“The Life of Dr. Johnson” by ‘James Buswell’ is a monumental work in biographical Literature. It was first published in London in 1791. Dr. Johnson also known as Samuel Johnson was an English poet, essayist and lexicographer who produced a pioneering and influential Dictionary of the English Language.
“The Life of Johnson is assuredly a great, a very great work. Homer is not more decidedly the first of the heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers.”
James Buswell was a Scottish writer and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of his friend and older contemporary, the English writer Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language.
On 16 May 1763, as a 22-year-old Scot visiting London, Boswell first met John’s son in the book shop of Johnson in the book shop of Johnson’s friend Tom Davies. They quickly became friends. From the age of 20, Baswell kept a series of Journals thoroughly detailing his day-to-day experience Johnson in commenting on Baswell’s excessive note-taking, playfully,
“One would think the man had been hired to spy upon me.”
Johnson was born in 1709 in Lichfield, England, his parents belonged to the middle class. However, he also quickly begins to show signs of exceptional intelligence memorizing some of the contents of the Book of Common Prayer. He begins to write poems and translations when he is 16. Johnson enrolled at Oxford University in 1728, where he honed his skills in Greek and Latin and writing poetry. However, after their years at university, Johnson runs out of money and is forced to return home without a degree.
Back home in Lichfield, Johnson goes through a period of physical and mental anguish. He tries to become a school teacher but is rejected because he does not have a degree. With the help of his friend, Thomas Warren, a book published, Johnson began producing translated and annotated books. After Warren’s death, Johnson marries his widow, Elizabeth, who is 20 years senior from his.
In 1735, Johnson opened a school which failed soon after. One of Johnson’s students invited him to London and helped his secure work writing for The Gentleman’s Magazine. Johnson’s contribution to the magazine includes an allegoric poem London which earns him praise and comparison to England’s leading poet, Alexander Pope.
Around this time Johnson also finishes a play, the historical tragedy, Irene. Johnson’s reputation as a Brilliant writer grows by leaps and bounds. He also earns the reputation as an eccentric due to the tics that are probably symptoms of Tourette Syndrome and has periods of depression.
In 1746, some publishers pitched Johnson the idea of writing a complete dictionary of the English language. Johnson worked on the Dictionary for eight years with the help of a small secret rail staff, and it was finally published in 1755. In anticipation of the publication of Dictionary Oxford University awarded Johnson an Honorary degree. In addition, when George III acceded to the British throne, he awarded Johnson a pension for the rest of his life.
During this period Johnson also published the novel Rasselas Prince of Abyssinia and The Rambler, a collection of essays.
Boswell meets Johnson in 1763 and they form an instead friendship. Boswell sees Johnson whenever he is in London on business and the two men enjoy frequent conversation and meals together, often in the presence of the other member of the Literary Club which Johnson forms in 1764. In 1773, Johnson travels to Scotland to visit Boswell at home.
By the 1770s Johnson was showing signs of deteriorating health but continued to work, his later productions included an annotated edition of the works of Shakespeare and the ten-volume Live of the English Poets. In 1783, Johnson had a stroke and momentarily lost his ability to speak, although he is still able to write about his Melancholy and Fear of Death. Johnson died on December 13, 1784, and Boswell concludes the biography by expressing his view that Johnson’s works and reputation will endure.
Thus Boswell’s “Life Of Dr. Johnson” is the best biography of English Literature. Through this biography, Boswell not only praises Johnson but shows the entirety of his lie the good and the bad.
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“One Hundred Years Of Solitude” is a 1967 novel by the famed Spanish author ‘Gabriel Garcia Marquez’. It is the story of the rise and fall of the Buendia family, which is mirrored by the development and destruction of their fictitious village, Macondo. Garcia Marquez’s unique narrative style in this work has made it one of the most significant novels of the 20th century. The book has received universal recognition and has been translated into 37 languages. It was also cited among the works that earned Garcia Marquez the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.
The book tells the story of seven generations of the Buendia family in a small, isolated village called Macondo. The Patriarch of the family, Jose Arcadia Buendia, founded the town after moving there with his new wife Ursula.
Characters SKetch
Jose Arcadio Buendia – He is the Patriarch of the Buendia Family and The Founder Of Macondo.
Ursula Lguaran – Ursula Lguaran is the Matriarch of the Buendia Family and is the wife and cousin of Jose Arcadio Buendia. She lives to be well over 100 years old and Oversees the Buendia household through six of the seven generations in the novel.
Jose Arcadio – Jose Arcadio is the firstborn child of Jose Arcadio Buendia and Ursula.
Colonel Aureliano Buendia – He is 2nd child of Jose Arcadio Buendia and Ursula or the first person to be born in Macondo.
