25 Minute Open Response Essay: Lord of the Flies is set during the mid 2oth century. If a group of young men were put in the same situation today, how might they fare? Does our modern culture better equip us for such scenarios, or would we be at a disadvantage? Explain.
21 comments:
The story Lord of the Flies by William Golding is about a group of young me who were stranded on an island after a plane crash. This group of boys was not very civilized in the way the acted towards each other and they often fought. Today, if a group of young men were stranded on an island they would not fare very well because most kids today are used to having everything given to them and not working for things.
The reason that boys today would not survive on an island is the fact that most kids are used to things being given to them. Because of this most of the boys would have no knowledge of what to do because they do not work for things they need. This would make all the boys go hungry because they would not know what to do for food or how to hunt for food. Also, they would not make housing because it is usually provided and they are not used to working so they would not know how to construct an adequate housing space. This lack of housing may also lead to some illness because of harsh weather and having no place to hide from it. If an illness were to break out the boys would not know what to do because when they get sick they are taking care of. Also, the boys would not think to start a fire for a signal with something as simple as a pair of glasses like the boys in Lord of the Flies did. This is why boys today would not survive on and island.
If there was a group of modern boys marooned on an island they would be doomed. This is because most kids today do not do anything and sit inside all day and watch TV. Also they have everything given to them and do not work for things. This would eventually lead to doom for the group of young men.
-RYAN CONSENTINO
In the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, a large group of boys are stranded on an island without any adults, after their plane suddenly crashes. The boys have many problems while on the island such as building shelters, making fires and keeping them going, getting along, and deciding who should be the chief. In today’s day and age, if a group of boys were stranded on an island, they would fare better and be more equipped for the situation.
In today’s world, children have more knowledge of what to do in a situation such as being stranded on an island. Almost everyone watches television these days, and there are even shows that show you what to do when stranded alone. The show “Survivor Man” and “Man Versus Wild” both teach people how to stay alive. They show you what to do for protection and what to eat and what not to eat. There are also many books like “Lord of the Flies,” which are about people being stranded and most end up with the characters being saved. These books and television shows could be helpful in some ways, and give the stranded children ideas of what to do and how to survive.
A group of boys today would be better off marooned on an island; thanks to many technological advances that would be used by the government to find them. The government may be able to find approximately where the plane went down. They would also be able to search faster and more efficiently using Coast Guard and Military ships. Lastly, most of the islands around the world have been discovered, so the government would have a better idea as to where they boys are. Back during World War II, there were still many undiscovered islands, especially out in the Pacific. With all of the advances in technology over the last 50 years, the boys on the island would be much better off, and have a much greater chance of being found alive.
A group of boys in the twenty-first century would be much better off stranded than a group of boys back during World War II would be. Thanks to the technological advances and the knowledge of survival, the boy would have a better chance of living than they did many years ago.
TYLER ANDERSON
ENGLISH F BLOCK
12/17/08
Throughout Lord of the Flies William Golding expresses the challenges the boys go through during this time. The book is set in the mid 20th century so the boys have a lot less technology then we would. With our technology and dependence on the way of life today, would we be able to survive? The survival of our society today would depend on three factors, the technology that exists, dependence on our parents or society, and how well the person is educated.
In life today humans depend on the country to bring in goods to survive on. An average everyday person does not have a farm in their back yard. This being said, many people wouldn’t know the first thing about finding food themselves. Since television is such a key part in life today, television producers are trying to educate the people by broadcasting Survivor Man and Man vs. Wild. If and only if the inhabitants of the island had cell phones it would be very unlikely that they would have service to make any calls.
More and more today parents are making it hard for children to grow up because they feel the need to pamper their child so much that they never have to do anything. This is also true about having everything there like food and clothing. Then all of a sudden Mom and Dad aren’t there, and the person has no idea how to do anything.
Education is a big part! If people are educated by watching those TV shows or they take classes on agriculture, they’re more likely to continue existence.
