Lord of the Flies Project
By: Alysha Larimer
Governments
- Democracy: In a democracy, the supreme power is retained by the people. People vote on the actions they want their government to take. a democracy gives people the ability to vote and elect representative to form the government ("Types of Governments").
- Monarchy: A monarchy consists of rule by a king or queen. A monarch is a form of government where the supreme power is in the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory. the monarch is usually born into royalty and rules for their life time ("Types of Governments").
- Aristocracy: Rule by the Aristocrats. Aristocrats are typically wealthy, educated people. Many monarchies have been ruled by aristocrats ("Types of Governments").
- Dictatorship: In a dictatorship, there would be one person or group that declare themselves rulers. The dictator or dictators will have all the power. They would be able to give and take anything from his or her people ("Types of Governments").
- Anarchy: No government. Absolute freedom for individuals. Everyone is left to fight for themselves ("Types of Governments").
Jack
Jack's Tribe would be considered to be a dictatorship. Jack said, "Conch! Conch!....We don't need the conch any more. We know who ought to say things. What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It's time some people knew they've got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us" (Golding 101-102). This quote shows how Jack doesn't care about other people's opinions. He feels that only he should have the right to choose what goes on. Jack is also treated like an idol. In the text, it says "Before the party had started a great log had been dragged into the center of the lawn and Jack, painted and garlanded, sat there like an idol. there were piles of meat on green leaves near him, and fruit, and coconut shells full of drink" (Golding 149). This quote shows how his tribe treated Jack like he was a god. Another way Jack's tribe resembles a dictatorship is his ability to give and take anything from his tribe. In the book, Jack says "Has everyone eaten as much as they want?" (149), and the text says "His tone conveyed a warning, given out of the pride of ownership, and the boys ate faster while there was still time" (Golding 149). This quote highlights how jack is in complete control over his tribe who fear they won't have enough time to eat the food he has given them.
Ralph
Ralph's tribe would be considered a democracy. In his tribe, people were allowed to vote. When the group first met, the boys suggested "Let's have a vote... Vote for chief!" (Golding 22), and with this vote, they elected Ralph as their chief. Another symbol of democracy Ralph's tribe had was the conch. Ralph said "I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking and he won't be interrupted except by me" (Golding 33). This gave gave everyone the ability to have their voice heard.
My Own Society
The type of government i would choose for my society would be a democracy. A democracy would be the most effective choice because it allows people to vote and to have their own opinion. This would prevent most fights between the government and civilians because people would have a say in what they want to happen. A democracy would also prevent one person from having too much power because the supreme power is retained by the people.
My Constitution
- The community makes decisions as a whole there is no dictator or one individual who holds all the power.
- The "leader" will be elected very two years by the community. This leader hold no real power, they are just responsible for the organization of the society.
- Everyone will be treated equally regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation.
- Everyone will contribute the same amount of effort in the society regardless of their job.
- There shall be no crime or violence in the society.
- There will be no firearms or explosives permitted in the society. Only small arms for defense against wildlife and wildlife only.
- Anyone who commits a crime or fails to follow the rules will either be sent to prison or forced to do community service depending on the severity of the situation.
- Every family will have their own residence, resource permitting.
- Everyone must attend at least community meeting once a week.
- Kids must attend school Monday through Friday for a regular school year. School is not mandatory five days a week if additional labor is needed or family is struggling.
The Spanish Civil War
In July 1936, a group of Generals within the Spanish army staged a coup against the democratically-elected left-wing Republican government ("The Causes..."). Many monarchists, conservatives and Fascists supported the rebels and formed a Nationalist movement. Socialists, communists, anarchists and also liberal democrats and others from the political center who supported democracy formed a loose coalition of Republicans to oppose the rebellion ("Spanish Civil War"). For the republicans this was perceived as a struggle between democracy and dictatorship. For the Nationalists it was perceived as a struggle between Christianity and Communism. By October 1936, the Nationalist forces were besieging the capital city of Madrid forcing the Republican government to re-establish itself on the coast in Valencia ("History of Spain"). A full-scale civil war had now broken out with each side receiving international support. Although the resources of the two sides were not that unequal, the Nationalists were better organized and received extensive material aid from Germany. The Loyalists received very little assistance from the Soviet Union and were divided by internal conflicts between Communist, Socialist and Anarchist factions ("History of Spain..."). March 28, 1939 marked the beginning of a forty-year dictatorship in Spain with the victory of the the Nationalists. The Spanish Civil War altered the balance of power in Europe as well as killing up to a million lives, the most devastating in Spanish history ("History of Spain"). A quote from Lord of the Flies that mirrors this conflict would be "Conch! Conch!....We don't need the conch any more. We know who ought to say things" (Golding 101). This quote relates to this civil was because the Nationalists rebelled and tried to throw the Republican faction out of power because they wanted their leader, Francisco Franco, to be the dictator of Spain.
Spanish Civil War | 3 Minute History
Baltimore Protests
The city of Baltimore erupted into violence the on Monday, April 27, following days of mostly peaceful protests over the death of Freddie Gray, who was fatally injured while in police custody (Rosen). The Monday afternoon confrontations with police officers, which involved many students, spread rapidly throughout across the city, resulting in a rash of fires, thefts, vandalism, and standoffs between demonstrators and police (Rosen). Freddy Gray was a 25-year-old black man from West Baltimore. He died April 19, a week after suffering severe spinal injuries during an arrest.The incident began after Gray made eye contact with police and then ran away, authorities said (McCormack). He was taken into custody after officers said they found a switchblade knife. Gray requested medical help as police dragged him into a van. He was unconscious by the time officers took him out about a half-hour later, and a family lawyer has said his spine was 80 percent severed (McCormack). Allegations of police brutality have been a significant issue for the city of Baltimore. Baltimore City Councilman Nick Mosby condemned the violence, but said the unrest was the result of “young folks of this community showing decades old ... anger, frustration for a system that’s failed them” (Rosen). It seems like all that is ever on the news anymore are stores of police brutality in poor urban areas. I believe that the protesters will win because they are in the right. Some police officers are abusing their authority and killing innocent men, and as a result, these protesters are prepared to fight for justice.
Work Cited
- Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward-McCann, 1962. Print.
- "History of Spain- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)| Don Quijote." DonQuijote. Don Quijote Salamanca S.L., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
- McCormack, Simon. "What's Happening In Baltimore Didn't Just Start With Freddie Gray." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
- Rosen, Andy. "What’s Happening with the Freddie Gray Case in Baltimore? - The Boston Globe." BostonGlobe.com. Boston Globe, 28 Apr. 2015. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
- "Spanish Civil War." Spanish Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
- "The Causes of the Spanish Civil War." The Causes of the Spanish Civil War. History Learning Site, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
- "Types of Governments." Types of Government. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.