Sarah

=**The Lord of The Flies **=

Golding W. 1954, Lord of the Flies, London A plane has crashed during a storm and the only survivors are a group of boys. They have voted Ralph as their chief and Ralph and 2 other boys set out to explore the land. Now they have worked out that they are stranded on an island with no adults! Now i think they will work out how they are going to stay alive until someone rescues them...(if).
 * Chapter 1 **


 * Characters and setting! **

The owner of the voice came backing out of the undergrowth so that twigs scratched at on a greasy windbreaker. The naked crooks of his knees were plump, caught and scratched by thorns. He bent down, removed the thorns carefully and turned around. he was shorter than the fair boy and very fat. He came forward, searching out safe lodgents for his feet, and then looked up through thick spectacles. "Where's the man with the megaphone?" The fair boy shook his head. "this is an island. At least I think it's an island. That's a reef out in sea. Perhaps there aren't any grown ups anywhere." The fat boy looked startled. "There was that pilot. But he wasn't in the passenger tube, he was up in the cabin in front." The fair boy was peering at the reef through screwed up eyes. "All them other kids," the fat boy went on. "Some of them must have got out. They must have, mustn't they?" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The fair boy began to pick his way as casually as possible towards the water. He tried to be off hand and not to obviously uninterested, but the fat boy hurried after him. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"Aren't there any grown-ups at all?" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"I don't think so." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The fair boy said this solemnly; but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him. In the middle of the scar he stood on his head and grinned at the reversed fat boy. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"No grown-ups!" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The fat boy thought for a moment. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"That pilot". <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The fair boy allowed his feet to come down and sat on the steamy earth. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"He must have flown off after he dropped us. He couldn't land here. Not in a plane with wheels." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"We was attached!" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"He'll be back all right." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The fat boy shook his head. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"When we was coming down I looked out the windows. I saw the other part of the plane. There were flames coming out of it." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">He looked up and down the scar. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"And this is what the tube done." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The fair boy reached out and touched the jagged end of a trunk. For a moment he looked interested. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"What hppened to it?" he asked. "Where's it got to now?" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">That storm dragged it out to sea. It wasn't half dangerous with all them tree trunks falling. There must have been some kids still in it." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">He hesitated for a moment then spoke again. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"What's your name?" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">"Ralph." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">The fat boy waited to be asked his name in turn but this proffer of accquaintence wasnot made; the fair by called Ralph smiled vaguely, stood up, and began to make his way once more towards the lagoon. The fat boy hung steadily at his shoulder. **<span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The Secret Life of Mave Lee Kwong by Kirsty Murray **

<span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Description

-Author: William Goldling ||  Modern – The Secret Life of Maeve Lee Kwong -Author: Kirsty Murray ||
 * Questions: ||  Classic – Lord of the Flies
 * 1. Describe the **time and place** in which your novel is set. What clues within the book tell us this? || It is not clear what **time** the book is set in but I got the impression it was in the 1950's or at least after WWII. A plane is evacuting a group of British boys from an atomic explosion(page 20) in Britain.On route the plane is shot down.

The **setting** is a deserted tropical island. The island is "made up" but plays a very important role in the novel. At first it seems like paradise and then it seems full of danger.

The clues for time & place are in chapters 1 & 2.I also looked at the date it was published 1954. || This book is based in <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sydney, but Maeve's adventures lead her to the Gold Coast, Hong Kong and Ireland. The book is set in <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif;">2004, I could tell because the Boxing Day Tsunami is on the TV news, she was born in 1991 and she is turning 14. Another reason I know it is set in recent times (2004) because of her memory of the 9.11 attacks! || Ralph beleives in civilised values and rules. He is brave but he also has momnets when he gets carried away. He becomes an outcast in the end.
 * 2. Who are the main **characters** in your book? List the names and a short description of their personality traits. || <span style="color: #23ff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Ralph **-** He is handsome, sensible and a good leader.

<span style="color: #23ff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Piggy - We never learn his real name. He has physical disadvantges he is fat, asmatic and without his glasses cant see anything. He speaks witha cocky accent so comes froma poorer background than someone like Ralph. Piggy is however very clever and Ralph recongniese this early on.He is also the most mature of any of the boys. Piggy is normally shy and apphrehensive but has the ability to speak up.

