Death and Life on the Other Side with Devi Nina Bingham: 5/19 ~ C View 2023 Messages from Metatron - Death and Life in the Other Side 05/19 by C View Quantum Network | Spirituality (blogtalkradio.com)
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Messages From Metatron Study Group: Death, and Life on the Other Side
Death and Life on the Other Side with Devi Nina Bingham: 5/19 ~ C View 2023 Messages from Metatron - Death and Life in the Other Side 05/19 by C View Quantum Network | Spirituality (blogtalkradio.com)
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Literary Analysis of a Modern Version of “The Three Little Pigs,” and Deconstructionism-by Devi Nina Bingham
In contrast to structuralist theory, which examined the literature for its symbols and meaning, deconstructionists like R. Barthes (1915–1980) ripped literature apart, or "deconstructed," it to investigate its creation, trying to ferret out the underlying bias, errors, and contradictions. The 1960s saw the development of the deconstruction philosophy by French literary critic J. Derrida. According to the theory put out by Brizee and Tompkins (2014), "...there is no meaning outside the text of a philosopher's written work—no absolute truth or significance that the artist brings to bear." In this essay, I will examine a contemporary retelling of "The Three Little Pigs" (first published in 1886 by J. Halliwell-Phillips) to demonstrate that it is a tongue-in-cheek deconstruction.
By examining "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" by Sciesza (1989), I don't want to be critical of it because it made me chuckle. I doubt that professional literary theorists would view it as a deconstruction in the sense of the standard definition, but it is a creative twist that brings a tired narrative to life. The storyline is straightforward: the big, terrible wolf explains "his" side of the tale after receiving a bad rap. His first line, "I don't know how this whole big, bad wolf thing got started, but it's all wrong," establishes the tone for the remainder of this satirical tale. The assertion that our good wolf is bad is, in his opinion, just a huge misinterpretation, he says. The straw and stick houses that collapsed
were in fact, an unfortunate accident. The collapse of the stick-and-straw homes was an unfortunate event. You see, he had a bad cold, and when he sneezed, the pigs were killed by the homes' shoddy construction and not by him. He only saved a fine dinner from being wasted, just as you would eat an unidentified but perfectly excellent hamburger if you were starving. He didn't, but he may have continued by saying that by removing the pig corpses, he was doing a service to the community. His justification made me think of the polished yet successful murder cases I'd seen on CourtTV. The wolf was discrediting the assertions that he "huffed, puffed, and blew their houses down." In psychoanalytic terminology, he was "reframing" their stories. But can presenting a defense, or offering a different view, constitute literary deconstruction?
“Post-structuralism holds that there are many truths” and “…post-structuralism is also concerned with the power structures or hegemonies and power and how these elements contribute to and/or maintain structures to enforce hierarchy” (Brizee, Tompkins, 2014). What does this mean? It is saying that the deconstructionist believes there are many ways of interpreting literature. They are also saying that there is a power imbalance between the author and the reader-the power of interpretation gives the author an advantage. Similarly, the wolf, a predator, has an advantage over the pig, who is prey.
The deconstructionists contend that the reader, not the author, should interpret the intrinsic truth and meaning of an author's work, much as it is the role of an attorney to interpret a crime. I believe that here is where Deconstructionism has a problem: if the author breathed life into the work, why should the audience be permitted to interpret it but the author not? What about the artist's rights to provide a title to their work or a book? They created what they are interpreting for the audience, shouldn't they? Will a critic's interpretation of an artist's work always be unbiased and truthful, or prejudiced and opinionated? Everyone has an opinion, and that is the trouble with viewpoints. Who says that someone who appreciates art is more knowledgeable about it than the artists themselves? The reader will always have an opinion, as will the art collector. Who, in my opinion, understands a newborn more intimately than its mother? Who better than the artist himself understands the meaning of their art?
The wolf is interpreting and criticizing the tale that the piglets initially authored in "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" (Scieszka, 2016), which is a literary deconstruction of the original book. This little, eccentric children's book demonstrates how mistreatment may occur when individuals "reframe" or interpret stories, both in literature and the law. What is worse, when artists abuse their authority or when critics do so, in the eyes of literary deconstructionists?
Works Cited
Brizee, A., Case Tompkins, J. Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism. Purdue OWL. 2014.
Steel F.A. The
Three Little Pigs.1922. The
Three Little Pigs (americanliterature.com)
Scieszka, J. THE
TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. Youtube: KidLitTV.
2016.
Read Out Loud | THE TRUE
STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS - YouTube
A Literary Timeline: Renaissance to the 19th Century-by Devi Nina Bingham
The Enlightenment, also known as the Renaissance, lasted from the middle of the 17th century to the 18th century and is regarded as a time of intellectualism. The Enlightenment was inspired by France, the Renaissance by Italy, and Romanticism by Germany.
Renaissance/Enlightenment:
Print Culture is a term that describes the changes that occurred in literature with the invention of the printing press and printed books. In some respects, I think there is still a print culture in the globe since books are still written and are still read at colleges and institutions. However, we also rely on the video-based cinema culture of today. How could we fail to mention the internet? Due to the fact that e-books are now more widely available than paperbacks, books have experienced their own Renaissance. We moved into a literary technical culture that incorporates books but is now not solely reliant on them with the emergence of the motion picture camera, the computer, the internet, and the cell phone.
The Catholics and Protestants-During this time, Protestants and Catholics were sworn adversaries, with the Church of England and the Puritans fighting to establish whose teaching was "correct." These two branches of Christianity have chosen to coexist peacefully throughout the years. The majority of Protestant churches just ignore the Catholic Church and never mention them from the pulpit, in my experience as someone who practiced Christianity for the first half of my life. The Catholic Church has vowed to keep quiet regarding Protestants. They both nevertheless continue to hold that their form of worship is the "correct" one. This was my experience at a Protestant church, but it's possible that other Christian churches may have different experiences.
The Puritans-The slaves that the Puritans who immigrated to America allowed the colonies to have inexpensive (or free) labor. Even though slavery was eventually abolished, white racists who think they are better because of their skin color still exist today. Although slavery as a system has been abolished, the notion that some races are superior to others has persisted.
Philosophy-The Enlightenment's philosophy emphasized skepticism of religious doctrine. Skepticism has persisted, and today there is a significant atheist community and voice, and most public institutions and colleges follow a secular curriculum.
Types of Popular Literature during the
Enlightenment-Novels, reference books, journals, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and earlier works like Shakespeare and Milton were all examples of popular literature during the Enlightenment. The careers of author, publisher, and bookseller were all prosperous. And one of the few ways for women to have a voice was to write a book.
