Blog Entry
Thurs. Sept. 19/19
Lord of the Flies
1-Why do the boys react to their island surroundings by stripping off their clothes? What might their actions symbolize?
Thurs. Sept. 19/19
Lord of the Flies
1-Why do the boys react to their island surroundings by stripping off their clothes? What might their actions symbolize?
Near the beginning of the book, on page 2, it says "This is an island. At last I think it's an island. That's a reef out in the sea. Perhaps there aren't any grownups anywhere. Another quote on page 4, "The sand was thick over his black shoes and the heat hit him. He became conscious of the weight of his clothes, kicked his shoes off fiercely and ripped off each stocking with its elastic garter in a single movement". I pulled this quote because it gives a fairly good reason for the reason he stripped his clothes. The reason being the intense heat he felt, the "he" being Ralph. In addition, as from the quote on page 2, the area seems to have no grownups/mature figures. Meaning the actions they do will not have any sort of penalties or punishment. Which could be a reason for their actions. Maybe they have done that as like a sort of action that shows their freedom from any ethics/laws. This action of stripping clothes might symbolize some of dominance. The reason are for two quotes, one on page 5 and one on page 10. This quote on page 5, "Then he leapt back on the terrace, pulled off his shirt, and stood there among the skull-like coco-nuts with green shadows from the palms and the forest sliding over his skin. He undid the snake-clasp of his belt, lugged off his shorts and pants, and stood there naked, looking at the dazzling beach and the water". The second quote, "Piggy hauled himself up, carrying most of his clothes under his arms. Then he sat carefully on a fallen trunk near the little cliff that fronted the lagoon; and the tangled reflections quivered over him". I feel like the two boys, Ralph and Piggy are both symbolizing some sort of dominance when they strip and get on a higher elevation while looking down.
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ReplyDeleteThe boys stripped off their clothes maybe because of the heat ”his hair was plastered to his forehead”(showing the heat and sweatiness, Page I, P1). Stripping symbolizes them, taking off of their past, who they were before and their memories and home. “Ralph's grey shirt still stuck to him"(Page I, P1) showing that he still cares about his past and wants it back.
It is true that the island was pretty hot. However, that is a pretty interesting thought, about how they take off their past and press on with the present. I agree that it seems like Ralph still clings on to the past, since he is the most civilized out of everyone throughout the entire novel.
DeleteThe boys strip off their clothes probably to relieve themselves from the heat, their actions symbolize the taking off of their home and rules that were given to them in the past, Ralph's "grey shirt still stuck to him " showing that the humanity has not left him as of yet.
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ReplyDelete“His gray shirt stuck to him” shows the island’s heat so the boys strip off their clothes because of the heat; and the reason is that they found out the fact that there are no adults on the island. The stripping off of clothes represents a feeling of freedom and careless abandon.