Hello Mr. Brierly, I'm an English Lit major, currently two days behind on a paper about Lord of the Flies. Still in the grip of a merciless writer's block, I reached the desperate decision tonight to search UA-cam for videos on the topic, and found this video. I'd like to share some of my thoughts, if I may. This is mainly to articulate my own positions in a hopeful first step toward getting them on the page--however, if you still look over the comments on a two-year-old video, I would be grateful to hear your thoughts in response to mine. First, I want to comment on your insights on Roger. I was skeptical about considering him as a primary character, but you argue this point extremely well. To be honest, I had forgotten that it was even Roger in that scene where he was throwing rocks at the litluns, but to hear you bring that up, it fills in a piece of the puzzle, in a sense, and shows Golding thoughtfully developing this character. If I took only one thing away from your presentation, it would be a new appreciation for this character who, as you say, is easy to overlook. I also find intriguing the thought that Roger is secretive by design. Your most brilliant point by far is the comparison of Roger to Piggy--the former is indeed a shadowy reflection of the latter. Unfortunately, I'm not sure these insights will help my thesis in any way, but I wanted to express my gratitude for the insight you have added to my understanding of this novel. Regarding Ralph, I would argue that he falls far short of the "ideal man," as you put it. This interpretation falls more in line with the Humanistic concept of the perfectibility of man, which, in my opinion, Golding sought to challenge. Ralph's appointment to leadership has more to do with happenstance than his own inherent qualities as a leader. He certainly makes an admirable attempt, but he shows repeated inadequacies both as a leader, and as a moral person. This isn't to make Ralph appear as a less sympathetic protagonist, but to comment on man's fallibility, and the nonexistence of pure good. In the first scene, the reader sees not only Ralph's desirable traits, but also his limited intellectual ability and his thoughtlessness. I would argue that disregarding Piggy's wishes in sharing his nickname with the others constitutes an act of cruelty. His increasing lapses in concentration are also a major point later in the story, showing his limited ability to cope with the responsibility he found largely by accident. In my opinion, these episodes are a sign of repressed feelings of stress. Furthermore, I would argue that Ralph takes Piggy for granted as much as the others do, until he is forced to rely on Piggy for companionship after being abandoned by most of the other children. The only time we see Ralph actually approach Piggy, instead of vice versa, is after Jack's succession. Ralph still represents the good in humanity, but in Golding's view, that good is imperfect and corruptible. In my opinion, the sense of responsibility he feels AFTER gaining leadership, is the only thing which motivates him to strive toward good. I don't think it is reductionist to consider Simon a Christ figure specifically. For allegorical analysis, it can be useful to treat him as representing spirituality in a general sense, but as the novel is rife with Biblical references and symbols, I think it is fair to say Simon is specifically a representation of Christianity. If the island is Earth, and the children are society, then Simon in the role of Christ is the only one with an accurate understanding of that which people fear, and secular society rejects that wisdom--violently. Lastly, I want to return to Roger. I don't think there is a case to be made that he did not intend to murder Piggy. The "delirious abandonment" you quote is in reference to the earlier scene, where he throws rocks at the littluns, but checks his aim. In the heat of the exciting moment, Roger abandons society's conditioning. He abandons the fear of the consequences of his violence. I agree he leans on the lever thoughtlessly, but his intent is no less malicious. In the scene where the boys discover the castle rock, they discuss using those rocks in just such a way as a form of weaponry. The smaller rocks he throws at the littluns, inhibited from doing actual harm, foreshadow the massive boulder which will do the ultimate harm. In killing Piggy, Roger finally releases the urge to do violence, which he has repressed all along. There can be no doubt that he knew what he was doing. If you got this far, thanks for reading my thoughts. Have a great day.
Head Got Shanked! I think you should put this much effort in to your paper and maybe you would soon overcome that writer's block. To say that Ralph represents the ideal is not to say that he is infallible and I don't believe I have said he is. His errors of judgement and frailties explored within the novel show his humanity; his strength of leadership develops as the novel progresses, as does his respect for Piggy. The novel is indeed rife with religious imagery but not solely Christian. In fact, in many ways, Simon's struggle to communicate and his estrangement from the group, from the outset of the novel, is not like Christ at all. The bible is full of prophets that are misunderstood and martyred, as a result, so why must Simon be explicitly linked to the Christ-figure? You may not feel that there is a case in the argument that Roger did not intend to kill Piggy but there certainly is not a case to say that murder was his intent and the 'delirious abandonment' is crucial to this point. Tipping the boulder down the hill is an extension of him throwing rocks in the earlier chapter but this time he doesn't care whether he misses or not. He may have had malicious intent but maliciousness is not necessarily murderous. There is no explicit reference that he took aim, the boulder strikes a 'glancing blow', rather than a direct hit, and there is certainly nothing to suggest that murder was his ultimate aim - but this is not the point. The point is that, on the island, with the absence of routine and order, the boys give in to their innate desires without thought of consequence. He may or may not have intended to kill Piggy but, more importantly, he doesn't care whether he does or not.
