Normandy. He discovered the true nature of humans; he was disappointed in humankind. (Spitz, 22) The novel draws attention to the loss of identity and the transition between civilization and savagery with the help of symbolism. Golding shows a world of violence and moral desolation through his book to the reader. The main conflict is between two characters, Ralph and Jack, who are the representatives of civilization and savagery. Their continuous fighting for power has an effect on the rest of the boys throughout the novel, as they are slowly losing their humanity and they sink further and further into chaos. The book starts with a plane crashing into an uninhabited island. A group of English boys are the passengers, and the first two characters, who are introduced, are Ralph and Piggy. Ralph is the one who discovers that they are on an island, which is described very appealingly: â€Å"Out there, perhaps a mile away, the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lakeblue of all shades and shadowy green and purple. The beach between the palm terrace and the water was a thin stick, endless apparently, for to Ralphs left the perspectives of palm and beach and water drew to a point at infinity;† (Golding, 6) The island seems good enough due to the fact that it has food –fruits, pigs to hunt -, trees and shelter. It is possible that it is a biblical symbol for The Garden of Eden. Before the fall of mankind, The Garden of Eden was considered as a paradise, just like the boys considered the island as a paradise, before they ruined it. (Bufkin, 43) As the story develops, they sink further and further into savagery slowly drifting away from the civilized society, and eventually burn down the island. The scar that runs through the island symbolizes how destructive mankind is. As they are bathing in the lagoon they find a conch, which is the first symbol of civilization. Ralph, for Piggy’s suggestion, blows it to gather the rest of the boys. As everyone wonders out from the forest to the sound of the conch, the reader encounters the rest of the characters. The biggest contrast is between Ralph and Jack, who become the representatives of civilization and savagery. Ralph is the one who symbolizes order and civilization. He is described as the typical and perfect English boy: he has blonde hair, blue eyes and he is considered attractive. The conch is associated with him; he is someone to be respected and that is why he is elected as the leader. The conch is a symbol for power because whoever has it can speak up, and everybody has the same amount of respect and right when they are holding it: â€Å"Ill give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when hes speaking. [†¦]And he wont be interrupted: Except by me. (Golding, 24) Ralph also represents democracy; he wants everyone to be the part of the civilized society he plans to establish during their time spent on the island. Despite that, his powers are limited as it depends on order and rules. In the beginning, he becomes a leader to survive, but toward the end of the story, his ego comes before survival as he lost his civilized side. His new identity does not fit for leading, he fails to unite the boys and he is unable to bring order among them. He appoints Jack to be the leader of the hunters, who later on tries to convince the boys to leave Ralph and go with him, and at some point he succeeds. He and Ralph share an odd relationship; they are constantly fighting from the beginning, but at the same time they have respect for one another. Jack represents dictatorship and savagery. In the beginning, he tries to â€Å"sell† himself with his singing ability and his leadership of the choir boys. He tries to prove the others that he would be a good choice as a leader. He eventually succeeds and becomes the new leader of the boys. Jack’s priority is killing and he attracts the boys to him with this. They cannot live out their â€Å"need† for killing with Ralph, so they eventually leave him for Jack. At the beginning of the story, he hesitates when he has to kill a pig, but as the story develops he becomes hungry for hunting. He becomes more violent and aggressive: _Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood._ (Golding, 52). This quote shows that after he kills his first pig, it is clear that he no longer cares or feels guilty about what he has done. He realizes that he has the ability to destroy something, like life, and this is something they can dominate with over the island. The boys also choose Jack over Ralph as a leader, because he believes them when they inform him about the â€Å"Beast†. Although, this so-called â€Å"Beast† is only a creature of their imagination, Jack does what Ralph failed to do as a leader. He does not believe in the â€Å"Beast† – he is using â€Å"if† in his speech every time they talk about it -, but he knows the others do: â€Å"There isn’t a snake-thing. But if there was a snake we’d hunt it and kill it. We’re going to hunt pigs to get meat for everybody. And we’ll look for the snake too-â€Å" (Golding, 36). While Ralph straight up refuses the idea that there might be a â€Å"Beast† on the island, Jack manipulates the boys, with his carefully chosen words, implying to the others that he believes what they said. Later on, he starts using words like â€Å"will† and â€Å"snake† instead of â€Å"if† and â€Å"snake-thing†, which implies that he acknowledged the existence of the Beast. Ralph might be the one who takes responsibility for everything they have done, but Jack is the one who believes in them and actually has an opinion about this â€Å"creature† the boys made up. For them, their belief on the â€Å"Beast† is stronger and stronger as they become more savage. They do not find Ralph very appealing as a leader anymore, especially after this conversation; the only opinion he has about the â€Å"Beast† is rejection and that â€Å"there isn’t a beastie†. T he Beast can be the representation of the true evil within humans as well, which is on the surface as soon as they lose everything that connects them to civilization. Although, the facts that they put on their â€Å"face paint† made of mud and clay, slaughter a boar and dance around the fire like a primitive tribe, indicate that they have turned into complete savages. During this scene, they mistake Simon for the Beast and they kill him. Other turning points of the book are when Piggy’s glasses and the conch breaks. Piggy’s glasses were the symbol of intelligence and science, because the boys were able to light the fire with them. The glasses can also signify as a window which can distinguish good from evil. Piggy used his glasses not only to see, but to decide what is good for all of them. He was more mature than the others, and he had the knowledge of leadership. When Jack broke and stole his glasses, he lost not only his eyesight, but he also his ability to differentiate between what is good and what is evil. Civilization comes to its end when Piggy dies, and the conch breaks. The shell was the last thing which held the boys together and it was the last pillar of democracy, which is also destroyed with the conch: â€Å"the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.† (Golding, 181) Taking everything into consideration, Lord of the Flies is a novel that shows us how evil is hidden in everyone, which only needs time and some change of circumstances to show itself. In the case of the boys, this change was the island. They were alone in an uninhabited island without adult supervision, and despite the fact that they were trying to stay civilized, the freedom they possessed completely changed them. Being civilized is not natural or necessary, unless you want to survive. This shows us that we need rules to stay alive. Golding uses the main characters to show, that humankind is more evil than good. The continuous power struggle between Ralph and Jack results in their loss of identity; they shred off their â€Å"masks† as the proud English boys and replaced it with savagery

