Blogger #17 - Emily Lin - Period 3 - 10/27/21

Blogger #17 - Emily Lin - Period 3 - 10/27/21

Aim: How does a close-reading of Lord of the Flies demonstrate the power that naming has in society?

Do Now: Write - The history of your first name: Why were you given that name? Does it have any meaning? Does it define you in any way? Do you think it adds to your character?

My name (Emily) comes from the Latin name Aemilia, meaning eager, hardworking/striving, and competitive. I was given my name by my mother who simply thought that the name sounds nice and fairly easy to pronounce, meaning, it does not have any special meanings. The definition of my name kind of define me as I am pretty eager to do things that I enjoy and try my best to get what is important to me. However, I wouldn’t say that I am a competitive person since I like to do things my own way/pace but it also means that sometimes I have no motivation. 

Pair Share & Group Discussion:

• Look at the titles of the chapters (in Lord Of The Flies)

• How do they function as ‘names’?

• How do the titles of each chapter show elements of foreshadowing?

The titles of the chapters show an important part or event that happens in that chapter. It is going to be the focus of the chapter. For example, chapter one is called “The Sound Of The Shell” and we know that the shell/conch plays an important part in the story as it brings all the characters together with the main characters. 

Close Reading:

• Page 11 (12 for PDF ebook or 21 for some editions)

•  How is ‘naming’ used here?

•  What does it do for someone if they are called ‘Piggy’ rather than their real name?

•  How do we feel about Ralph?

The name “Piggy” here is an insult and most would be offended as calling someone Piggy shows how you are making fun of their weight. This name/nickname is often used in a negative connotation. From this excerpt, I don’t like Ralph’s childish and immature behavior and how he purposely calls the fat boy “Piggy” and making fun of it as he specially told Ralph not to call him by that name. In class, we understand that his actions are equivalent to bullying and that he doesn’t have the sensitivity and knowledge to know what and what not to do. 

Respond On Classroom: 

• Choose one of the three characters (Ralph, Piggy, and Jack) to write a brief explanation of their characterization (both direct and indirect). Use evidence from the text to support your claims.

In the first chapter, Ralph is portrayed as a young, immature 12 years old boy. He is characterized as a good leader, being charismatic, decisive, and likes to take control of the situation. In the beginning, Ralph is viewed as childish as he plays jokes on Piggy, making him upset. In the book, Ralph makes fun of Piggy, calling him the one and only name he didn’t want to be called. He also makes fun of his asthma, stating, “Sucks to your ass-mar!” When Piggy was explaining his condition. However, Ralph is also characterized as a good leader, as shown from pages 28-32 (on pdf Ebook), Ralph won the votes to become the leader, and the kids quiet down whenever Ralph waved. Later on in the chapter, Ralph was also adamant on not allowing Piggy to go with him to explore no matter how much he asks, knowing that Piggy has asthma and cannot keep up. In addition, when Ralph realizes that Piggy is hurt by him telling people that his name was “Piggy”, he tries to make him feel better. On page 31, it states, ““Better Piggy than Fatty,” he said at last, with the directness of genuine leadership, “and anyway, I’m sorry if you feel like that.” This shows the direct characterization of Ralph in the first chapter. 

Reflection: 

Today, I learned the significance of names in society and literature. Names can mean and represent many aspects of a person: personality, looks, or symbolism the author wants the character to represent. It also helps build a picture of who the character is. (We used direct and indirect characterization to help us identify the personalities of a character) In the beginning of class, we went over our own names and meaning, and what it means to ourselves. We analyse Piggy’s name and others reaction and attitude towards him just because of his nickname. The importance of naming is shown through the purpose of naming (of titles). Names often show the main/major identity of a character or topic.