Being an author is no longer a method to become wealthy due of self-publishing because there are millions of books online. Publishers can support themselves, but there are many of them since there are so many books. Only corporate bookstores have a chance of becoming wealthy book dealers. Due to competition from the large retailers, many independent bookshops have closed their doors. The internet and capitalism have updated and monetized the book industry.
Political Revolutions-Some nations have had revolutions since the American Revolutionary War in 1776 and the French Revolutionary War in 1789, including Asia, Russia, Cuba, etc. As communism crumbled, the Berlin Wall was torn down in Russia. Early feminism, or the women's movement, got its start during the Age of Enlightenment. Women pushed for more education, political office, voting rights, and property ownership. In America today, women have all these benefits. However, these rights continue to be denied in several underdeveloped nations.
The German Philosophers-Plato's Idealists were mirrored by German philosophers like Kant and Hegel. This idealism gave rise to the philosophical disciplines of epistemology, ethics, metaphysics, and aesthetics. Since then, extensive research and writing have been done on these topics. I've always been interested in metaphysics, but I had no idea that German philosophy was where it all started.
The 19th Century:
Political Movements-Slavery was successfully abolished thanks to the abolitionist movement, and the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention for Women's Rights marked the beginning of pressure on the US Congress and President. Women were granted the right to vote as a result of this protest-related pressure.
Industrial Revolution-The Industrial Revolution was the 19th Century's most significant advancement. The labor movement and factories followed. Labor parties still exist today, although employers can decide whether to incorporate them or not. Because their baristas campaigned for it, Starbucks just unionized: The Starbucks union, explained - Vox. There are factories all across the world, but the workers' rights are frequently low, and the working environment is unfavorable or even dangerous. Factory workers may receive little or poor pay. This component doesn't appear to have altered all that much since the 19th century. Perhaps because the decision of how to treat employees, as well as their salary and working circumstances, is made by the firm and not the employees.
Nationalism-The 19th century saw the rise of nationalism as Germany and Italy joined forces to establish a Nazi and Fascist state. We all know what happened next—the start of the First World War, which ended with the defeat of nationalism. There are nationalist leaders in many countries today, and for four years, a version of nationalism in America ruled the country. Following the defeat of that president in elections, his supporters swarmed the capital to block the inauguration of the new leader. Nationalism appears to be here to stay.
Romanticism-Writers drew influence from medieval romantic literature in the latter half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Among the authors of romance were Keats, Byron, Blake, and Mary Shelley. This literary movement was illogical, gothic, and magnificent in design, embracing imagination, nature, and even politics. These authors were drawn to the Revolutions while they were taking place. These authors helped to maintain the oral traditions of folk songs and fairytales when people from rural areas and small towns relocated to the metropolis in search of employment.
Since the Romantic movement ended in the 19th century, I don't think there has been another. Rap music and poetry, on the other hand, in my opinion, comparable to it. Rap is known as the "poetry of the streets" and, as such, uses music to communicate tales of oppression, fights against inequity, and black culture. Rap could be the genre that comes closest to Romanticism nowadays. Percy Shelley and John Keats, second-generation Romanticists, held that poets contribute significantly to society by "fighting oppression and promoting liberty" (Shelley).
References
A.H. Stevens. 2021. Literary Theory and Criticism. Broadview
Press.
R. Molla. 2023. How a bunch of Starbucks Baristas
Built a Labor Movement. Vox. The
Starbucks union, explained - Vox
What Literary History Teaches Us About Book Banning-by Devi Nina Bingham
The major schools of thought among literary critics in the 20th and 21st centuries may be summed up as follows:
The Historicists were the first to interpret literature with regard to history and society (Stevens, p. 173). The Formalists came in second, first in Anglo-America when Stalin took control in Russia. Formalists preferred an empirical approach to literature over Philology's reliance on author interpretations or history. T.S. Elliot, a Formalist novelist, said in 1919: "Critics should focus on the poem rather than the poet." These gave rise to two groups of literary theorists: the New Critics in Southern Universities, who were swiftly followed by the New Formalists, also known as Neo-Aristotelians, in the North.
The branches of literary criticism, however, who sought to mold literature to fit their ideas while disregarding what was happening in history and society, were only serving to demonstrate how theory cannot be separated from reality. Communists who "increasingly wanted to monitor literature and scholarship to make sure it adhered to Marxist principles" (p. 135) were known as formalists in Russia. The New Critics advocated "a method of literary analysis that prioritizes questions of literary form over issues of history, intention, politics, or psychology." It was intended that writings be analyzed apart from their sociological and cultural surroundings. Looking back, we can see that these schools of thought were more a response to what was going on in society at the time than they were a reflection of unbiased viewpoints.
Stevens (2021) writes, "Today you're much more likely to find formalism combined with historical, political, or psychological concerns." Modern literary critics depict social systems as a gestalt, or as a totality, rather than separating them from literature. However, partisanship is still very much alive and strong today since politicians have always chosen sides in the debate over how to study literature. For instance, a list of "30 Banned Books You Should Probably Read Right Now" was published by beloved Reader's Digest, a magazine that has been publishing all genres of literature since 1922 (I remember reading them when I visited my grandparents) (Beabout, 2023). According to the report, censorship—the practice of banning books—has become more common in libraries and classrooms. The author asserts that "Parents, school board members, and activists have all been responsible for removing some of the best books of all time from bookshelves." There are still a lot of organizations that want to regulate what is read in schools and public libraries, some of which have political or religious motivations. Censorship has always existed and reached its book-burning peak under the rule of Hitler in the First World War. The reading of books has increased as a result of teen-organized anti-book banning organizations that promote the books, according to Reader's Digest, who also points out that efforts to prohibit books have resulted in reprisal.
According to the ACLU, it is unlawful for the government to censor literature: "...when private individuals or groups organize boycotts against retailers who sell magazines, they find objectionable, their actions are protected by the First Amendment, even though they can occasionally turn violent. During the McCarthy era, private pressure organizations, not the government, published and upheld the infamous Hollywood blacklists. However, organizations and people speaking out and banding together in support of the endangered expression are best able to fight these private censoring initiatives (2023).
Literary critics, political parties, and religious organizations have long wanted to dictate how literature is perceived and whether or not particular texts should even be read. They believe that certain books include too delicate of subject matter (like slavery) or are unsuitable for both pupils and the general public (like LTBTQ novels). It has long been debatable whether individuals have the right to impose their beliefs—which are frequently grounded in religion—on public institutions like libraries and schools that are supported by taxes paid by the general public. Why shouldn't we and our kids be free to go into a library or bookshop and select any book, rather than having an arbitrary religious or political party choose it for us, since our taxes pay for schools and libraries?
