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Lord of the Flies
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Kristin Hsu #11Period 1
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the end of the novel was surprising because they ended up being rescued. I expected that Ralph and SamnEric would be the only ones rescued and not Jack and his hunters. The thing that surprised me was when the officer asked who was the leader and Ralph said he was, Jack did not try and argue with it. This is shocking because the entire time on the island he has tried to be in power and the moment the officer arrived on scene, Jack finally comes back to reality.
I would recommend this book to my friends and family because it teaches you that everyone has some evil in them no matter how innocent anyone may seem. Overall I thought this was a good book that teaches the reader a good lesson.
Emily Chen #7Period 3
I am glad that Lord of the Flies ended this way. Since there has been a lot of innocent deaths in this novel, the ending is a good relief for all of the grief that I had when Simon and Piggy died. Ralph finally accomplishes his dream of being rescued and I really feel glad for him. If the ship had not come, Ralph would have been murdered like Simon and tortured gruesomely. Although he sheds his innocence and learns about the true nature of human, Ralph still survived. I really thought that Jack's group is going to catch him, but this twist helps Ralph reclaim his authority and as for Jack, he realizes his position and his transformation to a savage. Therefore, he backs off and lets Ralph take the lead. The novel on a whole reflects Golding's purpose clearly. Since the source of the evil, or the beast, comes from seemingly innocent schoolboys, he emphasizes the idea that evil exists in everyone and that no one can escape it, even Simon. In my opinion, this book is well written and I would recommend this to my friends and family. Even though it is a very depressing book, the great writing in the novel really makes it stand out. The fact that it is an allegory also makes it worth the time because there are barely any allegories today. It also closely touches reality, and everything in there is natural and is closely related to real life events although it may be more dramatic. A life lesson that I can take from it is that laws and orders are needed in order to keep the innate evil of human in check. It helps regulate the evil that would have otherwise spill and contaminate the whole world and leave a good impression of the goodness of human while laws and regulations are still in effect. Therefore, we have to work hard to keep things in check for our own well being.
Eric Yang #32Per. 3
The rescue of the boys in the end of the novel was fairly predictable whether or not people had spoiled the novel for me. It was a huge disappointment when everyone was saved except for Simon and Piggy since they were key elements in the book and were worthy of surviving. Personally, I was glad to see that when the officer asked who was in charge, Jack couldn't step up to say that he was their leader. Instead, Ralph had the authority when facing an adult who had come from a civilized society.An alternative ending that I would've preferred would be where when the officer of the naval ship had arrived after sighting the fire, that Jack would refuse to leave the island. Instead of wanting to go home, he plans to stay on the island and attempts to rid of those who had come to rescue them.
I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy stories with tons of excitement yet has some areas that are overly descriptive. I would also recommend this novel to those who enjoy novels that have a multitude of important symbols.
The lesson that I see from this novel would be that not every person is the same after being released into the wild. For instance, we find that Jack has become a total savage once he is allowed to enter the wilderness without parental guidance.
Michelle Chang #3Period 3
The ending of Lord of the Flies was not as satisfying as I had hoped it would be. The story concluded too abruptly, and I believe that it was unrealistic how the naval officer coincidentally arrived at the island just when Ralph was about to be killed by the mob of savages. To my dismay, the novel ends in a cliffhanger, and I was left with many unanswered questions about the future of the boys and the society that they are returning to. The only satisfying aspect of the ending is Ralph’s assertion of power in saying that he is the chief, because Jack finally loses his tight grip over the boys through the arrival of an adult. Even though Ralph, the likable character, finally gets the power and rescue that he continued to work for, I believe that Ralph does not have a happy ending. He must now return to a society that may be just as violent as the island society he lived in. Overall, the novel is definitely thought-provoking because it raises a lot of questions about human nature. The brutal acts that the boys committed obviously seemed like acts that I would never do to another living thing, regardless of the environment I was placed in. However, most of the boys on the island are also initially certain that they can maintain a civilized society, yet the society is transformed into the complete opposite in a matter of weeks. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading one author's opinions on the intrinsically cruel nature of man. It is necessary for all of us to form our own ideas on man’s capabilities in restricting himself or completely liberating himself. This novel is one that made me truly think about some of the most primitive forms of human behavior and how easy it can be to access the savagery inside all of us.