<span style="color: #23ff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Jack - is the head of the choir. He has red hair and is tall & thin.He is proud and arrogant. He is also hungry for power. As the story goes on Jack can think of nothing but hunting. He doesnt care for rules and becomes like a savage.. He is the first on the island to hurt a boy. In the end he calls himself chief and somehow losses himeself.

There are three other characters of importance Simon, Roger and the twins (Sam & Eric). || <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Maeve - (Warrior Princess-beautiful & fierce pg 27) is the main character and she is a typical Aussie 13 yr old.Maeve is half Chinese and half Irish. Maeve is a happy person who has been raised by a wonderful mother and before the accident is living in a cosy loving family.I found her very likeable.Maeve can't keep still, she adores dancing, it's her passion. Maeve shows such courage as she searches for who she is and where she belongs.Maeve faces very adult situations and we feel her pain but she always has hope and tries. <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Stephanie and Bianca -are Maeve's 2 BFFs! Maeve describes Bianca as "flirt" and Steph as "a stylish thinker". I think Bianca is very interested in boys and loves to shop. She comes from quite a wealthy family. Steph on the other hand is clever and loves drama.Her family seem poorer as she has a part time job to help pay for school things and she is on a scholarship.They seem like my friends in Australia. <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Por Por and Goong Goong -are Maeve's Chinese Grandparents. Goong Goong is very traditional.He was raised in China. But Por Por (grandmother)was raised in Australia so is more westernised. <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Mr McCabe - is Maeve's music teacher.Over the novel we learn that he was an orphan and raised by a kind old man. He was a priest who left to marry his wife.His wife died of cancer and he was left to raise his sons. He pulled his kids through their grief so has a lot of understanding of what Maeve is going through.He is very supportive of Maeve.He was a musician. He is older (silver hair, grown up children) and he is very wise, kind and caring. <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Andy and Ned - Andy is Maeve's stepfather.He doesn't feature that much in the book. Maeve has only known him 3 years and he doesn't cope well with the shock of Sue's death at the beginning.Ned is her almost 3 yr old stepbrother, who she adores and loves deeply.He is a very cute little boy. <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Jackson- he's 14 years old.He's Australia. He's always in motion .He is a great dancer, he does Wing Chun martial art and he makes Maeve laugh.He becomes Maeve's boyfriend. ||
 * 3. Describe the **significant relationships** between the main characters. || The main relationships are:

<span style="color: #23ff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Ralph and Piggy respect each other enough that they become friends and learn to think sensibly together though the circumstances make it almost impossible to keep a clear head.

<span style="color: #23ff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Ralph and Jack are both leaders and their personalitys clash.They turn on each other and any respect dissolves as they compete to survive. While Ralph is logical and has clear and sensible priority's, Jack wants to have fun, be popular and prove himself a better leader then Ralph.

<span style="color: #23ff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Piggy and Jack do not get along. Jack makes fun of Piggy's physical disadvantages (weight and asthma), so Piggy dislikes Jack for his teasing and as Jack continues to annoy Piggy and the others, his dislike grows to hate! || The relationships between the characters are: <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Maeve and her Grandparents : Before Maeve's Mother is killed she really didn't know her Grandparents.After the accident they are thrown together.There is a generational and cultural gap (especially between her Grandfather and Maeve).Her Grandparents definitely love her you can see this by their actions(letting her go to Sydney, paying for her friends drama trip,letting her meet her birth father).They all love each other but don't understand each other. Over the novel they start to understand each other little by little.

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Maeve, Bianca and Steph -The Three Musketeers as they like to call themselves and are known as in school and by their family and friends.The three of them have been together since kindy so that's 10 years!!!!!!!!!Maeve gets along with everyone and seems to be the peace maker.Her friends support her at the funeral and throughout this most difficult time for Maeve.They arrange to take Maeve the first summer holiday after her mother's death. They encourage her to ask to board and return to Sydney. Their families also make her part of their lives.They support her in whatever way they can through good and bad, happy and sad.True friendship!!!!!!!!!!!!

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Maeve and Ned / Andy :Maeve needs Ned he's part of her >Ned makes things seem ok ... like before her Mother died.You can tell they will stay together as brother and sister throughout their lives even if they don't live in the same house.

