Lord of the Flies Ralph Description

          Ralph is the most civilized boy on the island. He keeps his sense of morality intact throughout the entire ordeal on the island. Early on, he attempts to bring the boys together under a structured rule where they can hopefully get rescued. He makes plans and tries to maintain order, but in the end the other boys become savage beast, leaving poor Ralph to fend for himself.

           Ralph maintains his manner of organization, at least in the beginning. It starts with the conch that calls the boys together for a meeting. From the meetings Ralph starts many opportunities. He  starts a signal fire to be seen by ships and designates shifts to keep it burning. He also delegates the hunters, a group to obtain food. He overall maintains control and helps the boys as long as they listen to him.

          Along with the previous paragraph, Ralph is a leader. He helps the "littluns" survive peacefully for many days. As soon as the plane crashed, Ralph assumed leadership and heading the group of boys in the right direction. It looked as if they would be rescued. The first sign of his failed leadership only came when jack became to interested in the hunting of the pig.

Lord of the Flies Character Analysis

             

       In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the theme of human nature to show how easily society can collapse, and how self-destructive human nature is. Throughout the story Golding conveys a theme of how twisted human nature can lead us to be. Human nature makes us destructive as we panic. Golding includes many colorful characters to portray that men are inherently evil, but some choose to defy it. 

He shows both good and evil through each of his characters. One of the characters that represents goodness is Simon. He is very good, and has the most positive outlook. Simon is very different from the other boys, he seems to always be helping the other vulnerable boys such as Piggy. "Simon sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it." (pg.74) This quote interprets an example of a time when Simon helped Piggy by giving him food, it shows Simon's hospitality. Another example would be when Simon helps the boys pick fruit from high to reach places.  

Golding tries to show the evil within man through Jack. He is the leader of the hunters, the first time they find a pig, Jack stops, and couldn't kill the pig. That revealed how Jack was civilized, yet later on he would kill the pig without hesitation. "'We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.'" (pg. 40) This quote depicts how Jack thought he would never become a savage, because he is "English" but in the end he is far more than a savage.  

All Quiet On The Western Front Final Essay

               The old men started the war, while young men payed the price. Paul and his entire generation of young men were the victims of the world wide tragedy known as World War 1; Tricked into fighting a war not for the welfare of the people, but an old German's dream of being the strongest in the world. The message of nationalism rang throughout Germany, escorting the youth to their inevitable doom, a betrayal that will never be forgotten.

                Kantorek, the schoolmaster and the initial proposer of the boy's enlistment, taught the idea of German nationalism. "Under his shepherding," (pg. 11) the young boys left school to enlist, all but one, Joseph Behm. Even him, after the consistent humiliation of being called a coward, succumbed to the call of valor. Shortly after training, during an attack, "Behm was one of the first to fall." (pg. 12) If not for the old schoolmaster's persistent words of encouragement, Behm would have lived. Paul begins to question the sincerity of their cause and if is worth the losses.

                The people back home were oblivious to the horrors taking place on the front. The people the boy's held most dear, their parents, knew nothing. They were huge contributors to the idea of serving one's country out of some kind of false nationalism. Paul's parents were very proud of their son and fully supported the war, but had no idea of the conditions he had been living through at the front and the horrible things he had to witness on a daily basis. They had bought in entirely with the government propaganda. "The wisest were just the poor and simple people." (pg. 11) Paul's parents were not among these simple people. 

                The poor knew that no matter how glamorous the government made war seem, it was never a good thing. The German government succeeded at convincing the rest of the country that the German nation was strong enough to take on the world. The nationalistic propaganda that they spewed out to their own people made the citizens unaware of the true horror on the battlefield. The government is the cause of all the hardship the soldiers went through. It not only betrayed the soldiers, it made the families and the people closest to the soldiers betray them. When the kaiser visited, the boys were given new uniforms to impress him. As soon as the kaiser left, the uniforms were taken back. Protocol was too important to the Germans. That is what lead to the true failure in the war.

                The government of Germany inspired a false nationalism in the people which overall caused a massive betrayal of their own soldiers. They were, towards the end of the war, just left out to die. All their peers either knowing or unknowingly betrayed them.  

Psychologist Craig Bryan: Treating Vets for PTSD

Psychologist Craig Bryan: Treating Vets for PTSD Interview

Psychologist Craig Bryan: Treating Vets for PTSD

Dr. Craig Bryan is the military’s number one go to guy for psychological disorders that come from serving in combat. He himself served in the Iraq war and now helps other veterans overcome the issues that are present after they leave combat.

The most common disorder that modern veterans are returning home with is post traumatic stress disorder. The amount of soldiers that are coming back to the United States and experiencing this disorder is increasing and the suicide rates of soldiers are following close behind. In the interview, Dr. Craig Byron tells us his job is to assist these men and women in their transition back to everyday life. The veterans are finding out the difficulty of change. He says they are trained to kill to protect others and they are basically trained to not fear death to accomplish their goals. The biggest issue with this mind set is the damage done to their mentality. The veterans no longer fear death so when they contemplate suicide they are more likely to go through with it as the average citizen will not. The veterans are also under more stress and may have more depressing memories that will lead to suicide. Dr. Bryan is doing everything he and the military can to assist in protecting the veterans in their transition home.

Even though none of the soldiers in Paul’s group of friends return home in Erich Remarque’s All Quiet On the Western Front, The issue of traumatic stress was still present. The soldiers had no fear of death for sure and would definitely experience issues upon their return home. Many soldiers of World War 1 probably experience PTSD even though would did not fully understand it.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is no laughing matter. Everyday we have more and more veterans coming home. It is up to us civilians to help insure that their transition back to everyday life is smooth and help them move on with their lives and hopefully forget the horrible stress of war.  

