In the novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ and the play ‘DNA’ there is an ongoing theme of victims and bullies. Some of the characters are victims and some are bullies, created by the authors William Golding and Dennis Kelly. It is important that we clearly see which characters in the novel and play are victims and bullies. In ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘DNA’ we can clearly identify from the start which characters are going to be the main victims and bullies. In ‘Lord of the Flies’ the character Piggy has been portrayed as the main victim, this is due partly to physical appearance. ‘He was shorter that the fair boy and very fat.’ The adjective ‘shorter’ and ‘fat’ gives the reader a clear image of how Piggy will look. However, Piggy’s common sense and scientific, …show more content…
intellectual point of view make him the only adult-type figure on the island. He frequently breaks the boy’s illusions and interferes with their desire to play. When this develops into something more sinister he is killed because the bullies on the island feel like he has ruined their ‘game’. By then, the game becomes a terrible reality, a war between good and evil. Golding has used the on-going theme of good and evil throughout the novel to represent what he has experienced being in the war. Piggy is a rationalist as he does things based on fact and not based on feelings and emotions, he acts with sense. This also makes Piggy pragmatic as he makes the most appropriate decisions regardless of his emotions and feelings. Every other boy on the island who are the savages are the opposite of Piggy, they are not rationalist or pragmatic. Piggy’s beliefs were so different to the other boys. This is shown when Piggy says ‘life… is scientific… I know there isn’t no beast...’ the use of ellipsis and broken syntax shows confusion and irony. This shows Piggy’s intellectual side and that he goes by things based on scientific fact. Golding is trying to show us that in society we judge people by their physical appearance and their class. The symbols that link to Piggy are his glasses which show intelligence and intellect. The glasses also give him the ability to see, which shows wisdom and understanding. The glasses symbolise power because they are used to create a fire. ‘His specs- use them as burning glasses.’ Golding has used the adjective ‘burning’ with the noun ‘glasses’ to highlight the potential power Piggy holds. The other symbol is the conch. The conch stands for the right to speak and the right to lead. However, by chapter five this is not the case. The conch symbolises the civilisation the boys have left behind. Near the end of the novel ‘the conch exploded into thousands of white fragments.’ The colour white signifies purity, safety and cleanliness. White usually has a positive connotation. The conch smashing into a thousand white pieces show the end of civilisation on the island. Although Piggy is the main victim he has the most powerful symbols linked to him. This is because it shows the reader that he could be the most powerful and what he is capable of but his physical appearance has ruined his powerful status. In ‘DNA’ Kelly presents the theme of victims and bullies through the characters throughout the play. Adam is the most obvious target for bullies, and the bullying of Adam is so severe that at the start of the play we think it has led to his death. In the end the groups bullying of him does ultimately lead to him being killed, and the fact that his death happens twice seems to show that they cannot break out of their cycle. ‘His clothes are torn and dirty and his hair is matted with dried blood.’ The adjectives ‘torn’ and ‘dirty’ suggest to the audience that Adam has been down the grille for a long time. The adjectives are used to show that he is the main victim in the play because of his appearance which is ‘torn’ and ‘dirty’ and ‘his hair is matted with dried blood’, this has been used to show the audience that he has been a victim of bullying. Another theme that is presented by Kelly in ‘DNA’ is gangs. Most of the characters in the play are part of a gang or want to be part of this gang. They all want to be part of this gang that they will do anything just to fit in. For example, Adam would do anything the group wanted him to do just to try and be part of their ‘gang’. Mark said ‘we got him to eat some leaves.’ Adam also ‘let us punch him. In the face.’ Kelly has used the noun ‘punch’; this shows the audience that he is a main victim and was prepared to do anything just to fit in the ‘gang’. In ‘Lord of the Flies’ Simon represents Jesus, a Christ like figure. He has been portrayed as a Jesus like figure because he helps the littleuns get the fruit off the tree. ‘Found for them the fruit they could not reach.’ He has a vision and is the Christ like figure who looks out for the other boys on the island. Simon is a subject to fainting and hallucinations and his fits symbolise his visons and experiences. His conversation with the Lord of the Flies clearly shows Golding’s message that evil lies with is us all. The beast tells Simon that ‘There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast.’ The Lord of the Flies speaks these lines to Simon during his vision of the glade. These words confirm Simon’s speculation that the beast lies within the boys. Simon wants to continue with his quest for the truth. He is rejected as ‘batty’ and slaughtered in a ritual frenzy. He represents the martyr who is not valued or understood by his society. He is seen as a victim because he is a subject to fainting and he is the only good person on the island. When the savages murder Simon he got swept away out to sea and then became a sculpture made from marble. ‘His shoulders became sculpture marble.’ This links to Jesus because nature swept away Simons body. Simon dies for the sin of the boys; he was the only good person on the island this also links to Jesus. Golding is trying to explain that if the other boys had listened to Simon they may have been saved from savagery. Golding is saying that Simon has to die before the boys got saved; Golding is comparing this to this to the crucifixion of Jesus. He had to die because he was the only good on the island; he died for the sin of the boys. Like Piggy, Simon is the most intellectual because he realises that there is not beast, it is a dead parachutists blowing in the wind and he later realises that humans are evil and the beast lies within us. This is shown in chapter five when the boys are discussing the beast. Simon steps forward and says ‘maybe it’s only us.’ This shows he is the only boy to realise that. However, the other boys are unable to understand Simons answer and respond by shouting ‘nuts!’ This shows that Simon is one of the main victims in ‘Lord of the Flies.’ Another victim in ‘DNA’ is Brian.
Brian is badly bullied and a very timid character who is crying from the moment we first meet him. He seems an easy target for a bully and most of the group look down on him, sneer at him or find him annoying. Phil in particular threatens him. He threatens him with the same fate as Adam if he does not follow orders. ‘We’ll take you up to the grille now. We’ll get you by the arms. The legs. And we’ll swing you onto the grille.’ Phil uses unambiguous and unemotional language which shows the audience what type of character he is. He is very straight to the point and is telling Brian how it is and is being very blunt towards him. The audiences response to both the characters would see Adam as the victim and feel sorry for him, they may also feel concerned for his safety. The reader may feel hatred towards Phil because of what he has done to …show more content…
Adam. In ‘DNA’ Phil links to Roger in ‘Lord of the Flies’ as these characters are both exposed as the bullies.
Phil is ‘DNA’s’ main bully and seems capable of both mental and physical violence, although he only threatens physical violence and never actually hurts anyone himself. Both him and John Tate end up unable to lead or even be with a group at the end of the play. When Phil is on stage, Kelly uses stage directions to show Phil eating. ‘Phil slowly eating a pack of starburst.’ This shows the audience that he seems disinterested, it emphasis his coolness in the face of the others. However, when he drinks this shows panic because Phil drinks immediately after the complicated instructions which contrast with the open mouthed response of the others. The audience would respond to the panic of Phil’s actions. This shows that Phil is sociopathic and completely separated from society because he is lacking in care and
interest. The character from ‘Lord of the Flies’ who links with Phil from ‘DNA’ is Roger. Roger does not really develop much as a character or reveal his nature throughout the book. He represents the heartless type of psychopathic killer who likes to take control. Characters like Roger are not leaders, but help to make domineering leaders stronger. Each character in ‘Lord of the Flies’ relate to Freudians interpretation as this shows our mind is in three bits. Near the begging of the novel ‘Rogers arm was conditioned by a civilisation.’ Golding has used the adjective ‘conditioned’ and the verb ‘civilisation’ to show that he was controlled by rules and society in his normal life. Roger’s super ego is weak, as the novel progresses it gets less and less this is because the super ego gets weaker which shows he is losing his civilisation and his civilisation is getting weaker. An object used by Roger was ‘the spear sharpened at both ends.’ This symbolises the need it kill and sacrifice. Golding has used this object because it tells the reader that evil is much more common than many people like to believe. Anybody could be a killer, he makes the reader think. We question ourselves, what would we do if we were stranded on an unknown island with no rules and boundaries? Throughout ‘DNA’ Kelly uses an unknown setting. The audience only knows the setting as a street or field. The street is nowhere specific; therefore it could be set anywhere which makes the play universal. Kelly has not used a specific setting which tells the audience that the themes of bullying and peer pressure could apply to all groups of teenagers. The other setting that Kelly uses is the field which could be anywhere. The field suggests that these scenes could be taking place out in the open and their ideas they are discussing are being discussed out in the open, the setting Kelly uses in ‘DNA’ links to Golding’s use of setting in ‘Lord of the Flies’ because it is an island with no specific place of where it could be which shows that this type of behaviour could happen to anyone depending on the environment and who they are surrounded by. Overall, I think ‘DNA’ was the most effective at presenting the theme of victims and bullies. It has a contemporary setting which is more relevant to modern day readers. ’DNA’ has an urban setting which makes it more relatable as bullying and peer pressure could occur more frequently in these settings. ‘Lord of the Flies’ is possibly set just after the war. The language used in ‘Lord of the Flies’ by the boy’s might be seen as old fashioned and outmoded to today’s reader.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies portrays the lives of young British boys whose plane crashed on a deserted island and their struggle for survival. The task of survival was challenging for such young boys, while maintaining the civilized orders and humanity they were so accustomed too. These extremely difficult circumstances and the need for survival turned these innocent boys into the most primitive and savaged mankind could imagine. William Golding illustrates man’s capacity for evil, which is revealed in man’s inherent nature. Golding uses characterization, symbolism and style of writing to show man’s inhumanity and evil towards one another.
Koopmans, Andy. "The Characters." Understanding Lord of the Flies. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2003. 63-64. Print.
In the most dire situations, some children are able to put aside their childish behaviours and become a mature adult figure, one who takes the right actions and makes mature decisions. According to the National Institutes of Health, only a certain few children are able to act maturely in situations; the other completely normal children are not able to take it seriously. Even though some people think that a child who acts adult-like is not any different than the other children, being adult-like can be very important and useful in many situations, including ones without any parental supervision. In William Golding’s most memorable novel, Lord of the Flies, the most intelligent character – an overweight boy named Piggy – makes valuable efforts and contributions to help others. When Piggy finds himself stranded on an island with many other boys, he steps up to be the most mature and sensible one. Considering it is among the last abilities to mature in the brain, Piggy has remarkable reasoning and problem-solving skills for a twelve-year-old boy. Despite the fact that Piggy is unpopular with many of the big kids on the island, he always attempts to get his adult-like knowledge and opinion across. Piggy’s love for
The character Piggy in William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies serves as the intellectual balance to the emotional leaders of a group of shipwrecked British boys. Ironically, their new society values physical qualities over intellectual attributes whereas it is the rational actions that will lead to their survival. Piggy's actions and the reactions from his fellow survivors foreshadow his eventual death. Lord of the Flies is overflowing with creative symbolism, surrounding every event and character; Piggy is no exception. From being the representation of scholars to the comparison with Prometheus, Golding ensures Piggy's short life is well remembered.
William Golding’s novel ‘The Lord of The flies’ presents us with a group of English boys who are isolated on a desert island, left to try and retain a civilised society. In this novel Golding manages to display the boys slow descent into savagery as democracy on the island diminishes.
He shows this through Piggy's appearances, personality, and morals. Piggy’s physical description is an enormous factor in the book. Although his physical appearance doesn't change throughout the book it continues to affect him until the end. In the beginning
William Golding’s novel ‘The Lord of The Flies’ tells the story of a group of English boys isolated on a desert island, left to attempt to retain civilisation. In the novel, Golding shows one of the boys, Jack, to change significantly. At the beginning of the book, Jack’s character desires power and although he does not immediately get it, he retains the values of civilized behaviour. However, as the story proceeds, his character becomes more savage, leaving behind the values of society. Jack uses fear of the beast to control the other boys and he changes to become the book’s representation of savagery, violence and domination. He is first taken over with an obsession to hunt, which leads to a change in his physical appearance This change of character is significant as he leads the other boys into savagery, representing Golding’s views of there being a bad and unforgiving nature to every human.
