Current Situation

With no doubts, majority of people know that some communist countries limit of what people read. For example, China (a long time ago) and North Korea are against some religions, so they banned some of the religious books like the Bible. I’m not sure if they burn them, but there are some serious consequences if you posses it, like in Fahrenheit 451. Some people might face death or severe punishment. This can relate to Montag who actually hid the book and almost got into trouble. With these unreasonable actions of banning books and limiting people’s will, countries are most likely to fail and corrupt. Without knowledge and help from other resources, how can a community survive? How would they know what is right and what is wrong in their lives? If you see North Korea, it is a perfect example because, they are trying so hard to isolate themselves and have a bravado that they will succeed without any advocacy. However, as time goes by, their reputation and dignity is going down below. This is because they don’t know the real world outside. They don’t know what can help them and know what life is really about. If they have some resources like books, they would gain more knowledge and realize that their actions are just stupid and filled with hubris. I have another thing that can relate to the book that is currently happening in this world. It doesn’t have to be about burning books, but the cause is very important. The cause of burning books is not clarified in this book, but the environment itself is so dependent on technologies. Mechanical hounds, electric-eyed snake, TV shows and more. It reflects on our daily lives where we are relying on Internet, TV shows and videogames so much that we do not care about reading books. Some people consider books as boring papers or a resource that can help them get better grades. Both of these problems can be resolved by believing of what is right and acting upon them. Are people telling you that books are bunch trash? Tell them that those trashes are going to be recycled and be in front of you. The more you try to get rid of them, the more will come up and affect you greatly. Investing more time of reading would be worth more than playing video games for 5 hours.

Climax - Fahrenheit 451

The climax of this novel was when Guy killed his boss, Betty. It was the climax not only because it resolved many problems, but also because it was the point where the main character couldn’t go back. How this all happened is, in the beginning, guy and Betty was first in the fire station, where Guy gave Betty the copy of the book he found; Betty throws it away, and that is when the alarm rings in the office. Betty and guy runs to the fire truck to go to the place where the alarm went on. When they arrive, Guy finds out that it is his own house. Then he sees his wife running away. At that moment, Betty tells Guy to burn his own house since it is him who started all this. Guy does it, and when he comes back, Betty is there waiting, to arrest him. While that goes on, Betty goes on by telling some quotes from books. Suddenly, Guy just bursts his flame thing to Betty, and runs away.
What this whole scene is showing, is the choice that Guy has made. Until this part, Guy was a bit in the middle not really knowing what to do with the problems he has with the fact that he wasn’t finding the real happiness. But in this scene, it is clearly shown that Guy is now willing to sacrifice his job, his wife, his house, and his life to find out what actually is going on, and the way to gain his true happiness.
When this climax took place, I was feeling well, telling to guy that “you’re the man!” it truly was a hard choice to make. To throw everything away to go to a path that is very dangerous and has no clear end. But in the other hand, when I thought about it, I found something a bit weird about Betty. When he was arresting Guy, he was blurting out quotes from the books. When he is a fire man, and the Captain of the fire man, how would he know that much information from the book? Was he also one of the guys who were trying to save the books? Well, it was very questionable.
So anyways, it was a clear Climax where many problems were solved, and where the point of no return was taken place.

Mood - Fahrenheit 451

The mood is how the author shows the story and how the reader feels during reading the story. For me, I felt quite happy in the beginning when it said about a place without book, well because I do not have that much interest in reading books. But as I read through the story and also thought about what would it be like to live a world like that, suddenly a sad mood came in. the trigger was the death. While the story was presented, there were a lot of death or attempts of deaths, such as that the Old Woman was burned, Mildred attempted suicide, Clarisse died, Mildred betraying Guy, and so on. Just like other readers, it was a very sad moment for me also.
The most suspenseful part in the book was when Betty was in Guy’s house, and when Guy found out that the alarm was coming from his own house. In the first part, it was very suspenseful because of the fact that it was just after Mildred, Guy’s wife found out about the book that he hid, and was just about to say something to Betty who was visiting Guy, worried about the incidence that happened during the work today, where the lady with the book burnt herself with the books. The part where Guy found out that the alarm was from his house was suspenseful also, because as a reader, I already knew everything, also that there was suppose to be a book in Guy’s house. I was also quite mad when I figured that it was Mildred, Guy’s wife who told the firemen about the books.
Well, so, this book is full of suspense and thrill, just like the movie SAW. This help the readers to read and stay focused on the book. For me, I enjoyed this book a lot.

