Lord Of The Flies by William Golding and The Black Cottage by Wilkie Collins Essay Example

coral reef." These picturesque scenes are typically associated with paradise. The Caribbean islands serve as similar examples of such exquisite beauty.

The Black Cottage and Lord Of The Flies both introduce their settings as secluded paradises in beautiful rural settings. The farmlands gently stretch down into a rich valley, nicely sheltered by the high platform of the moor. These descriptions establish an isolated yet beautiful atmosphere. However, as the stories progress, the isolated settings become dangerous places with a threatening atmosphere hanging over the main characters. In Lord Of The Flies, as Ralph flees from hunters, the bushes and tangled creepers create a mat that blocks out all sunlight. This loss of light is commonly associated with evil and is seen as a threat by the boys. The darkness brings forth the beast, even though it is revealed to be fictitious. Near the end of the novel, the real beast is described as the darkness of man's heart that is accompanied by the loss of light.

The Black Cottage portrays how the cottage's beauty can turn into a threat. The nearest habitation to our cottage is about a mile and a half away. The surrounding land is fertile but isolated. The atmosphere in both stories is a mix of beauty and solitude. Lord Of The Flies also presents an island perceived as a tropical paradise, but Ralph experiences the darker side when he is attacked by savages with nowhere to escape.

In The Black Cottage, Bessie benefits from the isolated moorland location until her house is attacked and she has no one to turn to for help. Another aspect that needs evaluation in both stories is the characters.

I will approach this in two stages. First, I will analyze the main characters, Ralph from Lord Of The Flies and Bessie from The Black Cottage. Once I have examined them, I will focus on the antagonists, Jack and Roger from Lord Of The Flies, and Shifty Dick and Jerry from The Black Cottage. Ralph and Bessie share a noticeable similarity in their character development.

Both Ralph and Bessie exhibit similar qualities which they adjust to fit their circumstances. They display reliability and maturity, leading other characters to acknowledge them. Ralph becomes the chief at the boys' behest, while Bessie is entrusted with the responsibility of managing her father's house and Mrs Knifton's pocket book. Ironically, it is these very "rewards" that result in their downfall. The other boys target Ralph because he is the only one who seeks civilization and proper conduct.

Shifty Dick and Jerry assaulted Bessie because she refused to give up the pocket book she had in her possession. This highlights my second point: both characters possess strong mental fortitude and can effectively stand up to their foes. In the early stages of Lord Of The Flies, when Jack and his hunters abandon the fire to go hunting, a passing ship prompts Ralph to maintain civilization. However, when speaking to Jack, "His voice was loud and savage, and struck them into silence. 'There was a ship'." This is one of the numerous confrontations between Jack and Ralph in Lord Of The Flies, showcasing Ralph's fearlessness in confronting his adversaries. When Shifty Dick and Jerry first arrive at the Black Cottage, Bessie also demonstrates this quality by sharply replying that there is no cider

in the house—unafraid of facing any consequences for denying them a drink.

This proves that, when necessary, she can also confront her enemies, and this trait is vital for the advancement of the attack later in the narrative. Lastly, we observe the character's responses to the challenges presented to them. Bessie in The Black Cottage demonstrates the capability to anticipate issues before they arise, in hopes of avoiding them. As Mr & Mrs Knifton leave The Black Cottage, Bessie expresses her concern, stating, "the very sight of the pocket book behind the glass door of my bookcase began to worry me'".

She immediately starts searching for a secure place to hide the pocket book so that it remains hidden from any passers-by. While her foresight is commendable, she is not fast enough as Shifty Dick and Jerry show up before she can conceal the pocket book. In the novel Lord Of The Flies, Ralph's ability lies more in finding appropriate solutions to problems rather than predicting them. This trait is evident in his initial meetings as the leader on the island, where he decides on various measures to establish a semblance of society and order among the boys. Our primary need is to find shelter.

In the early part of the novel, Ralph makes several important decisions that bring stability to the boys. These include the need for a fire, the establishment of more rules, and the decision regarding their rescue. Both stories feature villains who are completely evil in their actions, but differ greatly in their appearance and methods.

In the novel "Lord Of The Flies," the antagonists, despite being young boys, do not embody the appearance of

menacing criminals. Initially, Jack and Roger, who lead the savages, are depicted as mere choir boys, not surpassing the age of 12. Jack deviates from the typical portrayal of an evil character in a story. He possesses a tall and thin physique with bony features, and his hair is red. Subsequently, his face is described as crumpled and freckled, devoid of silliness yet unattractive. In contrast, Roger, of similar age to Jack, is characterized as something intimidating with a shock of black hair...

Roger's gloomy face seemed to reflect his unsociable and withdrawn nature. As the boys drift further away from civilization, Roger transforms into a symbol of pure evil, culminating in his deliberate killing of Piggy in Chapter 11. On the other hand, Shifty Dick and Jerry epitomize the stereotypical criminal duo. In children's movies, characters' appearances are often exaggerated to help young viewers understand the story. Shifty Dick and Jerry bear a striking resemblance to the crooks in "101 Dalmatians," adding a comical element to their portrayal in "The Black Cottage." Bessie immediately informs us that Shifty Dick has a notorious reputation.

She proceeds to describe him as a tall, heavy man with a scarred face and large, hairy hands. This portrayal likens him to an ape, suggesting a nearly animalistic quality. In contrast, Jerry is depicted as a sleek, well-groomed man with a bald head adorned with unsightly protrusions.

