Housekeeping
Wednesday, November 10th:
- Work day for our island projects. Mrs. Peterson reminded us to bring in our supplies so that we could maximize the time given for our assignment.
- Evening Parent Teacher Conferences taking place virtually and will not effect the school day schedule.
Thursday, November 11th:
- Veterans Day, there will be no school and therefore we will not be having class
Friday, November 13th:
- Afternoon Parent Teacher Conferences taking place virtually. Please be reminded that we will be following a special schedule where classes will end earlier. More information can be found on the SITECH landing page- 2021-2022 SITHS School Year Info
Do now:
Independent First (2 min)
Wait for pair share (10 minutes)
Compare and contrast the two images. In your comparison, be sure to identify the general theme of the paintings. Justify your assertions.
I said that the image on the left showed a group of boys with tribal marking holding spears and weapons. The boys seem very messy, skinny, tired, and in a way, confused, just like the boys in The Lord of the Flies. The animal remains on the bottom of the image could be that of a pig and a lizard of some kind. I also thought that the color choice of the background was very interesting because the black silhouettes had such an extreme contrast with the white. On the left, there was an image of a religious figure walking along with the devil. Although I was not able to find this picture online, it was an uncolored drawing symbolizing temptation to evil. Both of these pictures have contrasting ideas, whether this be the color choices or the good and evil depicted by known figures. However, I thought that the second picture was more of a representation of evil and good coming together, due to the body language of the figures.
Once we dove into the group discussion, I heard a lot more interpretations of the images from my team members. For example, Reiko added that the second picture might relate to the first one because evil and good were the same, or were united as one. Agnes also pointed out that it might illustrate how they descended from civilization into savagery through temptation and negotiation.
In the class discussion, I also learned a lot more things from my classmates. Emily started us off with the picture on the right by saying how the body shape could determine the figures or "people" as teenagers and kids. She also said that the red parts on the bodies could represent physical and mental wounds, however, Noah disagreed by saying that they were some kind of tribal markings instead. Agnes was also able to apply a text to world connection here by saying how the primitive markings related to pre historic times and showed how they were reverting to natural instincts of the human species. It was also interesting to me to see how differently some people interpreted this piece. Ilaria said that her group believed the animal remains were a wolf and a mouse, symbolizing survival of the fittest and dominance within the group. She also brought up a very interesting point that the red marking were the savage side of humans surfacing within the boys. Moving on to the image on the left, Ilaria said that the figure on the left could be of religious significance due to the halo and the figure on the right would be the devil. Ahmad said that the figures represented different sides of humanity, the left being "normal" and the right being "savagery". This was quite an intriguing conversation.
Mrs. Peterson's Notes:
For the first image, Mrs. Peterson talked about symbolism with the colors being used in the cartoon. Since we already knew that black symbolized death, red with anger, blood, and passion; and white symbolizing innocence and purity, she helped us highlight and apply our knowledge in the image. First off, the white background is chosen so that the figures could have the most contrast with black. The figures themselves had red markings, showing the evil coming out within them, but also very small specks of white that showed the very little amount of purity and civilization left within them. There is also an aspect of guilt, although not entirely tapped in by the author. Now shifting over the the image on the right, we established that the figures were Jesus (left) and the devil (right). The significant part of this image was that they were walking along together, not fighting or battling. This meant that the process of temptation, giving into evil or resisting with good was being symbolically illustrated in this image.
Group Questions:
(Independent Response- Then Share)
What is the literal Beast?
Without acknowledging any of the symbolism in the text, our group said that the literal beast was the parachutist.
What does Simon know of the Beast?
Simon knows that the "beast" is not necessarily something physical but rather something living within the boys and humans in general.
Explain the bridge between Simon's knowledge of the Beast and the way Jack (and the hunters) treated the pig?
Jack and the hunters originally hesitated to kill the pig, and let it get away the first time they encountered it on the island. Now, we have observed the relationship between the boys and hunting as more of a pleasure experience rather than merely for survival. They make the hunting process like a traditional sacrifice, with chants and cult-like dances to celebrate the obliteration and killing of the pig. Simon knew and observed how the changes in their actions reflected the beast within them awakening.
It's obvious they're descending into savagery, but on what level?
The boys are descending into the higher end of savagery. They have returned into their primitive ways, without rules, democracy, or order.
LET'S TALK: Class discussion
1. For the first question, Lapyan started us off with saying that the actual beast was the dead body of the parachutist. Group 3 also contributed by saying that the literal beast could be the head of the pig, since it was a symbol of the savagery the boys had given into.
2. It was established that Simon knew the beast could not be "killed" and that it was within all the boys. The term Mrs. Peterson used was "innate", meaning that something is within you or that you are naturally born with it.
