Lord of the Flies

Golding’s novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ explores the human instincts of civilisation vs. savagery, implying to the reader that there is no hope for the recovery from our need to abolish all that is good within us.

Stranded on a tropical island, a group of British schoolboys are left to survive on their own, without any adults. On arrival, the boys relish their independence, relaxing and investigating the island. However, the group soon splits into two categories: those who try to maintain the discipline and order that they learnt from society, and those who prefer to surrender to every savage instinct and impulse, despite its brutality.

The implausible protagonists are Ralph and his companion, Piggy. With no adults to help them survive, the boys soon realise that a leader must be chosen to ensure that they’re all safe and that no one acts wickedly towards any other boy. After a nomination, Ralph is elected as Chief due to his popularity among the other boys. We’re soon introduced to the other dominant figure of the novel, Jack, who is revealed to be the antagonist of the story. Ralph and Jack grow to detest each other as their time on the island passes; Jack is determined to have ultimate power over Ralph and the others. What the boys’ chiefly thought would be a peaceful getaway from any adults rapidly changes into something rather menacing and ruthless.

There are two dominant themes that run throughout the novel that clearly express the savage instincts of humans: loss of innocence and civilization vs savagery. At the start of the novel, the boys are well-behaved and civilized, yearning to be rescued by the adults that they’re dependent on. However, at the end of the novel the boys have transformed into brutal, savage hunters that have no wish to return to their civilized state of mind; therefore they have lost all innocence that they possessed at the beginning of the novel. However, Golding does this to depict the loss of innocence that happens to the children; moreover this loss occurs naturally from their increased exposure to the instinctive evil and savagery that has always lived within them. The conflict between civilized thought and savage actions are central to the novel. This conflict is mostly demonstrated through the characters of Ralph and Jack who oppose each other and the authority they hold.

Golding is informing his audience, through subtle hints, that in order to survive the individual will do anything due to their primitive instincts that are hidden deep within them. This is portrayed as the actions of the boys turn from mistakes to barbaric and intentional plots to kill another in order to survive. Golding deals with a fundamental matter of humankind, leaving us to ponder on a question:

Is the individual naturally susceptible to evil?

Shore for the Silent

This is the poem that I entered into the 2014 Poetry Games.

Tip toe along the swollen sand,
hear the crashing of the waves.
Who am I in this forgotten land
where everything is a haze?

This place, once important and full of life,
has been destroyed out of carelessness
and ripped from my sight.

The hope once here has perished
into the shadows of the night.
What was their wicked thinking?
As they slaughtered with all their might.

An empire of seclusion,
where everything has departed.
A once majestic, astonishing land
is back to where it started.

There’s emptiness and hollow thoughts
when you’re out here all alone.
Drifting along this silent shore,
the howling wind caressing your bones.

The air is cold like the hearts of those
who destroyed this precious land.
This empty shore exists no more,
it’s been swallowed by the sand.

One thought of the human race
crystallises like an arctic blast.
How have we let this beautiful place
turn into one of the past?

All About That Bass

I wouldn't usually review things like music, but due to my interest in feminism and the way the media shapes our society I thought that this particular song would be interesting to discuss. I might not be following the rules of ‘reviews being unbiased’ but hey ho. *All views discussed in this review are my own; the word ‘arguably’ will be used a lot to emphasise this*

Meghan Trainor’s latest song could be considered as another ‘typical pop song’ with its clichéd use of chords and irritable chorus, but it’s far from conventional when you actually pay attention to the lyrics. Everyday we’re bombarded by advertisements that display the image of ‘perfection’ and ‘beauty’; therefore we’re aware of the standards that society sets up for us to aspire to. However, when looking at the lyrics of Trainor’s recent hit it’s quite disappointing, especially as the song is being praised for its ideas about self-acceptance and confidence.

Although Trainor has encouraged some women to be confident about their figure and informs us about the overuse of Photoshop to create ‘beauty’, I can’t understand why she has mixed these ideas with derision of those who don’t fit her image of what’s attractive.

Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two
But I can shake it, shake it
Like I'm supposed to do
'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase
And all the right junk in all the right places

Arguably, it’s suggested here that women without curves aren’t seen as feminine or attractive. This links extremely well to the advertisements that we see day after day, telling us that “curves are natural” or “real women have curves”. Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with the idea of encouraging people to embrace their appearance, but expressions like ‘all the right junk in all the right places’ can be harmful to those who are naturally petite. Comments such as this could lead to low self-esteem and obsessions with wanting to look how the media portrays ‘perfection’ to be.

I see the magazine workin' that Photoshop
We know that shit ain't real
C'mon now, make it stop

Here, we’re reminded about the overuse of Photoshop within the media – making women look like flawless goddesses. Of course, we all know that Photoshop is used to make products look more appealing to the public eye, so what do you expect? We live in a male dominated society where men control the majority of the advertisements that reach us. I’m not saying that women are completely out of the loop here, but you have to look deeper into the structure of our society before you can understand why Photoshop is used. At the end of the day, Photoshop is used to please the male eye. It’s never going to be not used because, in reality, would you buy a product that’s advertised as anything less than perfect? It’s how we’ve been conditioned to accept the advertisement campaigns that are forced upon us. 

Yeah, my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."
You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll
So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along

Now here, I completely agree with the first line because I’m all for loving yourself and accepting who you are because at the end of the day, who’s going to love you if you cannot love yourself? However, in my opinion, Trainor is implying that well-rounded women are more attractive that those who aren’t. To me, she’s hinting that women should focus their happiness on how attractive a male finds them. Loving yourself because a male finds your figure attractive kind of defeats the whole idea of self-acceptance. I completely understand that everyone wants to be attractive in the eyes of someone else, but here it seems like Trainor is purposefully objectifying women to emphasise that ‘a little more booty’ will catch the attention of all men. On the flip side, what if there’s a group of men that don’t like the idea of ‘a little more booty’? What if they find skinnier people more attractive than those with a few more curves? It seems to me that she’s completely disregarding what different men actually find as attractive. 

I'm bringing booty back
Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that
No I'm just playing. I know you think you're fat

Harsh. Is it impossible to write a song about empowerment without shaming those that don’t have curves? Being thin doesn’t make you a bitch. You might be an unlikeable person, but that doesn’t mean there’s a link between bitchiness and skinniness. As Trainor says, ‘every inch of you is perfect’, when skinny girls are perfect too. However, I completely understand the meaning behind Trainor’s comment: ‘I know you think you’re fat.’ This is because women are made to feel as though they’re fat due to the way the female body is portrayed throughout the media. Trainor is in fact making a relevant comment about the way the media perceives the female body. Even if you’re a size 6, there’s always going to be that one advertisement that encourages you to be thinner.

Trainor isn’t the only artist to attempt to make people feel good about their bodies by degrading others for their appearance. For example, there’s Nicki Minaj with her recent hit Anaconda and One Direction with You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful. Basically, it’s difficult to make a statement about one thing without shaming the opposite side of the argument.

Although this may not be my favourite song of the moment, it was brought to light the problems within our society. The media that shapes our society need to move off the idea of attractiveness and body shape and focus more on the important things, like happiness and health. The stereotypes and typical names that have been created for those of different body shapes are harmful; society as a whole needs to consider the impact such a thing can have on an individual. 

Aside from all the perceived negativity, Trainor should be praised for the general idea of the song – encouraging people to accept their appearance and accept others for the way they may look or the way they may want to look. The upbeat melody of the song gives its audience a ‘feel good’ feeling, which is good for their self-esteem. Ignoring the arguable meaning of the lyrics, the song is a real encouragement to those who are struggling to accept who they are or who they want to be.

Looking For Alaska

From the author of The Fault In Our Stars, Looking For Alaska manages to put a new spin onto the representation of modern teenage life. Looking For Alaska expresses the extent of John Green's literary talents, encouraging the reader to reflect on the contents of the narrative.