Animal Testing Should Save People s Lives - 2260 Words

The first cases of animal testing happened in the ancient times to satisfy a curiosity for anatomy and to obtain knowledge. Back in these days a researcher would cut open an awake animal before a crowd. Belgian Andreas Vesalius and his students in Padua, Italy demonstrated public lectures on anatomy. â€Å"An animal, usually a dog, would be cut open while still alive and the function of each organ would be speculated upon as it was located† (Monamy 9). Today animals are used as a way to test new and unknown medications on a living organism. But even then, one such physician stated that he would rather use a pig as his subject because he wanted to, â€Å"avoid seeing the unpleasant expression of an ape† (Monamy 9). The ethics of animal testing has always been questioned. Humans do not want to think of animals as on the same level of us. Animal testing is helping save people’s lives, but what about the animals lives that are taken to achieve success. The similari ty between humans and animals is terrifying and makes the cruelty obvious. In the 16 century it was recorded that early scientists who performed experiments and operations on live animals, did not consider animals to be equal to humans and barely cared for them. Relado Colombo is a good example of this kind of scientist. He was known for performing live lectures on pregnant dogs. â€Å"Maehle and Trohler said that he would take the young fetuses from the mother and harm them in front of her. Being a mother, she would bark furiouslyShow MoreRelated Animal Testing Needs To Stop Essay990 Words   |  4 Pagescompanies should stop animal testing. By animal testing, the companies not only violate the animals rights (which is breaking the law), but their testing methods are hazardous which endanger the animals life. Finally, the companies should stop animal testing because each year we lose hundreds of thousands of animals and could make a difference by stopping this cruelty. 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Unfortunately, only a small percentageRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Cruel And Inhumane1323 Words   |  6 PagesThousands of animals every year are euthanized due to animal testing. Animal testing is cruel and an inhumane way to torture animals for mankind’s own benefit. Because of our selfish, millions of animals suffered a vicious and painful death in the name of research every year. Animals are frequently used in biological and medical research, in the testing of drugs and commercial products, and in educational exercises in the sciences. So, can we ask ours elves, deeply in mind, that is it worth to useRead MoreAnimal Testing is the Best Way to Test Products Essay examples1116 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Thesis Statement: If animal testing were prohibited, then in what way would the effectiveness of a product be verified? A quote by Amanullah Ashraf states that, in order to gain something, we have to lose something . According to this, I will be discussing animal testing. Audience: everybody who thinks animal testing should be prohibited. Purpose: convincing people that animal testing is the best way to test products and its not â€Å"cruel† and â€Å"inhuman† as people say. 2. Body paragraphs Read MoreUsing Animals In Research And To Test Products Has Been1623 Words   |  7 PagesUsing animals in research and to test products has been a topic of heated debate for many years. Animals have contributed to research and we have found many cures to diseases that would have otherwise killed us. Many individuals view animals as companions that exhibit emotion and have a personality, they’re not viewed as lab subjects. The fact remains that animals are utilized by research facilities and cosmetics companies, not just across the country but around the entire world. Although humans