<span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Maeve and Jackson, they become close when they dance on a stage show together.Then they become boyfriend / girlfriend. It's Maeve's first boyfriend. They have a "first kiss". Jackson is very supportive of Maeve and he really "thinks she is something"!!!!!Jackson makes Maeve laugh. || I liked his personal qualities. Piggy is kind to the 'littluns', he's loyal to Ralph, he's mature and he is clever. But he also has some disadvantages....physically he is not the most able and he's from a poor background (weight and asthma). I liked his brave actions in the novel. He, like Ralph believed in civilised values and wanted order. I cried when he was murdered. It took to the very end of the novel for Ralph to morn Piggy's death and he says "the true, wise friend called Piggy". || My favourite was the central character <span style="color: #ff0050; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Maeve. I liked her personal qualities and values. She is "normal", likeable, and fun. We see her at her saddest and we watch her slowly start to recover and then we follow her on her quest to find out who she is and where she belongs.Maeve doesn't give up we feel her pain but there is always hope and a positive attitude and she always tries. || a) Find examples of; colourful adjectives, similes, metaphor, dramatic irony, etc..  || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Describe the **style of language.** <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The novel uses short & real language (pg 231).Much of it spoken just as bigun & littlun would speak in real life. The language draws you in.
 * 4. Who is your favourite character and why? **Or** - Who is the character that you can most closely relate to and why? || I think I liked<span style="color: #23ff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Piggy the most.
 * 5. Describe the **style of language** and **literary devices** that the author uses.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Some examples of literary devices that the author uses are

<span style="color: #c4125c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Colourful adjectives:
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">“A school of **tiny, glittering** fish” pg17 <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">“There was a **slight, furtive** boy” pg 29 <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">“A **pack of British** boys” pg248

<span style="color: #c4125c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Similes:
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">“the boys lay panting **like** dogs” pg 89 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">“the breezes on that lagoon had chased their tails **like** kittens” pg34 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">“a strip of weed strewn beach that was almost **as** firm as a road**”** pg 13

<span style="color: #c4125c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Metaphors:
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">there are quite a few in the novel. One example is the conch shell it symoblises the law and order of the adult world which Piggy tires so desperately to protect.

<span style="color: #c4125c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Dramatic Irony:
Irony is used a number of times in the book .One example is when Simon rushes to tell the other boys that he knows that there is no beast only to be mistaken for the beast and killed.pg189. Another example is Jack setting fire to the island in an attempt to drive Ralph from his hiding place only for the fire to attract a ship which then rescues them all, Ralph included. || The style of language is modern day Australia.With some Irish thrown in!

===<span style="font-size: 1.1em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #c4125c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">Colourful adjectives: ** === <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">“they headed out into the **warm oily** night” pg190 <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">“Those **pale** eyes,the **craggy,sharp** features” pg 196 ===<span style="font-size: 1.1em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #c4125c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px;">Similes: ** === <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">“This place is **like** heaven**,**even if it is raining” pg 109 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">“You kick **like** a bloody kangaroo" pg127 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">“The future opened up **like** a black chasm" pg 48 ===<span style="font-size: 1.1em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #c4125c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px;">Metaphors: ** === <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I couldn't find any in this novel. ===<span style="font-size: 1.1em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #c4125c; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px;">Dramatic Irony: ** === <span style="margin: 0px 0px 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One example is the fact that Mr McCabe is also looking for is long lost Mother in Ireland while Maeve is looking for her birth Father. One old, one young both searching for parents who are unknown to them. Mr McCabe's in his late fifties or sixties looking and there Maeve 14 looking. That search to know where you come from effects everyone-where you are young or old. || '**Modern'** because it was only written 56 years ago. Some of the themes that are looked at are..
 * 6. Is your book an example of ‘**classic’ or ‘modern’ literature**? You must use evidence to back up your stance. For example; has your book stood the ‘test of time’? Are there theme’s that will transcend time? || Lord of the Flies was published in 1954 ,so it is what is called a 'modern classic'.
 * 'Classic'** because its themes transcend time.
 * 1)** What happens when a group of young children (3-13 years) are left on their own without adult supervision and try to survive.
 * 2)** Competition for leadership and power (the struggle between Jack & Ralph to be in charge of the boys)
 * 3)** The split into two groups and how loyalty can be bought (when Jack bribed many of the boys with food to join him)
 * 4)** How easy it is to kill when a group is excited and frightened (Simon's death)
 * 5)** What happens after you have murdered.. (it was easy to kill Piggy)
 * 6)** What happens when all the power is within one group (when Jack's group take the twins and then decide to chase down Ralph)
 * 7)** Betrayal (when the twins give Ralph's hiding position away)
 * 8)** One person can make a stand (Ralph's courage and goodness) || The book was published in 2006 and set in 2004. It is new fiction but I think this book could become a modern Australian classic in twenty years time. I think it could be one of those books read in High school bvecause the themes transcend time.