~Brianne Eagar
Today if a bunch of kids were placed in the same situation as the children from the novel Lord of the Flies the kids from today would be at a disadvantage. They would be at a disadvantage because of the way children are brought up today. Now children are too focused on videogames, television, and they sit inside all day not getting exercise. Also kids are not used to working for things.
Children nowadays would be at a disadvantage in many ways. One way they would be at a disadvantage is kids aren’t used to have to go and find their own food. They just wait for their parents to get them dinner. If they had to get their own food then they might get frustrated and quite and then starve. Also kids might go insane without television and videogames because they haven’t gone a day in their lives without them. They might have withdrawals and go crazy. Another reason they are at a disadvantage is kids just sit inside all day. They don’t go outside and exercise so they wouldn’t be ready to go and hunt and climb trees for fruit or even build shelter. All in all, children nowadays would be at a huge disadvantage being stranded on an island because of they way they are brought up with television, videogames and having everything given to them like food.
Today if some young men were put in the same situation as the children from Lord of the Flies they would be at a disadvantage. The main reasons they would be at a big disadvantage is they aren’t used to have to go get things for themselves and how television, videogames are a big part of their lives and how kids just sit inside all day. This would be very difficult for children nowadays.
-Matt Pelletier
Meagan Elliott
12/17/08
Period F
LOTF Open Response Essay
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a story about a group of British boys who get stranded on an island after a plane crash. And, in the end, things go very wrong for them. If a group of young men were put in the same situation today, they would not fare as well due to differences in knowledge and skills and temperament of people back then and today.
The knowledge and skill of people today would cause serious downfall if a group of young men were put in the same situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies. Today, the technology is very advanced. And many people have become very dependent of it. People have become lazy. They sit around and watch television all day and/or go on the computer. And because of it, we don’t get out and learn things, such as survival skills, like people should. Also, people get all of their information from television programs, such as Survivor Man, and the internet. Although, people can learn from reading this information, they are not actually performing it. And, that can cause downfall if put in this situation because people may panic and forget everything they had read. Or, they may not actually know how to do something, ever though they know what it is. People will always learn more by performing or doing the act themselves. And by doing this, they will be prepared to do it in an emergency situation. Also, people don’t do anything themselves anymore, especially kids. A lot of kids probably would even know how to get around a supermarket if they had to because they sit around at home and text on their cell phones or watch television. Kids have their parents do everything for them these days. They are selfish and spoiled in a sense. Kids go to school, where they don’t even mention anything about surviving and then come home and focus on their friends and such. So, not having the knowledge in surviving would cause them to have a lack in skill. In Lord of the Flies, the boys knew to use glasses to make fire, make shelter, and hunt. Today, what kid would know to use a child’s glasses to make fire or to even hunt for food? How would they know how to survive?
To add to the lack of knowledge and skill, the temperament of people today is very different compared to people back then, especially in kids. In society, back then, the people were very polite and tolerant of other people, even the kids. Children walked around saying, “Yes Sir” and “Yes Ma’am”. They obeyed their parents and a very strong respect of all their elders, even of they didn’t know the person. However, today kids are brought up very different. Kids, and ever adults, want what they want. They think they are always right and know one can be. They are rude and intolerant towards other people. Kids basically have no respect of their parents or elders. They walk around like they own the world. They act as if they are the head of their house. So, if the boys on the island were like this, how would they deal with each other? Everyone thinks their right. They would not cooperate like the boys in Lord of the Flies and they would drift into their own little cliquey groups. Since, modern kids have a strong temperament, they would probably not survive in the wild.
In conclusion, today’s young kids are brought up differently, they would not be able to survive like kids back then. Back then, everyone live on farms and had to learn how to take care of themselves. They had nothing else to do. Today, the kids focus on “more important things”. It is not good at all and things should really change.
The story Lord of the Flies by William Golding is about a group of young men who were stranded on an island after a plane crash. This group of boys was not very civilized in the way the acted towards each other and they often fought. Today, if a group of young men were stranded on an island they would not fare very well because most kids today are used to having everything given to them and not working for things.
