APPLIED COMMUNICATION: Influence of Social Media

Popularity vs. Influence in Blogging and Social Media: What’s the Difference?

By Jennifer Mattern on April 13, 2010

Credit: Advanced Human Technologies (www.ahtgroup.com)

You’ve heard about “influencers” right? That’s a big buzz word especially in the blogosphere these days (and it has been for a couple of years). What exactly is an influential blogger though? Do those lists of the most influential blogs or biggest influencers really mean much?

Honestly, they don’t. Why? Because sadly too many people confuse “influence” with basic popularity. Is there anything wrong with having a popular blog or being a popular personality in your niche or industry? No. Of course not. But being popular doesn’t mean you necessarily have a comparable amount of influence within that niche. Let’s explore both popularity and influence, and talk about why you really need to understand the difference. While we’ll look specifically at bloggers, the same can be true of those on Twitter, social networks, or who are active in any other area of social media.

Defining Popularity and Influence

What does it mean to be a “popular” blogger? It means that people like you (or they like your blog). Specifically related to blogging, it generally means a lot of people like you. You get a lot of traffic and / or a lot of unique visitors. You get a lot of comments. You get the idea….

If you have a lot of traffic, you naturally have a lot of influence, right? Wrong. Influence involves more than numbers. It involves your ability to influence outcomes, actions, and opinions.

The Biggest Difference Between Popularity and Influence

Being treated like a rock star doesn't always equal influence - Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

Let’s look at two hypothetical blogs to show why popularity doesn’t necessarily equate to influence. They’re both Internet marketing blogs. Blog A is a relatively high traffic blog — let’s say just under one million page views per month. Blog B gets around 75,000 page views per month instead (still not terrible, but clearly Blog A has them beat).

You could easily argue that Blog A is the more popular blog of the two. Assuming in this case that the larger number of page views comes from a larger number of unique visitors, Blog A has more readers / visitors.

That said, Blog B could still be the more influential blog. Numbers alone don’t cut it. The relationship between the blogger and their audience determines influence much more than traffic stats (or follower stats, or friend counts, etc.).

For example, maybe most of Blog A’s traffic comes from search engines. The visitors are one-time passers-by who only visit the page they land on. They read the content and then they move on. Blog B’s fewer readers are much more invested in the blog. They read regularly. They genuinely care about what the blogger has to say.

If Blogger A told their audience to do something, they might have less influence over their actual actions than Blogger B. The second blogger’s audience might be more likely to do what’s asked of them — think a certain way about a niche issue, try a new tool, take part in a survey, or even buy a product. That’s influence.

Popularity in blogging can leave a lot to chance (or basic search engine optimization). A blogger has to be able to take things a step further if they want to turn that popularity into influence. By all means, a popular blog can be influential. Many are. The mistake is in thinking that one necessarily equals or leads to the other.

Measuring Influence: Can it be Done?

Why do people often rank blogs by “influence” when they’re really only evaluating popularity metrics? Well, “influence” sounds better for starters. Who doesn’t want to feel like they have influence? It’s a power thing, whereas popularity is nice but it’s something tweens and teens are supposed to worry about — not professionals blogging within a given industry.

How do you measure success in social media? - Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

Influence sounds better, but popularity is easier to measure. So they get packaged together whether or not it’s completely fair, “right,” or accurate. Is it even possible to measure influence? Personally, I consider it more of a qualitative than quantitative element of blogging and social media, and as such I would have to say it’s difficult, if not impossible, to accurately measure.

A blogger with a relatively small audience might have major pull in the industry because of their network. If they report a problem to a company, it might be fixed in hours or days instead of buried in a mountain of support tickets. If they request a new feature from someone, they might actually get it whereas others would be ignored. They might be able to change the minds of their audience members about an issue that’s important to them. I don’t see how those things can be accurately or fairly measured. Would action #1 get more weight than action #2? How many minds do you have to change to be “influential?”

Sure, we can measure some elements of influence — how many readers were converted into customers, the number of survey respondents, donations received when a blogger gets behind a cause, etc. But we can’t measure enough of the factors that determine influence to really say Blogger A is more influential than Blogger B, because the results of influence aren’t always visible. To outsiders, it’s all subjective.

