Lord of the Flies

I gave a brief description of the Lord of the Flies (LotF) reading timeline, but here it is again in case you missed it - you need to finish the book and answer 4 questions about this reading by August 15th. Again, I'm thinking this won't be terribly strenuous for you (for example, I read the book at a leisurely pace in about 2 days), but it is in addition to reading free choice books, too. More on that in a bit.

For LotF, I want you to answer the following questions by creating a quick blog using Blogger where you create a post to answer the questions. Then, just leave a comment under this post with the url/link so others can see and comment on your post. If you're unable to create a blog - whether from tech issues, or you're one of those out and about on your cell phone (at camp, vacation, Siberia...), send me a note and we'll figure it out.

I want you to choose 2 of these questions to answer - I'll be adding a few more in the next week or so for you to answer, too, as I'm trying to roll them out as you're reading them. A quick rubric will be used to grade these, which will be part of your "Summer Work" grade. The rubric is attached below. Questions? Email me!

One brief aside - I know it's very easy to use Net resources (SparkNotes, Bookrags, etc.) to "help" create your responses. I obviously can't monitor your usage of these sites, and wouldn't even if I could. In fact, I sometimes use sites like these to help me better understand all facets of a text, and find it useful in refreshing my memory at times, too. With that said, feel free to use those resources you normally might to help craft your responses; just make sure that they're just helping, not actually creating your responses. :) I'll talk more about this as we start the year.

Questions (choose 2 to answer!):

1) On page 70, Golding writes that Ralph "...wanted to explain that people were never quite what you thought they were." Write about this, both in the context of the book and its characters as well as your own experiences in life.

2) One of the main points of this book is to look at the effects of authority, or the lack of authority, on people. The "society" that the boys created eventually begins to fall apart; do you think this is because of the leaders they chose (Ralph and Jack), or because of the situation they were in (meaning who their leaders were didn't matter)?

3) Suspend your rationale thinking for a moment, and imagine that the place you all know best involving established authority - school - is suddenly without teachers, Ms. Nadeau, etc. for an extended period of time (think weeks). What would happen?

4) On page 81, Golding writes that as a boy was about to throw a rock to hit another, that "Roger's arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins," causing him to stop before hitting the boy with the rock. How does this statement apply to some of the other characters in the book - that is, how do the effects of civilized society still apply (or don't apply) to them?

Again, these aren't due until August 15th (although I'll have another couple questions in a week or so for you), so just keep that due date in mind.

Rubric