The reason that boys today would not survive on an island is the fact that most kids are used to things being given to them. Because of this most of the boys would have no knowledge of what to do because they do not work for things they need. This would make all the boys go hungry because they would not know what to do for food or how to hunt for food. Also, they would not make housing because it is usually provided and they are not used to working so they would not know how to construct an adequate housing space. This lack of housing may also lead to some illness because of harsh weather and having no place to hide from it. If an illness were to break out the boys would not know what to do because when they get sick they are taking care of. Also, the boys would not think to start a fire for a signal with something as simple as a pair of glasses like the boys in Lord of the Flies did. This is why boys today would not survive on and island.
If there was a group of modern boys marooned on an island they would be doomed. This is because most kids today do not do anything and sit inside all day and watch TV. Also they have everything given to them and do not work for things. This would eventually lead to doom for the group of young men.
-RYAN CONSENTINO
Allison Capprini
Class F
William Goldings Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of young men who get stranded on a deserted island. The young men that grew up in our culture would have a better chance of surviving than the young men in Lord of the Flies if they were stuck in the same situation. They would have a better chance of surviving because there are TV shows now that show people trying to survive in those conditions, people talk about that topic much more and the rescue crews are much better.
Young men that grow up in our culture would have a better chance of surviving because there are many TV shows that show how people survive on islands. If the kids watch these shows they would have a good idea of what to do when they get to the island. They would know the best way to start a fire and how to build strong shelter. Another way the children of modern time also talk a lot more about what they would do in these situations. People always ask questions like ‘what would be the first thing you do if you get stuck on an island?’ and other things that are like that. So if kids did get stuck on an island they would already have a good idea of what they should do.
Another factor that would help the children of modern times survive better on an island would be that the rescue crews are much better these days. They have much more technology than they used to. They also know most if not all the islands that are out there. Also they can now track planes much better and would most likely have a good idea of where the plane landed or at least the general area. So even if the kids didn’t know what to do they wouldn’t really have to because they have a good chance of getting rescued quickly.
The novel The Lord of the flies is a brilliant novel. One of the reasons we still read it today is that the reader can try to put themselves in those boys’ shoes which makes the novel that much more interesting. Also the language in this story are advanced even for today’s’ readers which is also another reason why people still enjoy this novel after the advancements that have happened since the time it was written.
Kolin Campbell
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies shows the conflicts faced by pre-adolescent men and young children. The novel brings solutions to problems on the island, but also more trouble that leads to very dreadful results. If this same situation occurred to young men found today, they may not adapt as well to this new environment. The knowledge of survival is different than those of the mid 1900’s. With new inventions and technology brought to the culture, the less needed it is to know how to survive outdoors.
Young men in today’s world have been given easier tasks to accomplish and have been rewarded for such tiny goals. The people back in the 1900s are worked for things harder, with less technology to help them around. Young men from the modern culture would have not thought of lighting a fire with glasses, and therefore would have had trouble creating a signal, warmth, and a cooking tool, as Ralph successfully created. Jack’s hunting skills gave everyone meat to live off of, but someone today would not have the education of hunting as Jack had, and may not have been able top kill a pig to survive. Even though, in the novel, the ending was not satisfying, it would be better than if the setting was in the 21st century, as the characters may have never got rescued.
Yes, technology is very helpful to life, but it takes away from people doing things on their own.
In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a number of boys become stranded on an island. Most of them do not have any idea who anyone else on the plane, that they flew on and crashed with, is. They are limited with supplies and they do not have any real technology with them on the island. If this were to happen to boys of the 21 century they may or may not be able to handle surviving on their own, without any adults.
The boys would be able to handle it because boys in the 21 century are stronger than boys of the 20 century. They are better built and they and are more healthy than the boys from Lord of the Flies. Young men of the 21 century would be able to carry more wood, run faster after their prey, and build better shelters. The boys like Piggy and Ralph we not as strong when they first arrived at the island as the boys of our time would be if this were to happen to them. They would also be able to handle living on an island without any adults because they have more intelligence than the boys in Lord of the Flies. They would be able to come up with better plans and they would stick together rather than splitting into two groups, like what Ralph and Jack had done after being on the island for a long time. They would also be able to come up with better ideas for getting rescued and the boys from the 20 century were more worried about having fun and the fact that there were no adults on the island than getting things done. Boys in our time have more freedom from adults and are allowed to do more things on their own so if they were to try and survive by themselves on an island they would be able to do a better job than those boys of the 20 century who are dependant on adults.