If you really must rank the most “influential” blogs in some way, do what you must. But why not call it what it really is — the “most popular” blogs — instead? The two can coincide. We don’t need to belittle the influence of some bloggers by calling them less influential than others simply because they’re better at targeting a narrow audience that cares about what they have to say. You don’t see what goes on behind the scenes. That “little” blogger you left off your list might be the one making a real difference. Let’s go back to calling a spade a spade, shall we?

Blogs,Social Media Measurement,Social Media Relations

influence, influencers, popularity, social media

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Multiple Intelligences in the ESL Classroom

Faculty of Teacher Training / English Department

Course Title: MA – ESP 4+1 and 3+2

By Kenneth Beare, About.com Guide

Reference: http://esl.about.com/od/teachingenglish/a/l_multiple.htm

The theory of multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. Here is a discussion of the eight different intelligences Dr. Gardner proposes and their relationship to the ESL / EFL classroom. Each explanation is followed by lesson plans or exercises which can be used in class.

Verbal / Linguistic

Explanation and understanding through the use of words.

This is the most common means of teaching. In the most traditional sense, the teacher teaches and the students learn. However, this can also be turned around and students can help each other understand concepts. While teaching to other types of intelligences is extremely important, this type of teaching focuses on using language and will continue to play the primary role in learning English.

Example Lesson Plans

(re)Introducing Phrasal Verbs to ESL Students
Comparative and Superlative Forms
Countable and Uncountable Nouns - Noun Quantifiers
Reading - Using Context

Visual / Spatial

Explanation and comprehension through the use of pictures, graphs, maps, etc.

This type of learning gives students visual clues to help them remember language. In my opinion, the use of visual, spatial and situational clues is probably the reason learning a language in an English speaking country (Canada, USA, England, etc.) is the most effective way to learn English.

Example Lesson Plans

Business Lesson Describing Trends
Using Colored Pens Drawing in the Classroom - Expressions
Finish the Alphabet - Adjective Recognition
Vocabulary Charts

Body / Kinesthetic

Ability to use the body to express ideas, accomplish tasks, create moods, etc.

This type of learning combines physical actions with linguistic responses and are very helpful for tying language to actions. In other words, repeating "I'd like to pay by credit card." in a dialogue is much less effective than having a student act out a role-play in which he pulls out his wallet and says, "I'd like to pay by credit card."

Example Lesson Plans

Lego Building Blocks
Young Learner's Games for ESL Classes - Simon Says
Telephone English

Interpersonal

Ability to get along with others, work with others to accomplish tasks.

Group learning is based on interpersonal skills. Not only do students learn while speaking to others in an "authentic" setting, they develop English speaking skills while reacting to others. Obviously, not all learners have excellent interpersonal skills. For this reason, group work needs to balanced with other activities.

Example Lesson Plans

Conversation Lesson: Multinationals - Help or Hindrance?
Creating a New Society
Guilty - Fun Classroom Conversation Game
Let's Do Tourism

Logical / Mathematical

Use of logic and mathematical models to represent and work with ideas.

Grammar analysis falls into this type of learning style. Many teachers feel that English teaching syllabi are too loaded towards grammar analysis which has little to do with communicative ability. Nonetheless, using a balanced approach, grammar analysis has it's place in the classroom. Unfortunately, because of certain standardized teaching practices, this type of teaching sometimes tends to dominate the classroom.

Example Lesson Plans

Match-up!
English Grammar Review
Different Uses of "Like"
Conditional Statements - Reviewing the First and Second Conditional

Musical

Ability to recognize and communicate using melody, rhythm, and harmony.

This type of learning is sometimes underestimated in ESL classrooms. If you keep in mind that English is a very rhythmic language because of its tendency to accent only certain words, you'll recognize that music plays a role in the classroom as well.

Example Lesson Plans

Grammar Chants
Music in the Classroom
Practicing Stress and Intonation
Tongue Twisters

Intrapersonal

Learning through self-knowledge leading to understanding of motives, goals, strengths and weaknesses.

This intelligence is essential for long-term English learning. Students who are aware of these types of issues will be able to deal with underlying issues that can improve or hamper English usage.

Example Lesson Plans

Setting ESL Objectives
English Learning Goals Quiz

Environmental

Ability to recognize elements of and learn from the natural world around us.

Similar to visual and spatial skills, Environmental intelligence will help students master English required to interact with their environment.

