Response #2

5. What is the mood of this novel? Do you find this novel saddens you in any way? Why?

While I was reading this novel, it made me really think about what could have driven these boys to kill each other and the innocence that was lost. More than being sad, I was shocked. These boys were stranded on an island during the time of war and they were helpless. However, in the beginning they somehow came together and were one until they began to get involved in conflicts with one another. There was the fire, the dispute about the glasses and the conch. These all builded up and finally exploded. There was nothing called a group. It was either Jack's side or Ralph's side. THe mood of this novel reveals a hint of corruption and hate. It relates to the theme of how society and war can corrupt us, even the innocent and naive children. It was as if they were compelled by some force and they couldn't control that force inside them. Their evil side had emerged from inside and it was taking over them.

Response #1

3. Who are the main characters in the novel? Do you like them? Why or why not? What is special about them? What do they reveal about the universal human experience?

The main character in this novel is Ralph. The books starts with him and he is chosen as leader amongst the boys. I personally like this character because he seems like the most normal one and the sensible one. Piggy is also very smart and thoughtful, but he is sometimes a little too paranoid, which becomes annoying to the reader and the rest of the characters too. Jack is too cocky and is so concerned with being the leader because he is the oldest. Out of all the boys, Ralph is the most quiet, but humble and also has a trait that makes him a good leader. Ralph is like the ruler, Piggy the assistant next to him, and Jack is the bad guy who's trying to overthrow Ralph. In the world's society, there are cases like these where there is a bad person who desires to take over and rule with their own ways.