Amaranto – He is 3rd child of Jose Arcadio Buendia and Ursula.
Remedios Moscote – Daughter of the town’s conservative administrator, Don Apolinar Moscote.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was a Colombian novelist, short story writer screenwriter and journalist. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, particularly in the Spanish language. He was awarded the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. He is best known for his novels – One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Autumn of the Patriarch Love in the Time of Cholera and Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia, called him.
“The Greatest Colombian who ever lived.”
Themes Of ‘One Hundred Years Of Solitude’
Solitude
The dominant theme of the novel, as evident from the title, is solitude. Each Character has his or her particular form of solitude. “If you have to go crazy, please go crazy all by yourself”, Ursula tells her husband. One form of solitude is that of madness – the first Jose Arcadio’s solitude is being tied to a tree, speaking in a foreign tongue, and lost in thought.
Love
In ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’, Love’s various forms – lustful, familial love urges Jose Arcadio Buendia to discover a town to begin a new one. Sometimes familial love lifts its relatives to queenly and papal heights. Sometimes familial love veers into a devasting incestuous relationship.
Post and Present
Because characters are haunted by their pasts – decisions, history, ghosts, knowledge gained retrospectively – nostalgia Complicates their futures. Fernanda del Carpio’s upbringing affects her expectations, which estranges everyone in the Buendia house. Amaranta Ursula’s memory of home leads her back, where her life takes unexpected turns.
Setting
The setting of One Hundred Years of Solitude is the fictional town of Macondo, Columbia, which is much like Gabriel Garcia’s own hometown of Antarctica. The period is unclear at times, but it is roughly from the early-mid 19th century to the mid-20th century. Macondo is an isolated rural and surrounded by Jungle.
About The Title
‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ is so named because it describes the town of Macondo, which is relatively isolated from the rest of Colombia for most of its one hundred years history.
Summary & Analysis of ‘One Hundred Years Of Solitude’
“One Hundred Years Of Solitude” is the story of seven generations of the Buendia family in the town of Macondo. ‘Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ gives every member of the Buendia family one of the following names: Men- Jose, Arcadio, Aureliana & Women – Ursula, Amaranta and Remedios. In an effort to make the novel less confusing, Marquez has included a family tree at the beginning of the novel.
It is both the history of Macondo, a small town in an unnamed region of South America, and the town’s founders, the Buendia family. The family patriarch Jose Arcadia Buendia, founded the town with his wife, Ursula Iguaran. Because Jose Arcadio and Ursula were Cousins and they have a fear of bearing children with pig’s tails, this fear will linger over the novel.
Jose Arcadio Buendia is an intrepid, curious man with a flair for exploration and the sciences. He delves into one scientific quest after another and eventually loses his sense, forcing the town to tie him to a tree. Both his strengths and weaknesses are exhibited in the Buendia men throughout the novel, starting with his sons Jose Acardio and Aureliano. Jose Arcadio inherits his father’s massive strength and impulsiveness; Aureliano inherits his strong ethical sense and his solitary intensity.
“Children inherit their parent’s madness”.
Both these men go to their extremes: Jose Arcadio becomes the ultimate macho and dies mysteriously after usurping lands; Aureliano (known in the novel as Colonel Aureliano Buendia) becomes one of the greatest most notorious rebels in the country during an extended period of civil war. Macondo, once an innocent paradise becomes acquainted with the outside world during the period of evil war. It is during this period death and bloodshed first come to Macondo’s door; the town remains linked to the outside world because of the fame of Colonel Aurelian Buendia.
In contrast to her husband, Ursula Lguaran is fiercely practical and possessed of much common sense. She is energetic tenacious (She lives so long that she loses track of her age) and spends her life looking after the family line. Unfortunately, none of the female Buendia’s match her fortitude. Amaranta, her daughter, is tenacious only in personal bitterness while her great-great-granddaughters are. Renata Remedios and Amoranta Ursula are possessed of her energy but not of her common sense. The failure of the next generations to be possessed of their ancestors’ strength of Character causes the family to falter as history and modernity storm Macondo.
After the civil war, foreign imperialism comes in with devastating effects. White capitalists come to Macondo and seem to usurp God’s powers with their ability to change the seasons and the water flow. They set up a banana plantation that exploits the residents of Macondo, when the workers organize and strike, they all organize and strike, they are all systematically killed in a government-sponsored massacre. One of the Buendia’s Jose Arcadio Segunda, was a major Organizer and could not face the world after this event.
For Macondo, too the banana massacre brings major change. Rains begin the night of the massacre and do not stop for almost five years, washing away the banana plantation and leaving Macondo in a state of desperation. The impoverished town loses its importance and its modernity, from then on, the town exists in a state of regression.
