I hated it because it was totally unbelievable, just a paternalistic rationalization for authority
I was confronted with the knowledge that the adults around me all thought the only thing keeping me from murdering someone was layers of rules and supervision. Like we’re all just rabid animals barely held back by a watchful eye
Even then, I knew myself better than that. I knew people better than that
But that’s how our society treats people. Like monsters that must be managed
Fair, my analysis of it was that it was more metaphorical. That you could abstract it easily to global society at large.
The rejection of intellectualism through breaking glasses. The war caused over superstition. The one disabled kid being murdered first could be read as a criticism of extreme right wing ideology.
The Forrest burning is very reminiscent of American napalm bombing. Hell the meetings could be compared to the UN if you squint
I can see that angle, but that’s not how it was presented to me… And based on memes like this, it’s not how it was presented to most students. Teachers legitimately taught this as if it were a justification for giving us so little autonomy
Analyzing it now outside of that, I see a through line with what you’re saying. I think to really understand the intention behind it, this all points back to one thing…
“I have always understood the Nazis,” Golding confessed, “because I am of that sort by nature.”
To drive your point home, most of what you listed are on the fascism checklist. This is something Golding thought of often, because he had that level of darkness within him
And as a depressed schoolteacher, he did what many small minded people do - he projected himself onto others instead of understanding that people come with all sorts of drives and natures
I hated it because it was totally unbelievable, just a paternalistic rationalization for authority
I was confronted with the knowledge that the adults around me all thought the only thing keeping me from murdering someone was layers of rules and supervision. Like we’re all just rabid animals barely held back by a watchful eye
Even then, I knew myself better than that. I knew people better than that
But that’s how our society treats people. Like monsters that must be managed
Hmm, interesting. To be fair, I haven’t read it since HS and that was…decades ago. Based on what you said I might reread and reassess.
Humans aren’t monsters until they reach a critical mass. Then they’re just awful.
Fair, my analysis of it was that it was more metaphorical. That you could abstract it easily to global society at large.
The rejection of intellectualism through breaking glasses. The war caused over superstition. The one disabled kid being murdered first could be read as a criticism of extreme right wing ideology.
The Forrest burning is very reminiscent of American napalm bombing. Hell the meetings could be compared to the UN if you squint
I can see that angle, but that’s not how it was presented to me… And based on memes like this, it’s not how it was presented to most students. Teachers legitimately taught this as if it were a justification for giving us so little autonomy
Analyzing it now outside of that, I see a through line with what you’re saying. I think to really understand the intention behind it, this all points back to one thing…
To drive your point home, most of what you listed are on the fascism checklist. This is something Golding thought of often, because he had that level of darkness within him
And as a depressed schoolteacher, he did what many small minded people do - he projected himself onto others instead of understanding that people come with all sorts of drives and natures