Thanks for taking the time to write back. I am working on that paper. I normally turn in As without much effort; this is an extraordinary case of writer's block, with many contributing factors. Thanks for the words of encouragement. It sounds like we are largely in agreement on Ralph, though I think I would put more emphasis on his flaws, not for the sake of being cynical but because I think they make him an even more remarkable hero. I am intrigued by flawed protagonists, so maybe I am projecting my desire for an antihero onto him a bit. In regards to Simon, I could concede the point if I saw examples of symbolism linking him to any specific religion other than Christianity. I have to admit I am more educated on Christianity than any other religion, so such references may have been lost on me. If Simon is meant to represent a variety of faiths, or just the general concept of faith, there should be allusions to a variety of different religions found in the book. As far as Roger goes, you sound like his defense attorney lol. If I were his prosecutor, I would pursue 2nd-degree murder in court, but I'd offer you a bargain if Roger plead guilty to manslaughter.
Hello Mr Brierley, I'm scouting around UA-cam to find videos to recommend to my classes. Your videos have had a lot of hits - have you thought about monetizing them? You only get about 1 cent for every four views, but this surprisingly adds up over time. In terms of how useful your videos are, I think you desperately need to include quotations so students can see how your excellent advice would fit in with a written answer. I may have to make some, but don't really have the time this month. Another problem I find with my own videos is that the average viewing time is around six and a half minutes, so it is worth keeping them under this time limit. Good luck, Dominic
Thanks for the feedback. Not interested in money for the videos. I make them for my students and I work in a state school; it would be unethical, in my view, to monetise them. As for quotations, the videos are there to back up my teaching of the texts. My lessons cover the bulk of the content, the videos are for revision purposes only. I'm not going to do all the work for them. The duration of the videos is dictated by the content. Students can choose to watch shorter videos if they find these too long.
I see your point. I also teach in a state school. However, your videos live way beyond your students, and no one has to watch the adverts. 500 dollars a year will accumulate by the time you retire, and will increase as views do. Not sure revision without quotations is as helpful as revision with quotations. What would you prefer as a learner? Anyway, I look forward to more videos.
The plan is to eventually cover much more of the GCSE texts but it is going to take a while. I have never taught, nor have I read, Martyn Pig so I'm afraid I will be unable to get anything done in time for your exam, this year.
@@jubzlcl9140 and I'm pretty sure that I'm in the southern hemisphere where it is still winter. And I have school until the end of November before my summer holidays actually start. 😂😂😂 lol. I live in South Africa.
Thank you for a wonderful explanation of Jack and reminding me of some things I can use in the essay I am writing on him. This gave me a great over view of the character.
Roger seems like the reason Jack becomes evil. Kind of, he's done it so now I have to. Say when Piggy and Ralph visit Jack's camp. I'd say up until Roger kills Piggy they had a choice to join. Or live staying away from his camp. I think it was because Roger killed Piggy that Jack wanted to kill Ralph the next day and mount his head. Roger killed a human, now he wanted to as well. If Roger had just jeered with the rest until Ralph and Piggy left I think that option to join would have been open indefinitely, Jack wouldn't have ordered them to hunt them both. Both were safe from being hunted(well at least not to death, they did raid their camp but by that point Ralph and Piggy had nothing left worth stealing so that was probably the last raid) as long as Roger or another hunter killed one of them.
I know we need to be accepting of other faiths but Simon is definitely representative of only Christianity, considering it was the only relevant religion when Golding wrote it.
Bob Marley The quotations are all there in the novel for students to find for themselves. If you want me to include them in videos, you'll be waiting in vain, I'm afraid.
Hi, whereabouts in the novel can I find the section you mentioned about Simon being mistaken for the beast for the first time by one of the littluns when he gets up to go the loo, I can't seem to find it!
I would like to know if Jack was fully aware of his actions? Did he know everything he was doing and still did it intentionally? please i need an answer as soon as possible! or was it just because of his id instincts
@@jbrierley98 we search up these videos for help. Not to listen to some guy talk on for hours. You literally added all that in one video. Wouldve been better to split it into different sections for each character!!
