Liang Zhi: The first impression I had of the book, when I heard the book title, was that the book had flies invading some sort of country. Of course that was a very superficial impression of the book. However, as I looked at the book cover and read through the synopsis of the book, I realised that the book was about the innate darkness of humans, that is progressively showcased by a group of young boys trapped on an island without the supervision of adults. This book focuses on the less vibrant and positive side of human beings, describing humans as evil and blood-thirsty creatures who lack empathy and compassion.
Ruan Yang: The first impression I had of the book was that it involved flies and that there was a ruler to them. I have also heard that the book is filled with cannibalism too. However, the actual story plot was totally different from what I thought of the book. It is a story in which a group of boys had to survive on an uninhabited island, and during so time soon revealed the humane darkness in some of the boys, which was displayed through the characters, mainly Jack. Furthermore, I realised that Lord Of The Flies (LOTF) was reflecting the scene of World War II, as the author, William Golding, had experienced, and it could present how the dark side of humans could overpower their civilisation and natural goodness.
Wenwei: My first impression when I read the first few pages of Lord of the Flies was that it was a rather family friendly book, something like the ‘Swiss Family Robinsons’, a dystopian novel about stranded boys on an island. As I read on and studied the plot development, I realised that the novel was an allegory: it told of bloodthirst and innate evil in man, and much of this would not have been gathered should I have read this book like an ordinary storybook or at surface value. I found it interesting as the events of the book reflected the horrors of the second world war through the actions and thoughts of young boys, which shows how William Golding truly felt that wickedness lay in every man, only to be restrained by civilisation. It was also very interesting to see that the only exception to innate evil is Simon, who is depicted as a Christ-like figure, where in the book he is seen to go through similar events as Jesus Christ did. All in all, my first impression really contrasted against my current impression of LOTF; now I think of it as a very clever and dark allegory, and a very thought-provoking one at that.
Fanny: My impression of LOTF was that it was a book about a group of boys working together who would successfully save themselves from a risky situation by working together harmoniously on the island, such as that of an adventure book, since chapter one was about how the boys on the island were organised where everyone seemed to have an assigned task; Ralph being the chosen leader, Piggy being the one who was in charge of ensuring the littluns safety and wellbeing; Jack in charge of gathering food and resources for the boys. To me, it seemed like the start of a tale, where a group of boys are able to live together peacefully, accomplishing new objectives everyday with everyone performing their assigned task well. However over Term 2, i have realised that LOTF wasn't such a peaceful book, and was not promoting the importance of teamwork and kindness. It also dawned upon me that the story would be unlikely to end with “Everyone living happily ever after”. In term 2, I realised that LOTF had some hints that it would be a book about savagery, and the loss of civilisation. The boys began to have differing priorities and had trouble communicating with one another, and were then unable to work harmoniously together. Jack’s behaviour started to become somewhat eccentric, in the sense that he is became increasingly bloodthirsty. Also, it seemed like many of the boys wanted to be the leader and wanted authority over each other, even using violence to show that they are to be feared, and that they should be respected by others. Hence in conclusion, my understanding of LOTF has changed drastically from being an adventure book, to one that has deeper meaning, a reflection of the dark side of the society we live in today.
Joash: During the first term which our class studied Lord of the Flies, I regarded the book rather dismissively; I saw it merely as a written work meant to excite and entertain, just page upon page of an author in a literary clamour for our attention. Though the author William Golding does a fantastic job doing so, his “sadistic child-torturing fantasies” never struck a chord. I considered the plot of the boys’ division and shameless politicking with distaste, frowned upon how Golding decided to suggest a death even as the book was nascent in its second chapter, and questioned, in perturbed disgust, Golding’s sanity as he described the scene where Simon converses with the head of a pig. Needless to say my initial, and admittedly shallow, analysis of Lord of the Flies was and excruciatingly uncomfortable affair. However, upon discussions conducted in class and the learned guidance of our teacher over the past two terms, I realised that Lord of the Flies was not just 237 lifeless pages of child brutality, but a piece of literature, a medium through which Golding expresses philosophical insights which are not only impressive, but practical for our day and age. I realised that through the praiseworthy eloquence, the book was thick with symbolism and social commentary. This was evident through how it delves into subjects such as the brevity of civilisation and societal justice, innate sin as compared to circumstantial evil, and the sad fate of morality and reason against our innate savagery. It would be an understatement to say that Golding’s work has inspired me immensely and has greatly developed my worldview. I began to see the prowess behind the prose; how the boy’s division was to exhibit the weakness that is civilisation and the result of succumbing to savagery. How the deaths symbolised the failure of our forces which govern our thinking or their demise. How Simon’s conversation with the lord of the flies exposes the indwelling evil within the boys. In summary, my view of Lord of the Flies has been changed immeasurably over the course of the past two terms, from a piece of entertainment to a trove of perceptive revelations to human nature.
Zizai: When I first got the book and took a glimpse at the title, my first thought was : ‘Is this going to be a slaughterfest with a bunch of flies flocking around?’. I had a rather negative first impression, combining the word ‘flies’ with the seemingly gory image on the cover page of the book, which suggested an image of death with the head of a pig and the use of red colour, which symbolises blood, to conclude with a rather sadistical book which had some rather disturbing themes. As I read the early chapters of the book, this impression started to fade away and was replaced with one that suggested that it contains themes such as friendship and adventure. From the way that the boys were stranded in an island, their little castaway adventure seemingly held infinite possibilities for them. It felt like an iteration of the renowned ‘Robinson Crusoe’ where the protagonist made friends, explored the island and subsequently escaped it. However, during our fruitful literature lessons, some insightful analysis by the teacher and classmates allowed me to look at things beyond surface level and spot the underlying themes in the book. The themes of death and twisted madness were replaced with savagery and bloodlust respectively while those of friendship and adventure still existed, albeit falling under a broader category known as civilisation. I found out that this was a book which encompasses and discusses the innate darkness in humans which challenges our ‘taught’ civilisation. and discusses the innate darkness found in humans that takes the form of savagery. It is pitted against civilisation, which is taught and trained, taking the form of Jack and Ralph respectively. Now, after two terms, I view this book as a medium to portray the conflict between savagery and civilisation.
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