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.
This essay is due on Friday, January 22.
21 comments:
If the young boys from the Lord of the flies were stranded on an island in our time
today, it would be a little different than back in the early 1940’s. Back then people did not have as much knowledge that we have today, as time went on, knowledge increased. So, a lot of knowledge would help in terms of surviving on an island. Besides the
knowledge the kids would have, I don’t think it would be that much of a difference from
being stranded on an island from the early 1940’s and from our time. Everything
would be the same, except there might or might not be some people living on the
island. Due to more population of people than there was back in the early 1940’s. Other
than that they would have the same fear as they had on the early 1940’s island.
I think that if people from our culture were stranded on an island they would have a much better chance of surviving. First of all the knowledge that we have today will help
us a lot on surviving the island and the challenges we could face. If there were adults on the island, they would have been more educated and prepared for this situation than the kids would be. It would be great if there were adults stranded on the island with the kids because, the adults can take care of the kids. If people were stranded on an island but had a lot of equipment it would be much easier to survive. Equipment in our time might be a little different from the equipment in the 1940's. Surviving the island made it challenging to the kids since they were stranded on the island with out equipment. My answer is that I do think that our modern culture would better equip us for these scenarios.
Kevin Belt
I believe that children of an older generation would be more likely to survive on there own than the kids of today. Kids of the past are more suited for many reasons. They main reason is that the kids of the past aren’t as pampered as the kids of today.
The reason that the kids of the past would be better suited because they are not as pampered as the kids of today. One example is that the kids of today have every thing given to them there whole lives. The kids of today are given everything from money to clothes. The kids of the past however had to work what they wanted especially if it was n during the time period of the novel. This story takes place during the great depression when money was even harder to come by. The second example is that the kids of the past did not have all the technology to control their lives. The kids of today would be lost without their phones t.v’s and iPods. The kids of the past did not have these burdens and would be more likely to succeed. This is why the kids would be more likely to survive.
The kids of the past would be more likely survive. They are a harder working, and more motivated group of people and would have no problem surviving. This is why I think the kids of the past would survive.
n.petersen
The novel "Lord of the Flies" that was written by William Golding is about a group of boys that get stranded on an island. The boys are stranded after the plane that they were on crashes. There are no adults and no food or shelter at hand for them. There are many problems that they have on the island with each other and finding food and shelter. In today’s society I think that there would be pro's and con's to being born in modern society or being born back then.
I think that the pro’s to this situation would be that there are many more devices and things that could help out the boys. I think that the things that would have benefited the boys back then, with things from modern times are cell phones, hand held devices, and knowledge. When the boys’ plane crashed, if it were in recent times, I think that someone would have heard it through the news and radios, etc. Also, the use of cell phones could also be a big help, so that they could call for help. There are also other ways in which being stranded in this time could help. There is much more knowledge and things to show the boys how to survive. Shows such as “Survivor Man” and “Man vs. Wild” are show’s that boys would be watching and would help them to know how to survive on a deserted island.
Have being born in the old days, I think that they might have survived better fending for themselves on the deserted island for many reasons. I think that they were much more hard working back in the day and that they were more hunting ready and ready to work. I think that in times now, we are very dependent on many things. We depend on electric devices, Warm cooked food, Warm houses, Electricity, etc. If boys from modern day were to be stuck on a deserted island with no parents or electricity, I think that they would go crazy. Boys depend on their video games mostly and I think that living in the older days would have made them more ready for the job.
-Hannah Labonte
William Golding’s Lord of the Files is a story is about young men on an island after a plane crash with no way off it. The prompt asks if a group of young men were put in the same situation today, how might they fare? The young men of today haven’t had to go though the struggles that some of the boys in the mid 20th century have had.
Most young men in the mid 20th century lived on some sort of farm. Being on a farm makes you physical and mentally fit, and to survive alone on an island with no food or water you need to have both. The young men of today probably smarter with the books and with school, but we wouldn’t know how to survive. Mostly every is modernized, we don’t have to work hard for anything anymore. Young men today would be at a disadvantage.