Example Lesson Plan

Global English

Multiple Intelligence Theory and the ESL Classroom -- Preliminary Considerations

Karen L. Currie
currie@terra.com.br
Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil

An attempt to identify diversity in the ESL classroom using a Multiple Intelligence Theory questionnaire.

Introduction

Many teachers know something about the Multiple Intelligence Theory(MI) proposed by Howard Gardner in his book "Frames of Mind", published in 1983, and subsequently developed by his team at Harvard University through Project Zero. But it is not always clear as to how this theory could be used in the classroom in order to improve the learning of English as a second language.

In one of his more recent books, The Unschooled Mind (1991), Gardner presents the basis of his theory as follows:

"I have posited that all human beings are capable of at least seven different ways of knowing the world -- ways that I have elsewhere labelled the seven human intelligences. According to this analysis, we are all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves. Where individuals differ is in the strength of these intelligences -- the so-called profile of intelligences -- and in the ways in which such intelligences are invoked and combined to carry out different tasks, solve diverse problems, and progress in various domains." (p12)

Teachers are well aware of the fact that every classroom is full of students who are different from each other in many different ways. Each student comes from a different social, economic and cultural background, each one has different areas of interest, different ways of expressing themselves, different strengths and weaknesses, and now the teacher is being asked to be aware of the fact that each student also has their own individual intelligence profile. Obviously all of these factors can affect the student's learning process but how should the teacher face such diversity in the classroom?

The 'traditional' classroom tends to treat students as a homogeneous group, with the teacher presenting the same exercises to all students at the same time, and expecting the same answers to be produced within similar time limits. Students are expected to absorb the knowledge presented by the teacher with a strong emphasis on the use of language and logical-mathematical analysis. Most academic knowledge is presented for learning by means of an extremely limited (or limiting) methodology and the acquisition of that knowledge is evaluated by means of rote tests, whereby the best grades are assigned to students who demonstrate the greatest ability for memorization. As Gardner says on the same page of the book quoted above:

"... some acknowledgement that people do learn, represent and utilize knowledge in many different ways is important to my argument (...) these differences challenge an educational system that assumes that everyone can learn the same materials in the same way and that a uniform, universal measure suffices to test student learning. (...) I argue that a contrasting set of assumptions is more likely to be educationally effective. Students learn in ways that are identifiably distinctive. The broad spectrum of students -- and perhaps the society as a whole -- would be better served if disciplines could be presented in a number of ways and learning could be assessed through a variety of means." (Ibid, p12-13)

Teachers are aware of the diversity in their classrooms. They know it is important to learn something about their students in order to invest more efficiently in the teaching-learning process, but it is not always clear what kind of knowledge would be most relevant and in what way this knowledge can be acquired. In this paper, I would like to propose that Gardner's MI Theory could be used as an initial step in order to investigate the diversity which exists in every classroom, to find out more about students' strengths and weaknesses as related to the learning process.

Collecting MI Data in the Classroom

In order to investigate this possibility, I gave a very simple MI questionnaire to a group of students who had enrolled for a first semester Reading class in English at the Federal University of Espírito Santo in Brazil. This questionnaire can be found on Internet at the following address http://www.ascd.org/pdi/inven.html . It presents 10 statements related to each of the 7 Intelligences proposed by Gardner (Linguistic; Mathematical-Logical; Visual-Spatial; Bodily-Kinaesthetic; Musical; Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal). Each student was required to tick the statements with which they strongly agreed. For example, some of the statements related to spatial intelligence are:

• I often see clear visual images when I close my eyes.
• I'm sensitive to colour.
• I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, mazes and other visual puzzles.

According to the number of statements ticked in each category, it is possible to produce an initial intelligence profile for each student and of course an overall view of the differences between the students. However, it should be emphasized that this kind of questionnaire should only serve as a starting point for the process of getting to know the students in any classroom. Constant observation and evaluation should be regarded as two of the most important factors in the teaching-learning process, factors which should be essential to the teacher's attitude in the classroom at all times. In his book The Whole Story: Natural Learning and the Acquisition of Literacy in the Classroom (1988), Brian Cambourne compares the literacy teacher to a classical anthropologist, saying the following:

