Hi. Please respond to the following prompt. Your responses should be a couple of paragraphs long, respond to an idea that another student poses, and cite directly from one or more of the texts. You must post by 8 AM on Wednesday, December 7. You may post multiple times if you wish. Include your first name and your period, please.
Prompt: How do the various settings in both Speak and Lord of the Flies (the high school, the jungle, the woods, the party, etc.) contribute to the characters' behavior? How are the settings of the two books similar?
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Jay Cawthon, Period 6.
Both the party and LotF take place in a forest, for one. There, however, the similarities end. Ralph becomes a leader while Melinda withdraws into herself. The forest destroys the other kids, becoming lust and impulse personified. Melinda thinks that indulgence is not good, and parties of any sort make her feel sick to the stomach. There are no similarities in the two books, none at all. First.
In "Lord of the Flies" they are surrounded by a big jungle and a vast sea. The mystery of what may lurk in either the jungle or the sea ends up driving a lot of the boys mad. For example on page 153 the boys newly acquired hunting skills lead them to kill Simon. If there was not jungle they would not have felt the need to hunt. Thus not acquiring that skill.
In speak the barn in which the party is held presumably very loud, thus providing an opportunity for Andy Evans to lure Melinda away from the party. The woods had a very concealing power. Once in the woods no one could see what Andy was doing, or hear Melinda trying to make it stop.
In the two books the jungle are psychologically very different. In speak the jungle is concealing. In Lord of the Flies it drives the boys mad. I disagree with Jay the forests are similar in that things that shouldn't go on take place inside of them.
Elyse Jones, Period 3
Responding to what Jay said earlier, I do think the two books have more similarities. In each book, the setting brings the characters out of their comfort. These settings cause the characters to drastically change. I think both books can relate to the novel "The Call of the Wild." by Jack London. In this book, a group of dogs are chosen to be a part of a dog sledding team. These dogs are normal household pets when they are put on this team, but after months of running through the wild, fighting for food, and fighting for survival these dogs are no longer house pets. These dogs transform into wild beasts. This same thing happens in "Lord of the Flies". After the group of boys is left on the island for long enough, they end up brutally fighting and killing one another. In "Speak", Andy transforms into an abusive beast towards Melinda in the forest. These three books show how much the setting you are placed in can effect you. Therefore, I do not agree with you. I think the settings are more similar than they are different.
Emily period 6
The Lord of the Flies has various settings that affect the characters. These include the beach, the forest, and the far side of the island where the fort is. The beach is a place of order where the original source of leadership came from in Ralph and Piggy. Here people act more controlled and even Jack and his hunters are civilized. The forest brings out the worst in people, the fear, violence, anger, and savagery that was hidden on the beach. The far side of the island is where Jack, who revels in the savage entertainment of hunting, takes all these evils from the forest, and builds a home for them.
Speak has several important settings as well. These are the school, the forest, Melinda's home, and Melinda's closet. The school is, in Melinda's mind, a place of chaos, rather like the the forest in Lord of the Flies. Just as the beast haunts the island forest in the boys' minds, Andy Evans haunts the school in Melinda's mind. You can see this clearly at the End of the First Marking Period, "I saw IT in the hallway, IT goes to Merry weather...IT is my nightmare, and I cant wake up"(Speak, pg 45). Her home is not much better than the school, her parents fight and she has learned not to speak there either; it is almost the same as the school.Melinda's closet is something she builds as an oasis from the chaos of school. The Forest where the party takes place is the most similar to the forest in Lord of the Flies. Here Order is gone, people show their worst side, and the beast prowls the trees after dark.
These settings are different than Lord of the Flies, but they show definite similarities, which is where I disagree with Jay. While he is correct that Melinda and Ralph are different, The settings of the book show several similarities. The School and Melinda's home show definite similarities to the Forest and the Far side of the Island in Lord of the Flies. Her closet is her place of order just as the beach is for the boys. So although the books are different in several ways, there are definite similarities, especially in the settings of the books. Joseph S. Per 6
In class we talked about how in every good story the main character "takes a step of the path' and always comes back as a diffrent person. in Lord Of The Flies the main characters " take a step off the path when their plane crashes. In Speak the main character malinda "takes a step off the path" by going to the party. what makes the two places similar is that they are both umfamiliar of unknown places.