~Matt Butler
Class: G
Juliana Ahern
1/22/10
English: G
Lord of the Flies Short Essay
The book Lord of the Flies by William Golding is about a group of boys marooned on an island after an unfortunate plane crash. The boys seem to be well prepared for survival, knowing how to hunt, elect a leader to keep things in order, and the build shelters. If a group of boys from the 21st century were put in the same situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies, they would not be successful with survival strategies. The reason for this is due to modern video games.
Video games have been the leading form of entertainment in modern years. With game counsels like Xbox 360, the Wii, and PS3, teenagers and even some adults have countless games and hours to play (besides the problem of the Xbox 360 overheating if one was to play for too long). At least some of these hours should be spent exercising instead of sitting on the couch. Yes, there has been a small improvement with this problem when people invented the Wii Fit, but some people reported that they'd see results and lose weight but gain it all back. With the boys in Lord of the Flies, chances are they didn't have modern video games and would instead entertain themselves outside and learn about nature up close. The boys in Lord of the Flies were well prepared to face surviving on the island because they knew what it would be like from playing outside.
So who would do better on an uncharted island; the boys from Lord of the Flies or a bunch of teenage couch potatoes? The boys in Lord of the Flies survived well by being experienced with the wild. If modern teenagers stopped playing video games and went exploring outside maybe they would be better equipped with the skills needed to survive like the group in the book.
D Block English I
In the story Lord of the Flies, a group of British boys in the mid 20th century are stranded on a deserted island. If a group of boys today were in the same situation, they would be less likely to survive than boys in the time of Lord of the Flies. Our society does not equip us with the skills to survive on a deserted island with little or no belongings.
The why we are at a disadvantage to survive is that our generation is too dependent on technology. Every day we depend on technology to get information, to drive us to school, to talk to our friends, and to cook our food. In the time of the story there were no computers or cellphones. Now, if the children of our time were stranded on an island they would probably go through withdrawals from their cellphones or Ipods. Also, the children of today would not be able to hunt or cook food, because they always depend on the grocery store and the oven. They would not be able to make shelters, because they have always lived in a house with heat and a bed.
In conclusion, the boys in the time of the book have a better chance or surviving on an island than the boys of today. They rely too much on technology and can't do things for themselves. If boys were stranded on an island today they would not survive.
-Brandon Salvas
In Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, there is a group of boys from different age groups trapped on an island. If a group of boys from a modern day society were stuck on an island like in Lord of the Flies, these children would be at a severe disadvantage compared to those boys who are stuck on the island in the book. The reason why is because the place society is at today, humans rely on technology excessively, and have lost the ability to survive in the wild.
Humans in a modern day society have lost the ability to survive in the wild. If stuck on an island, most people would have no idea what to do. Those who know what to do, would have trouble getting the task done without the help of a man-made object. The average American cannot build a fire with just objects in nature. However, that’s not even close to a modern human’s trouble in nature. Survivors would have to search for supplies including food, clean water, and building materials. A child in a modern day society would not think of a wild animal as food, just as a creature that the children would stare at. The survivors would also need to search for clean water, not only just to drink, but to stay clean as well. Building shelter would also impose a problem on the children.
Children in a modern day society rely excessively on technology and the role it plays in the daily life of an American. In Lord of the Flies, the children use a smoke signal in order to make an attempt so they can get rescued. Today however, a child would rely on a cellphone to call for help. If they children managed to catch or gather food, they would have no way to cook it without having the knowledge of making a fire. Suppose a fire was started, the children would not have a timer that would go “bing” telling when the food was done. Adults and children both rely on technology too much.
Modern day boys would be in serious danger if they were stuck on an island. The children of America rely too much on technology and in effect, have lost the ability to survive without it. In reality, the children on this island would be doomed.
- Dave Couming
In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are marooned on an island in the mid twentieth 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?
In a few ways, the modern culture could be useful to a group of young boys marooned on an uninhabited island. An example of this is that with all the modern technology there is today, the boys could be more prepared. There are many television shows based on survival today that would attract the boys of a young age. Some have said that watching too much television can make people less intelligent but that is not always true. There are many educational television shows that could be used as an advantage to prepare children for any sort of experience in nature. Many children today are more independent because of the technology supplied today.