The ending of Lord of the Flies did leave me wanting for more in terms of justice but it also provided a satisfying end to an insightful story of human nature. Part of me was caught up in the story and wanted only Ralph to be saved off the island but Golding was also able to establish a new perspective of the savages. His depiction of their behavior and response to the naval officer really brought back to thought that they were really only young boys. Even though the amount of violence may seem unlikely if this were to happen in reality, there is truth, as disagreement and resentment would develop between even the most mature people. This book really did make me question both my lifestyle and humanity in general; provoking me to wonder how much effect society has on my personal decisions and behavior. It also made me wonder what kind of a person I truly was on the inside, I couldn't help but think whether or not I would make the same desicions as the boys did in the novel. This book also brought into light the idea of whether or not morals are natural or instilled into youth through their community. It leads me to think about all the traits that I admire and whether or not I have been influenced into thinking so. Overall, I would definitely recommend this story for my friends, especially kids around our age, it truly makes you question your lifestyle and brings the world into a new perspective. Linette Tang #25
period 3
Vera Chu #9Period 3
After reading the novel, I felt very relieved that all the boys still alive were rescued regardless of their behavior during their stay on the island. Even though they turned savages, they don't deserve to be punished for something that they never planned in the first place. The ending really is bittersweet, many of the beloved characters are dead and only the ruthless and Ralph were able to go home. I learned that society has such a strong hold on the people for a reason. Without law and order there is not much left except anarchy and chaos. Seeing to it that it was a good book to read, i would recommend Lord of the Flies to anyone who has the time to read for fun.
Harvey Thai, #27Period 3
I felt that the ending of the story was quite unexpected, but I didn't really enjoy it though. It seemed very plain, not something I wished to happen. I really wanted more action, even though it has been a slaughter. This may seem very cruel of me, I just thought that maybe Jack or Roger would end up killing everybody. I imagined that they both would be the last ones standing and they would realize the horror they have done. The worst part was that the ending was neither peaceful nor extremely violent. It just bothers me to see the ending so vague. Overall, this was a very entertaining book, except the ending. The most important moral I learned in this story is about human nature. I now can see what Golding means when people are born evil, they only become civilized through the teaching of society. This book definitely shows the aggressiveness in humans in general. In the end, I still believe in my point of view. I believe people are all different, everyone has their own characteristics. I recommend this book for everyone, the moral in this book is probably one of the best I have ever read.
At the end of the novel, I expected the officer to only rescue ralph, but sadly, the savages that were just trying to kill Ralph also got rescued. I thought they did not deserve to be saved because first they bullied and killed and scarred a lot of the people. Secondly, if Jack enjoys the wilderness, hunting, and savagery, he should just stay and continue down his current path. Overall, the book was pretty good I recommend this for everyone 8th grade and up. This book really goes into detail and depth and puts in a lot of imagery, tone, and mood. I think everyone would enjoy this novel as long as they understand what Golding is trying to tell us. Megan Hou
#10
per. 1
Jonas Liptak,Period 3
At the end of the novel, I can honestly say that the ending went pretty much as I expected. I expected that there would be a person that would come in save them and I knew that Golding would have the hunters hunt Ralph. However, I really liked how Golding set up the whole event. Everything went together very nicely at the end and it did not feel rushed at all. As to the whole novel, I would have to say that I enjoyed it thoroughly. I was never once disinterested while reading, everything just seemed so interesting and I kept on wanting to read. Lord of the Flies is a great classic and I would recommend it to anyone besides small children. The lesson that anyone can take from this novel is just to stick to your values and don’t let your environment change you.