Characters are used in literature as symbols to represent mankind's different “faces”. Everyone in both fictional and real societies have civil orderly sides, as well as an instinctual hunger for power. Both of these traits together make us human, but imbalance of these traits in some people can alter our being. These traits are necessary for our survival, but too much can create toxic environments. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbols to tell the reader more about human traits and provides a platform that shows the interactions between people with different balances of traits; Golding then shows the possible outcome of the conflict these traits create. Three main characters that stand out and represent the civility and hunger for power of humans are Piggy, Jack, and Ralph. Each can be seen as a symbol for different behaviors and traits that humans show, as well as the different mixes of civil and instinctual. The characters symbolize the different traits, instinctual power and calming civil nature, and how the different balances can affect a persons actions, behaviors, and interactions with others.
Much of history’s most renown literature have real-world connections hidden in them, although they may be taxing uncover. William Golding’s classic, Lord of the Flies, is no exception. In this work of art, Golding uses the three main characters, Piggy, Jack, and Ralph, to symbolize various aspects of human nature through their behaviors, actions, and responses.
In the Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses characters to convey the main idea of his novel. The story begins with a war, and a plane carrying several young boys, who are being evacuated, is shot down from the sky. There are no adult survivors; however; the boys were brought together by Ralph blowing on the conch shell. They formed a tribe to stay alive. Slowly the stability and the sense of safety in the group started to deteriorate, similar to the downfall of societies during World War II. They are not only hunting animals now, but they are killing each other like savages in order to stay alive. This action of killing is like Hitler during World War II and his persecution of Jews during the Holocaust.
Imagine flying on a plane and crash landing on an unknown island with a select group of people. How would humans deal as a result of this horrific situation? Is cruelty and violence the only solution when it comes down to it? In Lord of the Flies, William Golding explores the relationship between children in a similar conflict and shows how savagery takes over civilization. Lord of the Flies proves to show that the natural human instincts of cruelty and savagery will take over instead of logic and reasoning. William shows how Jack, the perpetrator in the book, uses cruelty and fear for social and political gain to ultimately take over, while on the other hand shows how Ralph falters and loses power without using cruelty and fear. In Lord of
On the dystopian island of Lord of the Flies, authored by William Golding, one can observe the boy's’ descent into madness. When a group of young children were abandoned on an island without adult supervision, chaos rampaged. This loss civility is most clearly demonstrated by Jack and his effect on others. The text illustrates how quickly he succumbed to the savagery, the way his thirst for power and his dire situation brought him to barbarity, and how the boys followed suit, losing all their humanity.
William Golding, in his fictional novel Lord of the Flies, has created one of the most stunningly elaborate, captivating works of American literature. It is a straightforward story of a few shipwrecked schoolboys that dramatically turns into a multifaceted tale of endless deceit, trickery and all out jealousy. It is in this story that three boys, Ralph, Piggy, and Jack, come to play the pivotal parts of leaders to a group of children who are fighting for the right of survival.
In the beginning of Golding’s book, Lord of the Flies, one of the main characters, Piggy suffers from low self-esteem and low self-confidence. This can be seen on page 11 when Piggy says “I don't care what they call me, so long as they don't call me what they used to call me at school...They used to call me Piggy,” (Golding 11). This quote shows his low self-confidence and gives the reader a glance into Piggy’s past. The reader can assume from the quote that Piggy was made fun of for his weight before he came to the island and does not want to be treated like this again. Piggy seems scared that the new boys will tease him. Another example of Piggy’s low value of himself is when he begins to show leader ship qualities and is shot down. “I expect we...
Bullying is a big problem today in many schools. Bullying too often starts because the bully is prejudice. Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys who are alone on an island because their plane crashed and their parents died. In the Lord of the Flies by William Golding, prejudice and discrimination is a big issue with Ralph, Jack, and Piggy.