"... the teacher becomes like a classical anthropologist. Like an anthropologist, she alternates between participant observer, detached observer and collector of artefacts. At times she observes the 'members of the tribe' from a distance, recording her observations for later analysis. At other times she asks questions of various informants about what they know and think and about the ways they produce their artefacts, all the time recording their responses. Her records become her store of knowledge. From this store of knowledge she tries to construct what reality is for the tribe or culture she's observing. In the case of the teacher building a store of knowledge about literacy development, the reality she is trying to construct is how each one of her pupils' knowledge and skill in literacy and all that it entails is changing and developing over time.." (p122)

Analysis of the Data

An analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaire is presented in Table 1, where the highest scores obtained by each student have been marked in green and the lowest in red. From this data it is possible to identify not only individual strengths and weaknesses but also group tendencies. First of all, it is interesting to note that individual students marked a different number of statements overall. For example, student number 23 only marked a total of 16 statements, scoring a maximum of 5 points for Bodily-Kinaesthetic and a minimum of 1 for Mathematical-Logical Intelligence. Whereas student number 5 marked a total of 43 statements altogether, scoring a maximum of 9 points for Musical and a minimum of 2 points for Bodily-Kinaesthetic Intelligence, demonstrating a much wider range of scores than student 23.

Despite the different range of scores for each student, it is nevertheless possible to identify the highest and the lowest scores for each student, then compare the groupings for maximum and minimum scores within the class. The two Intelligences which seem to be most highly developed by the class as a whole are Linguistic Intelligence and Musical Intelligence. Both areas have 8 students registering their maximum scores in this area. Linguistic Intelligence totalling 123 points for the class and Musical Intelligence totalling 127 points __ the maximum score obtained by the class. This result might be considered surprising since the students are studying language, not music. But if we analyse both disciplines we discover that they have a lot in common. The study of language does involve the study of rhythm, stress, accent and melody, which are also fundamental concepts in the study of music. So perhaps language teachers should be more aware of the importance of music and the study of music as it relates to the acquisition of language.

Teaching Implications

Another extremely important point which teachers should be aware of when trying to relate MI theory to their practise in the classroom is that students should be encouraged to use their strengths in order to make the learning process more accessible. Thus, students who have one area of intelligence which is more fully developed than the others should be encouraged to approach their learning using that particular intelligence as an entry point. For example, student number 7 demonstrates strength in Musical intelligence, scoring 10 points for that area, whereas his next highest score is 7 points in Interpersonal Intelligence. This student should be encouraged to use his knowledge and interest in music to develop his knowledge of the English language. Whereas student number 19 scored 10 points for Interpersonal Intelligence, with his next highest score registered as 6 points for both Linguistic and Bodily-Kinaesthetic Intelligence. This student should therefore have opportunities to develop his knowledge of English using his Interpersonal strength.

Gardner believes that the learning process will function more effectively if several points of entry are used in order to explore specific content. Therefore, teachers must learn to be flexible in the presentation of the material which is being studied in order to create opportunities for all of the students in the class to use their different strengths. It is obviously not the case that the teacher should try to involve all of the intelligences at all times in every lesson. This would be an extremely difficult thing to do. But if the teacher is aware of the intelligence profile of the class, strategies can be developed in order to use the students' intelligence strengths to acquire knowledge more effectively. Thus, according to the preliminary data obtained from this initial questionnaire, the class teacher should be aware of the fact that the group as a whole is strong in linguistic and musical intelligence.

However, it is also extremely important to bear in mind that there is a small group of students who do not demonstrate specific strengths in linguistic or musical intelligence, and these students must be given the chance to use their individual strengths at some point during the course.

Teachers should not only observe the highest scores registered by each of their students in order to discover appropriate entry points for effective learning, they should also examine the lowest scores obtained by their students in order to discover which areas of intelligence need to be developed during the course. As Gardner sates in his book The Unschooled Mind (1991):

"Not only are chances of acquiring understanding enhanced if multiple entry points are recognized and utilized, but in addition, the way in which we conceptualize understanding is broadened. Genuine understanding is most likely to emerge, and be apparent to others, if people possess a number of ways of representing knowledge of a concept or skill and can move readily back and forth among these forms of knowing." (p13)

The lowest scores obtained by the majority of the students are registered in the area of mathematical-logical intelligence, with 11 students registering their minimum scores for this intelligence. However several areas present scores below five for many students. More than 16 students scored less than 5 points in mathematical-logical intelligence, visual-spatial, bodily-kinaesthetic, intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence.