For the Buendia also the rains signal the quickening speed of their downward spiral. The older members of the family are lost in debauchery and solitary isolation. As the town is abandoned, the lost members of the family succumb to incestuous desire and birth a child with a pig’s tail. At the end of the novel, it is revealed that the history of the Buendias has been ordained since the beginning and that they will never have a second chance.
Conclusion
Thus, throughout the novel ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ author Gabriel Garcia Marquez explores the Buendia family’s story, spanning multiple generations. It also explores the cyclical nature of time and the inescapable repetition of history through the story of the Buendia family. Magical realism is used to blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy in the novel.
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Godan is a famous Hindi novel by Munsi Premchand. It was first published in 1936 and is considered one of the greatest novels of modern Indian literature. It was translated into English in 1957 by Jai Ratan and P. Lal in 1968 by Gordan C. Roadarmel. In English, it is named “The Gift Of a Cow”. This novel became a trademark novel for him.
It can also be seen as the key to Premchand’s worldwide success and fame. It is considered as a social commentary. The story of this novel moves around, the tragic protagonist of the novel Hori. Through the Character of Hori, Premchandra tries to revolt against social evils like the dowry system, caste system and orthodox way of life.
Character Sketch
Hori- Hori is the main character of the novel. He is a poor farmer.
Dhania – She is the wife of Hori.
Gobar – He is the only son of Hori and Dhania.
Rupa & Sona – They are two daughters of Hori and Dhania.
Bhola – He is a cow Herder.
Jhunia – She is the window daughter of Bhola.
Heera – He was Hari’s brother.
Dattadin – He is the village Brahmin priest and moneylender.
Mattadin – He was the son of Dattadin. He had an affair with a girl named Seliya.
Seliya – She was a low-caste girl and worked on the farm of Dattadin.
Rai Shaib – He was the Zamindar and had won the election once.
Malti Devi – She was a doctor who was educated in Europe.
Saroj – She was the young sister of Dr. Malti.
Mr. Mehta – He was a Scholar and lecturer in College.
Mr. Khanna – He was an industrialist and had a Sugar Factory.
Govindi – She was the wife of Mr. Khanna.
About Premchand
Dhanpatrai Srivastavi, Known as Munsi Premchand is one of the famous writers of Hindi Literature. He was born on 31st July 1880 in Lamhi, a village near Varanasi. His parents were Ajaib Rai a post office clerk and Anadi Devi a housewife. He was 4th child of his parents.
Premchand was a novelist, short story writer and Dramatist who penned stories and numerous essays. He has written a collection of short stories and numerous essays. He has written a collection of short stories called ‘Mansarovar’. This book contains more than 300 stories. By profession, he was a teacher. He had married a widow and her name was Shivari Devi. In most of his works, he presented naked realities of life. He was very much influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and at the beginning of his career, he started to write under the name Nawab Rai. Many critics compared him with Tolstoy and called him the ’Upanyas Saam at King Of Novels.
About Title “Godan”
The title of the novel “Godan” is symbolic which refers to the religious belief of ‘Godan’. According to the Hindu tradition, a man should donate a cow to Brahmin at the last stage of life to earn great merit or salvation.
Godan translated it into English with the title ‘The Gift of a Cow’. But, the English title does not convey the religious and sentimental association of the word ‘Godan’. For the Hindu, it is not only ‘the gif’ but it is a way to get ‘Salvation’ or we can say ‘Mukti’. Therefore, Godan is a suitable title for the novel as far as the religious tradition is concerned, especially Hori’s death is concerned.
Godan deals with the miserable lives of the Indian peasant. According to the novel, a change in the social set-up is sufficient to transform the lives, of the individual. His characters have no courage to fight against courage to fight against adverse conditions. They accept the given social conditions. They bear all kinds of exploitation. They have unshakable faith in destiny.
Summary Of Godan
The story of the novel starts with Hori, a poor farmer. He has Dhania as his wife, Gobar as his son and Rupa and Sona as his two daughters. Hori is in Hurry to go to Zamindar, Rai Shaib place. He was called by the Zamindar to convey a message to other formers of the village. Hori is informed by the Zomindar that all the village.
Hori is informed by the Zamindar that all the villagers have to contribute rupees 500 to him so that a program in the near future can be organised. When the Zamindar conveyed this message to him he was in great furry. Hori was extremely in a fearful state. He was not able to understand how the money on his port would be managed to be contributed to the Zamindar. At this Gobar and Dhania revolted openly. But Hori kept his calm and made them understand by saying,
“One cannot fight with the crocodile while living in the water.”