The boys would not be as equipped to survive on an island by themselves because they rely too much on technology. A lot of the boys would not know what to do without items such like phones, ipods, computers, and televisions. The boys would try relating their problems with those that they see on reality television shows rather than using their brains like Ralph, Simon, and Piggy had done. They would not know how to hunt for food because they are so used to having food handed over to them and all they have to do is eat it unlike with the 20th century boys who know how to cook the food. Also the boys would not be able to start a fire and get a signal going, because to most people the only things that can light a fire are matches and lighters. To the boys deserted on the island in Lord of the Flies, they knew to use Piggy’s glasses in order to make a fire to keep them alive and to try and get rescued.
Overall I believe that boys in our time may or may not be able to handle surviving on their own. They might be stronger and have more intelligence, but then again they do not have as much common sense and they are too dependent on technology rather than on the use of their own thoughts and ideas. It all depends on who is stranded on the island and what they are going to do about it to get off. Some boys would think logically, while others would refer everything to the television. Boys in our century have more of the skills used to survive on the island but that does not mean that they are going to know how to use the skills properly.
-Caisey Calabro
Period F
Gary Portway
Period F
Short Essay for Lord of the Flies
Throughout the novel of Lord of the Flies, William Golding wrote about a group of English schoolboys who become stranded on an unpopulated island. Lord of the Flies was based on characters that created a different situation from a potential perspective that could happen today. The main factors that control this idea are the different culture between the English culture and the American culture. The second thing that affects the probable scenario is the 54 year time difference between the present of today and what the book was supposed to be set in. To add on to that, the world in general has advanced themselves in technology and would be far more prepared on a stranded island than the boys of Lord of the Flies.
The differences between the Americans and the British have been definite and sensible ever since the American Revolution. The characters in Lord of the Flies are most likely from a sophisticated English society where order is mainly always in effect. Putting that into comparison with today’s American culture – we would [perhaps] maintain justice and order but we would not have the self-control that people of England have. However, most of the boys in the story all snap and lose most of the site of humanity. Since England’s culture is more orderly than ours that would only prove that the American’s in the scenario of a stranded island would snap themselves. When you are stripped of all outside connections, personal belongings and a nice cozy home, you seem to lose yourself, and any human would contain to that. Most likely, if a group of modern men were marooned on a deserted island, they would lose themselves just like the boys from Lord of the Flies did.
The biggest factor that would contribute to this possible scenario is “experience”. Experience as in – 54 years have passed since the story was supposed to take place in. People all over the world have learned of what to do in a situation like this. Today’s world has learned from the past on how to survive if they were in ever such a situation. Most of the time’s when the situation is probable – the people would be located in a plane, a pilot controls a plane, a pilot has been to school for many years and has learned the basics of survival if ever an unfortunate scenario ever took place during a trip. Another factor that would be different due to time would be the advancement of “searching the missing”. Often today, people are murdered and are reported missing within the next day and then found. In today’s world specialists and investigators would use all of the available information to decide where the plane had crashed [if it did]. They would use a map, a weather report, past reports and they would also search the area of the probable path, never mind the fact that they would search the plane’s path.
Using the worst case scenario, people would lose they’re “updated technology” that would make it easy to contact people to go and find the people who are stranded. With this being said, people are people, no matter what experience they most likely would snap under this scenario, especially without knowing if they would survive or not. So the bottom line is no matter what previous knowledge is acquired before the "strandation", a person could not take the "heat" of being stranded on a unpopulated island.
William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies is a story about a group for boys who are stranded on an island, and must work together and survive. If a group of young men were put in the same position today, they may be less likely to survive. If young men were stranded on an island in today’s world, ignorance for nature, dependence on modern technology, and social inequalities would hinder their survival capabilities.