The themes covered are:

1) Death of a parent - Mother is killed in a car accident.......deals with loss, pain, grief.

2) Blended families - how complex life is, Maeve has her birth mother, step father, step brother an unknown birth father, and her mother's grandparents. But when Maveve's mother dies without a will and she hadsn't been adopted by Andy (step dad) it is unclear where she will live and who is repsonsible for her.

3) Generational gap - the young and the old, different viewpoints, different valued. Loving each other but bot understanding each other.

4)Quest for identity- most teenages go through this....who am i, where do i belong , where are my roots.

5)Mixed heritage (half Chinese/ half Irish) in the global world there are more amd more mixed race lids and third culture kids. || Describe **//your feelings//** towards the novel.    Did you **//enjoy//** it, why or why not?    Did you find it easy to get into? Did you like it the more that you read it?    Would you read more books by the same author, or of a similar genre?  || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Hey Nicole, <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Over the holidays I read the Lord of the Flies by William Golding. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">At first it took me a while to get into the book but after a few chapters I started to like it the more I read.
 * 7. After reading the book, write a short note to a friend **__describing the book__**. Include a description of the **//genre//**, **//setting//** and **//difficulty level//**. You need to also include the following information; What were the main **//themes//** in the book? What was the **//central conflict//**? How was it resolved?

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">The book can be taken at face value as a boys adventure novel or on another level it’s about good versus evil. Will civilization and order prevail or will the boys slide into savagery, violence and chaos in the absence of any of the normal rules?? <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Remember when we read Morris Gleitzman’s Once and Then in class last year????? <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Well it one of those books that makes you really think.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Let me set the scene for you. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">A pack of young British boys are stranded on a tropical island with no adults present. There is an election for leader, Ralph defeats Jack, who is furious when he loses. Jack, is interested only in hunting. While Ralph, believes most of the boys’ efforts should go toward building shelters and maintaining a signal fire. When rumors surface that there is some sort of beast living on the island, the boys grow fearful, and divide into two camps. Simon encounters the the beast...... I am not going to tell you anymore Nicole, as it will give too much away!!!!!!!! The novel lets you draw your own conclusions.

I wouldn’t say I “enjoyed” the novel as the themes are quite serious and mature. The author certainly draws you in and it makes you think. My feelings changed over the course of the story at first I felt one group was completely in the right and would do no wrong and then I realized that all had faults and not everything is black & white. I even change my favorite character from Ralph to Piggy. But I think you should read it Nicole because I think you will get a lot out of it! Luv Sarah. || Hey Nicole, I've just finished another book by Kirsty Murray, called 'The secret life of Maeve Lee Kwong'.I loved it from the 1st page!

It is set in 2004 and its about a girl named Maeve who lives in Balmain,Sydney.She has a loving family, great friends and is a talented dancer!But her world crumbles to peices when her Mother dies!Just warning you Nicole I cried heaps at this point in the story.I also laughed with joy at other points in the story.

Soon after, she leaves her little brother Ned, her friends and her old life behind to live with her Grandparents on the Gold Coast.She does return to Sydney and her familiar surroundings, as a boarder at her old high school.

But there is one thing that keeps nagging at her, 'Who is her Dad? Maeve seems uncertain where she belongs, if she belongs and who she is after her Mother dies.

It isn't all sadness, and Maeve does have her first kiss and a boyfriend.I think she is lucky to have two very special friends-Step & Bianca. Together they are the 3 musketeers.

I think the genre is young teenage fiction but I have a feeling girls would like it more than boys!!!! I would definitely recommend this to girls 12yrs and over.

Kirsty Murray is a great author and I have already read more books by her!Nicole, read it and let me know what you think. Luv Sarah. ||