What are the implications of these low scores for the teaching-learning process in this particular classroom? Well the most important implication is that there seems to be plenty of room for development. All of the students have registered at least 2 low scores, with 17 out of 25 registering less than 5 points in at least 4 different areas of intelligence. This information can play an extremely important role in the development of the students' attitude towards the learning process. It is often the case that students will identify a small number of 'elite' students in the classroom who are considered the 'best' students. But if the data elicited by the multiple intelligence questionnaire is discussed by the whole group, it should be obvious to all of the students that each and every one of them has areas of strength and areas of weakness. Some of these strengths and weaknesses might not normally be obvious in a traditional language learning classroom, but if the teacher tries to flexibilise her approach to the learning process and uses as many different entry points as possible, then the students soon begin to appreciate that the best students have weaknesses and the apparently weak students have strengths. It should therefore be possible to build a much more cooperative approach to the learning process.

References

• CAMBOURNE, Brian. The Whole Story: Natural Learning and the Acquisition of Literacy in the Classroom, Ashton Scholastic, Auckland, New Zealand, 1988.
• GARDNER, Howard. Frames of Mind, Paladin Books, London, 1985.
• __________________ The Unschooled Mind, Basic Books, New York, 1991.

TABLE 1 - Student Profile

(See original article for table)

 

The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. IX, No. 4, April 2003
http://iteslj.org/

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http://iteslj.org/Articles/Currie-MITheory.html

Multiple Intelligences in Communication

Faculty of Teacher Training - English Department

Course Title: Applied Communication Skills (Elective)

Instructor: Dr. Rod

Multiple Intelligences in Communication

Preparation: Go to the following web site and complete the assignment there. Print out YOUR individual Multiple Intelligence chart and bring to class: http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/questions.cfm

Above is the chart for Dr. Rod. What does it tell you about how he learns?

Note: This is an interactive worksheet which produces a Multiple Intelligences wheel based upon Gardner's eight multiple intelligences. With thanks to Jean Maund from whom this idea originated and colleagues in the University of the First Age who helped develop the questionnaire.

To start the activity, sign in and fill in a little bit of information about yourself. You can then begin to answer the questions. When you have finished, click on the submit button. If you have not filled in all the questions you will get a warning sign telling you what questions need answering. You can print the intelligences wheel and the unique number printed on the sheet will allow you to re-visit your wheel at any time.

Now try this one:

http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

Again, here are the results from Dr Rod.

Dr Rod’s top three intelligences:

Intelligence	Score (5.0 is highest)	Description
	4.86	Social: You like to develop ideas and learn from other people. You like to talk. You have good social skills. Effective techniques of enhancing your learning using your social intelligence include taking part in group discussions or discussing a topic one-to-one with another person. Find ways to build reading and writing exercises into your group activities, such as: Reading a dialogue or a play with other people Doing team learning/investigating projects Setting up interview questions and interviewing your family, and writing down the interview Writing notes to another instead of talking.
	4	Self: You have a very good sense of self. You like to spend time by yourself and think things over. You will often take in information from another person, mull it over by yourself, and come back to that person later to discuss it. You like working on projects on your own. You often prefer to learn by trial and error. Effective techniques to enhance your learning include keeping a journal and giving yourself time to reflect on new ideas and information. More ideas: Go on "guided imagery" tours. Set aside time to reflect on new ideas and information. Encourage journal writing. Work on the computer. Practice breathing for relaxation. Use brainstorming methods before reading. Listen to and read "how to" tapes and books. Read cookbooks.
	3.43	Language: You enjoy enjoy saying, hearing, and seeing words. You like telling stories. You are motivated by books, records, dramas, opportunities for writing. Effective techniques of enhancing your learning using your language intelligence include reading aloud, especially plays and poetry. Another idea is to write down reflections on what you've read. You may also enjoy exploring and developing your love of words, i.e., meanings of words, origin of words and idioms, names. Use different kinds of dictionaries. Other ideas: Keep a journal Use a tape recorder to tape stories and write them down Read together, i.e., choral reading Read a section, then explain what you've read Read a piece with different emotional tones or viewpoints — one angry, one happy, etc. Trade tall tales, attend story-telling events and workshops Research your name

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The scores for your other five intelligences:

3.29	3.14	3.14	2.86	1.57

Just because these five are not in your top three doesn’t mean you’re not strong in them. If your average score for any intelligence is above three, you’re probably using that intelligence quite often to help you learn.