Significant and meaningful Passage

Beatty, smelling of the wind through which he had rushed, was at Montag’s elbow. “All right, Montag.”The men ran like cripples in their clumsy boots, as quietly as spiders.At last Montag raised his eyes and turned.Beatty was watching his face.“Something the matter Montag?”“Why” said Montag slowly, “we’ve stopped in front of my house.” (pg.110)


This passage is the most significant and meaningful passage for me, because of mainly two reasons: the atmosphere of the whole scene, and how it relates to my real life story. First with the atmosphere, the part I liked was the scary, thrilling, and suspenseful feelings that I’ve felt while reading this passage. It was quite amazing. Maybe the reason was because of me who was so in to the book, (that doesn't happen that often. well... in about several books including "Harry Potter") but it was also because of just the scene and how the story was going on. In this part, it was where Montag was feeling very scared and somewhat suspense because of the guilt he had. So, for me, as a reader who really got into the book and feeling the similar feeling that the main character Montag was feeling, was also feeling guilty and scared. I think I could say that this part was the most suspenseful part in the whole book in the story, excluding the climax where somebody dies. Well anyways, that was my first reason why this passage was most Significant and meaningful to me.The second reason, how it relates to my real life is that, even though it is nothing really to say proudly with, I've also been in many situations like that. For an example, (Please don't tell this to my parents) there was a time where my parents didn't give me enough allowance for me to spend a week. So, what I did was, to fill up my wallet and have a wealthy week, I decided to steal money from my mom's purse. It was quite easy doing it, but the problem was AFTER the stealing. It was like everyone was looking at me because of the thing that I've done. When ever I heard a similar pronunciation with my name or when ever my mom took her purse out, my heart felt like dropping. Later on, I really couldn't handle it well and after it got to a point when I really couldn't sleep well thinking of it, I just put the same amount of money back in my mom's purse. After that, I'm feeling fine. Well, with the experience that I've already have, I felt a connection and knew exactly what Montag and the author was trying to show in this scene. And that was my second and last reason why I thought that this passage was the most significant and meaningful passage to me.

Lord of the Flies : Settings

The setting in the novel that I thought was very memorable was the part when Piggy died and floated away to the ocean. It wasn’t memorable because I like killing people or the ocean, but it was because of the scene that was really odd. From my understanding, the scene had to be a very dreadful, sad, and ruthless. However, William Golding, the author of the novel, had a different idea. The setting was presented very calm, peaceful, and beautifully, and that fact that these two opposite things are presented like this, was just stuck in my head.
William Golding showed these things in many parts in the book such as, the island, the skull of the pig, and the boys themselves. The island was presented very beautifully just like the tropical island in the Caribbean, but what actually happened in there was totally different. The killing and the hunting was going on in the island, actually showing very cruel and ugly stuffs. The skull of the pig was the same. Showed as the “Lord of the Flies”, it was placed in the garden like place which was said to be the most beautiful place in the island. And lastly, the boys, the ones who should have been the most clean and naïve became the ones who are like the total opposite.
Thinking about these settings and scenes, I came with a great conclusion that these are very related to the theme of the book, which is “good vs. bad.” These settings told me that there is no such thing as totally good or totally bad. It actually showed me that where there is good, there is bad; meaning that good and bad is ideas that coexist. Being good or bad means the good/bad inside is bigger or can control the bad/good in you.
Well, these are why this scene of Piggy floating away, was very memorable.

Lord of the Flies : Current Situations

Some extreme examples in the world would be children who deals drugs, or holds gun like AK-47, and goes out to war. These boys do these things, not really knowing what they are actually doing. In other words, they do not know how terrifying killing others is, but they only know the happiness of winning the war. In many rural places, children are treated as a soldier, killing and shooting at the opponent. The lack of rules and education brings this result, eventually leading the kids to a one way road to the cliff. How they act right know is just like the jungles where only power and instinct is the rule, which isn’t true.
William Golding sheds light on these situations and tells us the solution to these problems, which is guidance and rule. Children showed in the novel became wild and violent because of lack of rule and forgetting about the civilized rules. Well, the solution for this problem will be making an educational center where children can learn and have better knowledge of the rules and logic. With knowledge, children will know what is right or wrong, what should be done or undone, helping themselves living in the civilized world.
I wish when people read this novel, they find out what is wrong with the world these days, and help the unhelped, making a better world for not only them, but everyone.

Lord of the Flies : Mood

The mood of this novel definitely is grief and horror. Even though in the beginning the boys enjoy the freedom and has a positive mind towards the fact, as time goes on, the horror and sadness comes in. First, the isolation, then the food, then the beast, and then nothing. Like you can see from the worries they have, the focus becomes shorter, meaning that they get to worry about the things that are more and closer. As the logic goes away, at the same time, grief and horror comes in. I think the author, William Golding did a fascinating job of showing the horror by the “beast” with something so imaginary and unreal, boys show such horror emotion, showing our mental state where we cannot really think that well without someone guiding us.
In the novel, the fearful mood sneakingly approaches to the reader. The word choice becomes more dark and more frightful, such as ‘And there again, shrill and inevitable, was the ululation sweeping across the island.’
Well, I truly feel saddened about this novel anyway, because not only the boys in this novel are in these kind of wild, and unguided situation, but many others in the real world is also. Young drug dealers, little soldiers, and all the children are in these kind of danger, wanting for guidance. It is just so pitiful that these happen in real world, and I now kind of respect this guy, William Golding, for writing such a metaphoric novel that teaches us about an important portion of the world.