Another example is that with all the modern technology we have today, children today wouldn’t be as worried because they would have a way of contacting their parents. The young boys William Golding’s Lord of the Flies were very panic stricken because there were no adults to help them. The boys in the twentieth century couldn’t just pick up their cell phone and call their parents. They had to use their surroundings to make smoke signals and use Piggy’s specs to make a fire. Today, one of the boys could’ve made a fire with a lighter.
There are also disadvantages that would not better equip people today for such an experience. Today, people rely far too much on technology. What would happen if boys today were marooned on an island and had no cell phones or they had gotten destroyed from the plane crash? Since technology is a large part of everyone’s daily lives its is highly doubted that the boys would think to use a pair of glasses to start a fire, or would think to blow on a large shell to find other boys on the island. It all depends on the age of the boys too.
In conclusion, there are disadvantages and advantages to modern culture. It depends on what resources are available to the young men. The boys today might experience more difficulty than the boys from the twentieth century did.
Sarah Buchan
January 22, 2010
Block G
LOTF Blog Essay
William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, takes place in the mid 20th century when a group of boys are stuck on an island. They are able to take care of themselves by finding food, making a fire, and somewhat, working together. If a group of young men were put in this same situation today it would be much more difficult for them to survive.
Because of all the technology we have and how advanced modern day is, many people don't know anything about outdoor survival. A majority of the population wastes a lot of time on the computer or watching television and would be tired quickly and too lazy to go out camping. Some people do know how to survive in the outdoors but most would panic and would not even think about using glasses to start a fire like Ralph did in Lord of the Flies. People don't go out camping as much anymore and would rather be sitting at home playing video games. Most modern day people would not know how to make shelters, tools for fishing, or any other necessities. People have become much more lazy and dependent on technology which puts modern day society at a disadvantage.
Modern technology may be a great advantage but without it, stranded on an island, how would people survive? Most people would be lost without their cell phone and not know any survival skills since camping is becoming less popular. Modern technology does not equip modern day for this scenario and would be a disadvantage.
-Danielle Puopolo
Julie Towne
English G
January 21
When it comes to survival most people would think people from present day would dominate in that area. when in reality people from older days (1900's) would logically have more expirence. Reasons being, less technology back then, and people from today are simply lazy.
The fact being is that in the 1900's there was less technology then present day. this may seem like a disadvantage but infact is a strength. this is true because people didn't have T.V's to sit in front of or computers to waste time on. why is this a weakness? When your stranded on an island, it doesnt matter who knows how to use a computer or who knows what happened last night on a T.V show. What strongly matters is who knows how to make the best out of the materials given in a paticular situation.
Laziness is one of modern day life problems with people. if someone were to stick todays man on an island by himself, they simply wouldnt survive because the average human does not have skills needed to survive without technology. too many people are lazy and wouldn't know what to do in that situation.
From lack of technology in the 20th century to laziness today, it's clear that things have changed. in conclusion people from the 20th century would have an easier time stranded on an island.
Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is set in the middle of the 20th century. Lord of the Flies follows the lives and struggles a group of English school boys, after being marooned on an island. The boys survive by transitioning from civilized children, to wild animals. This transition would be difficult during any time period, but the differences between the mid 1900’s and now is drastic, therefore would have different outcomes. The boys in Lord of the Flies survived using only their instincts and what little tools they had on hand. Now, young boys are sheltered and are not as active as children were even just 10 years ago. However, children now have television shows, such as “Man vs. Wild” and “Survivor Man” which are watched by many millions of people, as well as the popularity of organizations such as the boy scouts, and with a popularity of summer camps. These differences would make it both more, and less, difficult for modern children to be marooned on a desert island.
Young boys of the 1940’s, in a few aspects, had an advantage over modern children. Firstly, the children of 70 years ago were much more active than children now. This leads to better physical condition, as well as endurance for such survival activities as building shelter, hunting, fishing, and gathering firewood. These are advantages because of both a familiarity with nature, as well as a willingness and ability to do hard labor.