There is another important character in this novel, Bhola. He was a widower and was willing to marry again. Actually, Bhola was a kind-hearted and noble person. He was a member of the lower caste. He was 50 years old. He dealt in milk and cow. His two sons are already married. He had a young widow daughter Jhunia at his house. On the other hand, Hori had a great desire to have a cow at his house. At this point in time, Hori developed a plan in his mind as developed a plan in his mind as he had no money he decided to trick Bhola by virtue of clever polity to get a cow without paying instant money.
Hori and Gobar go to Bhola’s house to bring the cow. Gobar meets Jhunia at Bhola’s house. When the cow was brought to Hari’s house it became a matter of envy for the neighbours. A fight took place between Dhania and Hira, Hori’s brother. Due to enmity, the cow was poisoned. Thus Hori’s desire to have a cow remains unfulfilled.
Gobar is having a love affair with Jhunia. Dhania came to know about this affair. The couple, Hori and Dhania discuss about it and they do not approve of this. Gobar does not follow the instructions of his parents and brings Jhunia to his house. Gobar went to Lucknow with a resolve that he would return after making some money. Thus for humanity, they accepted Jhunia as their daughter-in-law. This act of humanity brought great trouble for Hori. The community of the village imposed a fine rupees 100 on Hori.
Hori was facing all sorts of problems. He had no money on the other hand Gobar had fled to the town. He was residing in Lucknow while his wife was living with Hori and Dhania. Bhola was also pressing Hori to give the price of Cow. One day Bhola came to Hori’s house to make away Hori’s two bullocks in exchange for a cow. At this point in time, Hori was surrounded by all sorts of problems. Actually, Bhola was the victim of Dattadin’s conspiracy and was playing in the hands of Dattadin.
After some days Hori meets his sad demise. After his death, Dhania, Hari’s wife was asked by the priest to do “Godan”, the charity of cow for the peace of his soul. But because of money issues, she could not afford a cow so instead of a cow she gave 1 Rupee 25 Paise to the priest as everything for the death ceremony of her husband.
Hori’s Only Ambition is to own a Cow
“Godan” opens with Hori busy in his household and agriculture duties. His wife, Dhania assists him in his work at home and also in his work at home and also in the field. Despite their hard labour, they cannot clear their debts. They have a son Gobar and two daughters, Sona and Rupa. Poverty and exploitation have made them rough.
Amid such hardships, Hori’s only ambition is to own a cow that gives a lot of milk. It was very hot outside and he had to do a lot of work. Suddenly he sees Bhola with his herd of cows. He expresses his wish and Bhola agrees to give him a cow on loan. Hori is overjoyed and starts thinking of a life of luxury with the help of his cow.
“A Household can never appear prosperous without a cow. How suspicious it is to wake up in the morning to the the mooing of your cow !”
Hori works hard in the hot sun gets sunstroke and falls unconscious. He is brought home and Dhania weeps on seeing the dying man’s face. In their last moments, Hori hears the voice around him but can not see. Some suggest that it is the proper time to offer Godan for a dying man. It is ironic that throughout his life Hori struggled to earn enough money to buy a cow but even new at the time of his death. He is not able to fulfil his ambition.
At this point, the novel ends with a pathetic and tragic note. The title of the novel “Godan” is highly suggestive and meaningful.
Character Sketch of Hori
Hori is the tragic protagonist of the Munsi Premchandra novel ‘Godan’. He is the unheroic hero of the novel. He is a poor and helpless Indian peasant. He becomes an easy victim in the hands of greedy moneylenders. It is ironic and tragic that the peasant whole tills the dry and hard lands and sows seeds but cannot harvest the crop because the hungry money lenders assert their claim on the ripe harvest.
Here Hori is a victim of this cruel and heartless system. He knows well that he has been wronged and exploited, yet he is so much afraid of tradition and customs.
Hori as a Family Lover
Hori is a family-loving father. He is an affectionate father, a sensible and feeling husband, a true brother and a generous father-in-law. When Gob was a small child, he often worried about his nourishment as a Gobar didn’t get milk to drink. By this time his Sona and Rupa, have grown into youth, and he worries about their marriages and finding a proper suitor like an affection act. He doesn’t say anything about his cow’s death and his brother Hiro’s cruel act of giving poison to a cow. Hori is a man who drinks sorrow silently without uttering a word to his family members.
Hori as a Religious – God – Fearing Man
Hori is a conservative farmer and religious god-fearing man. He does not exhibit much change in his life. He is a god-fearing person with a blind faith in religious authority. The novelist presents his character as simple and innocent. Hori submits all kinds of exploitation by the rich. He has unshaken faith in density. He makes his life miserable through his blind obedience to orthodox religious beliefs.
His philosophy is,
“It is God who creates the high and the lower. One comes into wealth after a lot of penance. It’s the fruit of the deed of our past life. We sowed nothing and we have nothing to reap.”