The Guardian says that conservative organizations in the US are cracking down on books that deal with racism, LGBTQ issues, and other minority groups in a story from 2021 headlined "US Conservatives linked to rich donors wage campaign to ban books from schools" (2021). Schools in Texas, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming have previously banned literature. Teachers and librarians caution that the habit is growing. In 2021, The Guardian. Not so fast, claims Newsweek, which noted in 2023 that liberal political organizations had been engaged in a war against book restrictions as well. According to Newsweek, "the Left launches its own battle against authors, publishers, and schools. When It Comes to Banning Books, Both Right and Left Are Guilty. We the People is the Left-wing counterpart to Moms for Liberty.
In a 2021 article entitled, “US Conservatives linked to rich donors wage campaign to ban books from schools” (2021) The Guardian reports that conservative groups in the US are cracking down on books that address race, LGBTQ, and other minority groups. “Literature has already been removed from schools in Texas, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. Librarians and teachers warn the trend is on the increase…” (The Guardian, 2021). Not so fast, says Newsweek, who reported in 2023 that liberal political groups have also been busy waging book bans. According to Newsweek, "the Left launches its own battle against authors, publishers, and schools.
I think we should look to global history and the literary theorists for guidance on what is correct in regard to how to interpret literature and which books may be read by the general public, regardless of whatever political party now supports censorship. I guess that makes me a contemporary historicist. Because, as the adage goes, "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it" (Santayana, as quoted by Clairmont, 2023).
A. H. Stevens. Literary Theory and Criticism: An
Introduction, Second Edition. 2021.
American Civil Liberties Union. What Is
Censorship? ACLU. 2023.
What Is Censorship? | American Civil Liberties Union
(aclu.org)
L. Beabout. 30 Banned Books You Should Probably
Read Right Now. Reader’s Digest. 2023.
30
Banned Books Everyone Needs to Read in 2022 | Banned Books List (rd.com)
N. Clairmont. Those Who Do Not Learn History Are
Doomed to Repeat It. Really? 2013.
"Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed to Repeat
It." Really? - Big Think
The Guardian. US Conservatives Linked to Rich
Donors Wage Campaign to ban Books from Schools. 2023.
A. Szetela. When It Comes to Banning
Books, Both Right and Left Are Guilty. Newsweek. 2022
When It Comes to Banning Books, Both
Right and Left Are Guilty | Opinion (newsweek.com)
Literary Analysis of Harry Potter Using Structuralism-by Devi Nina Bingham
With Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Bloomsbury, 1997), J.K. Rowling launched the Harry Potter series of fiction books. Although literary critics may view this series as little more than light entertainment, adults all across the world have found this series to be of unheard-of appeal. Underneath the surface of a tale about an orphaned child who becomes a wizard is a deeper, symbolically based narrative that has captivated the public's attention. The symbolism and significance of literature are examined by structuralist philosophy. This essay will demonstrate how the storyline, themes, characters, and symbols in Harry Potter reflect structuralism's conviction that broader forces, particularly sociological ones, shape human behavior (Mambrol, 2016).
Harry Potter's main character, Harry, and his uniqueness are at the heart of the story. The Dursleys are the callous relatives that force Harry to dwell under the stairs while preferring their indulgent kid. Harry is an orphan living with them. Harry discovers at the juvenile age of eleven that he is a wizard and that both of his parents were wizards who were killed by Voldemort. Nietzsche, a structuralist philosopher, argued that fate determines our fates, and that life is misery (Richter, 1988). Harry is undoubtedly suffering below the stairs, all by himself, poor, and surrounded by family members who view him as a burden. After that, a series of mysterious letters from an owl encouraging him to enroll at Hogwarts prompt him to move on and embrace his destiny. Even though Harry is unsure whether he is a wizard and doubts if he belongs at Hogwarts, a terrifying prophecy that he will slay Voldemort compels him to continue. One of the many themes of Harry Potter—that Harry is unique—has previously been discussed. To his Muggle-born family, he is an outcast, and at Hogwarts, he is the boy with the scar left by Voldemort, the lad of legend, which makes him stand out.
Common themes run through the entire series. Harry was the one to slay Voldemort, symbolizing Christ's victory over death, and there is a theme of good and evil that incorporates prophecy (Christ was predicted), the conflict between light (Harry) and darkness (Voldemort), and these elements. The concept of death is another major element. Numerous individuals in the novel pass away, including Harry's parents, allowing readers to experience the agony of death. Another prominent motif is love. When Harry's mother gives herself up to rescue the infant, Harry is spared.
The notion of friendship is also wonderful. At Hogwarts, Harry—who has never had a loving family—discovers a community of encouraging and welcoming peers. His instructors, notably instructors Dumbledore and McGonagall, provide him with excellent counsel; this may be another theme—that of wisdom vs falsehood. The dark personalities of Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy, who plays the deceiving force, are associated with the House of Slytherin. According to structuralists Chase, Fiedler, Hoffman, and Wheelright (Mambrol, 2016), myths, rituals, and folktales may revive a culture's lost spirituality. Perhaps for Harry Potter readers, these novels achieved just that. The goal of structuralism is not to interpret specific literary works. Instead, it focuses on how literature may be used to better understand wider societal processes. The symbols and characters of Harry Potter are replete with hidden meanings that may be decoded.
Ron, Hermoine, Draco, Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Hagrid are some of Harry Potter's important characters. Ron Weasley, Harry's devoted buddy, is the youngest son of a big family and lives in poverty. He is the quiet child who is frequently "overlooked," therefore by being associated with Harry, he feels significant. If we adopt a structuralist interpretation, Ron's persona may stand in for the "blue collar" person who is trying to advance in society.
Despite coming from a "Muggle" household, Hermoine Granger is already polite and intelligent by the time she enrolls in Hogwarts. Hermoine's persona can be a representation of the intelligent or gifted who strive for perfection and want to please. She is a pleasant person who is constantly seeking ways to support the underdog (often Harry). According to a structuralist perspective, educated people, like educators, are better equipped to assist the underprivileged.
Harry's dark and cunning foe is a persona known as Draco Malfoy. He is ruthless and aggressive, and all he wants is for Voldemort to get rid of Harry. According to a structuralist view, Draco represents the narcissistic elite, the ruling class that will do anything to maintain its power and must succeed at all costs.
A well-known magician known as the hierophant, Professor Dumbledoor. Dumbeldoor is a euphemism for the priest, Shaman, medicine man, or wise elder. He may be portrayed by structuralism as the mystic or cleric who possesses spiritual abilities, is a force for good, and is privy to cosmic mysteries.
