The Cry Out for Help in Lord of the Flies

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Is adolescence really about fitting in or not standing out? Do you have any responsibility to those students who do not fit in? Do you hear that? Hush, and listen closely. Do you hear it now? The cries for help of the kids who don’t fit in with the crowd. The cries aren’t always loud. Sometimes they don’t make a sound. Stop and listen to them. Take responsibility for those kids and stand up for those kids who won’t stand up for themselves. In the book Lord of the Flies, there were multiple unanswered cries for help. Piggy, the character in the story with glasses, who was out of shape, and had asthma experienced hatred for things he couldn’t help. Piggy was singled out, not because he was another color or couldn’t speak well, but because he was out of shape. Piggy was unable to hunt due to his asthma, but was still discriminated. Jack said Piggy couldn’t eat because he didn’t hunt. “ ‘You didn’t hunt’ ” (Golding, 104). Jack was planning on not giving Piggy any of the food, but why? Even though he didn’t hunt, Simon didn’t and neither did Ralph. So why shouldn’t Piggy get fed if Ralph and Simon did? The answer is he was singled out. He is the odd one of the bunch because he is fat. Jack took a disliking to him because he wasn’t physically able to help out as much because he has asthma and was fat. Thankfully Simon took responsibility and gave Piggy some of his meat. Simon didn’t have to do this, but its the groups responsibility to lookout for one another. Cries for help usually go unanswered leaving the victim to think, “Why is this happening to me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” Most of the time they have done nothing at all, but still are in a hurricane of thoughts trying to fathom why they are getting picked on. Some w... ... middle of paper ... ... when thats the path she chose to take. When you got outside at night and look up at the stars, which one catches your eye first? The one that stands out or the biggest brightest one. But why do we adore the one odd star yet discriminate against the one person that stands out? Why do we want to stay hidden away in our shells like turtles if people are attracted to the one that stands out? When we are little children you are constantly told “You can be whatever you want when you grow up,” or “You can do anything if you put your heart into it.” We are encouraged to stand out. Unfortunately when we hit a certain age in life we are told things like, “You won’t be anything in life,” or “You’re a nobody.” This causes us to stay in that shell and never want to come out due to the fear imbedded in us that if we stand out disappointment, fear, or sadness are sure to follow.

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