On the matter of Godan and Jhunia, he expresses his faith in panchayat. Hori says
“It is the voice of God that speaks through the Panches, but what is written must happen. Nobody quarrels with Fate.”
Hori’s ambition to get a cow
Hori is ambitious, and his ambition is very simple, he wants to have a cow of his own. He is too poor to buy a cow. He has an intense desire to purchase a cow. In his conversation with Bhola, we can trace Hori’s dream of buying a cow and its reason. To buy a cow he goes to Bhola and sympathies with his loneliness living in isolation as a widower and getting a cow from him. With the coming of a cow to his house, his Zeat-test of living rises. But his brother kills the cow with poison.
From this event problems and struggles begin to come into his house. At the time of his death, he is asked to donate ‘A Cow’ to a Brahmin. Thus his ambition is never fulfilled.
Hori’s Love For Hira
Hori was a large-hearted man. His brother, Hira poisoned the cow and ran away. He knew it for certain that Hira had done the offence. Yet Hori tried to save Hira. He requested to Police inspector not to search Hira’s house. He beat his wife Dhaniya who wanted to announce to the whole village that Hira and Killed the cow. This shows his love for Hira.
Hori as a representative of Indian Farmers
Godan is a tragedy of the Indian peasantry. Hori, the hero is the representative of the Indian peasantry. He has blind faith in age-old traditions and religious beliefs. He can never stand against the exploitation by the rich. Throughout his life, he has been exploited and wronged by the money-landers, but he bears all the injustice and exploitation silently.
Like a common Indian Pleasant, Hori is brought up in an atmosphere of a rigid social setup where orthodox religious beliefs dominate their lifestyle. Thus, Hori presents the recurrent lifestyle of Indian peasants. His life is the tale of helplessness and suffering. He never gets relief from pain and suffering.
Hori Tragic Death
Throughout the novel, Hori doesn’t show any resistance or words of struggle and opposition. Hari works hard beyond his capacity. This is the greatest irony in his life that struggled through his life to buy a cow but now in his death, a cow has to given in Charity to a Brahmin like Dattadeen.
Thus Hori represents the aspirations, struggles and resilience of the Indian peasantry.
Themes of “Godan”
The novel ‘Godan’ by Premchandra was published in 1936. It has been revered as one of the greatest novels of Indian Literature. The main theme of the novel was based on Indian Peasantry.
The themes include
Poverty Social Hierarchy Exploitation Deception Social Inequality Corruption Selflessness
Poverty
One of the major themes of Godan is ‘Poverty’. The novel portrays the struggles of the poor and how they are always in need of money to survive. Hori’s life is a clear reflection of the struggles of Poor farmers in India during that time. The Author portrays and how it affects not just individuals but also their families. Hori’s inability to provide for his family and his constant worry about their survival is a stark reminder of the harsh reality that many people face.
Social Hierarchy
The story of Godan also exposes the social hierarchy prevalent in Indian society during that time. Hori’s interactions with his landlords and the moneylender illustrate how the poor are often at the mercy of those in power. The characters in the novel are representative of the different social classes. The Author portrays how their interactions can have a lasting impact on each other’s lives.
Exploitation
One of the main themes of Godan is the exploitation of the farmers by the landlords. The novel highlights how the landlords take advantage of the poor and illiterate farmers by keeping them to work for low wages. This theme is still relevant today, as we have seen many instances of the wealthy exploiting the poor.
Deception
Godan also explores the theme of deception. The novel shows how people can deceive others to get what they want. We see this in modern society, where people use deception to gain power or wealth.
Social Inequality
The theme of social inequality is also prominent in Godan. The novel portrays the divide between the rich and the poor and how the poor are always at a disadvantage. This theme is still relevant today, as we see many instances of social inequality in our society.
Corruption
Godan also explores the theme of corruption. The novel shows how corruption can affect the lives of ordinary people. We see this in our society, as corruption is still a major problem in many countries.
Selflessness
Finally, the theme of selflessness is also explored in Godan. The novel shows how selfless actions can have a positive impact on society.
In Conclusion, We can say, that Godan is a novel that explores various themes that are still relevant today. Through the story of Hari, the novel portrays the struggles of Indian Farmers and highlights the issues of exploitation, poverty, deception, social inequality, corruption and selflessness.
Conclusion
Thus, ‘Godan’ depicts the problems of the farmer, faced in different times and different places. Through the character of Hari, Premchand highlights social economic, religious and political issues as well as class contrast of Indian society during British rule. So “Godan” is the story of naked poverty, incessant, hunger and ruthless exploitation of the poor in Indian Society.
“Lord of the Flies” is a 1954 debt novel by Nobel Prize-winning British author ‘William Golding’. Golding was a British novelist, playwright and poet. Golding’s original title for this novel was ‘Strangers from Within’. After it was accepted by Faber and Faber (an independent publishing house in London), the book was named “Lord of The Files”. The Present book focuses on a group of British boys stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempt to govern themselves.
