Anthem: Chapter 2

In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, the author’s message about relationships is that they aren't supposed to be formed. For example, when Equality 7-2521 is thinking about Liberty 5-3000 he says, “We do not know why, when we think of them, we feel of a sudden that the earth is good and that it is not a burden to live” (41). Equality 7-2521 is really starting to like Liberty 5-3000 and this is something that would be very frowned upon if anyone were to know.  Everyone is supposed to be equal, so nobody is allowed to form relationships because this would cause them not love everyone the same. Equality 7-2521 knows that its unusual that he thinks this way, and thats why he is confused about the feelings that he has. In addition, when Equality 7-2521 was finally talking to Liberty 5-3000 for the first time, “We felt our lips drawn tight with hatred, a sudden hatred for all our brother men. And the Golden One saw it and smiled slowly, and this was the first sadness we had seen in them" (45). This is a moment in the book where both of them are starting to realize how the government is holding them back. They know that they aren’t supposed to be having any sort of feelings for anyone, but they are letting lose a little bit. In the novel Anthem, the main character is beginning to stray more than usual from the “social norm”, and is showing how sometimes you can find a relationship when you weren't even looking for one. 

Lost | Blog Post

        There are many similarities between the first episode of the show Lost and the novel Lord of the Flies. For example, some of the characters in both stories seemed to have a lot in common. From the beginning it was obvious right away that Jack, one of the main characters in Lost, played a similar role to Ralph, one of the main characters in Lord of the Flies. When Jack and all of the others first arrived on the island Jack stepped up right away. He tried to help as many people as he could and that helped to give everyone on the island some sense of community. When Ralph and the boys first arrived on the island Ralph knew right away that in order to get rescued they’d need to survive for as long as they could by creating some sort of society. Both characters were the symbols of reason and had the personality trait of being naturally good leaders. Another character comparison that I noticed was between Kate (from Lost) and Piggy (from LOTF). This is because it already very noticeable that Kate has formed some sort of connection with Jack, and has almost become “loyal” to him. This is similar with Piggy and Ralph’s relationship because although it was a more one-sided friendship, Piggy did become very loyal to Ralph and stuck by him throughout the entire novel. 

       There were many similarities in the settings of both story lines that I noticed. For example, both groups of people suffered through a plane crash and ended up on an island. These islands were both completely barren and had no civilization or any sense of human life. They both work to develop themes or images because they both imply the theme of having to create a new society out of nothing. One instance of irony that I noticed in the episode that connected to LOTF was the fact that both plots have some sort of “beast” figure. Whether its real or just a figment of their imagination, there is some sort of power over the people on the islands. The overall theme of the episode seemed to be that when isolated, people really begin to realize how much they depend on one another. This compared to themes in LOTF because once the other boys stop contributing to helping with their jobs, Ralph starts to realize how much slower everything is taking without the help of others. The essential question of our unit that this relates to is “How do humans react to isolation?”. The answer to this question is that they start to realize how much they really depend on other people.

Chapter 12: Cry of the Hunters

At the end of chapter 12 of "Lord Of the Flies", Ralph is left crying. He is crying because now they're finally being rescued, and hes thinking about all the awful things that have happened to them on that island. Even though Ralph tries hard to act tough in front of the other boys, this is a moment where he really just breaks down and shows his vulnerability. "The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island" (Golding 202). Sometimes when reading this book its easy to forget that these boys are just young kids, and they've been showing a strong face for a while, and now Ralph is showing that he has weaknesses. Through this, Golding reveals the message that although people may lose themselves and get out of touch with who they are, they will always carry with them some sense of morals. 

Chapter 11: Castle Rock

Ralph accuses Jack of being a beast, swine, and theif. Their battle shows a shred of civilization because at first they arent using weapons, so it shows that they probably didnt have the intention to kill anyone.

Ralph has become more violent, which makes him seem more savage. At the beginning of the book he probably would have never fought with someone, or tried to intentionally hurt another person. Piggy stops it because he reminds them of the real reason why they came, which was not to battle.

William Golding is sending the message that the enviornment is causing these boys to become more and more savage. Throughout the entire book Golding has made hints at how humans naturally have some evil in them, but in scenarios like these it is very apparent.

