Savage Contradiction in Heterotopia :: Culture Cultural Essays

Savage Contradiction in Heterotopia During the 1930s, the apologue of the people was born. This myth stressed the importance of unity, and glorified the notion of average, as evidenced in a prize-winning essay describing the typical American boy, written by an eighth grader named Alfred Roberts, Jr., for a contest sponsored by the 1939-40 Fair New York Worlds Fair. This document, which claims that a typical American boy should be courageous, dependable, and loyal to his beliefs, was clearly reflective of the values the Fair held skinny (Susman, 1980, p. 22). Yet, for all the unity the Fair stressed, it was plagued by contradictions - Contradictions that can be closely associated with those found in the 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. To begin, I will show a summary of this novel, as well as insights into the authors motivations for writing such a book. I will then discuss the contradictions found within the novel, and their comparison to those found at the 193 9-40 Worlds Fair and its streamlined view of human nature. William Golding wrote Lord of the Flies following his experiences in World War II when, after witnessing innumerable acts of mans inhumanity to man, he became disenchanted with human nature. Golding believed that humans, including children, were inherently evil, and if left without guidance, would revert back to savage ways. This is the premise for his most famous novel which opens on a deserted island following the shooting down of a plane carrying a group of boys. All the boys and none of the adults survive the crash, leaving the boys on an island heterotopia - a visible locale set apart from traditional public life where rules and expectations are suspended. Although the first character, Ralph, is originally excited at the idea of No grownups, his counterpart, Piggy is cogitate on the need for guidance and rules. This is when the boys encounter the conch, which is a type of shell, which if blown into in a certain spot, creates a sound loud enough to type all the boys scattered across the island to a central meeting spot. The conch comes to represent authority, as it is decided that anyone holding it must be listened to. As the boys gather, Ralph is chosen as their leader, much to the dismay off Jack, another main character, and his gang, who refuse to submit to his authority.