Thursday, April 21, 2011

Today, you wrote a critical/analytical essay on the novel Lord of the Flies. On Tuesday, you will write your comprehension reading exam (M.C.)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Today,we discussed essay writing in preparation for your exam tomorrow. It will be a critical/analytical one on Lord of the Flies. We reviewed essay format in some depth.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Today, I provided notes on the allegories in Lord of the Flies (psychological, religious..). These can be found online (everyone was here).
For tomorrow, you need to answer questions 11 and 12 in chapter 12 of your questions booklet and do this FULLY.
You also had to hand in your group questions from yesterday today.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Today, you answered some paragraph questions in paired groupings. If you were not here, they are listed below. In addition to this, I provided you with notes (discussion) about the symbols present in the novel Lord of the Flies (also inserted below). Keep in mind that your exams are coming up. Lord of the Flies: Symbols A symbol is something concrete that represents another idea or thing. The Conch Shell – Law and order (civilization, democracy, authority). It is the actual vessel of political legitimacy and democratic power. As the boys lose their grasp on civility the conch loses its power; both fade and are destroyed. The Glasses – technology/logic/reason (science, insight, wisdom, knowledge). The Fire – hope and rescue (let it go out… shows they have given up) The Island – at FIRST symbolizes paradise… but THEN symbolizes isolation. It is microcosm of the world as a whole The Parachutist – adult supervision The Masks – savagery/ loss of civilization The Beast – savagery (evil, fear, superstition) the dark side of human nature The Lord of the Flies – chaos and evil The Butterflies – Simon’s goodness and harmony with nature Questions to answer in paragraph form: 1. While the island appears to be a paradise, there are hints as early as chapter one that let the reader know this might not be the case. How does Golding let the reader know, in Chapter One, that the island is a dangerous place? Give two examples of possible danger that he refers to (value: 3) 2. From the beginning of the novel, we can see that the boys think man is good (that where they come from is good: that their laws and values etc ). Why do the boys believe in the natural goodness of man? (value: 1) 3. What is the importance of names, naming, and the loss of names in the story? (value: 3) 4. Give three examples of Jack’s becoming more primitive and animalistic (value: 3) 5. Define irony and point out one example of it being used in the novel. As a hint, look again at chapter one (value: 2) 6. Compare Ralph’s use of power with Jack’s use of power (value: 10) 7. What does the conch symbolize in the novel? How does the author make us understand its significance? (value: 2) 8. Piggy’s glasses and his limited vision are important in the novel. How are they significant, and what theme(s) do they represent? (value: 4)

Friday, April 15, 2011

Today, we finished watching the film Lord of the Flies. I then showed the newer version on double speed to compare. What came out of this is that the novel itself is the only "true" source and that reading it is necessary if a student wants to ace an essay.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Today, we began to watch the film version of The Lord of the Flies. If you haven't done so yet, make sure you finish the questions for the novel (we will mark them on Monday).

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Today, we finished watching "The Human Experiment." We then discussed it in relation to the novelm The Lord of the Flies. I then provided notes on this novel, defining allegory and its connection to the novel itself. I have pasted them here for those who were not present. These can also be found through an inquiry search on the Internet. Allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy.Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning. The boys as a whole can represent humanity as a whole (a microcosm of the world they came from). · The island is the entire world · The boys’ rules become the world’s varying governments (two tribes are two countries, and so on). · The boys’ fighting is equivalent to a war. · The only time we pull out of the allegory is at the very end of the novel, when the other “real” world breaks through the imaginary barrier around the island.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Today, we discussed the effect of external controls on behaviour. We then discussed the strength authority has on our decisions. They watched more of the video the human experiment to reinforce these issues.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Today, we discussed the potential leaders in the novel Lord of the Flies. I also established the deadline for the questions for Monday, April 18, 2011.