Chapter 7: Shadows and Tall Trees

In chapter 7 William Golding reveals his beliefs that all humans have the tendency to act like beasts. Throughout the entire book the boys have started reverting back to animal like tendencies, but Golding’s beliefs about it are more apparent in this chapter. For example, when Ralph and the other boys were trying to catch the pig, Ralph "was full of fright and apprehension and pride” (113) after his spear hit the pig in the snout. On any other normal basis, this doesn't seem like something that Ralph would take pride in. Ralph is showing the human tendency to act like a beast because on any normal occasion, Ralph wouldn't be the type of person to take pride in injuring an animal. However, given the circumstances, he has to in order to eat. In addition, when the boys were reenacting the pig chase they made Robert play the pig and, "Robert squealed in mock terror, then real pain" (114). None of them even realized that Robert wasn't playing along anymore. They were treating him like an animal and nobody saw anything wrong with it. This is an example of how humans have the tendency to act like beasts because, as the boys are adjusting to life on the island they're becoming more aggressive and almost losing a part of their morals, which is causing them to become beast like.

Chapter 5: Beast from Water

1.) Ralph is different now from the way he was the first time he walked on the beach because now he is starting to come to terms with his situation. At first he always thought about being rescued and brought home but now he is starting to realize that they wont be found. This is causing him to transform into a stronger leader. He is being a stronger leader because he knows that now that since they probably wont get rescued, he needs to establish order and stability so that they can have a strong foundation and survive out on the island.

2.) Ralph blows the conch which signals for everyone to meet up at the beach. The tone of this     meeting is more stern and serious then some of their meetings in the past. Ralph is angry with the group and wants to make them realize the severity of their situation. He talks about how nobody helped to build the shelters, how nobody is following the rules that were set to keep order and peace, and how nobody’s doing their jobs.

3.) The quote completed is: “We’ve got to have smoke up there- or die.” Ralph is talking about the fire in this quote, and how its the only chance of them getting rescued and surviving. He’s saying that its the most important thing on the island, and it should be their main focus to keep the fire alive. He is right about the smoke being more important than catching a pig because the fire is their only hope of having a boat see them and rescue them. He is wrong about the fire being more important than catching a pig because the boys are in desperate need of meat. All they've been eating is fruit and its causing problems with their bodies. 

4.) Jack says to the younger boys that they shouldn't get scared and worry about the beast. He says this to calm them down because they don’t need any added stress and he wants everyone to feel as safe as possible. He is being sensible by trying to be the adult and calming everyone down. Also because he doesn't believe in monsters, so he thinks its all their imagination. 

5.) The littluns are starting to behave more and more paranoid. Their paranoia is caused by the “monster” that they think comes out at night. To add to that a new theory is made, that the monster comes out from the ocean only at night. They start to cry because they are so scared of the monster. 

6.) Simon comes up with the idea that they should go to “a place he knows” in the jungle at night, but its dangerous because the littluns are still afraid of the monster and Simon’s the only one thats been there before. His idea is quickly dismissed and leaves Simon feeling humiliated. 

7.) The meeting ends when Jack and Piggy fight about the conch. Jack runs away and all the littluns follow him. 

8.) At the end of the chapter they wish that there was a way to communicate with the adults in their families because they still have a tiny bit of hope left of getting rescued. They miss the idea of having older people to keep them in line, and they miss civilization. 

Chapter 4: Painted Faces and Long Hair

In chapter 4 of “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, Jack begins to physically transform. Jack is beginning to care so much about killing a pig that its the only thing he thinks about or worries about. He is also starting to become less civilized. For example, when Jack went out hunting it says that he, “"began to dance and his laughter turned into a bloodthirsty snarl" (Golding 64). His surrounding are transforming him into becoming almost animal like. The only thought that is occupying his mind is killing a pig, and its making him become sort of crazy. At the beginning of the book the thought of blood stopped Jack from killing a pig, but now he is thirsty for blood. He is turning into a predator. In addition, when Jack was getting ready to go hunting, "He made one cheek and one eye-socket white, then he rubbed over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from right ear to left jaw" (Golding 63). This quote is another example of how Jack is started to revert to animal instincts. He is getting very into hunting and he is determined to bring back a pig for the boys and himself. This new him is changing his perceptions of himself because its probably making him feel like he has more power. Since he is in charge of killing a pig, people are depending on him and with the responsibility comes a sense of authority. His behaviors towards others are also starting to change. For example, he hit Piggy and broke a lens of his glasses. He is starting to feel like he is above the other boys and its making him meaner.

