Symbolism of Simon in Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Symbolism of Simon in Lord of the Flies Essay Do you know someone who naturally brings out the good in people, or who always does the right thing no matter what? Simon is a shy, kind, hardworking boy who always puts others first. He tries to warn everyone on the island that there is not a beast but because he tries to do what he knows is right he gets killed by the other boys. Simon is one of the important characters in Lord of the Flies. He is one of the important characters in the novel because he represented the struggle between good and evil inside of people, nature, and Jesus or religion. The first thing that Simon represents is the struggle of good vs. vil in people because he is always putting others first and doing what is right but, at the same time, he is the only one that interacts with the Lord of the Flies, who could represent evil. Simon was the only one that helped Ralph build the shelters while everyone else was goofing off. He also helped the littluns get fresh fruit from the trees instead of letting them eat the fruit on the ground that could make them sick. Those are both things that show the good people can do. His interaction with the Lord of the Flies was more than likely a hallucination of some sort because a pig’s head on a stick cannot talk. The Lord of the Flies is evil and wants the boys to hurt or kill each other and, since he is a hallucination, it shows that there is an evil part of Simon that he tries to suppress or he may not even know is there. The second thing that Simon represents is nature because he goes into the forest on his own to surround himself with nature and appreciate its beauty and does not harm the plants or animals around him. Once Simon is done working and helping the littluns he goes into a clearing in the jungle and hides in a tangle of vines. He sits there and just listens to the sounds of the jungle and ocean and watches the animals. As he listens and watches he seems completely absorbed and at peace with nature. He is also the one who pointed out the â€Å"candle buds† which shows he was being more observant of the plants and things around them. He also knows where the freshest fruit is while most of the other boys don’t seem to know or even seem to care about the freshness of the fruit. He does not disturb the animals around him unlike the other boys. Simon is the only boy that never participates in hunting or the hunters’ dance. The third and final thing that Simon could symbolize is Jesus or religion because he is prophetic, gathers all his information from faith alone, and is the only inherently good boy on the island. Simon tells Ralph that he (Ralph) will get off the island okay but does not say that everyone will. This is prophetic and foreshadowing of Simon and Piggy’s deaths as well as the rescue of the boys that saves Ralph from the same fate. He also has no logical explanation or evidence of his claim; it is base solely on faith. Simon also realizes that there is no beast but rather it is the boys themselves. He is the only naturally good boy on the island. The other boys do not act civilized because of morality but because of social conditioning and the threat of punishment, where as Simon is civilized and good because of morals and spiritual connection to nature. Even the seemingly civilized Ralph and Piggy are not as civilized as they appear, as we see when they participate in the hunters’ dance that kills Simon. Simon can also represent Jesus because of his confrontation with the Lord of the Flies, who can represent the devil. The confrontation between the two can be seen as a parallel to Jesus’ confrontation with the devil during Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. Simon’s clearing in the jungle could be compared to the Garden of Eden, which is pure and perfect until evil invades it, this evil being the other boys and the Lord of the Flies. Simon is an important character in Lord of the Flies because he represented the battle between good and evil inside of people, nature, and Jesus or religion. Simon symbolizes good vs. evil because he puts others first and does what is right but, at the same time, he is the only one that ever speaks with the Lord of the Flies, who could represent Satan. Simon is a symbol of nature because he goes into the forest on to envelop himself in nature and value its beauty and does not harm the plants or animals on the island. The final thing that Simon could represent is Jesus or religion because he is prophetic, all his information is based on belief, and he is the only naturally good boy on the island. Simon is a timid, thoughtful, reliable boy who always does the right thing. He tries to tell everyone that there is not a beast but because he tries to do what he knows is right he gets killed by the other boys. The book would not have been the same without Simon.

