A Dangerous Rite of Passage
A notion to inspire awe, heroism, wonder. But too often danger, irresponsibility, and chaos as well — and many times the duplicitous mind of the adult. Too often, this concept of “power” is associated with evil and misdeed, opposite of the innocent domain of the light hearted child. However, Golding meddles with these opposing connotations in Lord of the Flies. The boys separate themselves into two groups: the “biguns” and the “littluns.” This is a distinction typically ignored in society: they are often classified simply as “children.” The boys, however, are more serious with this segregation, and Golding uses it to portray two groups analogous to adults and children. The contrast between the littluns and biguns …show more content…
The littluns hang onto this childish nightmare of the monster “snake-thing … in the woods” (35). Although their imagination is a source of unnecessary terror to themselves, even with the older boys agreeing with the leaders about the unlikeliness of a Beast, “here and there among the little ones [is] the doubt that require[s] more than rational assurance” (36). In contrast to the littluns, the biguns are stubborn in their argument that such a Beast could not exist on their island with their repeating cries of “but there isn’t a Beast!” (35) — until Ralph and Jack venture out and actually encounter a glimpse of a “Beast.” The creativity tied so closely with children’s minds leads to a useless panic that contrasts with the more rational mind of the biguns, whose assumption of the parental role is used to …show more content…
Immediately, in sharp contrast to the littluns who are off playing games and picking fruit for themselves, he initiates and wins an election for leadership, or “chief,” after they notice the presence of “no grownups!” (8) — in other words, a lack of power. In an orderly manner, a democracy in miniature begins. With the power of the conch, he approves the boys’ exclamation of, “We’ll have rules!” (33). Equality is set as the rule of the-one-with-the-conch-speaks is firmly established, allowing for a fairer distribution of power. In addition, he leads the boys in their endeavors for rescue and survival by setting up a signal fire and building shelters, and he raises the spirit of the boys by exploring the island and reporting their wonderfully independent, albeit abandoned, situation. He also appeases Jack after his loss of the election by bestowing upon him power over the his loyal choir group, and the right to hunt. Ralph demonstrates the maturity associated with leadership and adulthood as he responsibly steps up to organize power in
A notion to inspire awe, heroism, wonder. But too often danger, irresponsibility, and chaos as well — and many times the duplicitous mind of the adult. Too often, this concept of “power” is associated with evil and misdeed, opposite of the innocent domain of the light hearted child. However, Golding meddles with these opposing connotations in Lord of the Flies. The boys separate themselves into two groups: the “biguns” and the “littluns.” This is a distinction typically ignored in society: they are often classified simply as “children.” The boys, however, are more serious with this segregation, and Golding uses it to portray two groups analogous to adults and children. The contrast between the littluns and biguns …show more content…
The littluns hang onto this childish nightmare of the monster “snake-thing … in the woods” (35). Although their imagination is a source of unnecessary terror to themselves, even with the older boys agreeing with the leaders about the unlikeliness of a Beast, “here and there among the little ones [is] the doubt that require[s] more than rational assurance” (36). In contrast to the littluns, the biguns are stubborn in their argument that such a Beast could not exist on their island with their repeating cries of “but there isn’t a Beast!” (35) — until Ralph and Jack venture out and actually encounter a glimpse of a “Beast.” The creativity tied so closely with children’s minds leads to a useless panic that contrasts with the more rational mind of the biguns, whose assumption of the parental role is used to …show more content…
Immediately, in sharp contrast to the littluns who are off playing games and picking fruit for themselves, he initiates and wins an election for leadership, or “chief,” after they notice the presence of “no grownups!” (8) — in other words, a lack of power. In an orderly manner, a democracy in miniature begins. With the power of the conch, he approves the boys’ exclamation of, “We’ll have rules!” (33). Equality is set as the rule of the-one-with-the-conch-speaks is firmly established, allowing for a fairer distribution of power. In addition, he leads the boys in their endeavors for rescue and survival by setting up a signal fire and building shelters, and he raises the spirit of the boys by exploring the island and reporting their wonderfully independent, albeit abandoned, situation. He also appeases Jack after his loss of the election by bestowing upon him power over the his loyal choir group, and the right to hunt. Ralph demonstrates the maturity associated with leadership and adulthood as he responsibly steps up to organize power in