Miles, or Pudge as he's known at Culver Creek, embarks on a journey to boarding school - the same school that his father attended during his youth. Miles is the protagonist of this gripping novel and it's soon revealed that he's out of his comfort zone at Culver Creek - although this soon changes. Being the 'new kid' from Florida, Miles is looking for friends and soon becomes close to roommate, the Colonel. This friendship transforms into a dependency on each other for constant support in every day life, bringing them closer together the further you read. With the Colonel being well known for his legendary pranks around the school, Pudge soon becomes caught up in his games through the encouragement from Alaska.

Alaska Young is the attractive, mysterious and self destructing character that Pudge slowly falls in love with. Her character is very unpredictable, going from confident and alert to periods of sadness and self hatred. Alaska introduces Miles to life at Culver Creek, getting him involved in their madness - too caught up that he cannot get out. Pudge, Alaska and the Colonel are a trio that are dependent on each other - taking the blame for the other to escape expulsion. Alaska's character develops throughout the novel, with which we learn about her obsession for literature and the idea of the labyrinth. Her obscure character soon attracts Miles, who can memorise the last words of almost everyone, and their friendship develops into something special.

Throughout the ups and downs of the novel, Green involves the essentials of the teenage life: pranks, bets and disastrous plans. The ultimate prank is played at Culver Creek, thanks to Alaska, whilst a mind boggling investigation is underway by the gang. The novel doesn't hide anything - everything is revealed that wants to be revealed. The structure of the novel is so informal that you become absorbed in the lives of the characters and their personalities. John Green manages to express the idea of young love and the relationships that the characters hold, causing the reader to become attached to the characters of Miles and Alaska.

The novel shows the sadness that the young live with, loving yourself because no one else will, and forgiving yourself in order to be happy and accepting about the circumstances. The characters, especially Alaska, represent the human race as a whole: looking for something that can help us escape from the never ending labyrinth.   

The Help

Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' is based around the early 1960s, focusing on the racial treatment of America's citizens. With the narrative set in Jackson, Mississippi, Stockett describes the height of racial segregation and mistreatment.

The narrative structure of the novel is quite unusual for something around this subject. The novel is narrated by three women, who are all very different from each other. Minny, a black maid known for her confidence and capability to speak her mind; Aibileen, a black maid who's overcoming the loss of her son Treelore; and Miss Skeeter, a white woman who has a dream to become a big-time writer. It's revealed that Skeeter had been brought up by black maids from a young age, as white women didn't bring up their own children, and wants to find her maid Constantine who vanished after she returned from college.

Aibileen is the maid to the Leefolt family, and through her perspective the harsh reality of working for a white family is revealed. Stockett manages to merge fact and fiction together so that we're given an image of what life would have really been like in the height of racism in America. The reader is able to affiliate with Aibileen's character as she's seen a lot of good and bad things throughout her life in work.When looking after Mae Mobley, the Leefolt's daughter, it's explained to us that looking after a child is a lot harder than it's cracked up to be.  Through Aibileen's character, we can witness the lack of emotion Elizabeth Leefolt has for her daughter, expressed through the physical and emotional harm that she puts her daughter through - leaving the black help to clean up their mess.

Aibileen's best friend, Minny, is portrayed to be slightly hot headed when it comes to her white superiors - although we see her vulnerable side through the domestic violence that's revealed throughout the novel. Minny worked for Miss Hilly until she committed the 'terrible awful thing'. Miss Hilly is at the top of the hierarchy in terms of superiority and goes to all lengths to try to make Minny's life hell and ensures that she doesn't find work in Jackson ever again. However, Minny does find employment again, working for Miss Celia Foote. Celia is an odd character that Stockett has decided to use, but she brings out the good side of Minny. Celia's character doesn't understand racism and why it exists and is unsure of how to treat Minny due to the expectations of those around her. 

Miss Skeeter's character is represented as hopeful for the future of America and wants to make a change herself. Wanting to be a published writer, and seeing the way the black community around her are treated, she decides to write a book of interviews from the perspective of the maids. When Skeeter has this idea of a book, she teams up with Aibileen and Minny to help reveal the cruel and dreadful experiences they have come across when working for the people who discriminate against them. A friendship is created between the three women and a sense of female solidarity is formed. However, with her dream of becoming a published writer, she's somewhat held back by the white community and the fear that she will be found out for committing to such an 'awful' thing. Skeeter is combating with the themes of love, illness and societal status in order to achieve her lifelong dream.