Chapter 3: Ralph and Jack

Jack and Ralph are pretty similar in the sense that they both act somewhat as “leaders”, but they are also very different. Ralph is more hardworking and selfless. For example, when Ralph was complaining to Jack he said, “All day I’ve been working with Simon. No one else. They're off bathing, or eating, or playing” (Golding 50). Ralph has been working for days to make shelters, and hasn't gotten much help. He shows how selfless he is because even though no one else is committed to helping besides him and Simon, he continues to make the shelters because he knows in the end they will benefit everyone. He is very determined and that is also shown when he says to Jack, “You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?” (Golding 50). Everyone else has quit making the shelters besides Ralph and Simon. This shows how determined Ralph is because even though everyone else quit, he is still continuing to work. Jack on the other hand isn't as motivated and hardworking as Ralph. For example, when Jack came back from hunting he was complaining to Ralph and he said, “We want meat” (Golding 51). He is complaining about not having any meat, yet he is the hunter and he gave up hunting. Jack could have just kept trying until he caught something, but instead he gave up and complained. If it were Ralph he probably would have continued working until he was finished, because he knows how much the entire group depends on it. Ralph seems to be more mature and seems to have more of the qualities of a leader. 

Prompt #4

I’m relating this book, “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, to the movie “Castaway”. In the first chapter of this book I’ve learned that a plane carrying a group of boys crashed over the ocean, and the boys became stranded on an island with no civilization. The story line of “Castaway” is similar, a plane crashes over the ocean and a man is stranded on an island all by himself. In both cases the main character(s) have to learn how to adapt and survive in their new environment. For example, in “Lord of the Flies”, when Jack couldn't get himself to kill the pig, he thought to himself, “Next time there would be no mercy” (Golding 31). This shows how they are learning how to adapt to their new environment because they have to learn how to kill animals in order to be able to get their own food. They are both completely isolated from the outside world and have to make do with what they have. There are differences however, such as the fact that in “LOTF” there is a group of boys, and in “Castaway” there is only one man all by himself. The concept faced of being desperate for food brings to mind the issues that less privileged people have to face, because some things that seem so easy to get for us may be a struggle to get for some other people.

Utopian Society

If I were forced to form a society of peers on a deserted island, I would create my ideal society by trying to establish peace and equality. My utopian society would have a lot of farmland, so that the citizens could harvest the crops and use them to help stock our grocery store. The shops and supplies would be located in the middle of the society, and the houses would be along the outside with the farms. My society would have a government, but the citizens would be able to have a big say in the decisions that would be made. All citizens would have the responsibility to have to learn how to grow and harvest their own crops. Some of the jobs would be hunters, farmers, police officers, medics, and people to help clean our water. All children ages 5-15 would be required to go to school, and can go to school up to the age of 18 if they want to. Once the citizens turn 15 they are required to learn whatever trade that are interested in. By the age of 18 all capable people must have some sort of job that requires responsibility. The laws and punishments would be very inforced, in order to keep our citizens safe. If a person murdered another, then they would be either executed or prisoned for life, depending on the circumstances. My utopian society's currency would be very similar to our currency in the US. Minimum wage however would be $5 per hour, because there are less luxeries to spend money on. People would spend their money on things they need to survive, not necessarily things they want.

Literary Analysis

David Mitchell uses personification, metaphors, and similies to convey the message that in order to come of age, one must come to terms with their imperfections. For example, when the narrator was passing rooms with in them who had disabilities, he said, "Well, my life may be a swamp of sh*t but at least I'm not in James Taylor's shoes. At least I can talk" (Mitchell 28). This quote of personification shows how the narrator is starting to come to terms with the fact that he has a speech impediment. Even though he is always going to be a little ashamed of the way he talks, he knows that he could have it worse. In addition, when the narrator was trying to talk in front of his class, he thought to himself, "the harder I forced the rest, the tighter the noose got" (Mitchell 26). This is an example of a metaphor, and it shows how at the beginning he was more ashamed of himself. He was ashamed that he wasn't able to get the words out, and then he just ended up saying a random answer since he could get out he right answer. David Mitchell uses personification, metaphors, and smilies to convey that in order to come of age, one must come to terms with their imperfections. 