From the very begining in both books the main characters change and became scared and tense. In Speak malinda becomes very shy and for the boys in Lord Of The Flies it almost makes them stronger until they start to disagree with eachother and they start to go crazy.
Elizabeth G. period 3
In the novels Speak and Lord of the Flies the settings greatly affected the characters behavior. In Speak the main settings were Melinda’s school, home, and the party. Melinda’s behavior changed depending where she was located in the school. She always felt vulnerable and desolate when wandering the halls or eating in the cafeteria. When Melinda was in the art room or her secret closet, she felt safe, secure, and hidden. Melinda had an extra special connection to the art room, which was where she felt most comfortable. The situation didn’t change much when Melinda was at home. She felt like she was a disappointment to her parents. During the party scene, Melinda’s behavior changed from an innocent laughing girl to a drunk, discombobulated partier.
In Lord of the Flies the characters’ behavior also varied according to the setting. In the woods, the boys were savage and wild. Their morals and values were trashed, especially when the boys were hunting. On the platform, which was the normal meeting area, the boys were more civilized because they were under the chief's control. The boys' behavior changed dramatically when darkness fell over the island. The fear of what lurked in the night made them uncertain and terrified.
The setting of the story was not the only factor that changed the characters’ behavior. Both books had people and objects that changed the attitudes and moods of the characters as well. There was a "beast" in both Speak and Lord of the Flies. In Speak whenever the beast, Andy Evans, was present, Melinda turned into a shaking piece of Jell-O. “He is made out of slabs of stone and gives off a smell that makes me afraid I’ll wet my pants.” (Anderson, p.193) The boys in Lord of the Flies also become scared when the beast from the forest came near to camp. “The vivid horror of this (the beast), so possible and so nakedly terrifying, held them all silent.” (Golding, p. 85) In addition, objects like the conch in Lord of the Flies and the tree in Speak affected the behavior of the characters by making them calm. I agree with Joseph that although these books are separate novels, their settings both have a powerful affect on the characters.
Lindsay R. Period 6
Settings greatly affect characters and personalities no matter if they are in a story or in real life. People act differently in church than they do at a pep rally. In Speak, the various settings have a large affect on Melinda. As she wanders through the halls at school she places walls around her vulnerable self in order to push others away. When she reaches her closet, her walls fall down and she is able to relax in her small, tight space. At the party she goes to in eighth grade, the drunk teenagers that create the setting cause her to become more outgoing.
In Lord of the Flies, the setting is what makes the story. This group of boys attend a boarding school and are most likely extremely behaved children. As soon as these kids are released into the wild without rules or adults, they become products of the wilderness. They hunt for blood and become beasts. When the adults come to the island to get them, all the blood and gore is forgotten and they return to young boys playing cops and robbers.
These forests in these two books bring out the worst in the characters. Andy rapes Melinda in the dark pits of the forest. He becomes a beast and he doesn't care. The boys in the forest become animals. They become destructive and more interested in blood than saving themselves. Jack ends up killing Piggy and Simon and nearly killing Ralph. But, as soon as the settings begin to switch and the adults appear on the island the boys change back to a group of little boys putting on a "Jolly good show. " (golding pg. 202) These boys will never return back to the little boys they once were. Settings can change a person in unbelievable ways.
Emily T. per. 6
I agree with Emily when she says that settings affect characters and personalities no matter if they are in a story or in real life. I find that in books, that when characters enter a forest or the woods, something happens to them; they change. For example, in the books and movie Twilight, when the main girl goes into the forest, she finds out that this guy she likes is a vampire. This very dramatic event changes her life and most of the story's plot follows this intense scene.
This "important-things-happen-in-the-woods" concept, like Twilight, is in both Lord of the Flies and Speak. In Lord of the Flies, when their plane crashes and they find themselves on a uninhabited and forested island, everything changes. The boys change from civilized English boys into raging, fighting, deathly, little boys. And in the book Speak, the woods is also the basis of the story, for this is where the girl gets raped. This is a dramatic scene where the girl's life is changed forever.
