Lord of the Flies

I wanted to read ‘Lord of the Flies’ many years ago, but my Mom, not being too enthusiastic about it, took my interest as she described the book the following way: it’s about a bunch of kids shipwrecked on and island, slowly going crazy and killing each other off.

Well, not for the first time, her recommendation proved to be false. Actually it happened with ‘1984’ as well, but I managed to read it (in Hungarian, I must confess) in the beginning of this semester, and I happened to like it. I mean like it the way you might like ‘Iszony’ by László Németh or ‘Elbocsátó szép üzenet’ by Endre Ady. You are shocked, terrified and outraged by what you read, but at the same time you certainly admire and get amazed by the way it is written –by the incredible talent which could create something evoking deep and personal feelings. So simply said you might hate and love a book or poem at the same time.

But let’s get back to Golding and ‘Lord of the Files’. I’ve put it to my reading list, because the psychological reading made me very interested, and I have the dim feeling that there might be more in that book than my Mom said. xD

I often imagine being in such a situation: shipwrecked on an inhabited island, mainly since I watched ‘Battle Royal’ which is really about Japanese kids getting mad and slowly killing each other. I wonder how many hours would pass until I had a quarrel with somebody, because I tend to have the ‘teamwork is when everyone does what I say’ attitude. I fear and appeal to the situation at the same time, but the conditions of the island and the personality of the companions would have a big weight.

It drove me to the thought of Golding being wrong about this story. Not as it would have a mistaken psychological consequence, but because placing the story in the future. Golding supposed that there will be strong boy scouts and boys would be able to survive in the jungle: look for water, hunt, and light fire. Well, I’m quiet convinced that 8 out of 10 ordinary British (?) boys at the given age would have absolutely no idea what to do nowadays, and would not get killed but died of allergy or something miserable like eating mandragora or withdrawal symptoms of World of Warcraft. They wouldn’t have any idea about adventure either, because they don’t read anymore Robinson Crusoe or Treasure Island.

But they would surely enjoy it as a reality-show on TV, where they can decide about life and death. Hmm…not a bad idea…It's too bad I'm old fashioned enough to respect life and honour. :)

Angry Young Men

Everyone revolts, it’s no news. The interest is in the ‘how’ and ‘why’.

You first revolt when it’s just for the fun of being able to revolt, saying ‘no’ to daddy and waiting for his reaction with a mischievous smile on your face. It’s might because you wonder how far you can go, how serious the rules are, and what the parents’ reaction would be.

Then you revolt because you realize you are not really satisfied with the rules set by anyone: parents, teachers, coaches. Of course you think you can change the world and prove that everything you consider dull is really dull, until you happen to get the chance to try to stand up and act, figure out something better. When that moment comes, such precious experiences can be gained which might cause the end of adolescence and open gate to young adulthood.

As a young adult you get seriously disappointed and sadly, at the same time, you are learnt and tired enough not to care so much anymore, because you start to get the feeling that things are tougher to fix that you expected. This is the time when you start smile vainly when seeing ‘too enthusiastic’ people. Still, this inner tension –not stopping to realize problems and yourself out of control- is something you cannot, or should not accept. If you accept it, you become angry. If you don’t accept it, you become angry again, but at least you may look for small revenges to ease it: it’s like moving your toes in military sneakers while standing still before a lieutenant you despise. It might be childish, but provides some kind of partisan spirit unbroken by life.

If you accept it, the anger remains, but slowly you will forget where it is coming from, and the gathering wrath will sprinkle from your life, I guess because it will be coupled with other troubles as well, which are in a two-in-one package with life. You might get upset with your job, your spouse, your accommodation, your children’s performance in school, anything, because you’re dissatisfied with yourself. Maybe because giving up, maybe because the course of life turned you bitter, but it will be always someone else’s fault.

Revolting is a necessity of life. But you need to know when and how to revolt, otherwise it will turn against you. Revolting is a weapon for protecting yourself: your believes, dreams, your view of the world: and anytime you accept something cannot be done or is much-much worse than you thought, (thus you give up fighting against it) you loose something that motivates you, and one morning you might wake up totally burnt out.

tip: watch some of the favorites of your childhood and spend more time in green environment.

Mornie alantië

It gave me a hard time to bear thought about Tolkien and Lord of The Rings. First of all, I would never sit and philosophy about this particular piece of work, as it is simply put of my view. Secondly, I wouldn’t like to make this consist only of complaints why I did not like the move.

Instead, I asked some of the Lord of the Rings enthusiasts in my friend circle what they like in it, and tried to understand what they see in it.

First of them said the story was amusing; to read such a genius’s mind through the pages, on which all the creatures and happenings are purely the result of his imagination. He said watching the film makes him feel a certain special atmosphere, where not ordinary rules apply and the good always win. Well, I think in this case the complexity and uniqueness of the plot serves as a kind of escape, which could be found in any other movie.

The second (my father) agreed with the previous opinion, but also underlined the places where the scenes are set and the music which is quite suggestive. He also read the book, and he takes the view that the original story is much enjoyable and the dual of the bad and good is not so ‘stock phrasy’.

Finally, the third said he likes it for various reasons, but the best thing is the attitude of the warriors. This is a kind of attitude when they know they have no chance for victory, but still they bravely head for the battle hoping for the better and knowing they do what they should do, and what is right.

I think I don’t have to say; all of them wee boys. I don’t have female friends being keen on Lord of the Rings. And this gave me the idea that it might be a boy’s book, where all the acts and interactions can be read/watched and ‘experienced’ for which men are originally coded but have no more opportunity in real world. This sounds reasonable for me.

Orwell and dictatorship

Last time we had the opportunity to hear and read about George Orwell's 1984.

Shame on me, it was the first time I took a closer look into the story and the first time when I took it off my shelf. More precisely, the library's shelf. Determined to make my deficiency right, I started to read it and experienced a surprisingly positive disappointment- the book is VERY readable and unbelievably thought-evoking. Maybe it is only me bearing too much empathy, but I could almost feel the terror around me, the horror of being watched and controlled all the time, having all the joys taken away, but first of all, even lacking the liberty of thinking, because the necessary linguistic devices are maimed, and this way the human spirit is locked up in darkness. (Honestly, I had nightmares the first evening after reading the book.)

Horrifying idea, isn't it? Not only because it means that we cannot express –or even think- ideas if we do not have a right –or any- word for it, but because it also implies the question: how many things might be uncovered before us because our language does not provide space for it? If we do not know about something we do not have a word for, we do not even realize its missing- thus, the next generation speaking the ‘new language’ will not perceive being in a jail of mind. And supposing someone would have a dim bad feeling of missing liberty –an expression he does not even have a word for- he would not have the chance to share it and this way try to recreate it.

What really sent chills down my spine was that it could actually happen. Of course, I would like to believe that people of today would not let politics reach such extremes because there had been examples from which we can learn. But the form and system of our thinking is very vulnerably – it is enough to have a negative association attached to a perfectly ‘innocent’ word (like ‘brigád’) and it will never be neutral again. The symbols we use, the arbitrary signs for objects, ideas, phenomena, are so dependent on the feelings and experiences we connect them to that we become very easy to influence. With careful and well-planned work, it is even possible to make it obvious for people that war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength.

Well, I’m not absolutely sure what this blog should be about, but let’s call it a day and I’ll make it more next time, if necessary.

Íme.