Professor McGonagall is a wise, elderly single woman who takes the younger generation under her wing and both corrects and inspires them to bring out the best in them. She is a spinster. She too functions as a bulwark in the community. She may be compared by structuralists to the matriarchs of society who keep families together by fostering a feeling of "tribe" where everyone is welcome.
Professor Severus Snape is a bright yet evil man who specializes in potions. People are tricked into doing things by potions, and Snape has a hint of deception about him; he shouldn't always be believed. Structuralism may compare him to scientists, professors, or medical professionals who have sold their souls. These are the scientists who have erred on the side of power yet are still largely moral.
Ruebus Hagrid is a lumbering, kind, yet streetwise half-giant, half-human who adores Harry and the creatures he enjoys collecting, including his pet dragon who burned his beard. He has a simple mind and has entire faith in Harry. Hagrid is a symbol for the kindness we all have for both people and animals. According to structuralists, Hagrid stands for those who help others, including teachers, nurses, physicians, and counselors.
Harry Potter utilized a ton of symbols, finally. Harry's scar serves as a striking, constant reminder of his individuality and his everlasting struggle with evil. Additionally, Harry possessed the ability to communicate in a tongue that snakes can only use; this was a sign that revealed Harry's shadow self. Harry's scar serves as a reminder that the hero must constantly be on guard against his "shadow self," or the dark side of his own personality. According to structuralist theory, Harry's scar stands for individuals in positions of authority, such as politicians, who have a duty to do right yet are vulnerable to corruption.
The Quidditch was a fun symbol. The flying brooms and buzzing Quidditch ball brought magic to life, a team sport like football. The significance? We can create magic and achieve great success when we work together. This, according to structuralism, is a message for democracy. People are creating a better society when they work together.
Harry was able to communicate with his past—his parents—and see his deepest wishes thanks to the enchanted mirror known as the Mirror of Erised. Harry was able to learn about self-efficacy with the use of this self-reflection technique. The Mirror represented a person's readiness to examine oneself objectively, taking into account both the past and the future. According to structuralists, The Mirror is equivalent to any group or person who aids in a person's moral growth and understanding, such as: Alcoholics Anonymous, psychotherapy, nonprofit organizations, and the like.
The Harry Potter books are entertaining, but I contend that they have also influenced how society views differences, the nature of good and evil, death, love, friendship, and the moral growth of civilization. The symbolism and meanings of Harry Potter shine and are relevant to our social structures when seen through the perspective of literary structuralism. Perhaps the literary critics ought to reevaluate the significance of this series' contribution.
Works Cited
Nietzsche, F. The Birth of Tragedy. In the Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends, 2nd ed., edited by David Richter. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 1988.
Rowling,
J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. 1997. Bloomsbury, London.
Literary Analysis of "Mob Mentality" as Illustrated in "Lord of the Flies" by Devi Nina Bingham
Wiliam Golding's Lord of the Flies (Faber & Faber, 1954) examines the perils of the mob mentality via horrifying images of communal brutality. I'll demonstrate how easy a mob mentality may spread and how rapidly lawlessness develops in this examination.
In the first few chapters, the lads elect Ralph as their leader rather than Jack, but Ralph lets Jack remain control of the group of boys he was in charge of. Jack immediately transforms the group of singers into a hunting party and pledges to provide the hunters with meat. Jack has shifted the balance of power in his favor by putting himself in charge of delivering the meals. Ralph still rules the island's social customs at this time, although it is revealed that Jack carries a knife, giving him the advantage of lethal force. The lads shout, "Kill the pig," over and over. throat-cut her. "Spill her blood," Jack says after starting it. He is a more mature lad with a spear who lives by the law of the jungle. He prioritizes his personal goals over the needs of the collective, utilizes fear, violence, and intimidation to control the youth, which breeds a mob mentality.
The boys rapidly lose their moral compass after coming together as a gang as Jack convinces them that an unseen beast is real, and that violence is the only way to stop it. Jack daubs on warpaint to give the impression that he is courageous and fierce. The lads do the same because they want to be as brave as Jack. This demonstrates how people disguise their distinct identities in order to blend in with the group when they are frightened. Additionally, this absolves them of any personal responsibility.
People tend to mimic behavior, especially when under stress, and they frequently end up doing things in groups that they would never do on their own. A "mob mentality" is a way of thinking that may turn a tranquil gathering into a hostile mob. There are several psychological explanations for crowd behavior, but for the sake of this book, I'll concentrate on the Contagion Theory. According to this hypothesis, crowds have the power to hypnotize the individuals who are a part of them (a sporting event comes to mind when the spectators act as one). This "group hypnosis" may cause people to act in an emotional and unreasonable manner. Or perhaps the crowd's craze is infectious in some way, as the term suggests (Britannica, 2023).
Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are three other characters in the novel who dread the hunters' spiral into frenzy but also yearn to be a part of the charismatic gang. As a result, they assist in beating Simon to death. Jack, the mafia boss, denies that the murder ever had place, which has the consequence of normalizing it and leading to even more intense violence. Piggy is the next victim as the mob turns on Ralph and Piggy and begins to pursue them. This demonstrates how susceptible even excellent people may be to a group's infectious nature.
Another character by the name of Roger fits the description of a "henchman" since he becomes friendly with the most powerful leader, Jack, and because Roger seems to take pleasure in brutality. Every bully has a "toady," or someone who is eager to win the leader's favor and is prepared to carry out the leader's filthy deeds. The youngsters on the island developed a mob mentality because they were eager to follow anyone who they believed might provide them with food and defend them from the elusive enemy. Even though Jack was aggressive and disobedient, everyone followed him.
The lesson of Lord of the Flies seems to be that following a morally bankrupt leader will cause a mob mentality to take hold, and society will swiftly fall apart. As we have seen in times of conflict, this "unraveling" can result in horrors. Since unfettered authority is a prescription for disaster, who should have power and how should it be restricted, just like in Lord of the Flies?
There were two distinct styles of leaders in Ralph and Jack: Ralph was a diplomatic individual who upheld traditional social norms, was elected to power democratically, and had no means of enforcing his authority. In contrast, Jack used force to take Ralph's position of authority, played the part of the dominating alpha male by flashing his knife, and provided the small children with a sense of protection from danger. As he was eager to kill everyone who opposed him, Jack was the most apparent leader but probably not the most deserved. Ralph was the most deserved leader in terms of his democratic beliefs, but he wasn't necessarily the strongest because he couldn't outmuscle Jack.