OK, So now you know how I learn from two different online assessments. What are your strengths and weaknesses. For the next session you need to have completed the above two tests and print for me the results.

Look at the results and see if you have the same strengths on both charts, if not how would you explain the differences? (DO NOT retake the tests to manipulate your scores.)

Example 2: Alex (15 yrs Old)

Alex top three intelligences:

Intelligence	Score (5.0 is highest)	Description
	4.71	Body Movement: You like to move, dance, wiggle, walk, and swim. You are likely good at sports, and you have good fine motor skills. You may enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together. Incorporating body movement into your learning will help you process and retain information better. Here are some ideas. Trace letters and words on each other's back. Use magnetic letters, letter blocks, or letters on index cards to spell words. Take a walk while discussing a story or gathering ideas for a story. Make pipe cleaner letters. Form letters out of bread dough. After you shape your letters, bake them and eat them! Use your whole arm (extend without bending your elbow) to write letters and words in the air. Change the place where you write and use different kinds of tools to write, ie., typewriter, computer, blackboard, or large pieces of paper. Write on a mirror with lipstick or soap. Take a walk and read all the words you find during the walk. Handle a Koosh ball or a worry stone during a study session. Take a break and do a cross-lateral walk.
	4.43	Spatial: You remember things visually, including exact sizes and shapes of objects. You like posters, charts, and graphics. You like any kind of visual clues. You enjoy drawing. Effective techniques of enhancing your learning using your spatial intelligence include creating and/or using pictures, maps, diagrams, and graphs as you learn things. Other suggestions: Write a language experience story and then illustrate it. Color code words so each syllable is a different color. Write a word on the blackboard with a wet finger. Visualize the word as it disappears. See if you can spell it afterwards. Take a survey. Put the information in a chart. Write words vertically. Cut out words from a magazine and use them in a letter. Visualize spelling words. Use colorful newspapers like USA Today. Use crossword puzzles.
	4.29	Social: You like to develop ideas and learn from other people. You like to talk. You have good social skills. Effective techniques of enhancing your learning using your social intelligence include taking part in group discussions or discussing a topic one-to-one with another person. Find ways to build reading and writing exercises into your group activities, such as: Reading a dialogue or a play with other people Doing team learning/investigating projects Setting up interview questions and interviewing your family, and writing down the interview Writing notes to another instead of talking.

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The scores for your other five intelligences:

4	3.57	3.43	3.29	3.14

Question:

How would you describe the differences between Alex and Dr Rod?

What would be the best learning environment for Alex?

How would you express that in a language arts situation?

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Introduction to the multiple intelligences

According to multiple intelligence theory, there are seven basic types of intelligence.

• Visual-spatial
• Verbal-linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Bodily-kinesthetic
• Musical-rhythmic
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal

Visual-spatial

This area deals with the ability to visualize with the mind's eye, so to speak and spatial judgement. Careers which is suit those with this intelligence include, architects.

Verbal-linguistic

This area has to do with words, spoken or written. People with high verbal-linguistic intelligence display a facility with words and languages. They are typically good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing words along with dates. They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and discussion and debate. They are also frequently skilled at explaining, teaching and oration or persuasive speaking. Those with verbal-linguistic intelligence learn foreign languages very easily as they have high verbal memory and recall, and an ability to understand and manipulate syntax and structure.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include writers, lawyers, philosophers, journalists, politicians, poets, and teachers.

Logical-mathematical

This area has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning, and numbers. While it is often assumed that those with this intelligence naturally excel in mathematics, chess, computer programming and other logical or numerical activities, a more accurate definition places less emphasis on traditional mathematical ability and more reasoning capabilities, abstract patterns of recognition, scientific thinking and investigation, and the ability to perform complex calculations. It correlates strongly with traditional concepts of "intelligence" or IQ.

Careers which suit those with this intelligence include scientists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors and economists.