Demand of Corn Oil Free Essays

Rising oil prices in the United States have forced discussion on seeking alternative energy sources. One option that keeps being discussed by researchers is the usage of corn oil as a viable solution. This paper will explore the economic factors such as supply, demand and price elasticity around corn oil and its substitute soybeans. We will write a custom essay sample on Demand of Corn Oil or any similar topic only for you Order Now Supply of Soybeans If the demand for corn increases due to is use as an alternative energy source, the supply of corn’s substitutes such as soybeans will decrease. Based upon the determinants of supply – producers, resources, market expectations, subsidies and taxes and technology – the factors point to a decrease in supply. The number of producers of soybeans may decrease. Some farmers may choose to use some of their land to grow corn as opposed to soybeans, to meet the increase in corn demand. A decrease in producers would also cause a decrease in resources used to grow soybeans. Also, the market would expect corn as that is what is being touted as the viable energy source, so there’s more pressure on farmers to have corn. The US government currently gives subsidies to corn farmers, which gives them an even bigger incentive to grow corn instead of soybeans. While the technology is there to grow soybeans, there is only so much farm space and corn is the primary focal point. Price of Corn Oil If the demand for corn increases, the price of corn oil will also decrease. Whenever demand for something increases, and the supply for that item decreases, it drives the price of it up in the marketplace. It becomes that much more valuable as it’s that much harder to attain. If everyone wants corn, but there’s only so much corn available, the corn farmers can charge more for it because they know consumers will be willing to pay more to have it. Price Elasticity of Demand and Total Revenue According to Wally Sparks’ article, corn is an inelastic good because there are so few substitutes for it (Sparks, 2007). When a good is inelastic, that means that customers are not as sensitive to price changes, versus those of an elastic good. So even when corn prices were at an all time high years ago, people were still consuming corn because in the short run, they had few other options. When a good is inelastic, and the price of that good goes up, total revenues also go up. Let’s say corn was $8/barrel and a farmer normally sells 100 barrels. That will yield $800 for that farmer. Well if he raises the prices to $10/barrel and still sells at least 100 barrels – since th good is inelastic and demand hasn’t changed – that same farmer has now made $1,000. While this is just a made-up example, it shows how the increase in price yields more total revenue when a good is inelastic. Conclusion Supply and demand are king in understanding and predicting market trends. When something is in high demand, sometimes producers aren’t able to make enough of it quickly enough. This causes prices to go up because supply is down. This principle applies to everything from the cars we drive to the food we eat, and in this case the corn oil we use. How to cite Demand of Corn Oil, Essay examples

Ambush journalism Essay Example For Students

Ambush journalism Essay Ambush is the act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise. Journalism is the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news. Ambush journalism Essay is commonly seen in American public affairs and tabloid programs. Ambush Journalism has been around for as long as we can remember and will continue to be around in the future. The question however is if Ambush Journalism is ethical or not. This is a very hard question to answer! First who decides what is ethical? That judgement is left in the hands of both journalist and the public. Some journalists use this technique to obtain the latest and hottest news the outcome can sometimes be damaging or viewed as unethical. Other journalists refuse to use this technique because they feel that it violates the basic journalistic standards of balance and fairness (Day, pg.136). The public on the other hand wants to know everyones private business so much that they sometimes do not care how it might affect the person or persons that the news is about. However if they were to be the subject of Ambush Journalism themselves they would most likely not like it at all. Is this subject a gray area? Yes it is a gray area because there is no set line or black and white answer of what is right or wrong. Take a murder trial for instance. If a murder trial is covered in one way that shows the emotions of the victims family in an interview, after a not guilty verdict is decided, then this could be viewed as unethical. This form of Ambush Journalism can be very rewarding and destructive at the same time. While getting the raw emotions of the family could be good, it could also be viewed as an invasion of the familys privacy as well as disrespectful. However if the same trial is covered so that the emotions of the victims family are not used to spur unreasoned answers then this form of journalism could be viewed as ethical. Journalists sometimes use the element of Ambush Journalism as a surprise technique to get the real story or news and raw emotions. This can sometimes be good because the persons true emotions are not hidden, as mentioned before, but usually the person being interviewed or ambushed does not have time to prepare and tends to have not well-reasoned answers. To fully understand what Ambush Journalism is one would need to observe previous cases and examples of it. First in the case of Chung vs. Gingrich, Connie Chung, a journalist, interviewed Kathleen Gingrich, mother of House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Day, pg.137). In the interview Chung asked Mrs. Gingrich what her son thought of the first lady, Hillary Clinton? After assuring Mrs. Gingrich that her answer would just be between them(even though the cameras were still rolling). Mrs. Gingrich feeling secure whispered to Chung that her son thought the first lady was a bitch (Day, pg.137). This situation then turned into a he said she said problem with Connie Chung as the center of attention. Some journalists voiced their opinion that what Chung did was unethical. Chung was even accused of Ambushing Gingrich by the executive director, Everette Dennis, of the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University (Day, pg.137). In Chungs defense, David Bartlett, president of the Radio-Television News Directors Association said there was no attempt to deceive or trick anyone into saying something on camera that they didnt want to say, (Day, pg.137). Just in this situation it is hard to decide who is right or wrong. On one side you have an elderly lady who was told that anything she had to say would just be between her and the reporter. While on the other side you have a reporter that knowingly asked a loaded question during the interview caught the desired response on tape and used it as part of her story to get better ratings. I myself feel that what Connie Chung did was wrong. She should have never told Kathleen Gingrich that she could say anything and then use it later. I feel that in this situation Chungs actions were unethical and violated the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 , .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .postImageUrl , .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 , .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57:hover , .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57:visited , .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57:active { border:0!important; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57:active , .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57 .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uce4ea94191154f528fe343e432885d57:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Patriotism Essay She did not .