Deforestation Causes Climate Change Essay -- Global Warming Essays

"Ladies and gentlemen, the world's forests need to be seen for what they are—giant global utilities, providing essential public services to humanity on a vast scale." -- Prince Charles on Deforestation Many development institutions and politicians regard population pressure as the major factor causing rainforest destruction. Nobody can deny the serious global problem of population growth. However, the belief that this is the main cause of rainforest loss is used by many governments and businesses to imply that there is little or nothing they can do about the problem of rainforest destruction. An examination of forest destruction on a regional basis reveals that this is not so. In fact it is large companies and the inequities of international trade which are the root causes of rainforest destruction. For instance, millions of hectares of primary rainforests are being destroyed in South East Asia by logging, and the driving force in this industry is not the local population but international demand for timber. Because landless people will follow logging roads into primary rainforest areas, it is the logging industry which is the main immediate factor responsible for colonisation of rainforest. In Central America, 40% of all the rainforests have been cleared or burned down in the last 40 years, mostly for cattle pasture to feed the export market (often for US beefburgers). This industry in particular, and the continuing consolidation of land ownership in general, force the poor into rainforest in their search for land. Latin American environment groups have cited skewed land distribution as the most important factor frustrating the conservation and sustainable use of rainforest areas. Throughout South East Asia there are the... ...an 7 per cent of the planet's surface. They generate the bulk of rainfall worldwide and act as a thermostat for the Earth. Forests are also home to 1.6 billion of the world's poorest people who rely on them for subsistence. However, forest experts say governments continue to pursue science fiction solutions to the coming climate catastrophe, preferring bio-fuel subsidies, carbon capture schemes and next-generation power stations. Putting a price on the carbon these vital forests contain is the only way to slow their destruction. Hylton Philipson, a trustee of Rainforest Concern, explained: "In a world where we are witnessing a mounting clash between food security, energy security and environmental security - while there's money to be made from food and energy and no income to be derived from the standing forest, it's obvious that the forest will take the hit." Deforestation Causes Climate Change Essay -- Global Warming Essays "Ladies and gentlemen, the world's forests need to be seen for what they are—giant global utilities, providing essential public services to humanity on a vast scale." -- Prince Charles on Deforestation Many development institutions and politicians regard population pressure as the major factor causing rainforest destruction. Nobody can deny the serious global problem of population growth. However, the belief that this is the main cause of rainforest loss is used by many governments and businesses to imply that there is little or nothing they can do about the problem of rainforest destruction. An examination of forest destruction on a regional basis reveals that this is not so. In fact it is large companies and the inequities of international trade which are the root causes of rainforest destruction. For instance, millions of hectares of primary rainforests are being destroyed in South East Asia by logging, and the driving force in this industry is not the local population but international demand for timber. Because landless people will follow logging roads into primary rainforest areas, it is the logging industry which is the main immediate factor responsible for colonisation of rainforest. In Central America, 40% of all the rainforests have been cleared or burned down in the last 40 years, mostly for cattle pasture to feed the export market (often for US beefburgers). This industry in particular, and the continuing consolidation of land ownership in general, force the poor into rainforest in their search for land. Latin American environment groups have cited skewed land distribution as the most important factor frustrating the conservation and sustainable use of rainforest areas. Throughout South East Asia there are the... ...an 7 per cent of the planet's surface. They generate the bulk of rainfall worldwide and act as a thermostat for the Earth. Forests are also home to 1.6 billion of the world's poorest people who rely on them for subsistence. However, forest experts say governments continue to pursue science fiction solutions to the coming climate catastrophe, preferring bio-fuel subsidies, carbon capture schemes and next-generation power stations. Putting a price on the carbon these vital forests contain is the only way to slow their destruction. Hylton Philipson, a trustee of Rainforest Concern, explained: "In a world where we are witnessing a mounting clash between food security, energy security and environmental security - while there's money to be made from food and energy and no income to be derived from the standing forest, it's obvious that the forest will take the hit."