Children of the 21st century are less active, there fore have a lessened survivability chance without proper training into the subject. An increase of health problems such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, and ADD/ADHD also would have a major effect. Asthma would limit the ability to perform such mandatory tasks as hunting, gathering fire wood, as well as gathering fruits, exploring, and reconnaissance. Diabetes and obesity, two health conditions that often times are found as a pair, would require a difficult diet to maintain, because obesity would drive a child to eat more food, as well as make a child not want to eat food such as fruits and vegetables. Diabetes would be difficult to deal with on a desert island because a diabetic would not be able to get a shot of insulin if he or she required it, also, it would be very difficult to monitor and maintain blood pressure or blood sugar levels. ADD and ADHD, Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, would cause challenges with children because it would cause the child to lose focus or interest with necessary tasks in order to survive. The physical differences between the 1940’s and the 2000’s would make it hard for modern children to make the bench mark of sophistication created by the boys marooned in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
Rachel Burgess
January 21,2010
Class E
If modern day people were stuck on an island i think they would have a harder time then the people in the 1940's. During the 1940's they were not as much of all the new inventions we have in today's world to help us get things done. If we were stuck on an island without any of these things we would not be used to it and not know how to survive. Some things that we have in today's world is cellphones, cars, and computers.
When the people in the forties were stuck on an island they didn't relie on cellphones. If someone in today's world got stuck on an island they would just assume that they can pick up there cell phone and call for help. The people in the forties knew how to make things like fire to be seen by the people trying to rescue them. If you take away peoples cell phones they'll be helpless and not know what to do. That is one reason why the people in the forties would have more of an advantage.
Another reason why it would be a disadvantage for the modern world is because we have more cars. In the forties they also had cars, but they didn't drive as much as us because their cars weren't as advance. Nowadays people don't want to walk around and just want to drive to the store to get food. When the kid's were stuck on an island they had to hunt and search for fruit and other things to eat. If people now had to do that they would make a bigger deal out of it because they would just want to hop in their car and drive to the store. That is the second reason why it would be a disadvantage to live on an island.
Having computers is a big distraction to the everyday life. In the forties they didn't have computers so they had to entertain themselves with other things like outside stuff. Doing things outside would prepare you better if you were stranded on an island. Some people are so obsessed with their computers and that is the only thing they can think about when their on the island, or go crazy without it. Although computers could help us and give us the information we need to survive on an island, most people don't bother knowing. This is another disadvantage of why we wouldn't survive on an island.
Cellphones, cars, and computers are just a few of the reasons we would have a harder time living on an island, rather then people in the forties.
Although the physical differences make up a key part of the chance of survival for modern children, mental challenges and knowledge, or lack there of, would also cause either an obstacle or an advantage. An example of a disadvantage of the mentality of modern children is the fact that a lot of young boys now would refuse to be a part of a team, out of stubbornness. Secondly, many modern children are simply ignorant of any survival strategies or techniques that could easily save their lives. Some techniques are how to find water, converting salt water to fresh water, starting a fire with only wooden sticks and tinder, hunting, gathering, and many skills similar to these. However unknowing some, if not most, children are, the popularity of organizations such as boy scouts, and television programs such as “Man vs. Wild” and “Survivor Man” might be a necessity for survival. Whether or not such television shows actually teach enough to survive in a real life situation is not known, and most people would hope that it would never be put to the test, but some knowledge is much better than none at all.
Lord of the Flies, a book written by William Golding, follows the challenges of multiple young males of 1940’s England. It is possible to theorize whether or not modern children would survive as comfortably, or as successfully for that matter, as the boys from Lord of the Flies. What a person must take into account is knowledge, physical fitness, health problems, knowledge, and a willingness to cooperate with others. Under perfect circumstances, young boys of any age, ethnicity, or backround would be able to survive and live in relative comfort. But, health problems, arrogance, and ignorance plays a crucial role in whether or not any group of boys would survive or not.
Roland
I think if we were put on an island today we would survive better than the people from Lord of the Flies. The kids from the book have done well on the island but I think we could do better. We have grown up to kind of live on our own so that would help.