Bodily-kinesthetic

In theory, people who have bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should learn better by involving muscular movement (e.g. getting up and moving around into the learning experience), and are generally good at physical activities such as sports or dance. They may enjoy acting or performing, and in general they are good at building and making things. They often learn best by doing something physically, rather than [by] reading or hearing about it. Those with strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence seem to use what might be termed muscle memory - they remember things through their body such as verbal memory or images.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include: athletes, dancers, musicians, actors, surgeons, doctors, builders, police officers, and soldiers. Although these careers can be duplicated through virtual simulation, they will not produce the actual physical learning that is needed in this intelligence

Musical-rhythmic

This area has to do with rhythm, music, and hearing. Those who have a high level of musical-rhythmic intelligence display greater sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones, and music. They normally have good pitch and may even have absolute pitch, and are able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music. Since there is a strong auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture. Language skills are typically highly developed in those whose base intelligence is musical. In addition, they will sometimes use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include instrumentalists, singers, conductors, disc-jockeys, orators, writers and composers.

Interpersonal

This area has to do with interaction with others. In theory, people who have a high interpersonal intelligence tend to be extroverts, characterized by their sensitivity to others' moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations, and their ability to cooperate in order to work as part of a group. They communicate effectively and empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers. They typically learn best by working with others and often enjoy discussion and debate.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include sales, politicians, managers, teachers and social workers.

Intrapersonal

This area has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. People with intrapersonal intelligence are intuitive and typically introverted. They are skillful at deciphering their own feelings and motivations. This refers to having a deep understanding of the self; what are your strengths/ weaknesses, what makes you unique, can you predict your own reactions/ emotions.

Careers which suit those with this intelligence include philosophers, psychologists, theologians, lawyers, and writers. People with intrapersonal intelligence also prefer to work alone.

Naturalistic

This area has to do with nature, nurturing and relating information to one’s natural surroundings. They learn best by collecting and analyzing.

Careers which suit those with this intelligence include naturalists, farmers, and gardeners.

Existential

This area has do to with philosophical issues of life. The learn best by thinking analytical questions.

Careers which suit those with this intelligence include readers, religious speakers.

Use in education

Traditionally, schools have emphasized the development of logical intelligence and linguistic intelligence (mainly reading and writing). In fact, IQ tests (given to about 1,000,000 students each year) focus mostly on logical and linguistic intelligence. While many students function well in this environment, there are those who do not. Gardner's theory argues that students will be better served by a broader vision of education, wherein teachers use different methodologies, exercises and activities to reach all students, not just those who excel at linguistic and logical intelligence.

Many teachers see the theory as simple common sense. Some say that it validates what they already know: that students learn in different ways. On the other hand, James Traub’s article in The New Republic notes that Gardner's system has not been accepted by most academics in intelligence or teaching.

George Miller, the esteemed psychologist credited with discovering the mechanisms by which short term memory operates, wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Gardner's argument boiled down to "hunch and opinion" (p. 20). Gardner's subsequent work has done very little to shift the balance of opinion. A recent issue of Psychology, Public Policy, and Law devoted to the study of intelligence contained virtually no reference to Gardner's work. Most people who study intelligence view M.I. theory as rhetoric rather than science, and they're divided on the virtues of the rhetoric.

The application of the theory of multiple intelligences varies widely. It runs the gamut from a teacher who, when confronted with a student having difficulties, uses a different approach to teach the material, to an entire school using MI as a framework. In general, those who subscribe to the theory strive to provide opportunities for their students to use and develop all the different intelligences, not just the few at which they naturally excel.

A Harvard-led study of 41 schools using the theory came to the conclusion that in these schools there was "a culture of hard work, respect, and caring; a faculty that collaborated and learned from each other; classrooms that engaged students through constrained but meaningful choices, and a sharp focus on enabling students to produce high-quality work.”

Of the schools implementing Gardner's theory, the most well-known is “New City School”, in St. Louis, Missouri, which has been using the theory since 1988. The school's teachers have produced two books for teachers, Celebrating Multiple Intelligences and Succeeding With Multiple Intelligences and the principal, Thomas Hoerr, has written Becoming a Multiple Intelligences School as well as many articles on the practical applications of the theory. The school has also hosted four conferences, each attracting over 200 educators from around the world and remains a valuable resource for teachers interested in implementing the theory in their own classrooms.