Family Traditions Essay

How does The Keeping Quilt help you understand traditions and what they mean to families? The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco shows how immigrants came to a new country and passed down traditions to their family overtime. It also shows how traditions are integrated with other cultures to create a new culture. The Keeping Quilt demonstrates how historical and cultural traditions, teaching children social themes through children literature in the classroom can effectively increase cultural values in children’s social skills in reality. In reading the story The Keeping Quilt the author Patricia Polacco reflects on when her great grandma Anna came to America from Russia were grandma came to with only her old dress a babushka and old coat. Grandma later decides to use the old coat and pieces of other family members clothing to make a quilt. â€Å" We will make a quilt to help us always remember home† Anna’s mother said. † It will be like having the family in back home Russia dance around us at night. †(4). Here, the quilt was a significant symbol to the family to always remember their native land. It was used for the birth of family members to the family and used as huppa in weddings. Later the quilt was even used as a tablecloth and covering for caskets at funerals. The quilt became a symbol of the love and family values. The story The Keeping Quilt demonstrates to readers how some traditions and customs from our ancestors are embedded within individuals. These traditions help shape and influence our ideas values and beliefs. However in reading the story The Keeping Quilt it emphasizes some characterics of the historical values in the black African American cultures as to the movie or novel Roots by Alex Haley whereas the family kept their traditional heritage alive with jumping the broom as a symbolic union in marriage during their struggles through slavery. Another example is Escaping slavery: Sweet Clara and the freedom quilt by Sue Ann Miller, were a slave girl, Clara goes on her journey to freedom using the quilt as her symbolic inspiration from slavery. These stories and The Keeping Quilt shows readers how tradition customs individuals inherit from their ancestors used to remind them of their heritage such as the quilt was significant because it served as a piece of history passed down through generation to generation. Although Grandma Anna migrated from Russia she did not abandon her homeland once arriving in America, instead she tried to capture the memories by creating a quilt from different family members clothing each scrap of a family member clothing told a story. In creating the quilt grandma Anna kept her family history alive because it represented every significant moment in the family’s life. The Keeping Quilt also shows how cultures when migrating to a new country bring their own traditions and values. â€Å"Carle was given a gift gold, flower, salt, and bread to welcome her into the world each having a symbolic meaning. Whereas the gold represented she will never know poverty, a flower so she would always know love, salt so life would give her flavor, and bread so that she would never know hunger. However the story also shows how cultures bring their own traditions from their homeland they also create new traditions. Patricia Polacco stated† at my wedding men and women danced together, whereas in the pass they were not allowed to dance together (10). Although some traditions had changed in The Keeping Quilt overtime, the quilt remained an important tool used to connect the families past to the present. It also served as something used to preserve traditions the author Patricia Polacco states â€Å" I too will be a grandmother, and tell the story of The Keeping Quilt to my grandbabies†. 32) In addition, The Keeping Quilt is great example to express it is important to pass the torch of family traditions, this imparts a sense of continuity, bonding and more importantly love. It is incumbent on each generation of parents to keep the family tradition up and running. Family traditions are valuable instruments for child rearing because they install social values and contribute to creating close family ties. Whereas quality family time can help to build and maintain strong family ties sharing is the key ingredient for creating quality moments. On the other hand traditions make sharing easy for offering a common ground of knowledge and experiences. Teaching the new generation to honor the old family traditions through the years can help preserve encouraged interaction through shared activities. Many of most meaningful traditional activities revolve around food, with families gatherings eat and celebrate different events or holidays. In telling her story Patricia Polacco says that she come from past of storytellers, quoting† My fondest memories are sitting around a stove or open fire, eating apples and popping corn, while listening to the old ones tell glorious stories about their homeland and past. † In celebrating, traditions are highly important to welfare of many diverse families were Jews celebrate Passover and Hanukah, African Americans enjoy Kwanzaa, christens honor the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, but all giving thanks on Thanksgivings and etc. Traditions help people feel a sense of identity and belonging from a generational perspective, family traditions are practices or belief, they also pave the way for the good times and good memories. They create a connectedness with the past and hope for the future. This book is well integrated into History and Social Studies the study of families ethic religious, occupational and so forth. In reading this book illustration The Keeping Quilt emphasizes the family value and encourages children that valuable tools of family traditions ensure them with warmth and closeness family bondage now.

Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury - 1554 Words

The Burning Truth: Symbolism in Fahrenheit 451 Because of individual freedoms and choices, citizens of the United States have the opportunity to be unique and to pursue their wildest dreams. The freedoms and opportunities offered to Americans allow them to dare to dream and achieve as long as they are willing to work and sacrifice. Imagine living in other countries where oppressive governments take away individual rights and take control of what citizens read, watch, and discuss—where free thought is prohibited and pursuing individual success and prosperity is impossible. This is the case in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Books have been outlawed and citizens’ rights to question, think and learn from the past have been taken away. The state, in its attempt to prevent people from debating and sharing ideas, has also prohibited the building of front porches on homes to discourage communication. Through the actions of various characters, Bradbury shows the disastrou s consequences of such strict governmental controls and censorship. Through his use of symbolism in Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury portrays the themes of destruction and rebirth in a dystopian society. The novel’s key symbol, fire, denotes the destructive nature of an oppressive government and the hope of a new society. In the dystopia portrayed in Fahrenheit 451, fire is the irrevocable means of destruction used by the government to eradicate books and completely eliminate the views and knowledge that they provide. ByShow MoreRelatedFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury719 Words   |  3 PagesThe flash point of paper, or the temperature at which paper will burst in flames, is 451 degrees Fahrenheit. In Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Guy Montag, is a â€Å"fireman† in a futuristic society where he and his coworkers start fires, rather than put them out. Books are banned and burned, along with the owner of the book’s house and sometimes even the owner of the book, upon discovery. Technology has taken over in a sense that social interaction between the average personRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1952 Words   |  8 Pagesis clea rly displayed in the plight of Ray Bradbury’s novel about a dystopian American society, Fahrenheit 451, which contains many ideas and bits of content that some people believed should be censored. In fact, one of the reasons that this novel was censored for displaying the dangers of censorship, which is both extremely ironic, and telling as to where this society is going. Thanks to several distributors and oversensitive parents and teachers, Fahrenheit 451 has been banned in many schools overRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury954 Words   |  4 Pages In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the author uses allegory (often misinterpreted by readers) to show the dangers of mass media consumption and the decline of reading traditional media. Many readers draw incorrect conclusions (lessons learned) from the book due to how generally the book applies its theme. Government censorship, though an important topic, is not the intended focus of the novel Fahrenheit 451. Finally, Bradbur y’s original message of the book shows the beauty of traditional media andRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1592 Words   |  7 PagesWhen writing the introduction to Fahrenheit 451, author Neil Gaiman stated that â€Å"ideas--written ideas--are special. They are the way we transmit our stories and our thoughts from one generation to the next. If we lose them, we lose our shared history†. Gaiman is absolutely correct; especially because what he is saying heavily applies to books. Books are a critical aspect in shaping humanity as a whole, they create and share a network of creative ideas, history, and overall entertainment; to loseRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury918 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Fahrenheit 451,† written by Ray Bradbury, is a futuristic, dystopian novel based upon a society secluded by technology and ignorance. In this future society, books are outlawed and firemen are presented with the task of burning books that are found in peopleâ €™s homes. Montag, a fireman, finds himself intrigued with the books, and begins to take them home and read them. As the story progresses, Montag learns the truth behind why books are outlawed and flees his city to join the last remnants of age-oldRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury847 Words   |  4 PagesSet Knowledge On Fire The book Fahrenheit 451 is a postmodern work by Ray Bradbury first published in 1951. In Bradbury’s story, all books are illegal and are subject to be burned by firemen. Furthermore, the two predominant themes of Fahrenheit 451 are censorship and ignorance. The censorship implemented over the years removes all information from society that is necessary to learn, which accomplishes to prevent people from questioning anything. The ignorance of society has been fostered and theRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1661 Words   |  7 Pages1.) In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag’s view on life reverses. Two characters the influence the main character Guy Montag are the old lady whose house and books were burnt down and Mildred. The old lady was caught preserving books in her home. Firemen including Montag were ordered to burn the books. The old lady refused to leave her books, so she too was burned. She bravely gave an allusion as her last words, â€Å"Play the man,’ she said, ‘Master Ridley.’ Something, somethingRead MoreFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury818 Words   |  4 PagesFAHRENHEIT 451 BY RAY BRADBURY Important People in Montag’s Life In Partical Fulfillment Of English 2 Ms Irina Abramov By Helen Hernandez November 9, 2012 â€Å"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them† -Ray Bradbury. In the past there were events that affected book writers. People will get together to burn books because they thought it was inappropriate or they were against their literature. Montag is a fireman in a futuristic society who would startRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury863 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel, Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury and it took place in the dystopian future. Throughout each novel, we are able to see a major theme, which is censorship. In this essay, I will explain how this theme are explored in the story by using the literary devices. To begin with, in this novel, censorship is not given a straight description, but we can see how the author shows it through many literary elements, such as using the setting, tone and symbolisms even foreshadowing. This novelRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1544 Words   |  7 PagesRay Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, expresses his perspective on life in an interview. His interview contains a common theme: Do what you love, and love what you do (Bradbury). Bradbury sends a message in his interview that people should love life, and live to the fullest because he believes life is a beautiful thing. Although Bradbury no longer can demonstrate his love for life his message still lives in the pages of Fahrenheit 451. The Government of the society in the novel has told their