One reason I say we would last longer on an island is because we know more about island and where it could be. Someone could have a GPS that would say where they are, but the kids from the book were from the 1940’s so they didn’t have anything like we do. Another thing is that the kids from the new era could have seen some shows that has something to do with what situation there in on the island. Lastly one reason why we could last longer is the people aren’t living through a war in our own country while the kids from the book are.
I think we could last a lot longer than the Lord of the Flies kids could for the reasons I said earlier. It would be close but I think we could pull it off. I hope that doesn’t happen to me though because I don’t know if I could last living like that for a while.
JOSH JENKINS E
Lord of the flies is a novel about a group of teenage boys getting abandoned on an island. The teenage boys must learn how to get along with one another, build shelters, hunt for food, and to figure out how to be rescued. If a group of modern day boys were to be put into this same exact situation they’d be at a complete disadvantage. Today our modern day culture is very different than it was in the mid 20th century.
The disadvantage that our modern day culture has created is that our teenagers are “spoiled” so to speak. Our modern day teenager would not know how to handle a situation like the teenagers experienced in the lord of the flies. Teenagers today don’t learn nor focus on knowing survival tips. Teenagers focus on technology, sports, video games it is now a technology world. Technology is very popular now and was not even heard of in the mid 20th century. Technology makes our experiences and problems much easier to complete. Teenagers in modern world do would not know how to build shelters or hunt for food for they do not have to do these things or are very rarely put in these situations. Our culture does not go out and hunt food, people just go to the store and buy their food. Also, now a day people hire others to build their houses. Our modern culture would be considered spoiled by the people that lived in the mid 20th century. We don’t take pride in doing things for ourselves; we hire people to do them for us. We live in a more fast paced society. We look for instant gratification which means that we want everything now we don’t want to take the time to do it ourselves and take pride in our accomplishments. These days the closest we come to a situation close to the situation like in lord of flies to happen, is when people go camping for fun. This is not anywhere near the situation like in lord of the flies for we now have modern conveniences that make even camping a comfortable experience.
Times have changed since the mid 20th century causing our modern day teenager to be spoiled. Those are some of the reasons why our modern day teenager could not survive on an island; they would be in a complete disadvantage.
-Shannon M.
Block: D
1-22-10
Mitchell Robey
January 22, 2010
English I
Lord of the Flies Short Essay
Lord of the Flies by William Golding is about a group of boys who are stranded on an island after their plane crashed in the early 1940’s. Since they were stranded on an island, the boys had to try to find a way to survive. But, what would happen if a group of young men were put in the same situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies today?
Modern children are better equipped to deal with being stranded on an island because we have more knowledge than the children in the 1940’s. In the 1940’s if a plane crashed, there was no way to find where it is crashed, but if a plane crashed in 2010, then the plane would have a tracking device on it, and we would be rescued faster. In the 1940’s, the children built shelters and signal fires, but in 2010, the children would probably build better shelters and signal fires, but we could also could built some time of raft or boat that we could take the safety. We would build better shelters, fires, and boats or rafts because we watch shows like Survivor and Man vs. Nature, but in the 1940’s there was no way to teach children how to survive if they were stranded on an island. So, I would choose young men that were put in the same situation today to survive instead of the children in Lord of the Flies.
In Lord of the Flies the children stranded on the island were able to survive, but it is taking a long time for them to be rescued. If young men were put in the same situation, we would have been rescued quicker. The children in Lord of the Flies have some of the same abilities that the young men in 2010 have, like they know some ways to survive, keep them occupied, and know how to hunt so they can eat.
Zack Buttner
Block G
Mr. Kefor
1/21/10
Lord Of The Flies Essay
In Lord Of the Flies a group of young boys between the ages of about 5 and 10 are stuck on an island. Their plane was shot down by a fighter plane and somehow landed on the island. The boys now have to fend for themselves for however long it takes for rescue to come. This book takes place in the 20th century, if young boys from present day were placed in the same situation I don’t think they would far quite as well as boys from the 20th century.