Characters from Lord of the Flies
Ralph – The first boy, who lands on the island is Ralph. He is the protagonist, and also the leader of the boys. As Ralph is the oldest and tallest, he assumes leadership on Piggy’s suggestion.
Piggy- Despite being overweight, awkward, and asthmatic, Piggy is the most intelligent boy on the island.
Jack- Jack is the novel’s antagonist. He is bony, thin, and tall, with red hair, freckles, and a crumpled face.
Simon– Introverted and sickly, Simon is a boy whose obsession with nature shapes most of his actions.
Roger– As one of Jack’s most loyal followers, Roger guards Castle Rock and participates in hunts. Like Jack, Roger quickly descends into brutality.
Samneric- Samneric is a name that combines “Sam” and “Eric,” the twins who spend most of their time around Ralph and Piggy.
Percival– Percival is one of the smallest boys in the group.
Littluns– “Littluns” is the name given to the young boys, who are each about six years old. Johnny is the smallest littlun and Herry is the largest littlun.
Summary Of “Lord Of The Flies”
The novel opens with a plane crash on an island. A group of English school boys are in the plane. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy find a conch shell. Ralph blows into it like a horn, and all the boys on the island assemble. They elect a leader, an attractive boy named Ralph and a boy named Jack elected as the leader of the group hunters. Soon after, Ralph, Jack and another boy named Simon explore the island and discover wild pigs.
At a second assembly, the boys set up rules to govern themselves. The first rule is that whoever wants to speak at an assembly must hold the conch. At the meeting, one young boy claims, he saw a “Beast”, but Ralph dismisses it as just the product of a nightmare. Ralph then suggests that they build a signal fire at the top of a mountain so any passing ships will see its smoke and rescue them. The boy who saw the beast vanishes during the fire and is never seen again.
Time passes, and Tensions rise. Ralph becomes frustrated when no one helps him build shelters. Lots of boys goof off, while Jack obsesses about hunting and takes every opportunity to mock Piggy, who is smart but weak. Simon meanwhile, often wanders off into the forest to meditate. The rivalry between Ralph and Jack erupts when Jack forces the boys who were supposed to watch the signal fire to come hunting with him. They kill their first pig but a ship passes while the signal fire is out, which causes a tremendous argument between Ralph and Jack.
Ralph calls an assembly hoping to set things right. But that night after a distant airplane battle, a dead Parachutist landed on the mountaintop. Both Ralph and Jack climb the mountain in the dark to prove their courage. They spot the shadowy Parachutist and think he’s the beast. The next morning, Jack challenges Ralph’s authority at an assembly. Ralph’s authority at an assembly. Ralph wins but Jack leaves the group. Jack’s tribe paint their faces, and hunts and kills a pig.
They then leave its head as an offering to the beast. Simon comes upon the head and sees that it’s the ‘Lord of The Flies’ the beast within all men. While Jack invites everyone to a feat, Simon climbs the mountain and sea the Parachutist. When Simon returns to tell everyone the truth about the “Beast” however, the boys at the feast have become a frenzied mob, acting out a ritual killing of a pig. The mob thinks Simon is a beast and kills him.
Jack’s tribe moves to the rock fort. They steal Piggy’s glasses to make fire. Ralph and his lost allies, Piggy and the twins named Samneric go to get the glasses back. Jack’s tribe captures the twins and a boy at the fort who smashes the conch and kills Piggy. The next day the tribe hunts Ralph, setting fire to the forest as they do. The boys corner Ralph on the beach where they first set up their society when they crash-landed on the Island.
The Burning Jungle has attracted a British Naval ship, and an officer is standing on the shore. The boys stop, stunned and stare at the man. He jokingly asks if the boys are playing at war and whether there are any casualties. When Ralph says yes, the officer is shocked and disappointed that English boys would act in such a manner. Ralph starts to cry, and soon the other boys start crying too. The officer, uncomfortable, looks away toward his worship.
Through this novel ‘William Golding’ shows how young boys try to develop a system of organization and fail.
Evil is An Inborn Trait, in ‘Lord of the Flies’
Critics believe that Golding’s main themes suggest no hope for mankind or that evil is an inborn trait, as shown in ‘Lord of the Flies.’
Some critics feel that Golding’s main themes in his book are that there is no hope for mankind and that evil is an inborn trait of mankind.
These themes are reflected in the behaviour and actions of the characters in the book.
