1A_pigs

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Quote 1: "There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream and the creepers to jerk, and the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony arm. The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be. Then the piglet tore loose from the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth."(Golding 31)======

Analysis: This is the first pig we see in the novel. Ironically, while this pig is already trapped by the "creepers," this pig manages to escape Jack's knife. The pigs are a symbol of the boys becoming more savage and losing their innocence. Even the children are able to realize how much the act of killing another animal means, especially in a moment where they can clearly think and see the trapped piglet. The act of being unable to kill the pig symbolizes how the boys, including Jack, were still civilized and orderly when they first arrived at the island. The moment also demonstrates how important the boys' views of one another are. After letting the pig go, Jack shows great embarrassment at letting the pig go, and vows to complete the action the next opportunity he gets. This obsession with hunting eventually leads to Jack and Ralph clashing over what they consider more important, the pigs or the fire. -Jason Oh 5/26/10

Quote 2: "There was lashings of blood," said Jack, laughing and shuddering, "you should have seen it!" (Golding 69)

Analysis: In contrast with Jack's first encounter with a pig on the island, Jack slays the pig this time and brings back meat to eat. This event demonstrates how time on the island changes Jack and the hunters. They actually killed a living being and in a sense "killed their innocence". Killing becomes a drug to Jack and the hunters and they desire to kill more and hunt everyday. In chapter 4 Jack physically hits Piggy for the first time in the novel. Jack wishes to show off his achievement, but Piggy kept telling him about the importance of the fire.. Luckily, Ralph convinces Jack of his wrongdoing and Jack apologizes for letting the fire out. Jack's liking of killing becomes a problem as it sometimes conflicts with Ralph's ideas. This event is a stepping stone leading to the split of kids like political parties. -Raymond Lin 5/29/10

Quote 3: "//Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in.//" (Golding 75)

Analysis: At this point of the novel, the kids have lost their innocence that they had when they first entered the island. They have turned more "savage", hunting for pigs for meat. The pig they chose was a mother pig who was taking care of her piglets. However, the hunters proceeded on to go in for the kill. I think Golding was trying to portray the insanity of the kids by taking care of "living thing" which took care of its offspring. Jack and the hunters become more and more savage-like, and a split between Ralph and Jack can be foreshadowed at this point. This shows the importance of the pig which plays a role of almost a checkpoint for the kids. Once they slay the pig, their insanity starts to deteriorate and starts to crave more killing for more meat. Golding also wants to point out that the system which the kids have developed is not working as conflicts arise and will eventually split the tribe in half. Jack, which symbolizes anarchy, is against Ralph, who represents order and government. -Moses Chung 6/4/10

Quote 5: "They were black and iridescent green and without number; and in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned. At last Simon gave up and looked back; saw the white teeth and dim eyes, the blood - and his gaze was held by that ancient. inescapable recognition." (Golding 138)

Analysis: Simon is arguably the purest character on the island and is the wisest as well. He is the only one who chooses to disbelieve the idea that the beast is a physical existence, besides Piggy, and decides to venture up the mountain to be sure. On his way down, he visits the flower meadow that he visited earlier in the novel and is horrified to see the "Lord of the Flies" impaled in the middle. The act of placing the bloody head amidst the flowers is representative of the loss of innocence that the boys have gone through by committing the act of murder. The flower garden can be paralleled to the Garden of Eden, which is corrupted through the actions of humans. The "Lord of the Flies," which is a literal translation for Beelzebub who is often characterized as the devil, is a symbol of the evil associated with the savagery that Jack's group commits. Through this view, Simon can be seen as a holy or pure kid, and later a martyr, on the island full of savagery. -Alex Chang 5/28/10