Your World Is What You Make It

"Through Being Cool," Saves the Day


My 6th period class this year is quirky and different. Inquisitive and impatient. Funny and bright. It took us a little while to get to where we are, and we still have work to do, but they crack me up all the time. We're currently reading Lord of the Flies; we're finishing on Friday. A few memorable clips from our recent discussions: 

Me: Yes! Good! Piggy represents knowledge and insight. And then, ultimately, what happens to him?
Austin: They kill him. So...it's like they're killing knowledge and insight!  
Me: Exactly! And, if you read his death scene again, it's actually also somewhat literal. In the third paragraph of page 178, Golding writes, "His head opened and stuff came out."
Summer: Sick.
Me: I know, it's gross. And sad. But think about what it represents...
Juan: The knowledge is gone. Like, it actually fell out.
Kyle: So, I guess you could say Piggy lost his mind. I mean, really.

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Kyle: Didn't you say there are like 30 boys on the island?
Me: Yes.
Kyle: Then how does just one pig feed all of them? And they even have food leftover.
Me: Well, the pig they killed isn't a little pink pig like Wilbur. We're talking a big huge pig...a wild boar...like Pumbaa. 
Amy: Awww.
Me: Yeah. Sorry.  
Caleb: Um, Pumbaa was a warthog.
Me: Whatever. I'm using it as a size comparison. 
Amy: Timon was a meerkat.
Kyle: What is the difference between a wild boar and a warthog?
Me: I actually have no idea. Probably not much. At least in terms of size. Okay, let's keeping reading.

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Me: What do you think? Would this really happen if a group of boys were stranded on a deserted island?
Logan: I don't think so. I don't think people would actually get that violent. It might get a little crazy, but no one would get killed.
Austin: I think people would die. I mean, think about how annoying some people get.
Me: True, but are the boys that are killed in Lord of the Flies killed because they are annoying?
Justin: No...they're killed because some of the boys are savages. They aren't following the rules Ralph set up.
Me: Right. Ralph tried to set up a democracy. It didn't really work out that well...the rules and procedures he tried to set up aren't being followed.
Austin: That's because democracy is stupid. People need dictators. Fascism is the way to go...that's what we should have here.