132 lines
8.6 KiB
Plaintext
132 lines
8.6 KiB
Plaintext
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßÛßßßßßÛÛÜ ÜÜßßßßÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛßß ßÛÛ
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ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÝ Ûß
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ßßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÞÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßßÛÜÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÞß
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Mo.iMP ÜÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ßÛß
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ß ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛ ßÛÛÛÛÛ Ü ÛÝÛÛÛÛÛ Ü
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ÜÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ßÛÜ ßÛÛÛÜÜ ÜÜÛÛÛß ÞÛ ÞÛÛÛÝ ÜÜÛÛ
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ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÜÜÜß ÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÛß
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ßÛÜ ÜÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÜÜ ßßÜÛÛßß ßÛÛÜ ßßßÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ßßßßß ßßÛÛß ßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßßßß
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ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS
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Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on:
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[ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [Comparison of "Lord of ]
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[x]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [The Flies" and "All is ]
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[ ]11-12 [x]Essay/Report [Quiet on the Western ]
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[ ]College [ ]Misc [Front" ]
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Dizzed: 07/94 # of Words:1254 School: State:
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>Chop Here>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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An author's view of human behavior is often reflected in their works.
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The novels All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and Lord
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of the Flies by William Golding are both examples of works that demonstrate
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their author's view of man, as well his opinion of war.
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Golding's Lord of the Flies is highly demonstrative of Golding's
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opinion that society is a thin and fragile veil that when removed shows man
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for what he truly is, a savage animal. Perhaps the bet demonstration of
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this given by Golding is Jack's progression to the killing of the sow.
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Upon first landing on the island Jack, Ralph, and Simon go to survey their
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new home. Along the way the boys have their first encounter with the
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island's pigs. They see a piglet caught in some of the plants. Quickly
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Jack draws his knife so as to kill the piglet. Instead of completing the
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act, however, Jack hesitates. Golding states that, "The pause was only
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long enough for them to realize the enormity of what the downward stroke
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would be." Golding is suggesting that the societal taboos placed on
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killing are still ingrained within Jack. The next significant encounter in
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Jack's progression is his first killing of a pig. There is a description
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of a great celebration. The boys chant "Kill the pig. Cut her throat.
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Spill her blood." It is clear from Golding's description of the revelry
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that followed the killing that the act of the hunt provided the boys with
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more than food. The action of killing another living thing gives them
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pleasure. The last stage in Jack's metamorphosis is demonstrated by the
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murder of the sow. Golding describes the killing almost as a rape. He
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says, "Jack was on top of the sow, stabbing downward wherever pig flesh
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appeared ... Jack found the throat, and the hot blood spouted over his
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hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon
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her." In this case it is certain that animal savagery is displayed by the
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boys. Because they have been away from organized society for such a long
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time, the boys of the island have become Golding's view of mankind, vile,
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destructive beasts.
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Although Golding shows that the longer one is away from society the
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closer to his view one becomes, the institution of civilization does not
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escape his criticism. Golding shows through many examples that those who
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are "civilized" are just as prone to violence and war as those who are
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isolated. The first example presented in the novel occurs when the boys
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attempt to emulate the British democratic government. The boys prize the
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adults that run the government as the best decision makers. It is these
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"civilized" adults, however, who started the war which has forced the boys
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onto the island. Also, in their mimicking of adult society, one of the
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first things that the boys do is establish the choir as an army or a group
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of hunters. Another of the criticisms of orderly society comes when Ralph
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asks for a sign from the adult world. Ralph does receive his sign in the
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form of a dead parachute shot down in an air battle above the island. This
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can be interpreted as saying that the savagery existent in man is even
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shown in the so called "civilized" world through acts of war. Golding
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clearly sees war as an action of destruction caused by man because of his
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inherently feral nature.
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While Golding views man as a brutal creature whose vile traits are
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brought out by isolation from society, Remarque's All Quiet on the Western
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Front displays a remarkably contrasting opinion of humanity. Where
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Golding's characters become increasingly more sadistic when placed in a
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difficult circumstance, those of Remarque manage to actually grow more
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caring and develop a feeling of comradeship. It is clear that despite the
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fact that Remarque's main character and narrator, Paul B„umer, is taking
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part in a war and killing others, he is not a brutal disgusting creature.
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Even on the front, where Paul is in danger of losing his life, he acts in a
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way directly contrasting Golding's view of man as a vicious hunter. Paul
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is faced with a French soldier who he is to throw a grenade at. Upon seeing
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his face, however, Paul hesitates to toss the lethal weapon, as he now
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recognizes that this soldier is a person probably much like himself. This
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is obviously against Golding's opinion. In the two murders that occur in
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Lord of the Flies, those of Piggy and Simon, the killers do not care about
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what they are doing as they are caught up in the intense feeling of the
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kill. Another example of Remarque's view of man is the reaction of Paul to
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the Russian soldiers that have been captured. He gives them cigarettes and
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food. He deeply sympathizes with their situation despite being their enemy
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in name. This is again an act of kindness and uncalled for altruism,
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something directly against Golding's perceptions.
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As Remarque's views of the nature of man differs form Golding, so does
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his opinion about war. Unlike Golding, who feels that war is a result of
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man's natural cruelty and innate desire to hurt others, Remarque is of the
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opinion that war is began because of a few people in power, not all of
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humanity. At one point in All Quiet on the Western Front one of the
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characters, Albert Kropp, suggests that "a deceleration of war should be a
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popular festival with entrance tickets and bands, like a bull fight. Then
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in the arena the ministers and generals of the two countries, dressed in
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bathing drawers and armed with clubs, can have it out among themselves."
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This opinion is reflective of Remarque's own. While Golding concentrates
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only on the underlying causes of war, Remarque goes on to explain its
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horrors, as his is an anti-war novel. Remarque frequently is pointing out
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the atrocities of war. While there are countless examples of this in the
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novel two of the most striking are the descriptions of the dying horses and
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one of the French soldiers. The description that Remarque uses to convey
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the image of the dying horses is a very vivid one intended to provoke a
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sense of disgust in the reader. He states, "The belly of one is ripped
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open, the guts trail out. He becomes tangled in them and falls, then he
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stands up again." Remarque hopes that the anguish of the horses, who were
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in no way responsible for their situation, will earn the reader's sympathy.
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The equally graphic picture of the dying French soldier is also intended to
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show the reader some of the horror of war. Remarque says, "... a blow form
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a spade cleaves through his face. A second sees it and tries to run
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farther, a bayonet jabs into his back."
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Remarque and Golding have differing opinions on human nature as well
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as war. Golding, through the actions of his characters, attempts to
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illustrate that under chaotic circumstances, removed normal society man
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reverts to what his nature deems him to be, a destructive creature.
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Remarque's characters, on the other hand, manage to show compassion and
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humane treatment of others despite being thrust into a situation more
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terrible than that of Golding's characters. Where Golding feels war is a
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result of humankind's vile nature, Remarque sees it as an evil brought
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about by only a select few.
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