Amir Sotoodeh, #20Period 3
In my opinion, the ending struck me with shock but was somewhat relieving. I was shocked that Piggy had been killed and the ending was so sudden that I was not able to comprehend whether it was Ralph's dream or reality. I found it relieving that they were rescued however, I have second thoughts for the murderers being able to leave unpunished. I feel like that the ending was rushed a bit too much and should have had a more smooth transition.
In general, I believe that this book was very exciting and suspenseful. Golding included such vivid imagery and formed complex dynamic characters. The main reason I found it interesting was because of the symbol from the bible. This extended metaphor kept me interested and had me think more critically about the book whenever a suspicious event occurred. Overall, I would rate this book a 9/10 and recommend it to readers who enjoy suspense.
I thought that the ending to the novel was somewhat a disappointment. Although I was ecstatic that Ralph was saved, I am mad that Jack and his tribe were also. They had no intentions of being saved, like Ralph did. The worst part of the novel was right when the naval officer came, Jack turned into an innocent little boy when in reality. It really comes to show how we as children are very devious and can lure others to do things our way. As a whole, I thought the novel was excellent. The fact that Golding was able to include so many religious allusions so subtly is very impressive in my opinion. I would really recommend this novel to all the bookworms out there who enjoy an adventurous story! You will enjoy it a lot! From this novel, I have learned that within every person there is both an innocent and a savage side and with law and order in times of chaos, one's virtuous ideals will over shine their barbaric ways.
Lynne Ji, #13Period 3
The ending to Lord of the Flies was nice. I suppose that's a bit vague and open ended, but I felt like that's just what it was. It brought the reader back to civilization, after the chaos that erupted with Jack trying to hunt down Ralph. For me, it was a sign of relief because I was sincerely worried about Ralph's well being with such a savage group hunting him as if he was an animal. I feel like he got saved by the fire and by the captain that came to rescue the kids. Otherwise, he probably would have died after a long and fierce struggle. I feel like Golding chose a great place to finally take us back to what civilization feels like. When Ralph broke down for Piggy, and when he was finally able to come to terms with what he's been feeling with all this time, it was a heartbreaking moment. All of them have just been so numb to everything, but with the thought of being rescued came the though of returning to real life.
I would recommend this book to anyone honestly, but to specify, I think it would be to guys around middle school or high school age. I think they would find this book the most appealing, because of the action and the delirious sense of abandonment this book can give. Furthermore, they could also take the most valuable lesson away from reading this novel. Often times, young kids dislike and despise the thought of authority. They don't understand the importance rules have in our lives and they think life would be better off without it. This novel shows (very realistically) how life would be if there weren't any parents, and rules, a government, a civilization to lean on.
Finally, the lifelong lesson I took away from this is the importance of structure. Often, I find that I lack structure in my own life, and I have to admit, having my own independence and freedom is nice, in small quantities. However, the more freedom I have, the more I need to watch myself and practice self discipline, since there's no one to do it for me. I think that's a lesson anyone can take from it. Lastly, the big lesson that really hit home with me is the idea of control. I need to control myself or unwanted consequences are going to happen. As a result of the boys just letting loose, kids got injured, and two even died. For modern day teenagers, the consequences usually aren't that severe, since we can't get that out of control, but it can still get pretty terrible. This book is not only amazing in the way it was written, but also in the depth it had and the lesson it taught.
Period 3
Personally, the ending of Lord of the Flies was not very pleasing to me. I wish Golding would have went deeper into explaining how the boys readjusted to society after living in such a primitive way on the island. I wanted to see how savagery affected the boys' lives after they had been rescued. However, when looking at the book as a whole, I think it was pretty good. I really liked how Golding incorporated so many religious aspects into the text. When it comes to recommending this book to someone, I can't think of anyone specific, but I think analytic people would love this book. A life lesson that I can take away from this novel is that without order and civilization to restrain us, our animalistic instincts begin to take over and we can become completely engulfed by those urges. Another life lesson I can take away is that we shouldn't let our pride get the best of us as Jack did when he decided to create his own tribe and focus solely on hunting.