The lads experience a number of terrifying situations throughout the novel, including the woodland beast, starvation, darkness, and threats from one another. Due to these factors, the tribe of harmonious lads we witness at the beginning of the novel eventually transforms into a horde of conflicted savage men, all because Jack whipped their worries into a frenzy. As a result, the camp was divided in two, and fighting broke out. Even among youngsters, the Contagion Theory held true. Politics and war have demonstrated on a larger scale what Lord of the Flies has demonstrated on a smaller scale: that fear can drive people to do mad things.
Works Cited
|
Britannica. Contagion Theory. 2023. Contagion theory | psychology | Britannica |
Golding, W. Lord of
the Flies. Faber & Faber, 1954.
How I Interpret Literature Theoretically by Devi Nina Bingham
I will discuss how I interpret literature theoretically. It is believed that literary theories are studied because they "provide a vocabulary and tools for thinking about reading, writing, and criticism, both for everyday acts of evaluation and more academic studies of literature and culture" (Stevens, 2021, p. 8). I'll talk about a few novels I've read that had a big impact on my life, as well as the literary strategy I used to read them. These include phenomenology, biographical studies, poetry, and criticism of psychoanalysis. In my evaluation, I'll discuss the rationale for the use of these theoretical frameworks.
The first important book I read was in 1995, long before I started writing books or even went back to school as an older adult. My supervisor registered me in the Dale Carnagie Sales Advantage Program that year, and I can still recall it (Dale Carnagie & Associates, Inc., 2023). This 6-week adult classroom course was created to turn unskilled salespeople like myself into sales dynamos. Although I graduated at the top of my sales class, my manager could see that I had talent but lacked the killer instinct. "How to Make Friends & Influence People" (Pocket Books, 1998) and "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" (Prabhakar Prakashan, 2002) were the two texts that were given to us. They were penned by Carnagie in the 1940s.
I quickly read through each page in an effort to satisfy my employer and discovered that I had been handling sales and marketing incorrectly. When I should have been thinking on what my clients needed and desired, I had been preoccupied with my sales targets and commissions. According to Theodore Roosevelt, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" (Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University, 2023). Carnagie's concepts changed my life because I was able to view things from my prospect's perspective for the first time. It not only altered my attitude, but I also started to generate revenue.
I read Carnagie's writings using a variety of literary approaches, including biographical, narratological, and psychoanalytical. Since "Psychoanalytic Criticism looks at the psychological dimensions of reading and writing, among other things" (Stevens, p. 32), I'll refer to it as psychoanalytical. His publications excelled in introducing entrepreneurs to the psychology of interpersonal relationships, which helped readers improve their effectiveness and productivity at work and at home.
Carnagie's novels were replete with narrations from his life, and narratology is the study of narrative (Stevens, p. 32). He utilized examples from his straightforward and moral American background and his skills as a salesperson to show what worked and what didn't. He was the son of Midwest farmer parents. Even a farmer might comprehend the human relations ideas he outlined in his books.
A literary classic, "How to Win Friends & Influence People" was published in 1998. It was written in the 1940s and continues to rank among the greatest sellers today. There aren't many novels that have lasted as long as this one. While Carnagie's novels lacked the research that would have been used to support his claims, I do not doubt their creative voracity.
The second book that had a significant impression on me was written by the late best-selling novelist and psychic Sylvia Browne. I read her best-selling book, "Adventures of a Psychic" (Hayhouse, 1998), since I had seen her on talk programs and wasn't sure if she was genuine. I was pleasantly surprised and motivated by her bravery in using her psychic ability. I used the Biographical Study method with Sylvia's autobiography. because Sylvia wanted to introduce herself to the world by describing the psychic talent she had when she was a little kid.
I continued to read all of her novels, but "Journey of the Soul," the first book in a trilogy, was my favorite since it addressed several existentially focused philosophical and phenomenological queries. As "phenomenology is the study of consciousness and perception" (Stevens, p. 36), which is precisely the subject matter of these volumes, I read this series utilizing Phenomenological Theory.
It is clear that Sylvia's message touched many since she went on to publish a very popular book and became one of the most well-known psychics in the entire world. Her narrative would have been more interesting if there had been more images of her as a youngster, lectures, the organization that investigated her and recruited her as a professor, her various husbands (I couldn't keep them straight), and her family members.
I shelled out a crazy sum of money to attend Sylvia's Psychic Salon in my town so I could see the legend, my idol, up close. In person, she was even more amazing and personable. I bought one of her books after the performance and waited in the biggest queue I had ever seen to obtain her autograph. When it was my turn, I was giddy with anticipation. The only thing that came out of my mouth when I tried to express to Sylvia how much her novels had meant to me was a gushing, squeaky voice that exclaimed, "You're the BEST Sylvia!" She briefly looked up from the book, bags under her tired eyes, and muttered, "Thanks, hon," in her scratchy smoker's voice.
Lastly, much like an archaeologist discovering a rare artifact buried in the attic, I stumbled upon an ancient Sufi poet. With his fervently spiritual love poems, the Persian Sufi mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207–1273) altered my concept of free verse poetry. Sufi poetry is lyrical, passionate, and written in free verse. In this conception, humans are viewed as the Beloved and God as the Lover. Poetic theory might be used to assess Rumi's writing, and there are several approaches to approach such archaic literature. "The decisions teachers make in the classroom might reveal their preferred method of theory. For instance, a lecturer who gives extensive information on writers' lives is obviously of the opinion that author biographies are necessary in order to comprehend a piece. I approached Rumi's work with the goal of comprehending the whole picture, including his life story, the formalist method he employed, and the historical context of the time. Rumi's tale had many facets; piecing it together was like solving an intriguing and tragic puzzle. Because Rumi was a product of his period and society, one might also judge him using the Cultural Construction Theory (p. 8). According to this theory, "Historical and cultural circumstances shape our ideas about truth, beauty, education, art and literature, food, clothing, and everything else" (p. 8). Rumi was one of a million poets; but it is rare to find one who had the ability to carve a heart out of stone the way Michelangelo did. I won't criticize literary genius other than to say most of his poetry required too much of my attention to keep me engaged.
I am a non-fiction and eclectic reader, although I have read a small amount of fiction. I like nonfiction because, in my opinion, I would rather learn something than be amused. I've studied a variety of genres, but biographies, phenomenological works, psychoanalytical writings, and poetry have taught me the most. If I ever find that I love reading fiction, I might expand my repertoire of literary criticism.
A.H. Stevens. (2021). Literary
Theory and Criticism: An Introduction. Broadview Press.
Britannica. (2023). Rumi.
