1A_island

[|island]

"Here and there, little breezes crept over the polished waters beneath the haze of heat. When these breezes reached the platform the palm fronds would whisper, so that spots of blurred sunlight slid over their bodies or moved like bright, winged things in the shade." (Golding 15) To the boys, the island first symbolized a form of escape from the war and chaos of reality. The breezes and relaxing atmosphere made them think they reached a safe place where they could be free and at ease. It's like they get a free island vacation away from the real world. The imagery of the light moving over them in the shadows shows how this event gives them some hope in their time of despair as light is usually a symbol of something good and pure or full of hope. The island's first impression on the boys is seen as a safe haven from the time of war and tragedy they live in. They see the island as a chance for some freedom, relaxation and escape from the lives of entrapment and misfortune they were just living. -Lidia de Leon

"This belongs to us." (Golding 29) This quote shows how the boys are free from society and from adult supervision. This quote was said when the boys were first discovering that the island was without an adults or rules. The way that the boys felt when discovering this, was them being set free from all the rules and the complications one would have with adults. The boys feel as if this island is a sign for their freedom and their ability to be individuals without anyone judging them or punishing them. Theboys are independent and have the choice to do whatever it is that they please. -Jasmin Lee

"They had guessed before that this was an island: clambering among the pink rocks, with the sea on either side, and the crystal heights of air, they had known by some instinct that the sea lay on every side. But there seemed something more fitting in leaving the last word till they stood on the top, and could see a circular horizon of water." (Golding 29) This quote represents the idea that once the boys realize they are on a mysterious piece of land, they automatically assume it is an island, but choose not to believe it really is an island, until they physically see it for themselves. This reveals that at first, the boys actually feel a sign of fear. The boys have never been alone without parents or adults, to set the rules, and therefore, the quote reveals that the boys are actually anxious, yet nervous to be living on the island by themselves. As the boys realize the responsibility that comes with an open island, the boys are starting to get excited they are on an island all to themselves, without any adults, and have all the freedom to themselves now. -Joy Chuang

“That other time the air had seemed to vibrate with heat; but now it threatened.” (Golding 132) This quote is found in chapter eight, after Jack and his hunters leave the group to go off on their own. Simon decides that the “beastie” that everyone is afraid of is no more than a figment of their own imagination and goes to check and see what “beastie” has fallen from the air. As he traveling up the mountain, the air seems hotter and dangerous compared to before when it was just uncomfortably hot and dry; now it has a threatening presence. I related this to the devil but also that due to the presence of the “devil“ on the island, it causes the boys to run amok, listening to their ego more then their Id and causing them to evolve backwards becoming savages. In reference to the devil, I thought that the threatening air was the devil’s power increasing, influencing more people on the island to follow their ego and bring about more chaos towards each other. This also shows that the initial feeling about the island that the boys felt when they first landed is not how they feel any longer. The once sanctuary away from civilization and rules and manners is that no longer. Now, or it soon becomes, a faraway cage where the sane is trapped and waiting to be saved while the insane are lost in their savagery. – Alyssa Kao

"The densest tangle on the island, a mass of twisted stems, black and green and impenetrable, lay on their left and tall grass swayed before them." (Golding 174) The island presents to the boys an environment where their true selves, or their true human nature, can be released and developed without the restraints provided by civilization. The uninhabited and undeveloped, island leaves the boys to their fancies, and without supervision, the boys become uncontrolled, wild, and barbaric like the island they inhabit. For example, Jack first appears as a relatively good leader to the choir boys and is civil, almost kind, to Ralph, yet by the end of the novel he has turned completely savage, having no remorse for the deaths of Simon and Piggy and eager to kill Ralph. In the beginning of the novel, the island presented freedom and fun, but now, the island has become threatening due to the boys' changed natures. The island first appears as a beautiful safe haven, like the Garden of Eden in the Bible, and the Original Sin created by Adam and Eve, i.e. the boys hunting for food and arguing with each other, causes the beautiful place to become nearly unrecognizably ferocious and dangerous. Their morals become just as twisted and unrecognizable as the "mass of twisted stems" from the jungle. - Kelsey Klocksieben 6/4/2010

"The red rock that he could see at the top of the cliff vanished like a curtain, and he could see figures in the sky. A moment later the earth jolted, there was a rushing sound in the air, and the top of the thicket was cuffed as with a gigantic hand the rock bounded on, thumping and smashing towards the beach, while a shower of broken twigs fell on him. Beyond the thicket, the tribe was cheering." (Golding 193) This quote shows the chaos occurring on the island. The island originally symbolized a haven and could be equated with the Garden of Eden. As seen on page 15, the island was described with a positive connotation, as it described polished waters and the sunlight shining over the island. However, there is a stark contrast from the original descriptions earlier in the novel to the description of the island seen in this quote. The island described now is one of disorder and corruption, since this quote was during the tribal hunt taking place for the murder of Ralph. The events now taking part on the island is one of savagery. This shows how the island serves as a symbol of the evil found in human nature as it was originally a sanctuary where the boys could get away from the brutalities of war, but is now seen to be an island filled with atrocities. -Kristine Dizon