For example, in ‘Lord of the Flies,’ a group of young boys try to survive on a deserted island without any adults. As this goes, they are divided into two groups, which are led by Ralph and Jack. Ralph represents order and leadership while Jack symbolizes savagery as well as the desire for power. Eventually, they are rescued but end up killing the two innocent members Piggy and Simon. From this story, we can know that there is no hope for mankind, or that evil is an inborn trait of mankind by referring to the three symbols – Ralph, Jack, and, The Lord of the Flies.
Ralph shows his evil nature in “Lord of the Flies”. He shows his naturally evil manner when he starts to call Piggy Piggy. Piggy tells Ralph his nickname given by his previous friends because Ralph is interested in it. Because of this, Ralph starts mocking him by calling him Piggy. The lines in chapter one have shown this scene,
“I don’t care what they call me,” he said confidentially, “so long as they don’t call me what they used to call me at school.”
From here, we can see that the nature of people is evil. Ralph laughed at Piggy’s physical appearance naturally. From the lines, we know that Ralph mocks Piggy as “Piggy” although he tries to stop Ralph.
Besides, Jack also shows his evil side in this story. At the beginning of the story, Jack used to be a very disciplined and kind boy. He does behaviour to kill a pig during his first hunting because of his innocence. However, his nature of evil behaviour is shown after he becomes the leader of the savages. There is one, after their hunting, Jack orders the boys to make a circle and stick in Roger using a spear without any good reason.
For Jack, killing people is just like killing pigs. Hunting is a kind of game to him, no matter what kind of object he symbolizes. It is the nature of Jack to do such cruel things.
Moreover, “The Lord of the Flies” also symbolizes the natural evil of mankind. It is the motivation for the boys’ increasingly cruel and violent behaviour. The head of the pig symbolizes their internal evil side.
In conclusion, we know that evil is an inborn trait of mankind by referring to Ralph, Jack, and The ord of the Flies. Every one of them has shown clearly that actually, evil comes to our hearts. Evil is the fundamental nature of human beings which cannot be neglected.
Symbolism in “Lord of the Flies”
Symbolism plays a significant role in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Lord of the Flies is a novel about how a group of schoolboys, who crashed on a deserted island, eventually transition from civilized humans to savage beings.
Several symbols are displayed throughout the novel, Such as: –
The Conch – Ralph and Piggy find the conch shortly after landing on the island. It soon becomes the symbol of authority and law and order. The conch is used to call assemblies and only the person holding the conch could speak at the meetings. Ralph and especially Piggy respect the symbol of the conch until it is smashed to bits by Roger, one of Jack’s followers. The destruction of the conch symbolizes the destruction of what little civilization the boys possessed.
“Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got. If you don’t blow, we’ll soon be animals anyway. He can hold it when he’s speaking.”
Piggy’s Glasses– The glasses symbolize the ability to see and understand things Piggy is the only boy, besides Jack, who sees how things should be done. The cracking of the first lens symbolizes the boys losing sight of what they need to do. The glasses are also important in so much as they are needed to start the fire.
The Signal Fire – The signal fire symbolizes the boy’s connection to civilization. The fire, initially, is important in the novel. As the boys grow more savage, the fire becomes less important to them. Jack and the hunters let the fire go out to hunt. Ralph’s efforts to keep the fire going are consistent but unsuccessful, in the same way, his efforts to restore order are unsuccessful.
Author William Golding uses the signal fire to also symbolize hope, something which Jack destroys as the novel progresses. At times the signal fire rages out of control, symbolic of the boys themselves.
The Beast – The beast represents the inner savagery of the boys and all mankind. The boys personify it by calling it a giant snake and mistaking a dead parachutist for it. Simon is the only boy who understands that they are all beasts inside.
The Dead Parachutist – Piggy looks for a sign from the adult world. He gets it the very same night. Miles above the island, a plane is shot down. A dead man floats onto the island and becomes lodged in rocks and trees. The dead parachutist symbolizes the adult world and its inability to maintain peace.
The Plane Crash – The plane crash symbolizes the breakdown of modern society. The boys leave England to get away from the war and are shot down by the enemy.
The Island – The island symbolizes the Garden of Eden before the arrival of the boys. After the boys arrive it becomes corrupted and destroyed.
The Boys:- Golding also uses symbolism in the various characters of the story. Golding’s four main characters are Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and Simon. Each of these characters plays an important role in the novel. Ralph represents law, order, organized society, and moral integrity. Piggy symbolizes knowledge and morality. Jack represents anarchy and Simon represents goodness.
To sum up, we can say that, William Golding uses so much symbolism in Lord of the Flies that many critics agree that it is an allegory- a writing that has “a double meaning”.These symbols symbolize different aspects of the inevitable Change from civilization.
Tags: Lord of the Flies Summary, Lord of the Flies Summary and Analysis, Lord of the Flies Symbolism
T. S. Eliot was the most famous poet of the modern age. His ‘The Waste Land’ is a very important Landmark in the 20th century Literature. He has used myth and symbols in this poem to show the relation of the present with the past.