"Shaving" by Leslie Norris

The short story "Shaving" by Leslie Norris has a deeper meaning and isn't just about shaving. In this short story, the main character, Barry is demonstrating how he is coming of age. His father is dying and he knows that he has to step up and do things that he might not normally do, such as shaving his dad's beard for him. The act of him shaving his dad shows how much he cares for his dad and how he would do anything for him. I think that since he knows that his dad is dying, he wants to help him as much as possible and he wants his dad to know how much he loves him. The fact that he took a long time to carefully clean all of his dad's shaving supplies shows how much respect that he has for his dad. He wants to make sure he shaves his dad's beard the best he possibly can because he knows how much it means to him. This short story has more to it then just shaving a beard, its about coming of age and being selfless to help someone else in need.

Coming of Age Ritual

The Sateré-Mawé Coming Of Age Tradition: Bullet Ant Initiation


When the boys in the Sateré-Mawé tribe turn 13, they have to go into the jungle and find bullet ants to use for the ceremony. The tribe leader then puts the ants into a herbal solution, which temporarily sedates them but then ends up making them very mad. The boys have to put on a glove with bullet ants in it, and they have to keep their hand in for 10 minutes. The pain is supposed to prepare the boys for life and "manhood". They have to wear this glove 20 times over the course of a few months and can't show any pain or weakness. If the boy can't keep the glove on without crying, then they won't be able to "become a man". The day they can wear it without showing weakness is when they "become a man". Although this ritual is nothing like anything we usually see happening around here, I do feel like there is somewhat of a connection. When boys reach a certain age it seems like its almost expected for them to be "manly" and tough, and thats what this ritual is demonstrating. 

Works Cited

"Getting Stung by Bullet Ants, a Painful Initiation Ritual | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities." Oddity Central Collecting Oddities. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.

"The World's Coolest Coming Of Age Traditions." All That Is Interesting. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.

Exploring the Essential Question

Facing obstacles has a big role in shaping an individual's identity. For example, once we overcome a problem, we learn from our mistakes and apply it in the future. Our experiences help us to mature. Each time we fail, we learn something. This helps to make us more self-sufficient because now we know what to do in order to avoid another obstacle. If one never has to face any obstacles, then he will never know how to be independent. One can learn more about themselves by seeing how they react when under pressure.

Letter of Introduction

This summer I spent most of my time hanging out with my friends. At the beginning of the summer we all went to Maine together and then we did it again right before school started. There are five people in my family. I have a little brother named Ryan and an older sister named Megan. Last year school was okay for me, but I hope this year will be better. Last year I was apart of women’s choir and student counsel, and I’ll probably do those again this year. I usually spend most of my free time with my friends. They would probably describe me as being loud, helpful, and trustworthy. Some things that are important to me are my dogs, school, friends, and being happy. My goals in life are to go to a good college and maybe be a veterinarian. 

I learn best when I am comfortable in class, and I’m very motivated to do my best by my parents. My favorite assigned read was “The Help”. I liked this book because of how strong the characters were and how intriguing the book was. Outside of English my main strength is that I always try my best. My biggest weaknesses are test and quiz taking, because I always panic and get a brain block while taking them. I think that listening and participating are very important qualities of an effective discussion. I also think that these are very important qualities to have during class. Being easy to take to is an effective quality for a teacher to have.

My goals/hopes for English this year are to get a better grade then I did last year, and to participate more. These can be achieved by studying extra hard and by trying to raise my hand more when I know the answer. My strengths in English last year were probably the projects we did or some of the writing. The area I most need to improve in in English is reading more carefully. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of things this year. Some fears/anxieties/concerns I have about English at this time is keeping up with my organization and being a more active member of the class.


Something that you should know about me to help me grow and learn this year is that sometimes it takes me a few times to understand things well. There are also times where I’ll need an assignment to be further explained to me to really get it, but if so I’ll be sure to come in and talk to you. A random fact about me is that I have pet dogs, chickens, and ducks.