Is no one going to address the fact that he almost got hit by a train filming this at 6:46 ?
Smileypig hahahahaha that is so tru
sounds like a viola lol
this made me cry of laughter AHAHAHHAAHHA
good question
sounding of the conch @ 6:46
Sherlyn S no I think he nearly got hit by a
Train
Cramming for tomorrow, let’s gooooo!!
You knoww
ayyyeeeeeee
Yup yr10 and taking this exam today
Cramming for today, let’s goooooooo!¡!
@@jackinkpen1917 mock test :(
Hello Mr. Brierly,
I'm an English Lit major, currently two days behind on a paper about Lord of the Flies. Still in the grip of a merciless writer's block, I reached the desperate decision tonight to search UA-cam for videos on the topic, and found this video. I'd like to share some of my thoughts, if I may. This is mainly to articulate my own positions in a hopeful first step toward getting them on the page--however, if you still look over the comments on a two-year-old video, I would be grateful to hear your thoughts in response to mine.
First, I want to comment on your insights on Roger. I was skeptical about considering him as a primary character, but you argue this point extremely well. To be honest, I had forgotten that it was even Roger in that scene where he was throwing rocks at the litluns, but to hear you bring that up, it fills in a piece of the puzzle, in a sense, and shows Golding thoughtfully developing this character. If I took only one thing away from your presentation, it would be a new appreciation for this character who, as you say, is easy to overlook. I also find intriguing the thought that Roger is secretive by design. Your most brilliant point by far is the comparison of Roger to Piggy--the former is indeed a shadowy reflection of the latter. Unfortunately, I'm not sure these insights will help my thesis in any way, but I wanted to express my gratitude for the insight you have added to my understanding of this novel.
Regarding Ralph, I would argue that he falls far short of the "ideal man," as you put it. This interpretation falls more in line with the Humanistic concept of the perfectibility of man, which, in my opinion, Golding sought to challenge. Ralph's appointment to leadership has more to do with happenstance than his own inherent qualities as a leader. He certainly makes an admirable attempt, but he shows repeated inadequacies both as a leader, and as a moral person. This isn't to make Ralph appear as a less sympathetic protagonist, but to comment on man's fallibility, and the nonexistence of pure good. In the first scene, the reader sees not only Ralph's desirable traits, but also his limited intellectual ability and his thoughtlessness. I would argue that disregarding Piggy's wishes in sharing his nickname with the others constitutes an act of cruelty. His increasing lapses in concentration are also a major point later in the story, showing his limited ability to cope with the responsibility he found largely by accident. In my opinion, these episodes are a sign of repressed feelings of stress. Furthermore, I would argue that Ralph takes Piggy for granted as much as the others do, until he is forced to rely on Piggy for companionship after being abandoned by most of the other children. The only time we see Ralph actually approach Piggy, instead of vice versa, is after Jack's succession. Ralph still represents the good in humanity, but in Golding's view, that good is imperfect and corruptible. In my opinion, the sense of responsibility he feels AFTER gaining leadership, is the only thing which motivates him to strive toward good.
I don't think it is reductionist to consider Simon a Christ figure specifically. For allegorical analysis, it can be useful to treat him as representing spirituality in a general sense, but as the novel is rife with Biblical references and symbols, I think it is fair to say Simon is specifically a representation of Christianity. If the island is Earth, and the children are society, then Simon in the role of Christ is the only one with an accurate understanding of that which people fear, and secular society rejects that wisdom--violently.
Lastly, I want to return to Roger. I don't think there is a case to be made that he did not intend to murder Piggy. The "delirious abandonment" you quote is in reference to the earlier scene, where he throws rocks at the littluns, but checks his aim. In the heat of the exciting moment, Roger abandons society's conditioning. He abandons the fear of the consequences of his violence. I agree he leans on the lever thoughtlessly, but his intent is no less malicious. In the scene where the boys discover the castle rock, they discuss using those rocks in just such a way as a form of weaponry. The smaller rocks he throws at the littluns, inhibited from doing actual harm, foreshadow the massive boulder which will do the ultimate harm. In killing Piggy, Roger finally releases the urge to do violence, which he has repressed all along. There can be no doubt that he knew what he was doing.
If you got this far, thanks for reading my thoughts. Have a great day.
Head Got Shanked! I think you should put this much effort in to your paper and maybe you would soon overcome that writer's block.