Rumi
| Biography, Poems, & Facts | Britannica
Browne, S. (1998). Adventures of a Psychic: The Fascinating and Inspiring True Life Story of One of America's Most Successful Clairvoyants. Hayhouse.
Dale Carnagie &
Associates, Inc. (2023). Dale
Carnagie.
Dale Carnegie Course | Dale Carnegie
Carnagie, D. (2022). How
to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Prabhakar Prakashan; 1st edition.
Carnagie, D. (1998). How
To Win Friends & Influence People. Pocket Books.
How
to Win Friends & Influence People: Dale Carnegie: 8937485909400:
Amazon.com: Books
Theodore Roosevelt Center
at Dickinson State University. (2023). Theodore Roosevelt Quotes.
Jabberwocky-Literary Criticism of a Poem by Lewis Carroll by Devi Nina Bingham
Lewis Carroll included the poem Jabberwocky (1871) in his 1871 book Through the Looking-Glass, the follow-up to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). Shakespeare's poetry and the Brothers Grim's Fairytales both had "nonsense" words or phrases throughout the Renaissance, but Carrol was a master of bending language to absurdity in his phantasmagorical fairytales. It is difficult to say with certainty whether Jabberwocky is a deconstruction in the traditional sense of interpreting the meaning of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; instead, it reads more like a continuation of Wonderland, as if the author wanted to remind readers of Through the Looking-Glass, where the Jabberwock came from. It's interesting to note that the title Jabberwocky differs from the term "Jabberwock" in that it has the same meaning as other words that have the letter "y" added to them, such as "flower," which becomes "flowery," meaning formed of flowers or having flowers. So "Jabberwocky" is a poetry with a Jabberwock in it. The poem's theme is made clear by the title.
The author's word choices are the first thing that stand out in Jabberwocky. Because the vorpal sword and the Jabberwock were discovered in Alice's Wonderland, Caroll has used gibberish terms to show that this is a Wonder place, or even Wonderland itself. His words are ethereal, and while he may have created them, he also gave his own twist to existing terms, like in the word "slithy," which sounds to me a lot like "slimy." As "JubJub" is a sound that birds make, the "JubJub bird" is onomatopoetic. The Bandersnatch is described as "frumious" (the term "snatch" sounds like something a monster would do), which is similar to the word "furious." Carroll says of the Jabberwock, "And burbled as it came." The term "burbled" has a similar sound to "bubbled," which made me picture a monster charging the youngster while frothing at the mouth. His peculiar language is helpful in conjuring up images of an unfamiliar place filled with bizarre and fearsome creatures.
Further examination reveals that the first stanza's narrator is describing a woodland or grove and the animals that inhabit there. The narrator tells the "son," who we presume to be a young person, of the Jabberwock who would bite and claw him as well as about the other hazardous monsters in the second verse. With "his vorpal sword in hand" and after receiving this warning, the young person sets out in search of the Jabberwock. Only the vorpal sword in Alice in Wonderland has the power to dispatch the Jabberwock. Alice is informed that she must use a sword in order to defeat the Jabberwock. (I saw the Disney adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland") The white rabbit guides Alice to where the sword is, but a Bandersnatch is protecting it. The child then kills the Jabberwock ("And through and through/the vorpal blade/went snick-snack/He left it dead"-stanza 5) by hitting it four times ("One. Two! One. Two!"). "And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?/Come to my arms, my beamish boy!/O Frabjous day!" the narrator exults at the Jabberwock's death. Callooh! Callay! He chuckled with delight.-line 6).
The environment, the woods or grove, and the subject matter—warning the kid of wild and deadly creatures in the strange forest, and a chase of the deadliest of them, the Jabberwock—are what give the poem its emotional punch. Because the narrator took the effort to warn the youngster, the reader assumes that he or she is a kind individual. The narrator is pleased and lauding when the son arrives, the victorious hunter with head in hand.
The structure of this poem is in stanzas. The lines are sentence-length, and the first and last stanzas are identical. It rhymes, although it follows a slack rhyme pattern like most poetry do. As in the first and second lines of the second stanza: "Beware the Jabberwock, my son!" and "Beware the JubJub bird and shun." This rhyme scheme is repeated by the author throughout the poem, but in the fifth stanza, he deftly and discreetly changes it by including the rhyme in the first and third phrases, as in: "One. Two! One. Two! And all the way through..." According to this structure, the author appears to be employing the Spenserian format, which is made up of interlocking quatrains. Yet, Carrol has modified it such that the first and end stanzas are the same. By employing the start and end stanzas as brackets, this effectively encloses the poem's text.
The poem is structured similarly to a sandwich. The stanzas that are encompassed within the nonsensical word stanzas are easily understood by the reader. In contrast to the remainder of the poem, the opening and closing stanzas are both nonsensical. It's possible that Carroll designed it this way on purpose to approach using the Spenserian formula. Carroll personalizes it by changing the formula to have the opening and end stanzas be the same. Carroll restores order to chaos by placing the gibberish stanzas first and last. In other words, the introduction of the narrator's voice creates order where there was before simply disorganized speech (nonsense). The final verse reverts to complete gibberish. Due of Wonderland's absurdity, its structure is reminiscent of the tale of Alice in Wonderland. But everything gets a little bit more organized when Alice's character is exposed to it after going through the rabbit hole. When Alice awakens, she finds that Wonderland was a dream and is now nothing more than gibberish. That sandwich pattern once more.
Carroll enjoys using metaphors, and the entire narrative of Alice is written in such a way. For instance, one of the characters is Alice, a good English young lady who, while the reader isn't informed this, nods off when studying because she becomes bored. All we know is that Alice fell through a rabbit hole and emerged in a strange and bizarre realm where animals can talk, the rulers are either insane and murderous, or they resemble fairy godmothers, and the guide through Wonderland is a mad hatter. What metaphor is used? Children who don't pay attention in class (the uninformed) will grow up in a challenging world where nothing makes sense logically and where politicians are fighting a war of good vs evil while utilizing the populace as pawns. However, Carroll appears to be saying that it's not all terrible since you'll meet people like the mad hatter who, while being terribly confused, have a decent heart and will attempt to support you through life. The difficulties that one faces in life and society are addressed in the existential statement Alice in Wonderland. This is only one of the analogies that Alice is rife with.
Carroll hides mature cultural issues like opium usage in his fairytales. Because there were many opium dens in London, he never explicitly advocates for or against using opium. He adds the hookah-smoking Caterpillar who vanishes in a puff of smoke but leaves it up to the reader to form their own opinions. Carroll uses a lot of metaphor in his writing, if there is one literary device that stands out as being most common in his works. If Jabberwocky has a greater message, it seems to be that even if we are fearful of the future, we must confront our anxieties. If we are courageous, we will defeat them and triumph.