Lack of understand of nature of nature in today’ society is why the boys would have trouble surviving. Most children today spend most of their time inside in front a computer or television. Not enough time is spent outside; therefore children have less experience in nature. Many would argue with the counterpoint that “Shows like ‘Survivor Man’ and ‘Man vs. Wild’ will teach children how to survive.” There is a great difference between “learning” how to survive by watching television and by going out in the woods and learning. Next, as much as our modern society would try to deny it, social inequalities and racism still exist. This would hamper morale and the willingness for the stranded boys to work together and survive. There are examples of these inequalities in The Lord of the Flies: Piggy is discriminated because of his physical handicaps. Lastly, people today have become too dependent on modern technology, and would not fare well without it. Cell phones die, Global Positioning Satellites will run out of batteries, and electricity is nonexistent in the wilderness. Too long have people been hidden away in their houses or at work, not often enough are they outside learning survival techniques. Without technology, children would have no idea what to do.
Although many people think that modern-day boys would survive in a situation like the one in Lord of the Flies, modern society’s defects prove other wise. Ignorance for the world around them causes people to no know how to survive on their own, social inequalities and racism prevent the boys from working together, and dependence on technology limits their knowledge of survival. They may survive, the odds are not in favor of the boys.
Cameron Hale
Lord of the Flies Short Essay
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a mysterious and thrilling novel about a large group of boys who get stranded on an island due to a plane crash. Throughout the book, the older boys struggle with one another and cannot set their priorities straight. If this same situation happened in this year with young men from America, they would do much better than the boys in Lord of the Flies did. These young men would be much better equip for this scenario because nowadays people are more knowledgeable, we have resources about situations like this, and because there is a 54 year time difference.
An example on how our knowledge and intellect would help prepare people for a plane crash on an island or event like this is because we know how to reason better. Since modern adolescence have lived through some wars and even young kids today have learned about them, we know that there aren’t going to be any atomic bombs that will hit us or other destructive things like that. Also, the people have learned from others mistakes like trying to take over leadership and how it can cause ruin peoples chances to survive because it tears the group apart.
Another example about why young men from America in today’s time would be much better equipped is because of our resources. There are several hundred books written about how to survive in the wilderness or in extreme conditions. It is almost inevitable that a person has read or even touched up on the subject. Plus, there are many shows, one being Survivorman and another Man vs. Wild, which cover the area on survival techniques.
All in all Lord of the Flies is an interesting but strange novel. Today’s modern people would survive much better due to better resources on the situations, knowledge, and intellect.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys, ranging from ages of about six to fifteen, which get stuck on an island in the mid twentieth century. Young men today would be at advantages and disadvantages because of today’s modern day society.
There would be a few disadvantages that our modern day society has if a group of young boys were to be trapped on an island. Most of our time is spent sitting down at school or at home. No one ever really has to do much to survive on their own. Everything that they get is usually just handed to them. Even half of the food nowadays just has to be heated up in the microwave and then it is ready to eat. No one really knows how to know how to make a fire from scratch. Most likely no one really does know how to do that. There are matches now so that we can just strike and have fire instantly. Boys marooned on an island might be at a slight disadvantage because of the society that they live in today.
There would be would also be many advantages that our modern day society has if a group of young boys were to be trapped on an island. Most people over the age of twelve have a cell phone so at least one of those young men would have a cell phone so they could call/text for help with. There are also many TV shows such as Survivorman, Survivor, and other shows of that nature. Those shows give an example of some things that you could do if you were to be trapped and isolated. The rescue teams that we have now were much better than they were before. The teams could probably find the boys easier now than they did before. Now we know most of the islands on the Earth. If a large group of boys that were on a plane that never landed went missing there would a large search for them and would most likely be found fairly quickly. Nowadays, boys might be at an advantage due to the modern society that they live in.
