Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Lost Boy

Why did the "little boy who wore the remains of an extraordinary black cap on his red hair
and who carried the remains of a pair of spectacles at his waist" start forward, then change
his mind and stand still? Who was that boy? Why were the details of a black cap and red
hair included?

9 comments:

Amy G said...

This boy that Golding talks about is Jack. The reference to his red hair and cap contrast the savage that he became with the "civilized" child that he was before the island. He stood still because the savage instincts that he developed on the island still haunted him, and it took his will away. It could also be that he feels relieved at first, then realizes what he has done to others and decidedes to take the way of humility.

Kevin said...

The boy Golding is portraying is Jack. He describes him like that to show the vast difference of his normal actions before the island and after he had been on it. The hat symbolizes his past life as a head choirboy and the glasses resemble his savagery done to everyone but especially to Piggy.

Suz said...

The red haired boy is Jack. The black cap was a sign from his choir group, I think.
The red hair was simply to identify that it was Jack and not just any choir boy.
Jack advances at first because he gets hope, that maybe he can go back and be normal, but he backs away. I think thats mainly because he still can't accept what he's done. When he sees Ralph, who he was about to stab to death, he might realise what a savage he really is, that he will never be able to live like the Jack that led a group of innocent choir boys, and sung the highest notes. He has changed too much, and I think he realises how it is a very, very negative change.

Armando said...

The one who I agree with the most in this topic is Suz. However, I don't think that he (Jack) immediately realized what he had done. He was simply shocked, dumbfounded and didn't know how to react when he saw the naval officer. That's what would have happened to me.
Jack had forgotten about the idea of being rescued, that the world they used to live in still existed, and when he saw the naval officer I think that hit him back. After a few seconds and coming back to his senses then he might have realized what Ralph was trying to do all along, the meaning of the fire, and all the atrocities him and his tribe have committed.

MaRy G. Miller said...

I agree with Amy on her definition of what it means. I do think it is Jack because of the physical description and him walking and them standing still.
I think that this means that he was first trying to start his way well and stay in civilization but when he stands still he is not gaining anything because he isn’t improving, he is taken by the savagery of the island, and the spectacles are part of this because moving forward would mean he would do the correct thing about them, like use the intelligence but instead he uses savage survival skills.

hadar said...

I agree with Armando. Jack was so concentrated in his savage acts and his victory against Ralph that he had forgotten all about civilization. When Jack saw the officer, he was stunned because he didn’t expect that Ralph could actually be right. He didn’t believe that his enemy, Ralph, was correct with all his decisions that he took while he ruled the island.

jesi hayes said...

I, as Mary agree with Amy's definition of what the remain's of the choir hat in the red hair means. For it makes you remember who he first was, the choir boy that was so egocentric for he could sing the highest chord or something like that.
The reason for changing his mind and stopping when he had started forward, I agree with Suzanne, Armando, and Hadar. I don't think it's exactly a victory thing or that he is feeling guilty, well not exactly. He starts forward maybe because he feels a little bit of relief or maybe becuase he wants to go forward and continue attacking Ralph. The reason he stops is because he begins to remember where this officer came from and what it means to be going back to England, no more pig hunting, no more being the leader, no more doing whatever he wants to do. When he stops he finally remembers why Ralph's plans had made sense, but he doesn't feel ashamed of his decisions, he is just worried about the outcome they will now have. I'm actually wondering if he even does board the ship to go back, don't you think its possible he'll just decide to stay?

Kalif Shear said...

I agree with kevin and Amy that Golding is portraying Jack. He is comparing Jack to how he was when he came on the island to how much he has changed. Golding uses the colors red and black because they represent evil, greed, and jealousy which all were Jack's characteristics.

Paula F. said...

I agree with everyone that says it's Jack, well it is everyone so... Anyways, I also think it's Jack because it describes a black cap and red hair. That description mostly suits Jack. Apart from that, when it describes "...start foward, then change his mind and stand still" means that Ralph's main rival - who is Jack -realized that Ralph was the better leader than him, so this quote tells us alot and if you analyze it carefully you can notice that i's Jack. Sorry for not being to clear on explaining.