So if a character enters, a forest, jungle, or woods, in a book there is going to be a change, and more than likely, what I have found from reading Lord of the Flies and Speak, the change will be to the character and it will be a change that will effect them for the rest of their lives.
Mikaela Schmiett per.4
I would have to agree with my previous classmates, particularly Lindsey and Emily. One's surroundings greatly impacts their feelings, how they act, and the extents of both. They might appear to be a whole new person if they are put in a situation that requires them to act out of the ordinary.
For example, in Speak, Melinda acts very different in the safety of her closet-- even in her own thoughts-- than she does around others.
"...my closet, my throne room, my foster home," (Anderson 150) Melinda said of her sanctum. She exudes a sort of confidence, and security in her closet, contrary to her shy, meek existence otherwise.
Another good example of the atmosphere's effect on behavior is in Lord of the Flies. Whenever Ralph blows his conch and a meeting is in order, the children instantly change their behavior. They know that it is time to do business and listen, even though 5 minutes ago they were playing in the sand.
"We need an assembly. Not for fun. Not for laughing and falling of the log. Not for making jokes or for cleverness." (Golding 79) Sometimes even the words said by someone can influence the atmosphere.
Throughout the various settings in both Speak and Lord of the Flies, you see characters change in response to the setting. This much is true in most cases. If a person is in a dangerous setting, such as the jungle in Lord of the Flies, or an uncomfortable, scary setting, such as the party in Speak, they are going to say and do things in response. These things might be what they would naturally do, so it often causes problems or shows another side of the character. In any case, setting does have an affect on behaviors.
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, the conflict is based around adolescents being put into situations that are highly controlled by the setting in which they take place.
Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of boys marooned on an uncharted, desert island. The island is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, factor in the boys' actions. If it weren't set here, none of the story would have even taken place in the same way. There would be no Beast to face, no reason to keep a fire, no reason to hunt pigs. These motivators are the main reason for the struggle for power that drives the whole book.
In Speak, the protagonist, Melinda, is influenced by her school. A horrible act renders her distraught, and she is reminded of it every time she enters her school. I agree with Lindsay that the way Melinda acts changes depending on where she is. Her biggest havens are the art room and the closet she sort of adopts. When the art room is described, it is under a section called Sanctuary, and as Anderson writes, "Art follows lunch, like a dream follows a nightmare... 'Welcome to the only class that will teach you to survive,' he (Mr. Freeman) says. "Welcome to Art." (Anderson, pg. 10).
Even this simple introduction shows hints at the fact that this class will be Melinda's relief from the other struggles of life. This is one of the only places where Melinda actually expresses herself, noting that she very rarely speaks at all.
In both books, the setting forces the characters to call for rescue. In Lord of the Flies, the call for help is pretty straightforward and literal. However, in Speak, Melinda is crying out for help to release her from the horror of the aftermath of being raped. Melinda sort of creates her own island in an ocean of silence that can only be bridged by talking to someone.
Caroline H., Period 6
The settings of the two novels Speak and Lord of the Flies greatly affect the behavior of the characters. After all, both settings, while different, remove the character (or characters) from their comfort zones, placing them instead in a hostile environment.
Each main setting of the novels have several sub-settings, such as Melinda's house, closet, school, and the party in Speak, and the beach (platform), forest, mountain, and far side of the island in Lord of the Flies. Each novel has a location for various feelings, too. Calm and order in Melinda's house in Speak and the beach in Lord of the Flies. Each setting has a location of fear and chaos, also: Melinda's school/the party and the forest/mountain.