3. Emily said that the boys treated the pig like a sacrifice, worshiping it and idolizing it. In a way, the pig "infested" everyone on the island and was really the main catalyst for their transition into savagery. However, to a certain extent, it cannot be said that the events on the island sparked the beast, because we know that it was already there. The situation of chaos on the island just made it a perfect scenario for the beast inside them to come out after being civilized for their entire lives. Simon basically watched the boys descending into savagery as they ran and chased each other around on the island.
4. Group 3 also said that they were on a very high level of savagery. It was considered to be at the level at which the boys were rabid dogs compared to what they were when they first came on the island. They came to the island as uniformed little boys, faithful in rules, democracy and order. As the events unfolded, the island quickly turned into a free for all.
Reading
Page 134- digitally 194
"Now!"
The drove of pigs started up; and at a range of only ten yards the wooden spears with fire-hardened points flew toward the chosen pig. One piglet, with a demented shriek, rushed into the sea trailing Roger’s spear behind it. The sow gave a gasping squeal and staggered up, with two spears sticking in her fat flank. The boys shouted and rushed forward, the piglets scattered and the sow burst the advancing line and went crashing away through the forest.
“After her!”
They raced along the pig-track, but the forest was too dark and tangled so that Jack, cursing, stopped them and cast among the trees. Then he said nothing for a time but breathed fiercely so that they were awed by him and looked at each other in uneasy admiration. Presently he stabbed down at the ground with his finger.
“There—”
Before the others could examine the drop of blood, Jack had swerved off, judging a trace, touching a bough that gave. So he followed, mysteriously right and assured, and the hunters trod behind him.
He stopped before a covert.
“In there.”
They surrounded the covert but the sow got away with the sting of another spear in her flank. The trailing butts hindered her and the sharp, cross-cut points were a torment. She blundered into a tree, forcing a spear still deeper; and after that any of the hunters could follow her easily by the drops of vivid blood. The afternoon wore on, hazy and dreadful with damp heat; the sow staggered her way ahead of them, bleeding and mad, and the hunters followed, wedded to her in lust, excited by the long
chase and the dropped blood. They could see her now, nearly got up with her, but she spurted with her last strength and held ahead of them again. They were just behind her when she staggered into an open space where bright flowers grew and butterflies danced round each other and the air
was hot and still.
Here, struck down by the heat, the sow fell and the hunters hurled themselves at her. This dreadful eruption from an unknown world made her frantic; she squealed and bucked and the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror. Roger ran round the heap, prodding with his spear whenever pig flesh appeared. Jack was on top of the sow, stabbing downward with his knife. Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high pitched scream. Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her. The butterflies still danced, preoccupied in the center of the clearing.
At last the immediacy of the kill subsided. The boys drew back, and Jack stood up, holding out his hands.
“Look.”
He giggled and flicked them while the boys laughed at his reeking palms. Then Jack grabbed Maurice and rubbed the stuff over his cheeks. Roger began to withdraw his spear and boys noticed it for the first time. Robert stabilized the thing in a phrase which was received uproariously.
“Right up her ass!”
These events, similar to a portion of the text we looked at previously, is symbolic for sexual assault. The boys no longer have any control over themselves. The diction the author incorporated makes the chase of the pig extremely sexualized, although in the context nothing physically occurred. This just further highlights the beast within the boys. We also discussed the change of the boys' behavior. Originally hunting merely for survival, the boys hesitated to even kill the pig. Now, they are clearly doing it for fun and for sport, romanticizing and enjoying the experience of the uncivilized slaughter. The underlined term in the passage is the juxtaposition Golding used, where the actions of the butterflies had an extreme contrast to the actual events of the story. While the pig was being brutally stabbed to death and the boys were chaotically playing with its blood, the butterflies flew around the scene in harmony and tranquility.
Reflection:
What did I learn? Why did I learn it? What will I do with this knowledge?
Overall, today's lesson was very engaging and interesting to me. We learned more about the comparisons between good and evil, the Beast within the boys on the island, and the reflection of human nature in Golding's writing. Referring back to the aim, Golding was able to reflect rape and assault through hunting scene in Chapter 8 of Lord of the Flies. He also created a complex theme of good and evil, which can be connected through biblical figures that demonstrate internal conflicts of human society. I believe that what we learned today will be useful not only for the continuation of our lesson, but also to be able to build upon and transition to new ideas as the story progresses.
After learning about some of the techniques Golding used in his writing, I think I will be able to look deeper in a text, especially classics that have very prominent yet hidden themes. Today's lesson also helped me with text to text connections, text to world connections, and text to self connections. The discussion we had about the biblical figures made me think more about how authors take certain aspects of previous literature to incorporate in their writing and keep those ideas alive in society. I also liked how a lot of my classmates had great contributions that related to current situations in real life. However, I think the biggest thing I was able to take away from today's lesson was the concept of the Beast being within humans as a whole. Not only was the concept really interesting for me to think about, but it made me think deeper about our society as a whole and how well the ideas Golding contributed in his writing have stood through time.
The rest of the lesson will be continued on Monday...
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