To say that Ralph represents the ideal is not to say that he is infallible and I don't believe I have said he is. His errors of judgement and frailties explored within the novel show his humanity; his strength of leadership develops as the novel progresses, as does his respect for Piggy.
The novel is indeed rife with religious imagery but not solely Christian. In fact, in many ways, Simon's struggle to communicate and his estrangement from the group, from the outset of the novel, is not like Christ at all. The bible is full of prophets that are misunderstood and martyred, as a result, so why must Simon be explicitly linked to the Christ-figure?
You may not feel that there is a case in the argument that Roger did not intend to kill Piggy but there certainly is not a case to say that murder was his intent and the 'delirious abandonment' is crucial to this point. Tipping the boulder down the hill is an extension of him throwing rocks in the earlier chapter but this time he doesn't care whether he misses or not. He may have had malicious intent but maliciousness is not necessarily murderous. There is no explicit reference that he took aim, the boulder strikes a 'glancing blow', rather than a direct hit, and there is certainly nothing to suggest that murder was his ultimate aim - but this is not the point. The point is that, on the island, with the absence of routine and order, the boys give in to their innate desires without thought of consequence. He may or may not have intended to kill Piggy but, more importantly, he doesn't care whether he does or not.
Thanks for taking the time to write back. I am working on that paper. I normally turn in As without much effort; this is an extraordinary case of writer's block, with many contributing factors. Thanks for the words of encouragement.
It sounds like we are largely in agreement on Ralph, though I think I would put more emphasis on his flaws, not for the sake of being cynical but because I think they make him an even more remarkable hero. I am intrigued by flawed protagonists, so maybe I am projecting my desire for an antihero onto him a bit.
In regards to Simon, I could concede the point if I saw examples of symbolism linking him to any specific religion other than Christianity. I have to admit I am more educated on Christianity than any other religion, so such references may have been lost on me. If Simon is meant to represent a variety of faiths, or just the general concept of faith, there should be allusions to a variety of different religions found in the book.
As far as Roger goes, you sound like his defense attorney lol. If I were his prosecutor, I would pursue 2nd-degree murder in court, but I'd offer you a bargain if Roger plead guilty to manslaughter.
Legend u r!
Hello Mr Brierley, I'm scouting around UA-cam to find videos to recommend to my classes. Your videos have had a lot of hits - have you thought about monetizing them? You only get about 1 cent for every four views, but this surprisingly adds up over time.
In terms of how useful your videos are, I think you desperately need to include quotations so students can see how your excellent advice would fit in with a written answer. I may have to make some, but don't really have the time this month.
Another problem I find with my own videos is that the average viewing time is around six and a half minutes, so it is worth keeping them under this time limit.
Good luck,
Dominic
Thanks for the feedback. Not interested in money for the videos. I make them for my students and I work in a state school; it would be unethical, in my view, to monetise them.
As for quotations, the videos are there to back up my teaching of the texts. My lessons cover the bulk of the content, the videos are for revision purposes only. I'm not going to do all the work for them.
The duration of the videos is dictated by the content. Students can choose to watch shorter videos if they find these too long.
I see your point. I also teach in a state school. However, your videos live way beyond your students, and no one has to watch the adverts. 500 dollars a year will accumulate by the time you retire, and will increase as views do.
Not sure revision without quotations is as helpful as revision with quotations. What would you prefer as a learner?
Anyway, I look forward to more videos.
Love the train at 6:45!
Thank you this is so helpful I have my exam today so this is my last minute revision
The plan is to eventually cover much more of the GCSE texts but it is going to take a while. I have never taught, nor have I read, Martyn Pig so I'm afraid I will be unable to get anything done in time for your exam, this year.
i have to write an essay for my exam about the symbols these characters represent and this couldn’t have helped me more! thank uou
Thank you so much, this was so helpful and well presented, I can't thank you enough!
i recommend putting video to 1.25 speed
orion courtney - lee thank you sm
How generous with your timing. I was using 1.75x, and sometimes 2x just to spice it up. Need to revise poetry too, after 🥴😂
I made a mindmap off these points and expanding them. This is extremely helpful thank you.
mad i’m here for my gcse today nine years later
my exam is tomorrow lol
msi Alliance
Same
Same
I have a test on this tomorrow........
@@angeliquejohnson9498 I'm pretty sure it's summer holidays still for everyone
@@jubzlcl9140 and I'm pretty sure that I'm in the southern hemisphere where it is still winter. And I have school until the end of November before my summer holidays actually start. 😂😂😂 lol. I live in South Africa.
