IRB: Lord of the Flies Reading Section 1

                The first four chapters of Lord of the Flies presented an overarching theme of premonition and tension. William Golding makes it clear to us that the fragile bonds and friendships created by characters within the story are about to sever, and violently at that.

                The two strongest elements of rhetoric and fiction that Golding expands upon are character and setting. Upon the island that the British boys land on, the two leaders of them emerge as Jack and Ralph. From a rhetorical and fictional standpoint, the two boys are foils of one another. Jack, as the leader of the choir boys, represents irrational action, drive, exhilaration, and living in the moment. This is best displayed when he foils their chance of rescue by not having the signal fire up (as it was his duty to) while a boat passed by; he was too busy hunting a pig, a violent act he glorifies in a macabre way. On the opposite spectrum stands Ralph. As the (un)official leader of them all, he presents (as also backed by Piggy, an intelligent fat boy who despite Ralph’s thoughts is actually very important to him) rationality, calm action, wisdom, and natural leadership skills that depend upon respect and not fear. This connects to the theme of breaking bonds and friendships because the readers clearly see that as time passes, the distance between these two leaders are increasing and suggest the possibility of separation.

                Setting is also important to Golding in Lord of the Flies. The entire premise of the story centers on a group of young boys (who, as British, are supposed to be more civilized) who crash land upon a deserted island and must fend for themselves. An integral part of the setting is the isolation that leaves the boys alone, and with it, fear. Created first by a young boy on the island, there is a mental fear of what is known as the “beastie”. It starts as a simple myth, of an unusually large snake that prowls the forests of the island, but as time progresses and the boys start realizing the dangers surrounding their life on the island, becomes a more tangible fear, particularly among the “littluns”, children under the age of 6. This fear is eventually used by Jack to his advantage, as this irrationality fits perfectly with his symbolism and representation of the savage that exists in all men, even children.

BBC Meet the Artist: Alexander Vedernikov

                In 2009, Russian conductor Alexander Vedernikov left his position as music director at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, claiming that it was placing bureaucratic interests before art interests. Three years later, he is now conducting the English Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. BBC Music Magazine journalist Elizabeth Davis conducted an interview of Vedernikov before a concert not a short while ago. This “Meet the Artist” interview of Alexander Vedernikov presents a specific rhetoric aimed towards those classically educated or at the very least knowledgeable on Russian composers.

                As with all musicians, Vedernikov has certain opinions on how different types and styles of symphonic music should be played. Throughout the interview, Davis analyzes how Vedernikov is influenced by things such as his nationality, experience with different orchestras, and even the composers of the music. For example, when Davis asked Vedernikov to compare English and Russian orchestras, Vedernikov notes that because the bulk of his performances are from Russian composers, generally the Russian orchestras should be more advanced (obviously) in Russian music- “if they are technically skilled enough”. However, Vedernikov also comments that since arriving to England, he believes that the English are also very technically skilled, and although do not have the knowledge Russian orchestras do on Russian music, they are “very smart- if you have told them something once about one section, they’re able to extrapolate that to other things”.

                Because this was an interview in BBC’s “Meet the Artist” section of the Music Magazine, Davis used specific rhetoric that directly relates to interviews. For example, it is safe to assume that the ethos of Vedernikov is both built up and assumed throughout the interview. Davis provides that Vedernikov was already famous for leaving the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia, and the interview just adds more dimensions to the already well-known conductor. Intended for readers of BBC Music Magazine or simply just classical music adherents, this article certainly was able to achieve its purpose of informing the world a little more about the man who left his home country to pursue his passion.

Cartoon: "Aiee They Got Frank!" (Calvin and Hobbes)

                 In light of analyzing fiction and particularly visual fiction, a cartoon seemed to be the ideal topic for this week’s AOW. Because Calvin and Hobbes stands as a testament to the greatness of comic strips, this strip, drawn by Bill Watterson, is not only one that brings a smile to a reader’s face but also, for Watterson, serves as a medium for delivering his opinions on what normally would be sensitive issues.

                The scene opens up on a typical office setting, where this general setting is quickly made fictional in an instance of role reversal; a group of deer (one of them ironically named “Bamb”) carrying hunting rifles violently shoot and kill an office worker. The comic then displays how this rather unusual depiction is actually the brainchild of Calvin, who, as the smart aleck he is, essentially implies that in the future it will be necessary to do some “thinning of the herds”. Watterson ends this strip with Calvin’s parents dejectedly accepting a (yet another) parent-teacher conference.

                Rhetorically, as both a cartoon and medium for discussion, this Calvin and Hobbes strip stands out as an example of the power of visual rhetoric. What immediately is noticed by the reader is that if one were to take out the “comic” aspect of this, it depicts a violently shot man by angry deer, and a possibly mental child who has consistently displayed similar negative tendencies. What is ironically so powerful about cartoons is how simple and lighthearted they are. Because of “cute” pictures and the notion that Calvin is a smart aleck, Watterson can make a bold statement to readers of usually newspapers and comic strip collections about perspectives people should have about animals and “sports” like deer hunting. Even the fact that Calvin is put in trouble for posing such a topic implies what Watterson feels is unjust about deer shooting, of how poor justification such as “thinning the herds” is not at all appropriate.

                Overall, Watterson’s purpose of making a statement about animal rights through Calvin is achieved. It is also certainly worthy of a grin at the very least. J

3rd MP Independent Reading

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

Section 1: Ch. 1-4 (pg 7-75)
Section 2: Ch. 5-8 (pg 76-144)
Section 3: 9-12 (pg 145-202)

In many of my English classes, there has been discussion of great literature classics. By reading Lord of the Flies, I hope to be able to add something to those discussions. I am aware of the basic plot, of how a group of British boys become barbaric as they spend time further and further away from order/society. What always intrigued me was how true or plausible Golding's interpretation of (young) human nature was. Reading this novel will hopefully give me insight and allow me to form my own opinion. In addition, I have not read too many "classics" before. In an attempt to increase my boundaries related to reading, I'm going to give Lord of the Flies a try!