Through the themes of love, hate, racism and sisterhood, Stockett is able to convey what life would've been like through the eyes of a white and black woman - therefore giving us an idea of how much society had moved fowards. Stockett explores the different emotions of the women, from happiness to sadness. By educating people on life in the 1960s, through some of her personal experiences with maids herself, Stockett is able to create an image of the segregated society of America that has developed into what we know today. Throughout the novel, the life of these three women is revealed in immense detail that will make you want to laugh, cry and reflect on the way society has changed.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is one of F.Scott Fitzgerald’s most popular novels of his career. With his artistic use of symbols and hidden meanings, Fitzgerald is able to express the conflict between old and new money in America in the 1920s.

Gatsby is nothing more than a man that is desperate to be wanted by the love of his life, Daisy. The narrative is structured and told through the voice of Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate who is both ‘within and without’, feeling a part of and separate from his surroundings. Through the narration of Nick, the reader finds out information as Nick does – this makes the reader feel involved in the narrative which is an effective use of narration by Fitzgerald. Moving to New York, Nick rents a small house next to the well known millionaire, Jay Gatsby.

Gatsby is well known throughout New York for his extravagant parties which people from all over New York attend. Nobody is aware of who Gatsby is due to the mysterious qualities of his character. Throughout the novel, he seems to be the centre of gossip with the confusion of who he really is – “I heard he was a German spy”.  However, despite his extravagant lifestyle, Gatsby seems dissatisfied. It’s revealed, through the character of Nick, that Gatsby is in love with a young female called Daisy. However, Daisy is already married to Tom Buchanan. Nick is used by Fitzgerald to help bring the two lovers back together, eventually arranging for them to have tea at Nick’s house.

Throughout the novel, there is a tension between Gatsby and Tom as they fight for Daisy’s love. Through this conflict, Fitzgerald is able to define the differences between those of old money and those of new money. The traditional values of those with old money, such as Tom and Daisy, seems to overrule those of new money, such as Gatsby. New money meant new traditions and values, shown through the emerging flappers and changing roles for both men and women. Gatsby uses his wealth to attempt to gain back his lover. For example, he purchases a mansion opposite to Daisy’s house with the hope that she’ll notice him for his parties that are known of throughout New York.

Wealth is explored throughout the novel by Fitzgerald, mostly through the character Nick. Gatsby’s power and status throughout the novel is controlled by his wealth; he uses this wealth to create a world which he thinks will help him to gain back Daisy and her love. After all, Gatsby’s entire life has been focused on winning back Daisy. Ultimately, Gatsby creates himself around fake values – the values of the American Dream. Gatsby gives his everything to win Daisy’s love, both physically and emotionally. This obsessive desire for Daisy’s love eventually leads to his downfall.

The use of symbols by Fitzgerald is extremely effective throughout the novel as he uses them to express the emotions of the characters. The green light is used throughout the novel as a symbol of hope for Gatsby. The light is positioned outside Daisy’s house which Gatsby uses as his motivation to rekindle their love. Fitzgerald also uses the telephone as a motif to break the tension in many different scenes throughout the novel. The telephone is often used when there is a row between Tom and Daisy and the tension needs breaking; however, on the other side of the phone is often Tom’s mistress, Myrtle. By using Myrtle’s character to break up the arguments could be suggesting to the reader that she will eventually break up their relationship.

Ironically, the slothful rich pull through this novel, through which Fitzgerald expresses the injustice of the world. Those of West Egg, such as Daisy and Tom, are enabled to continue to be careless and cruel in their behaviour. Fitzgerald implies that it is the nature of those of West Egg to be careless with their actions when involving other people into their problems.

The Great Gatsby can be considered as a heartbreaking novel as the characters with big dreams are unable to reach their aspirations. The main message that Fitzgerald gives throughout the novel is that dreaming will lead to despair and eventually to that character’s tragic downfall. If you enjoy books crammed with hope, love and disappointment then this book is perfect for you. Expect to reflect on the differences between different statuses in society through this amazing piece of literature by F.Scott Fitzgerald.