Each novel also has symbolism that adds to the overall feel of the setting. Andy Evans from Speak and the Beast from Lord of the Flies are similar in that they both represent fear, thus making the places they inhabit reek of fear. In that sense, I agree with Joe. Also, in Lord of the Flies, the conch shell and the fire represent order, and when they are lost, order retreats into nothingness and chaos emerges. After all, the conch is their link to government, and the fire is their key to rescue. "Don't you understand? Can't you see we ought to--ought to die before we let the fire out?" (Golding, pg. 81)
In conclusion, I agree with what Allison said in that the place, or setting, or a person can affect what he or she says and does. After all, the boys in Lord of the Flies would not have turned into primordial savages had it not been for the setting, and Melinda would not have retreated into herself for it not been for her coldhearted setting. So, finally, I believe the two settings to be very similar in that they drastically affect the characters that inhabit them.
Connor Morgan, Period 6
As stated previously by my classmates, "Lord of the Flies" and "Speak" both take place in a forest at one point of time or more. I agree with Jay when I talk about Melinda and the boys' confidence levels. In the forest in "Speak" Melinda is raped and as a result, she recludes from the world. However, the boys on the island, particulary Jack and Ralph, have a sense of adventure after exploring the woods. They become brave and overconfident and plan to hunt a lurking beast that is hiding in the jungle.
Soon though,the boys become wild monsters,by killing two of their own because they become so madly obsessed with killing a beast that doesn't even exist.
"Which is better- To have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?" (Golding 180)
Melinda has her own personal monster that lives with her at school. She has to deal with him every day and no one knows what he did to her. Just as the so called "monster" is stalking the boys on the island, Andy Evans is stalking Melinda in her little world. I don't think the island brings out the fear in the boys, but rather the jungle does. They are so terrified of the beast that they go mad. The same goes for Melinda because the monster in her world drives her to almost become a mute. She goes crazy without being a savage because she was so terrified it caused her to withdraw into her own mind.
I also agree with Joseph when he talks about the closet. The closet influences Melinda's behavior too. She becomes a little more brave as the days go on because the closet helps her think and let out her emotions. It's a physical place other than her mind that can let her be safe. She becomes reclusive after the incident in the forest, but later regains confidence in the closet. The boys on the island start to lose confidence as they go mad each and every day because they have no adult influences, no contact with the outside world, and an irrational fear of a mythical monster lurking in the forest, stalking them. They lose their bravery and instead become insane after killing boys their age.
The settings of both these books influence the characters greatly. Their emotions run freely and wildly as the places where there troubles started are also the places where they let their emotions get the best of them.
The characters in Lord of the Flies have behavioral changes depending on where they are. When the characters go deep into the jungle they begin to become more savage and rash. When they are on the beach they tend to be more civilized.
In Speak Melinda tends to be sad at her house and at school, but if she steps into the closet she adopted at school or the art room she turns into this happy, creative, and thoughtful person. She doesn't feel safe at her house or school because she is too preoccupied with staying hidden and unnoticable to other people. "My closet is a good thing, a quiet place that helps me hold these thoughts inside my head where no one can hear them." (Speak pg. 51). In the paragraph where I got this quote Melinda is talking about how her head isn't screwed on tight and has some other very dark thoughts about her past. She uses the closet as an escape or a holiday from the rest of her life where she can control herself easily and vent her feelings.
Responding to what Jay said i can see why it would seem like the two books are unrelatable but if you think about it the two books are both about children that don't feel safe because of their enviornment. They act out dangerously and harmfully to themselves and others because they can't escape their enviornments easily. The two books are very similar in this way.
Thomas Ashton period 6
In Speak when she is at the party she feels a little out of place. In a new place we are trying to take all of it in that we aren’t really watching what’s going on around us. We are looking at the surroundings instead of the people in the area. The same with Lord of the Flies the jungle is the new setting to the boys. They think that it is fun at first but then later find out that it is a dangerous place. Especially as kids we really don’t think about the dangers of new places until they occur.
New places are just a part of life and we just have to figure out how to deal with them. in these two books the main character(s) are places in places that eventually cause them problems. The things around us can have a big effect on us from the color it is to the things that are in it.
my bad Nathan Klebba Period 4
The two settings in both "Speak" and "Lord of the Flies" are very different. The only similarity between the two settings is when Melinda was at the party in the forest, and in "Lord of the Flies" the whole setting evolves around a tropical island. In "Speak", Melinda finds herself afraid to speak out about what happened at the party. This mainly takes place at her High School. In "Lord of the Flies" Ralph and Jack have a large struggle for power in the dense forest on a tropical island.