It could really go either way. There are going to be both advantages and disadvantages due to the society that they live in today. There are many things that could give people advantages and disadvantages because of the modern day technology so no one can really tell if it would be an advantage or a disadvantage unless it were to actually happen.
*Samantha Gaglio
William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies is a story about how a large group of young boys survives when they are stranded on an island in the mid 20th century. This part of the century was much different than the way things are now. Because of the period of time the story takes place in, the boys have some advantages and disadvantages. If a group of boys were stranded on an island today, they would be at a major disadvantage due to our modern culture.
The lack of our new technology while stranded would be a great disadvantage. We live in a world where all boys, girls, and adults are dependant on technology. Everybody uses cell phones to communicate, many different devices to do work for themselves, and the internet to find information, do work, and communicate. Now, if a group of these people were deserted on an island where this technology does not work, they would be absolutely lost. They would have no idea what to do. The transition from luxury to nothing would be devastating to modern people and it would be extremely difficult for us to survive.
The attitude of modern children would also provide a great disadvantage for survival on an unknown island. Of course, the children in The Lord of the Flies did have a selfish and rude attitude, but that attitude has grown stronger and changed over time. Today, children would be so selfish and so rude and so careless that they would only worry about themselves, wouldn’t listen to anybody else, no matter how great their ideas were, and they would cause chaos. With this chaos, the longest that any boys would live stranded would be a week.
Children today would have major disadvantages and a very small chance to live on a stranded island.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a profound and meaningful novel about the darkness that dwells deep within all of us. It chronicles the events that transpire when a group of schoolboys’ plane crashes on an island and they have to survive with no adults. Among them are the electing of a chief, a mutiny, a brutal killing which is really a case of mistaken identity, the long fall and death of the most loyal member of the tribe, and the eventual rescue. Modern boys are at an advantage over boys for the early 20th century when faced with survival on a deserted island.
Technology and psychology play major roles in the advantages possessed by today’s boys. The television provides them with shows like Man vs. Wild and Survivorman that show them exactly what to do in life or death situations in the wilderness. There are whole episodes of both shows devoted to surviving on a deserted island, which is all kids need to survive long enough to be rescued. There is also more sophisticated technology that could be used to find lost people. They could use a computer to trace the route of the plane and the path of storms and things like that and use that information to find the most likely place for the plane to go down. Also, kids these days are more independent from their parents. They spend a lot more of their time out with friends, so the lack of adult supervision wouldn’t worry them as much as the kids from the early 20th century. The boys from Lord of the Flies nearly got themselves all killed, but kids nowadays would probably get rescued much before that would happen.
Kids back then were at a disadvantage to kids in this day and age in terms of being rescued from a deserted island. They were not exposed to methods used to survive in the wilderness, there was not as much technology to be used to rescue them, and they were more attached to their parents so it got them scared to be away from them. This novel shows us how hard it would be for kids to survive alone by themselves, but boys in modern times would definitely fare better.
- Ian Mallor
Kim Schubert
12/17/08
English F
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, is a tragedy of young boys stuck on an island trying to figure out how to be rescued. Throughout the story, the young boys from the mid 20th century experience many difficulties in their journey. If modern boys today were to reenact this story, I think they would be at an advantage, yet also a disadvantage.
Boys today would basically react compared on their personality. Some boys would flip out if they were stuck on an island, yet others would be calm. Also many boys have some experience from what they see on the television. Survivor Man the television show, is a perfect of example of what boys could be watching today to help them get through this problem. Today people are better educated than back in the days and know more about what to do in certain situations.
Even though some people are more educated than people were back then, people in the mid 20th century did not rely on their parents for what they wanted to be done. Many people today are spoiled and just sit around all day watching television. This would make it a disadvantage for modern boys today. Also since many people get what they want now, it would most likely start more drama on the island and could possibly lead to more deaths. This would cause many problems and end up not having anyone saved from the island.
In conclusion, modern boys today would reenact based on their personalities. Many boys could be at an advantage and disadvantage; I think it just depends on the people that were stuck on the island together.