This I Believe

         

         I believe that there is one very important value that everyone all around the world needs to make their way of life. The "Golden Rule,’ as many of us learned in elementary school, is the most influential value on peoples lives. If you can teach a child to respect and treat someone the way they themselves would like to be treated then they will grow up and know how to communicate with others respectfully and politely, presenting more opportunities in life.

When I was little I was a very shy kid. I did not know how to speak with other kids and converse properly with adults. I wasn’t rude, but I didn’t know how carry on a conversation. It was not until I saw other people and their lack of skill in conversing, that I realized that I needed to be polite to all people. A simple “please and thank you” goes a very long way. I soon noticed the more I acted this way the more other people would respond in a positive way. Me being nice to people made them be nice to me. It was astonishing.

In several cases the politeness that I expressed towards others not only made them nicer to me, but it opened new doors for me. Most recently, I have been invited to join a team of young lacrosse players who are brought together to volunteer to teach the game of lacrosse to young kids and referee their games. In return, I am given a letter of recommendation for college. I would not have gotten this job if not for the nights after practice where I always offered to help clean up. I can imagine being polite has probably helped out many others as well. People will become impressed with the respect you show them and will offer you new opportunities that will overall progress you through your life, opening new doors. Always be respectful and treat others the way you want to be treated.    

Words that Describe Santiago

Adjective: Reliable.

       Most people see Santiago as just a withered old man, hopelessly, fishing with his tiny boat and no crew. The boy, however, does not see the old man this way. He sees the old man for what he really is, a knowledgeable, hardened man with much experience. Santiago is the most reliable fisherman the boy has ever known. This is tested when the old man is no longer allowed to fish with the boy because he has not caught a big fish in a long time. Santiago throughout the book is wishing to prove to everybody that he can catch a big fish and can be trusted. In the end his reliability is unquestioned.

Verb: Persevere

        In the boat, after first hooking the massive marlin, Santiago is gripping the thick line of rope with all his might. The fish is stronger than anything he has ever encountered and he can not hold the line in his arms for long, but he perseveres. He holds on until he hatches a plan to slide the line over his back. Shortly after doing this he is caught between the line and the bow of the boat. He is pressed tightly in a small space for two and a half days. He continues to persevere longer than the marlin. He has more will-power and overcomes the strength of the great fish and brings him in.

Noun: Survivor

        Santiago is the most incredible survivor. He lasted three days at sea in a tiny boat with a heavy line pressed to his back, scarring into his upper back. He was determined to beat the fish and survive the onslaught of pressure physical and mentally. He wanted the boy back. To get the boy back, he needed to bring home this massive fish. 

Kid Cudi's The Prayer

              I really don't listen to music all that much but I really like this song. This song gives me the message of being here on this planet Earth for a reason. I am intended to do great things. We all are. You have to put your faith and God and know that he has good plans for you. I think Kid Cudi feels he has accomplished his purpose. He wrote his songs to inspire others to accomplish their destiny and in the process contribute his part.

              I take this as a wake up call. Your purpose in life is to find something that will somehow better the world and do it until you die. Whether it be teaching, playing an instrument or singing, or some other way to help all of the world. Finding what you are intended to do comes from just living your life to the fullest everyday. 

              I hope that people will say that I act in a way that will overall better the world. I feel as if it is part of not only my personality, but my purpose. I strive to help others and be successful in everything I do. I plan on doing this until the day I die. I think is not the way Kid Cudi intended the song to be heard but it is my interpretation.

Word Choice/Sentence Structure All Quiet on the Western Front

Word Choice/Sentence Structure All Quiet on the Western Front

"Comrade, I did not want to kill you. . . . But you were only an idea to me before, an abstraction that lived in my mind and called forth its appropriate response. . . . I thought of your hand-grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellowship. Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony—Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy?"


              This a quote from chapter 9 where Paul has just killed a French soldier and is regretting it. He is thrown over the psychological cliff. His idea of the war he is in has changed completely. He now realizes after looking at the pictures of the French men's family that he is no different then him. I like this passage because I sense true voice involved. Remarque felt this way about the war when he fought in it. I think in writing this way he has captured the reason for this war ending the way it did. The men of the first World War were pressured by nationalism to fight the war. Remarque is expressing this opinion throughout the book but I feel its the strongest during this chapter and this specific scene.   

Chapter 1-2 Big Idea All Quiet On The Western Front

Chapter 1-2 Big Idea All Quiet On The Western Front

            The first chapter of this book is very straight forward. Besides introducing the situation and the characters in the story, there is a to the point theme of lost values. The men of this German army have nothing, at least in our eyes. They have nothing so therefore they make the simple things we take for granted their favorite things such as the latrine time. They have forgotten their previous joys in life if they had any to begin with. They young boys that are apart of Paul’s group have very little to come home to. They are at a time in their lives where they are going through priority changes. The war is just interrupting this time. They aren’t as attached to their parents and they are not married and don’t have children. They have no real careers to be worried about. The army has been their life, ever sense Kantorek persuaded them to enlist using pure patriotic enthusiasm.

            The soldiers no longer care for what the average person cares for. Half of their comrades have fallen. All the men can think about is how they have double rations because of the dead soldiers and the miscalculation their absence caused. The rest of the book continues this theme of missing values. The soldiers sometimes will steal and bribe to get what they want. The army is supposedly unified but it is not really. The unification is not true because of the loss of values. They no longer care for each other as they should. Paul is the only one who seems to still have retained his pre-war respect. He cares for others and notices the very real sadness around him. I believe as the book goes on he becomes less and less aware of the morbid situation all of them are in.