The settings of both books have a major impact in the characters’ actions. The setting of the high school in Speak divides the students into cliques. The island in Lord of the Flies divides the boys also divides the boys, into two major groups. The first group is the followers of Ralph who retain some semblance of civilization and reality, and the second is Jack’s hunters who revert to that primordial sense that leads humans to savagery.
I like what Emily T. says about how the forests in both books bring about the worst in the characters. I agree that this specific setting in both books has negative effects on the behavior of the characters. The forest is a place away from rules and society; for the boys in Lord of the Flies it separates them further from the few rules they have in place. For the partying teens in Speak it is a place to throw caution to the wind and escape from rules altogether. It is amazing how one setting in two completely different contexts can have a similar effect. One detail Emily forgot to mention was that not only did the boys’ behavior change in Lord of the Flies when adults finally made it to the island, but when the party is busted and adults show up in Speak the teens’ behavior changes as well. I don’t think we can conclude that it is merely the setting that changes a character’s behavior, but also the others around to see his behavior, just like in real life.
One thing I found interesting was that a beast lurked in the settings of both Speak and Lord of the Flies. The beast in Lord of the Flies haunts the boys, and Andy “Beast” haunts Melinda and other girls in Speak. It makes both settings more complex and real, and it is appealing to have some element of danger in them. What interests me is the refusal to discuss both beasts in both books. In Speak, Melinda refuses to speak up about Andy until writing on the bathroom wall, when she discovers others have refrained from speaking up about him. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph discourages the boys about talking about the beast. He says, “We’ve got to talk about this fear and decide there’s nothing in it.” (Golding, p. 82) Of course, there turns out to be some truth in both the littluns’ fear in Lord of the Flies and the girls’ fear in Speak. The factors in a setting that create fear often create major changes in a character’s behavior. This adds to the overall setting of both books which has a huge impact on the characters in both.
Paul O.
Period 6
In both "Speak" and "Lord of the Flies" the main characters are fighting their fear in the form of a beast, whether real or not. Like Joe said, that the threats they face are the "beastie" and Andy Evans. In "Speak", because of what Andy did to her, Melinda is terrified of him and doesn't even think to stand up for herself or fight back. In "Lord of the Flies" the boys are terrified by a beast that doens't exist, but their fears make them incabable of realizing that.
The fear of the beast is more real in the forest, away from their makeshift home and shelter. Likewise, in "Speak" Melinda has to face Andy Evans at shcool, not at home. In both books, home or camp provides a sense of safety, where the main characters can let down their guard at least a little. Melinda doesn't have to be wary of everyone at home, she can just vanish up into her room. In "Lord of the Flies" you can also see the camp as a sort of safe haven, especially for the littler children. On page 59 of the book there is a small desription of them and their behaviors near the camp. "The undoubted littluns, those aged about six, led a quite distinct, and at the same time intense, life of their own....Apart from food and sleep, they found time to play, aimless and trivial, in the white sand by the bright water." This quote points to the relaxed attitude the children had, ac that they felt safe enough not to focus on being rescued or being scared.
Erin M. Period 4
The settings of the books Speak and Lord of the flies are similar and different in there own ways.
In speak the setting is mostly the hallways of a high school, or peoples houses which is where the party was held. I think that the setting of the book did not really impact the character Melindia, I think no matter where she was in the world, she would have been the same person.
However in Lord of the flies, I agree with Elyse, I think the surrounding of the jungle and the uncertainty of where you are made the boys feel as if they had to only fend for themselves and some of their behaviors, im sure chandged, from when they left for the trip and when they landed on the island. So in this book I think the setting has a big impact.
The setting of the two books are similar in that the world is a rough place to be, no matter if you are on a deserted island or in the halls of a high school. There are always things that will be hard and obstacles you have to get through, no matter what the setting is.
Claire C, period 6
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