Blogger #26 - Viviana Rescalvo Orea - Period 3 - 11/18/21

Aim: How can we, as students of literature, evaluate the value of Lord of the Flies through a dissection of themes and motifs?

We started the class off with a do now of finding some major themes present in the novel. Some themes that could be identified were…

• There's evil in every man and savagery in the root of every civilization
• Man vs nature - having to learn to survive and being in the natural world lets us see our true nature

However, if there was any confusion on what could be considered a theme or a motif, we were given these definitions.

Theme- a broad idea, message, or lesson that is conveyed by a work.
Motif- any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story.

Here are some more tips to know the difference between the two.

We were also presented with a new word
Deus ex Machina

• A plot device where a seemingly unsolvable problem is abruptly and suddenly resolved by the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event

Well, how can the themes we identified in our do now be categorized as a theme? The themes that the class came up with are universal. They can be seen throughout many different works of literature but are not only subjected to literature. They can be seen through history too! This is what makes them timeless. On the other hand, we have motifs, which are specific to one work. For example, the conch in the novel symbolizes how the order of civilization slowly starts to descend into savagery over time as the conch slowly starts to lose its purpose.

Now it was time to put what we learned to the test. We worked in groups to categorize these into either themes or motifs.

• ​​Loss of innocence - theme 

• Piggy's glasses- motif

• Negative consequences of war- theme

• Civilization vs savagery- theme

• The pig - motif

• The beast- motif

• Individuality vs conformity- theme 

We then watched this short clip to sum up last night's reading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQCgzi4j3eM

Here we discussed as a class what we noticed in the reading. As Piggy is hit and killed by Roger with a boulder he levered with a spear, the conch also breaks. There is great significance in this, it shows how the boys now have no more order. They have ascended so far into savagery that they don't even realise the wrong in killing Piggy. This elaborates on the conch being a motif in the story. Along with this motif, we also see some foreshadowing. Throughout the story, we see Roger always around a boulder and spear (this is what kills piggy) and foreshadows what's to come.

 

For a quick summary, we answered the question: Why is it necessary to evaluate these elements in literature? It is important to identify these elements in order to be able to fully understand what the author is trying to convey. Along the way, we can connect dots to see why the author put in specific details.

Lastly, we ended our class with tips and tricks about test taking. One tip is making sure you study somewhere that is not your resting place as it will only drive away your attention. A second tip is reviewing multiple subjects at once since it will allow your brain to make connections. One last tip is breaking up notes into 3 categories, the first being what you know best, second being what you somewhat know, and the third being the most important things to go over. This way will help in managing your time most efficiently.

Reflection: 

Now with this information, I can clearly identify and explain the difference between themes and motifs and why they pertain to different pieces of the story. This is very beneficial not only to understanding Lord of the Flies, but any other work. It will help draw connections quicker and aid in finding different literary devices. It is now clearer why there are certain details that might not make sense at first. If we view it from a broader perspective, we can make more links to different parts of the story.