Brian Bostwick
William Goldings Lord of the Flies would be utterly different if in were written with boys from the 21 century. Today boys lead much different lives than those of 1954. Technology, rescue, and a modern mind would leave today’s boys better equipped to deal with problems that would arise on the stranded island.
Boys today would fare much better than those of 1954. Modern kids, boys and girls, tend to be much more independent than those who lived 50 years ago. Many kids parents work till later at night and are used to being without there parents or adult guidance. This was not the case in 1954 in the beginning of the book the boys were surprised and scared because of the absence of adults.
Another factor that could greatly influence the plot of the book would be technology. Many young men today have seen survival shows like Man Vs Wild or Survivor man. The knowledge these shows give could help them with ideas on how to make a fire, build shelters and perform many other things that could help them survive. Also the technology of rescue has greatly improved. The cost guard or other agencies would likely conduct a search of the missing airplanes planned root and with many more boats traveling the ocean there would be a far greater chance of the smoke being seen.
It is clear that Lord of the Flies would be an entirely different book if written today. But that the t time it was written in provided the perfect setting for a book of this variety. This well written classic will be revered for ages to come.
Brian Bostwick
William Goldings Lord of the Flies would be utterly different if in were written with boys from the 21 century. Today boys lead much different lives than those of 1954. Technology, rescue, and a modern mind would leave today’s boys better equipped to deal with problems that would arise on the stranded island.
Boys today would fare much better than those of 1954. Modern kids, boys and girls, tend to be much more independent than those who lived 50 years ago. Many kids parents work till later at night and are used to being without there parents or adult guidance. This was not the case in 1954 in the beginning of the book the boys were surprised and scared because of the absence of adults.
Another factor that could greatly influence the plot of the book would be technology. Many young men today have seen survival shows like Man Vs Wild or Survivor man. The knowledge these shows give could help them with ideas on how to make a fire, build shelters and perform many other things that could help them survive. Also the technology of rescue has greatly improved. The cost guard or other agencies would likely conduct a search of the missing airplanes planned root and with many more boats traveling the ocean there would be a far greater chance of the smoke being seen.
It is clear that Lord of the Flies would be an entirely different book if written today. But that the t time it was written in provided the perfect setting for a book of this variety. This well written classic will be revered for ages to come.
Peter Le
In modern times, the trappings of civilization dominate every aspect of our lives. On the other hand, survival is the most primal instinct that any living thing possesses. It is basic and generic, meant for everything and everyone. It is meant to keep that organism alive, even at the expense of others. This is where civilization and instinct collide. Technology and education teaches us how to survive but the determining factor is whether that person has the will strong enough to do so. That person must have the strength to potentially abandon his humanity and civilized nature and do whatever is necessary to stay alive. This is where modern boys differ largely from the boys stuck on the island in “Lord of the Flies”. Civilization has taken its toll on us more so than that of the boys on the island more than seventy years ago. The difference in time is large enough so that technology, lifestyle and mannerisms have changed drastically. The boys in the book are not as effect by society as much as we have, therefore, had their human traits thrown more easily away. Modern boys will have a much harder time in surviving not in that they lack the necessary skills, but the will to do what is needed. Civilization also has the tendency to suppress primal instincts such as survival or violence. This, the modern boys must also over come in their fight for their endurance or otherwise perish.
As humans, we have become extremely dependant on the trappings of civilization. Humans have become much too dependant on it to survive solely on their own strength. If a particular group of young boys were stranded on the island, the boys would have a much harder time adapting to the environment than the boys in “Lord of the Flies”. The boys in the book have not experienced the aspects of civilization where one becomes so dependant on it that he could not live without it as the modern boys have. The boys in “the Lord of the Flies” are able to adapt much more easily than the modern boys. This all makes this harder for the modern boys to gather the will to do the things necessary to survive, regardless of the consequences for what their conscience says. Psychologically speaking, the modern boys will not be able to cope well with the situation that they are in because they have never been in such a situation where they must fend for themselves with nothing more than their will and the island itself.