L. Carroll. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Britannica, 1865.
Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland | Summary, Characters, & Facts | Britannica
L. Carroll. Jabberwocky.
Poetry Foundation, 1871.
Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll | Poetry Foundation
L. Carroll. Through
the Looking-Glass.Wikipedia,1871.
Through the
Looking-Glass - Wikipedia
A Literary Psychoanalysis of Jack, the Antagonist in The Lord of the Flies by Devi Nina Bingham
My goal is to provide a literary psychoanalysis of Jack's actions in the 1954 novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The narrative of the book served as the source of the information for this study. In order to help Jack cope with the harsh reality of being marooned on an island and whatever remorse he may have felt for the deaths he may have caused; I will apply Freudian psychoanalytical ideas such as the Ego, Id, Superego, the "death drive," and primitive "defense mechanisms". I'd also like to clarify whether Jack was acting normally for a scared youngster his age or whether he was exhibiting signs of aberrant conduct. This paper will show that Jack was not only psychologically disturbed but that he had traits associated with Antisocial Personality, a very serious disorder.
Psychoanalytic Literary theory may even make a fictitious psychological diagnostic in an effort to understand the characters' hidden motives. "Among the several literary criticism schools, psychoanalysis has always been one of the most divisive and least well-liked by readers. Despite this, it has been recognized as one of the intriguing and fruitful methods for applying interpretative analysis. The psychological interpretations have developed into one of the methods for determining a literary work's underlying meaning (Hossain, 2017). When we comprehend the characters' motivations, books come to life. When a character resonates with us or we recognize ourselves in them, or when a reader empathizes with a character, it can result in understanding and inspire personal growth.
"The Interpretation of Dreams," a dream handbook by Dr. Sigmund Freud, was released in 1899. It is from this book that Freud derived his views on how we are cut off from our unconscious urges. He asserted that 80% of our conduct is under the direction of the unconscious mind. More than any other form of criticism, Freudian theory has affected psychoanalytic literary theory (Stevens, 2021). What would Freud have to say about Jack's leadership, which resulted in the death of defenseless boys? We must use Freud's three-part theoretical model of personality—the Id, Ego, and Superego—in order to respond to that query.
In a nutshell, the Superego, also known as our conscience, is our internalized sense of good and evil, while the Id, or unconscious mind, is the aware mind. Jack looks to have an egomaniacal personality at first impression. What is the cause? Is the conscious Ego responsible for acts of hate and violence, or does the unconscious Id control those impulses? Freud believed that our most basic, primal activities, including sex drive and violence, were controlled by the Id. Jack listened to the primitive portion of his brain, the Id, because his true emotions were repressed beneath his conscious awareness, and he wasn't in sync with his "real" sentiments. We can see that Jack suppressed his conscience, or Superego, as well. We must assume that Jack had been taught the distinction between good and wrong as the lads had previously been members of society before they were marooned. But since he was in charge of his own actions, Jack violated his sense of right and wrong.
What were Jack's "real" emotions? We can observe what Jack was experiencing but wouldn't confess by observing the other lads. The other lads either acknowledged their fear or at least displayed it. The creature frightened the young children. Ralph was worried about the fire going out and was afraid they wouldn't be rescued. When the mountain caught on fire, Piggy started to worry that they might lose sight of the little lads. Except for Jack, who seemed to have no fear of anything, including murdering, everyone else was terrified.
Psychoanalytical perspectives reveal that Jack was burying powerless sensations of dread and fear and channeling them into wrath. Jack gained attention and followers because he screamed and appeared powerful. Inability to endure emotions of weakness or helplessness may be a sign of a disordered personality, and hiding one's feelings of dread and worry is not an emotionally healthy reaction. One such condition is "Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD)." The individual who is affected "always disregards right and wrong and disregards the rights and feelings of others." Antisocial personality disorder patients frequently manipulate, provoke, or treat people brutally or with callous indifference. They don't exhibit any feelings of regret or shame for their actions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Death is one of the key themes of Lord of the Flies. The spear-mounted pig was killed for no good reason. A little child with a birthmark on his face died in a mountain fire, and no one paid any attention to his passing. Simon was then killed by the lads' beach gang. Piggy is the last to pass away after Roger tosses a boulder down the cliff onto him as he attempts to get his spectacles. Ralph keeps telling the lads that they are always in danger of dying since they are marooned on an island. But Jack's bloodlust towers above these dangers. We get a glimpse of Jack's genuine self when he offers to lead the hunters. In Chapter 9, he instructs the lads to shout, "Kill the beast! Chop off its throat! Let its blood flow!" Jack is exhibiting what psychoanalysts refer to as the "death-drive." The death-drive, according to Freud, "manifests in the psyche as a tendency toward self-destruction, or more precisely the elimination of tension, which can also be turned outwards, whereby it becomes aggression" (2023), according to Oxford Reference.
The death-drive as it relates to consumerism was described by Slovenian philosopher and literary critic Slavoj Zizek as "...a kind of zombie-drive used to explain the hollow satisfaction of consumerism, the fact that no matter how much we buy, it never extinguishes the urge to buy more" (Oxford Reference, 2023). Jack, whose thirst for violence only grows throughout the book, can be compared to Zizek's depiction of the death drive. When going after pigs was no longer exciting, Jack turned his attention to Piggy and subsequently Ralph, whom he perceived as his rivals. More lads may have perished if the military hadn't put an end to his murderous rampage. Another characteristic of sociopathy, also known as antisocial personality disorder (APD), is aggressive behavior, including physical, and occasionally sexual hostility, which leads to criminal behavior.
What additional indications exist that Jack's actions were not only a poor response to an extremely stressful circumstance, but rather that he was suffering from a major psychiatric disorder? By the book's conclusion, Jack had figured out how to utilize the boys' dread of the beast to discipline them (sparknotes, 2023). Jack used the lads as pawns to get back at them. A leader has behaved consciously and with premeditation when he persuades followers to engage in violence. Sociopaths frequently harbor resentment and want for vengeance; they do not forgive and forget like other people. According to psychiatrist Dr. Seth Myers, "Sociopaths have no real attachment to anyone and treat others as objects," and "Many sociopaths feel inner rage which they use to justify their negative behavior towards others" (Psychology Today, 2013). Jack was furious with Ralph after losing the popular vote and resolved to gain back the group's support by organizing a mob to carry out his orders. Even for adults, this is hardly typical behavior, much less for youngsters. Typically, all of the APD symptoms are misdiagnosed as conduct disorder in children up to the adolescent years. The two illnesses do not equate to one another, just like APD and psychopathy do not, although they do share a number of symptoms (PsychCentral, 2023).