Jerry is more intelligent than Shifty Dick, evident in his mock politeness and leering eyes. They make a comical yet effective crooked team, with Jerry's brains and Shifty Dick's brawn. They intentionally target Bessie after foolishly assuming she would surrender the pocket book easily, displaying

calculated strategies in attacking the cottage. This is reminiscent of the choir boys in Lord Of The Flies, who abandon their civilized upbringing and engage in tribal hunting games, ultimately hunting down Ralph. Under adult supervision, the boys would never consider deliberately killing someone. However, without anyone to reprimand their savage and inhumane behavior, they embrace their darkest inclinations freely.

Both Lord of the Flies and The Black Cottage feature villains whose actions can be compared. The aggressive behavior of Jack is reminiscent of Shifty Dick, while the calculated minds of Roger and Jerry also show similarities. In Lord of the Flies, Jack displays aggression when confronted by Ralph for breaking the rules. He slams his knife into a trunk and defiantly looks around, saying, "You shut up! Bollocks to the rules!" This type of aggression towards Ralph mirrors Bessie's response when confronted.

Shifty Dick utters a multitude of curses in The Black Cottage, after Bessie denies their request to forcibly enter her house. Roger embodies pure malevolence in Lord Of The Flies, surpassing even Jack. Roger derives sadistic pleasure from tormenting the pig, further solidifying our perception of him as an almost Satanic figure. As the boys capture the second pig while ascending the mountain in search of the beast, they pile on top of each other, poking at the pig's flesh. Roger swiftly moves around the heap, prodding with his spear whenever he spots pig flesh. In The Black Cottage, Jerry epitomizes wickedness and evil.

Wilkie Collins describes how the hand tapping with the knife as he tries to cut his way through the roof of the cottage is murderous. This implies that Jerry is as

blood thirsty as Roger or Shifty Dick and also very clever. Another example of evil in Roger can be found in an earlier chapter of Lord Of The Flies when he and Maurice were running through the sand, kicking over the sandcastles and stones that the littluns had prepared. This upset the three who were playing at the time. While Maurice felt guilty and quietly went off to the bathing pool, Roger laughed. He then picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry intentionally missing him.

The deliberate destruction of others' happiness illustrates Roger's sadistic attitude towards life, which is evident in both stories. In Lord Of The Flies, the villains undergo a transformation of identity, significantly impacting the progression of the narratives. Ralph's pursuers relinquish their individual identities and acquire immense authority, assuming a sinister persona. Jack is no longer referred to by his name in the concluding passage; instead, he is labeled as 'the chief', while the other boys lose their names and are simply labeled as 'savages'. When the officer arrives on the island, Percival Wemys Madison attempts to introduce himself but can only stammer "I'm, I'm..." as the once familiar incantation has completely vanished from his memory. Collins takes a different approach with Shifty Dick and Jerry.

The duo is known collectively as 'the villains', and Bessie seldom mentions their individual names. This suggests that they have acquired enough authority and intimidation to be recognized without reference to their names, similar to a dictator or monarch in the real world. Even from the beginning of the story, Jack views names as something childish. When Piggy attempts to gather names, he

simply refers to them as "Kids names."

Why should I be Jack? I'm Merridew (his surname). This is the first instance of Jack trying to assume the authority he establishes in the final passage.

Both Lord Of the Flies and The Black Cottage feature frightening hunt scenes that evoke genuine fear for the characters' lives. In Lord Of the Flies, Ralph faces a terrifying ordeal as his former friends turn against him, relentlessly pursuing him with intent to kill. Conversely, in The Black Cottage, Bessie becomes trapped inside the cottage by intruders named Shifty Dick and Jerry. Initially motivated by stealing her pocket-book, their actions quickly escalate to physically harm Bessie. While both stories explore a similar theme, they employ distinct approaches and contrasting writing styles to achieve different effects.

William Golding effectively conveys Ralph's terror as he is relentlessly pursued by the savage boys in the concluding part of Lord of the Flies. To achieve this, Golding employs three main techniques. Firstly, he employs random repetition of phrases and words that were previously mentioned in the story. These repetitions represent Ralph's racing thoughts as he desperately tries to evade his pursuers. One example is the repeated mention of "a stick sharpened." Although Ralph is unaware of its significance, we as readers understand that it symbolizes the ritualistic act of decapitating and impaling pigs as an offering to the beast. Ralph only knows that Roger's involvement with the sharpened stick likely signifies his impending death.

Golding reiterates Simon's words to Ralph from earlier chapters - "You'll get back". This is significant as Ralph's situation appears desperate, and these words could be his last hopes. Additionally, Golding switches between various

topics in concise and abrupt sentences, mirroring the racing of Ralph's thoughts. In conclusion, both the final chapter of Lord Of The Flies and The Black Cottage share similarities in depicting an attack and pursuit on the main characters by a group of villains who will stop at nothing to obtain their desires. In Lord Of The Flies, the savages aim to kill Ralph like they did with Piggy, and they are willing to ignite the entire island in order to achieve this, endangering their own future in a foolish frenzy of savagery unleashed upon Ralph.

In The Black Cottage, Shifty Dick and Jerry attempt various methods to gain entry into the cottage. Eventually, their unsuccessful attempts to steal the pocket book lead them to plot harm against Bessie. Nevertheless, there exist notable distinctions between the two narratives in terms of their structure.