Civilization, as portrayed, has taken a passive role in the boy’s hardship to adapt to their surroundings but it also takes a more aggressive and attentive role in it. With the presence of society, it has suppressed our primal instincts such as violence or animalistic behaviors that we would see as barbaric. Nature as formulated those specific emotions and natures to allow living things to survive properly in the wild. With those gone, it would be extremely hard for the boys to stay alive on the island all alone. The boys in the book would fare better than the boys of our times because they have been exposed less to the suppressive environment that the boys of our times have been.
A combination of two factors- the dependency on technology and the comforts of civilization and the suppression of our natural instincts by society- make the modern boys vulnerable more than the boys in “Lord of the Flies”. While we have the knowledge and skills necessary to survive in the wild, we do not have the will to throw away our humanity to do those things. We have become dependant on the modern day society. Therefore, we have exposed ourselves to the worse part of nature in that we may not be able to properly cope with ourselves and what we must do to continue to exist.
Taryn Kitchen
In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys get stuck on an island during the mid 20th century. If a group of you men were put in a similar situation today it would be very different. Some parts of our current way of life would help us but others would leave us at a disadvantage.
In some ways, modern culture would help a group of young men survive on an uninhabited island. First of all, the fact that they are young men makes a difference. Of all people they would probably be most likely to find an interest in survival studies. There are many modern television shows which educate you on how to survive in difficult situations. Within the collection of boys, it is likely that at least a couple would have seen these shows and therefore would have some survival tips to help them out. Also, most teenagers and even some children these days have their own cell phone. If by chance the island they landed on had good service they could easily call 911 and be rescued in a short amount of time. Also, there would be a large amount of airplanes flying by so it would be much more likely for them to be spotted. Young men today would have some survival tips and a lot of technology to help them out that they would not have had 60 years ago.
Many other aspects of modern culture would put us in a disadvantage. The majority of the population today wastes a lot of time sitting in front of screens. This causes many issues. First off, people are a lot lazier these days. They would be less fit and would tire easily on an island. They would not be adept to carry logs up and down a mountain to build fires and shelters. Also, people do not participate in activities such as camping as much anymore. Many would prefer to use technology to get things done and therefore would not know how to do things on there on. Simple tasks such as building a fire and finding food, which would be learned on a camping trip, are unknown to many. In addition, modern society allows humans to easily attain necessary food. Few people actually go out to kill and prepare their own food; we usually just go to the grocery store to pick it up. Most young men today would be disgusted to have to gut a pig and would not know how to do it and what parts to keep. The loss of outdoor activities would leave the group very confused and they would be unaware of simple tasks that would help to survive.
Our way of life has changed a lot within the past century. Some young men would be better equipped for survival, and many would be greatly confused. Society has given us some help, but has also caused us harm. Would you survive??
Tyler Durocher
The adventurous story of Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a story about British boys who are stranded on an island struggling for survival after their plane had crashed. Since the boys in the story lived during the twentieth century they had different ways of surviving than young men of our time would. If young men of the twenty-first century were put under the same conditions as the boys in the story I think they would be better equipped for scenarios such as the ones that the boys undergone in the book. The young men would have an advantage due to the decreasing dependence on parents, technology, and physical fitness.
Young men from today’s culture would be better equipped for survival due to the decreasing dependence on an adult. Young men would be better equipped due to this because they would not be unfamiliar to the lack of adult figures around them. This would allow them to go on through their time on the island without not knowing what to do because an adult is not there. Also, the young men would be better equipped because of all the modern technology that we have. The technology would help the young men on the island d because most people have seen a movie about a castaway and how they make it off the island. This would provide the young mean on the island with a little background knowledge of what to do. It wouldn’t necessarily prepare them for the harshness of being a castaway but it would still help. Lastly, In modern culture most young me are determined to get be physically fit to impress people. This would make sure that the young men would be strong on the island to build shelters and hunting. This would mean that the boys would stand a better chance of surviving than the boys in the actual story.
The young men would be better equipped on the island as a result of a decrease in dependence on adults, technology, and physical fitness. The young men would be better equipped for such scenarios faced by the boys in Lord of the Flies.
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