In Chapter 6, the dead parachutist makes his arrival. In what ways does he fulfill the boys' dreams (nightmares?) of a "beastie"? What might he symbolize?
The boys are most afraid of this terrible monster called a "beastie," which I think is their actual fears combined of survival on the island and their failure to recognize the severity of their situation. When the dead parachutist arrives, he fulfills this fear by bringing them reality. Coming from the world around them, he is dead. And this is so frightening because they don't know what's out there. Is everyone else dead, too? Will they ever be rescued? These are questions they can't answer themselves, and I don't think their fear is about an actual monster. It's about the unknown they fear the most.
Of course, they don't recognize him as a dead parachutist. The few boys who have seen him (in darkness, from a distance) consider him/it as a sign that the beastie is real.
The dead parachutist fulfills the role of the beastie because the man is dead. I think the boys are scared of something more than just a monster. I think they all know it doesn't really exist, but they're just using the "beastie" as an excuse for their fear of something else, which is also what it symbolizes. I think they're scared and worried that they will all eventually end up like the dead parachutist, and from their point f view those chances are very high. No one else is alive on the island and they haven't been ale to attract anyone to save them.
The dead parachutist makes a representation of the infamous beastie by not only representing the possibilities of the fear of the unknown dangers of the island, but also by showing the potential danger of what happens when two sides collide, such as Jack and Ralph. That pilot died due to a war that is on a much larger scale than what is going on on the island. With the fear of the beastie giving chase to the twins and their frantic actions, they let the fear set in and cause a mob mentality to set off a hunt. The beastie would probably have scared any and all amongst the children with or without valid sightings, as it is what we control as an individual that causes fear, for if we could control everything and not have to put our safety and security in the hands of fate, luck, or even bad leaders and the efforts of little kids, then we would have nothing to fear. The dead parachutist/beastie are examples of the forces beyond the control of the boys, which is exactly why they fear it.
The boys have a fear that they are not alone on the island. This idea came from a small boy, who, we might as well face it, is dead. From then on, the beastie became synonymous with death: it leaves no trail, is hiding somewhere, all over the island, and comes from the sea. The sea represents the unknown and the forbidden, since when they tried to swim out in the beginning they couldn't. The dead parachutist fell out of the sky like the boys did with one big difference: the boys' arrival was bumpy and dangerous, kind of like life, while the parachutist floated stealthily down, marking its presence with a gentle touch. The parachutist literally gives a face to their idea of death.
My theory is the little guy isn't dead, but only hiding. Years from now, if any survivors return to the island, he'll still be there, waiting for his chance at revenge ...
You have a bunch of pre-teen and very young boys alone on an island. Of course their imaginations are run and soon they will all be convinced there there is "something out there" that's after them. The beast is correlated with a fear of death (for what other reason would they fear such a creature?).
The dead parachutist provokes their imaginations to run wild and causes fear to pulse through them. The corpse and large cloth chute allow for noisy, billowing movement, and make the body's motion seem lifelike. To the boys, this beast is still unknown, just like death, and that is why they fear it so much. The parachutist is only ever witnessed in the dark (death is dark too), and never examined, so they can imagine it to be anything horrific.
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The boys are most afraid of this terrible monster called a "beastie," which I think is their actual fears combined of survival on the island and their failure to recognize the severity of their situation. When the dead parachutist arrives, he fulfills this fear by bringing them reality. Coming from the world around them, he is dead. And this is so frightening because they don't know what's out there. Is everyone else dead, too? Will they ever be rescued? These are questions they can't answer themselves, and I don't think their fear is about an actual monster. It's about the unknown they fear the most.
ReplyDeleteOf course, they don't recognize him as a dead parachutist. The few boys who have seen him (in darkness, from a distance) consider him/it as a sign that the beastie is real.
DeleteThe dead parachutist fulfills the role of the beastie because the man is dead. I think the boys are scared of something more than just a monster. I think they all know it doesn't really exist, but they're just using the "beastie" as an excuse for their fear of something else, which is also what it symbolizes. I think they're scared and worried that they will all eventually end up like the dead parachutist, and from their point f view those chances are very high. No one else is alive on the island and they haven't been ale to attract anyone to save them.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Might it be possible that some of the boys, like Jack and his hunters, don't WANT to leave the island?
DeleteThe dead parachutist makes a representation of the infamous beastie by not only representing the possibilities of the fear of the unknown dangers of the island, but also by showing the potential danger of what happens when two sides collide, such as Jack and Ralph. That pilot died due to a war that is on a much larger scale than what is going on on the island. With the fear of the beastie giving chase to the twins and their frantic actions, they let the fear set in and cause a mob mentality to set off a hunt. The beastie would probably have scared any and all amongst the children with or without valid sightings, as it is what we control as an individual that causes fear, for if we could control everything and not have to put our safety and security in the hands of fate, luck, or even bad leaders and the efforts of little kids, then we would have nothing to fear. The dead parachutist/beastie are examples of the forces beyond the control of the boys, which is exactly why they fear it.
ReplyDeleteDon't some leaders exploit the fears of the populace as a means of control? To some extent, it's what Jack is doing.
DeleteThe boys have a fear that they are not alone on the island. This idea came from a small boy, who, we might as well face it, is dead. From then on, the beastie became synonymous with death: it leaves no trail, is hiding somewhere, all over the island, and comes from the sea. The sea represents the unknown and the forbidden, since when they tried to swim out in the beginning they couldn't. The dead parachutist fell out of the sky like the boys did with one big difference: the boys' arrival was bumpy and dangerous, kind of like life, while the parachutist floated stealthily down, marking its presence with a gentle touch. The parachutist literally gives a face to their idea of death.
ReplyDeleteMy theory is the little guy isn't dead, but only hiding. Years from now, if any survivors return to the island, he'll still be there, waiting for his chance at revenge ...
DeleteYou have a bunch of pre-teen and very young boys alone on an island. Of course their imaginations are run and soon they will all be convinced there there is "something out there" that's after them. The beast is correlated with a fear of death (for what other reason would they fear such a creature?).
ReplyDeleteThe dead parachutist provokes their imaginations to run wild and causes fear to pulse through them. The corpse and large cloth chute allow for noisy, billowing movement, and make the body's motion seem lifelike. To the boys, this beast is still unknown, just like death, and that is why they fear it so much. The parachutist is only ever witnessed in the dark (death is dark too), and never examined, so they can imagine it to be anything horrific.
Maybe they subconsciously LIKE having this mystery in their lives, however dark it may be.
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