Children with conduct disorders sometimes exhibit aggressive, defiant, lying, thieving, rule-breaking, drug usage, fire-starting, and even animal cruelty actions. However, more severe acts of aggression or sexual assault, such as rape, may be signs of sociopathic tendencies. Since there were no grownups to maintain order, it is obvious that lawlessness contributed to the island's anarchy. However, it is uncommon for a youngster to cross the threshold from a Conduct Disorder to sociopathy.
Having said that, there have been occasions where kids have exceeded the line, such in the case of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. In his hometown of Bath, Ohio, as a young man, he had a crush on a male jogger. In an effort to get his first murder, one day he concealed himself with a baseball bat close to the jogger's path. However, Dahmer said that the man didn't go running that day, but these impulses continued. Animal cruelty is a factor that is strongly correlated with serial sexual homicide. Schlesinger claims, "That's clear in his case," pointing out that Dahmer impaled a dog's skull on a stick in the forest behind his house when he was a youngster (Janos, 2019).
Applying psychoanalytic theory to Lord of the Flies has allowed us a rare glimpse inside the mind of Jack, one of the book's adversaries. What we discovered was a youngster who was suppressing his anxiety because he didn't want to appear weak. Jack's Id overruled his Superego and turned his impotence into a brashness that gained him supporters.
It's clear that Jack developed a "kill or be killed" attitude in order to exert dominance over the gang. Then he directed his resentment and wrath against those he considered to be his foes. Jack used the death drive to make himself look indestructible rather than give in to his dread of dying, which helped to calm the other kids' worries as well as his own. Given that Jack is a pre-adolescent, I think it is reasonable to suggest that he might be diagnosed with conduct disorder. However, Jack crossed the threshold from a conduct disorder into adult traits of Antisocial Personality Disorder, or sociopathy, when his aggression turned lethal, and was premeditated.
It's doubtful that this scenario could ever occur on a boy's island. The likelihood is that a force would have grown to oppose Jack's actions. According to research on group dynamics, if a group becomes polarized, and polarized attitudes and beliefs cause harm to group members, the polarization is frequently replaced by a "superordinate" collective identity (S. Moscovici, M. Zavalloni, 1966). In times of conflict, "superordinate identity" takes place. When a nation's various citizens are battling a common foe, they will come together as one. This is seen in open athletic events when fans of the same team put aside their disagreements and support one another. Identity-based disputes need shared objectives or a "superordinate" sense of identity to bring people back together, according to one of the psychology literature's most obvious remedies. In other words, we require a strong sense of who we are that can overcome more subtle distinctions. For millennia, monarchs have used customs, rites, and even wars to foster alliances nationally, and across many nations and cultures, demonstrating their intuitive understanding of the need to forge a superordinate identity (Greater Good Magazine, 2019). If the boys had
come back together as a group, Jack’s power would have been marginalized.
Freud referred to Jack's actions as "defense mechanisms," which are formed throughout childhood. Most grownups outgrow these and develop better coping mechanisms for uncomfortable emotions and situations. People with personality problems frequently do not, though. They get "stuck" emotionally in their infantile responses to hardship, fear, and suffering. In Jack's instance, his conduct was explained by a number of immature defensive systems. The most often used defense tactic is "denial," which is the reluctance to acknowledge reality or the truth. Jack steadfastly refused to acknowledge that he shared the other lads' fears. He took on a brave persona and even painted his face in war paint to position himself above them. However, despite crowing, we know that at first, he was terrified, because he could not kill the pig.
Another form of defense is "acting out." When someone can't express their emotions verbally, they lash out at other people. Instead of admitting how helpless he felt when Ralph was elected leader or just deciding to back Ralph, Jack makes a promise to make Ralph regret it by turning the group against him. He is "acting out" his resentment and shame.
We have already discussed a protective mechanism called "repression." We observed that Jack suppressed his emotions, which means that he unintentionally blocked them. Jack would have said he was not scared if you had asked him whether he was afraid because, because he had suppressed his fear, he would not have felt it.
Another of Jack's coping strategies was "displacement". When you feel intense emotion as a result of an event or a person and aim that emotion toward another person, it is "displacement." Jack, for instance, was upset and enraged with Ralph when he lost the vote. He let unleash his sentiments on Ralph's pal Piggy rather than acknowledging them and then letting them go. He turned his resentment of Ralph onto Piggy, which inadvertently resulted in Piggy's demise.
Another form of protection is "rationalization," which involves providing explanations or reasons for inappropriate behavior. When Jack returns to camp without the other hunters, there is a scene. When questioned about their whereabouts, Jack acknowledges that he abandoned them in the woods while pursuing an animal. Following a yelling argument between Jack and Ralph regarding the relative significance of building shelters and obtaining food, Ralph informs him that what he did was wrong. Here, we see that Jack has justified his actions by claiming that since he is a hunter and food is his first priority, leaving the kids alone in the wilderness was acceptable. This reasoning is obviously an attempt to deflect blame.
Adults that are emotionally healthy employ "assertiveness" as a protective strategy as well, although it can be abused. Being self-sufficient or vocal about one's demands and goals is referred to as "assertiveness," and doing so is beneficial. The difference between assertiveness and aggression is that the latter is the insistence on one's own demands and wants without concern for the wellbeing of others. Jack was more aggressive than he was forceful. By training clients to tolerate conflict, which in turn lowers a client's protection systems, psychoanalysis can help clients transform toxic reactions into healthy ones.
If I had to make a prediction about Jack's rehabilitation, I'd say that if he was willing to seek counseling for his issues, he could stay out of trouble and have a normal life. Contrary to Conduct Disorder, which frequently goes away as early adulthood approaches, Antisocial Personality Disorder is a diagnosis that never goes away. Personality disorders are chronic conditions. Although Jack might be able to stay away from a life of crime, he will always have the narcissism that defines APD, prioritizing his own well-being and showing little concern for the harm he does to others. Sociopaths have been characterized as having no soul and being unchangeable. While I am unable to comment on whether they have a soul or not. I agree with Dr. Freud when he indicated that suppressed feelings will never go away. They are buried alive and will emerge later in more hideous forms, according to Freud (1899). Jack's inability to effectively control his negative emotions led to his exceptionally nasty and erratic conduct. I've always believed that every conflict might have been prevented if dictators had received the support they required as youngsters—someone who would listen to them and love them without condition. "Bad seeds" do exist, indeed. However, the majority of the personality disordered adults in our culture used to be abandoned and lonely kids like Jack.
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