Lord of the Flies : Climax

The climax of this novel is (thank you Mrs.Lavender) the part when the boys in the island finally meet the rescue crew. This is right after the scene where Ralph, who lost all his friends, was being chased by Jack’s group who wanted him to be dead. While the chasing, Ralph ran to the beach, where the captain was standing, watching the boys running towards him. When everyone saw this captain, with many emotions going through, all of them starts to cry. This is both the climax, falling action, and the resolution. What I have seen from this scene is how human can show their “human nature” in a condition where there are no restrictions of rules. This novel showed literally “boys have gone wild” in the island just in a short period, even making them to murder someone else without any guiltiness.
This climax brings me both odd, but also familiar feeling. The odd feeling comes from the thought ‘will that really happen when you get lost in an deserted island?’ or like ‘that wouldn’t be the case. How can boys in that age be like that, killing their own friend, forgetting where they were a few month ago?’ I really didn’t think that this would happen, but the familiar feeling came persuading me about what happens or what would happen when teenagers of my age come together in a house with no restriction, full of anything we wanted. It will be wild just like the boys in the jungle, the only difference being the existence of technology. The book gave me a little idea about the humanity that we all have inside us, and the result that will occur when there will be no rules. Writing this answer, I figured out the importance of rules and the reason why we, as a teenager who can’t control our self that much, have rules to obey.

Lord of the Flies : Main Characters

There are many main characters in this novel. They are Jack, Ralph, Piggy, Sam & Erick, and Simon. There were some other characters in the story but I didn’t think they were really main characters, so I’ll just be skimming over them. Well first with Jack, he is very strong and stubborn. He wants the place of the leader, and he gains it. He was also the first one to become “evil” to move out the group of kids in from the crew that they first had. The next character is Ralph. He is the one who became the leader in the beginning. He is also the one who isn’t strong, but who is smart and has warm heart. Ralph looks at the situations more logically knowing what to do, but because lack of power, not many kids follows his lead. Piggy is a very smart kid, but because of asthma and his fat appearance he is not respected by others. Sam & Erick are two kids who are brothers. They follows Ralph, until they becomes tortured by Jack and his group. The novel doesn’t really show that much about them, but I’m assuming that they are weak, easily manipulated by their relationship. Lastly, Simon is the kind one. He most of the time thinks about everybody else, but eventually dies by the people who he tried to save, and gave love to. It is such an irony.
So throughout these characters, my favorite I think is Jack, the one who looks at the circumstance logically. Even though he lost power in the end, but I really liked about his friendship with others, and the humanness that he showed by trying to revenge for his friend, Piggy.
All of these main characters are special in the way that they show parts of humanity in them, rather it is good or bad. Jack, the strong and leading one, shows the human nature, the desire of power. He showed how much he wanted the leadership of the group and then again, shows the desire by going out of the group with all his followers, and becoming the leader in another place. Ralph shows the leadership that human has and the last logical thought human has in them. Even though everyone else becomes wild and turns to their natural instinct instead of their head, Ralph thinks logical and tries to turn the problem right. But because of lack of power and people, he becomes lonely. Lonliness weakens Ralph and eventually makes him to run away from others not knowing the reason why. Piggy shows the reaction of human when we are in such a situation where everything is so different. We all start to panic and worry about everything, just like Piggy did. Sam & Erik also show the weakness of humans. Even though they stayed with Ralph until the end, with the peer pressure and torture, they went into Jack’s group. Lastly, Simon shows the better part of humanity, which is friendship. He worries about his friends all the time, and tries to relive others from the scariness toward the mysterious creature.

Lord of the Flies : Major Theme

The major theme of this novel shows how people can change only by not having the restrictions that they had till now. Basically, it is the human instinct verses logical thinking. This might sound weird, but what I am trying to say is about something like evil verses good. From the title, “Lord of the Flies” it implies the evilness that derives through the novel. This novel is closely related to evil, where it shows the characteristics of allurement of breaking the laws or more like not trying to have a law. Boys in this novel show the change from the obedient, peaceful students to the barbaric wild Tarzans who are more violent and dangerous. The best example is Jack. Him becoming the leader and chief of the Castle Rock, he shows the cruelty and violence by killing piggy and chasing after Ralph. Law is now nothing but a scribble in a piece of paper, and instinct is the only thing left for him to make a choice. In the other hand, there is Ralph, the one being chased, who actually is the logical thinker who has thoughts and ideas for the future not only based on his demon like instinct. By William Golding showing us Ralph running away from Jack’s group, I think he is trying to say that instinct is what most of us become like in a law-less place, and for him showing the appearance of the captain and the sobbing of the boys, telling us that how much civilization is important to us.
This theme is important to teenager living in 2008, because these actions of Jack to follow the instinct not thinking, shows our careless mistakes and accidents that we make not thinking of the consequence, such as doing drugs, drinking, smoking, and robbing. This novel shows our actions towards the society, how stupid and wild we are. Knowing this theme, I believe teenagers should figure out what they are actually doing, and how that is reflected to others and themselves.