There are many reasons why I feel as if boys from nowadays wouldn’t fare as well as the boys from the book. For starters they didn’t have the type of technology humans have today. If a boy from present day was placed in the same situation they would try to use their cell phones to either call or text for help. A boy from the 20th century doesn’t even know what a cell phone or texting is. So they would rely more on common sense and knowledge to survive on the island.
Present day humans aren’t as challenged as they were years ago. If you need to find something out then you just go on the computer and you have the answer in less then a minute or so. People from the 20th century didn’t have this luxury. Computers didn’t even exist until the end of the 20th century, and even then only the very rich were fortunate enough to own one. If a person from back then wanted to find something out then they would have to rely more on their own knowledge to figure it out. They could also use libraries to find books on that particular subject. I am willing to bet if you put a present day teenager in a library they wouldn’t be able to find the book they are looking for.
Another reason why I think 20th century kids are better equipped in this situation is because they didn’t have any type of video games like modern day humans do. A kid today spends far too many hours either on the Television, Xbox, the computer, etc. Children in the 20th century didn’t have the technology to do this. They did more outdoor activities. This taught them survival skills that people today don’t know. Being outside and active keeps you in better shape, oppose to a lazy kid who sits inside all day playing video games. Who do you think has a better chance of surviving in the given situation? An active kid who is outside doing things all day, or an overweight kid who sits on his couch watching T.V.?
Brittany Alioto
English G
William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies is a story about how a large group of young boys survive 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 today. Due to the period in time that the story takes place; the boys on the island are at an advantage. If a group of boys were stranded on an island today, they would be at a major disadvantage due to the dependency on technology in our modern day world.
People today are too dependent on technology. Stranded on an island today would put people (children primarily) in a terrible situation. Imagine getting bored and not being able to turn on the television on even getting hurt and not being able to call 9-1-1. People have become too reliant on these luxuries that if a tragedy were to strike (like being stranded on a island) there would be serious problems.
The attitude of modern children would also play a significant role in their survival on an unknown island. Children today have terrible attitudes. Their selfishness and bossiness would provide them with a series of problems. The boys in the Lord of The Flies also possessed these traits but in a lesser quality. Children today would have to overcome their attitudes to have a chance of survival.
Children of today’s time period would have a larger disadvantage than the boys in the book Lord of the Flies. Overall today’s children have a very slim chance to survive.
The modern culture could be useful to a young group of boys marooned on an unknown island. Many things that we have today would help us survive better in this situation. The technology we have today would be an extremely useful tool. If the boys had a cell phone they would be less worried. They would have a way of contacting someone so that they could come and help them. They would have contact to their families and the police to tell them what is going on and that they are okay.
Many children today spend a big part of their life watching television. There are many shows today that could give the boys an example of what they should do to protect themselves. People today are much more lazy but by seeing a show like this it could show them what they need to do and if they dont do it what will happen. These types of shows could show the children what they can survive off of and what would be harmful to them.
We have be tought to take care of ourselves as we have grown up to get us ready for adult-hood which could also help. We would be aware of what can happen and how to prevent it. If we grew up relying on our parents it would be difficult to live on this island. As kids are growing up they want to be more independent and make their own good decisions. If a group of boys today were staranded on the island they would know a little more about what to do from growing up being independent. Those are some of the reasons why our modern day kids could survive on an island compared to the kids in the book Lord Of the Flies.
Jess Dowdy.
Block G
Feb 3, 2010
The kids of the past would be surviving better on an island. If the kids from lord of the flies were stranded on an island it would be different. Kids today would be scared just like the kids from Lord of The Flies. The kids back then would know how to survive longer. The kids today could get off the island faster. Kids today have cell phones. The kids back then had to hunt for their food and somehow they had to get some help.
Kids today would have trouble getting food. Lord of the Flies some had trouble but one kid did not have trouble getting food. Another way the kids from Lord of the flies would survive better would be because that they hunt for their food every day. Kids back then obviously had parents but the way they lived was like living on their own the kids had to get their own food just like on the island.
-Russell Boudreau E
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