Your character detailing is helpful
Thank you for a wonderful explanation of Jack and reminding me of some things I can use in the essay I am writing on him. This gave me a great over view of the character.
tomorrow anyone?
Yep pretty much :D
extremely useful, greatly appreciated all the way in 2020.
This was helpful for my final, many thanks.
Henry Sylvester Glad you found it useful.
cramming for my test tomorrow! thanks for the character summary
Roger seems like the reason Jack becomes evil. Kind of, he's done it so now I have to.
Say when Piggy and Ralph visit Jack's camp. I'd say up until Roger kills Piggy they had a choice to join. Or live staying away from his camp.
I think it was because Roger killed Piggy that Jack wanted to kill Ralph the next day and mount his head. Roger killed a human, now he wanted to as well. If Roger had just jeered with the rest until Ralph and Piggy left I think that option to join would have been open indefinitely, Jack wouldn't have ordered them to hunt them both. Both were safe from being hunted(well at least not to death, they did raid their camp but by that point Ralph and Piggy had nothing left worth stealing so that was probably the last raid) as long as Roger or another hunter killed one of them.
this was really helpful, thank you!!!
bruh i thought i was the only but apparently everyone is doing this last minute
Thank you very much from Argentina :)
Thanks so much, these videos are so helpful!
Great video! Really helping me revise for tomorrow! Thanks!
Thank you sir so much
This is so helpful. Thank you.
I know we need to be accepting of other faiths but Simon is definitely representative of only Christianity, considering it was the only relevant religion when Golding wrote it.
Quotes a must I feel, good video despite the lack of quotations.
Bob Marley The quotations are all there in the novel for students to find for themselves. If you want me to include them in videos, you'll be waiting in vain, I'm afraid.
J Brierley well sir I thank you for making this video but then again without quotes it’s useless .
Didn't study for my exam tomorrow, so I'm doing it at 1am and praying I remember it later today😗
SIR, YOU ARE A GOD!
I’m doing a y9 assembly on this tomorrow and this vid was very helpful👍
Assessment
Very thankfull to have this vdo....😍😍😍😍😍😍keep uploading sir...
Absolute life saver thank you very much!
Uzma Uwais Glad you're finding them useful.
I got exam from.this book tomorrow thank you so much for this video
This is so helpful! Thank you so much
I really found this helpful thank you
+Sania khanom Glad they were of use.
Thanks a ton!
Thank you! :)
Got this tomorrow, you may or may not save me
Hi, whereabouts in the novel can I find the section you mentioned about Simon being mistaken for the beast for the first time by one of the littluns when he gets up to go the loo, I can't seem to find it!
Ellie Whiter Chapter 5.
Brilliant!
Thank you this was really helpful :)
Cramming for tomorrow, I’m gonna do so bad 😢
very helpful indeed
Wish me luck for today's exam which is in 30 mins from now🥺❤️
nice one thanks
Thank you so much🙏
Are you also going to do Martyn Pig? It would be very helpful for my exam. :)
Yeo upa 11 q unlucky to my boys tommorow
Thank you my bro
thanks helped a lot
I would like to know if Jack was fully aware of his actions? Did he know everything he was doing and still did it intentionally? please i need an answer as soon as possible! or was it just because of his id instincts
De Animation You need an answer as soon as possible?
anytime is fine?
OK. No rush, then.
2 years later....
@@AleyahK24 4 years later....
Discuss" symbolism" in this novel? Please
Thaaankyou a big help
Who else has this for a book report 😭😭
just saying everyone, you can't get above a low band 2 if you don't have quotes. this video doesn't cover it all, you need to learn quotes!
gl
this is the book and not the movie right? thank you alot for this
yeah it's the novel
good question
My test is tomorrow on Jack eeek wish me luck
13:00
have a project due about roger tomorrow lmao
9:00
Dikka der Deutschland Vergleich war nciht nötig
i hope a get a good grade
If i dont then this info didnt help
Did you?
Can I have the file?
No.
Plz paraphrasing krn urdu may poem September1,1939
:)
whats the matter bro?
that isnt very nice :(
Ur talking too much.
So are you.
@@jbrierley98 we search up these videos for help. Not to listen to some guy talk on for hours. You literally added all that in one video. Wouldve been better to split it into different sections for each character!!
@@syedaabidi4490 See? You're talking too much.
@@jbrierley98 watch me talk more x
Jeez, just leave, this guy is actually really helpful