In ‘The Waste Land’, Eliot has drawn the myths and symbols from two sources. One is Sir James Frazer’s book ‘The Golden Bough’ and the other is Miss Jessie Weston’s ‘From Ritual to Romance’. He has taken his myth from Frazer’s cultivation rituals and Miss Weston’s Fisher King and Grail myths.
Use of Myths
T. S. Eliot has employed three myths, as –
(i) The Myth Of The Holy Grail.
(ii) The Myth of Fertility.
(iii) The Myth Of Tiresias.
The Myth Of The Holy Grail
The Holy Grail Legend is associated with the adventures of King Arthur and his Knights. Eliot has connected the story of the Holy Grail with the Fisher King. He was a very sensual and sinful King. So he became sick and his Kingdom suffered from drought and famine. According to another legend, the soldiers of the king raped the nuns attached to the chapel of the Holy Grail. As a result of the sin, his kingdom suffered from famine.
‘The Waste Land’ of the Fisher King stands for the wasteland of the modern world. The sick king stands for the sick humanity. The sick king stands for the sick humanity. The sickness of the Fisher King was due to sexual energies. In the same way, the sickness of modern men is due to their sexual perversities. Sex has been degraded to an animal passion and not as a means of the expression of true love.
The Myth of Fertility
In the Waste Land, it has a reference to the land of Emmaus mentioned in the Old Bible. The land became barren and dry on account of the idolatry of the dwellers. Once upon a prophet told them to worship. God and to give up idolatry, so the wasteland may become fertile. There are references to the Biblical Waste Land in words like the rock, the dread tree the dry grass mentioned in the famous poem ‘The Waste Land’.
The Myth Of Tiresias
Another legendary figure in the poem is Tiresias, the protagonist of the poem. Once, Tiresias saw two serpents mating together. He was cursed by them and transformed into a woman. After seven years he saw two serpents mating together. He was cursed by them and transformed into a woman. After seven years he saw the same scene and was cursed and transformed into a man. So he has experience of life both as a man and as a woman.
Later on, he was questioned by Zeus and his wife Hera, as to whether the man is more passionate than a woman. He declared that woman was more passionate the man. For this, Hera cursed him with blindness and Zeus granted him prophetic power for compensation.
Thus Tiresias is a link between the Waste Land of King Oedipus and the Waste Land of the modern civilization. He is an enlightened commentator on the modern Waste Land. He is an embodiment of human conscience and of higher humanity which deplores the loss of faith and moral values in the modern world.
Symbols in the Waste Land
A word has two-fold meaning – original meaning and targeted meaning. Symbolism is the study of the targeted meaning of the words.
Following are some of the most important symbols in ‘The Waste Land’
The Symbolic Meaning of Water
Water is a significant symbol of birth, death, and resurrection throughout this poem. At the poem’s beginning, water stands for life-giver and symbolizes fertility. However, it also stands for death in the ‘Death by Water’. In the “What the Thunder Said” section, water is a symbol of hope because, according to Eliot, the resurrection of a desolate wasteland is only possible as a tree that finds new life in rainwater.
“Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves. Waited for rain…..”
Drought as a symbol of Death
Although the poem deals with physical and emotional effects of war, the speaker of the poem deals with physical and emotional effects of war, the speaker of the poem uses drought as a symbol of death.
“Here is no water but only rock Rack and no water and the Sandy Road.”
Drought is a Symbol of death. To raise concerns about waiting for rain, the speaker says that even lightning, which indicates the possibility of rain, is “Infertile”. So there is hope of rain in this infertile land if the purification of modern people is done.
Symbols of disconnection between the human and natural worlds
The poem’s speaker in the “A Game of Chess” section presents how the modern world has lost contact with nature. Organic life-giving spirit has become inorganic inert matter:-
“The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne Glowed on the marble”,
River
The poem refers to the Ganges in the Himalayas. The river is called the mother of civilization. The river symbolizes the flow continuity of life. Rivers are considered serene also. It symbolizes destruction as well as construction.
Buddhist
‘The Fire Sermon’ is the title taken from a sermon given by Buddha. Buddha encourages his followers to give up earthly passion. Budda preached non-violence and wanted his followers to rise spiritually. He symbolizes universal Non-violence and piece.
Conclusion
Thus in the poem “The Waste Land”, the poet has successfully brought about the use of myths and symbols to represent his theme of the sterility of human intellect and conscience as a parallel to the past and present. He conveys the profound spiritual and cultural, decay of the post–World War I era through the use of myth and symbols in the poem. He paints a bleak picture of a world in crisis, emphasizing the urgent need for spiritual renewal and cultural regeneration.