See also http://www.miinstitute.info/ Multiple Intelligence Institute. - The Multiple Intelligences (MI) Institute is committed to the understanding and application of Multiple Intelligences Theory in educational settings, from pre-school through adult education. Through our online course and support channels, face to face professional development, consulting services, and curriculum and resource development offerings, we support programs and educators seeking to tap into Multiple Intelligences and pedagogical framework to create and provide learner-centered, goal-driven applications of Multiple Intelligences Theory in any learning context.

Sources: http://www.miinstitute.info/ Multiple Intelligence Institute

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences Wikipedia - Theory of Multiple Intelligence

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/questions.cfm Birmingham Grid for Learning.

http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html - Literacy Works

William Shakespeare Plays

 

William Shakespeare - the Complete Works

Shakespeare Site Map
Shakespeare Biography
Bubonic Plague
Shakespeare Sonnets

First Folio
Shakespearean Insults!
Pictures of Shakespeare
Shakespeare Poems

Shakespeare Facts
Shakespeare Dictionary
Globe Theater
Identity Problem

Shakespeare Quotes
Shakespeare Quiz!
Elizabethan Theater
Shakespeare Forum

The Plays of William Shakespeare  
The plays written by the great Bard are listed below by category and alphabetical order. The section relating to the Chronology of Plays provides a list of when plays were written and published. This section provides access to the plot summary of each play, pictures, key dates, characters, history and the full script of every one of William Shakespeare's plays.

History themed Plays
Click a link below to access full scripts and information about Shakespeare's Plays

• King Henry IV Part 1 - play by William Shakespeare
• King Henry IV Part 2 - a Shakespearean play
• King Henry V - play by William Shakespeare
• King Henry VI Part 1 - play by William Shakespeare
• King Henry VI Part 2 - a Shakespearean play
• King Henry VI Part 3 - a Shakespearean play
• King Henry VIII - play by William Shakespeare
• King John - play by William Shakespeare
• Richard II - play by William Shakespeare
• Richard III - play by William Shakespeare

Tragedy themed Plays
Click a link below to access full scripts and information about Shakespeare's Plays

• Antony and Cleopatra - play by William Shakespeare
• Coriolanus - a Shakespearean play
• Hamlet - play by William Shakespeare
• Julius Caesar - play by William Shakespeare
• King Lear - play by William Shakespeare
• Macbeth - play by William Shakespeare
• Othello - play by William Shakespeare
• Romeo and Juliet - play by William Shakespeare
• Timon of Athens - a Shakespearean play
• Titus Andronicus - a Shakespearean play

Comedy themed Plays
Click a link below to access full scripts and information about Shakespeare's Plays

• Alls Well That Ends Well - play by William Shakespeare
• As You Like It - play by William Shakespeare
• Comedy of Errors - play by William Shakespeare
• Cymbeline - a Shakespearean play
• Love's Labour's Lost - a Shakespearean play
• Measure for Measure - play by William Shakespeare
• Merchant of Venice - play by William Shakespeare
• Merry Wives of Windsor - play by William Shakespeare
• Midsummer Nights Dream - play by William Shakespeare
• Much Ado About Nothing - play by William Shakespeare
• Pericles, Prince of Tyre - a Shakespearean play
• Taming of the Shrew - play by William Shakespeare
• The Tempest - play by William Shakespeare
• Troilus and Cressida - a Shakespearean play
• Twelfth Night - play by William Shakespeare
• Two Gentlemen of Verona - a Shakespearean play
• Winter's Tale - a Shakespearean play

Registration of Plays

Plays were required to be registered prior to publication. It was important that plays were regulated as  playwrights used the stage as a forum to express their own views on religion and politics. Registration provided an opportunity to invoke a form of censorship and the means to suppress too much freedom of thought and criticism of the crown and public affairs.

Information provided about the plays

The Bard never published any of his plays and therefore none of the original manuscripts have survived. Eighteen unauthorised versions of his plays were, however, published during his lifetime in quarto editions by unscrupulous publishers (there were no copyright laws protecting Shake-speare and his works during the Elizabethan era). A collection of his works did not appear until 1623 (a full seven years after Shakespeare's death on April 23, 1616) when two of his fellow actors, John Hemminges and Henry Condell, posthumously recorded his work and published 36 of William’s plays in the First Folio. Some dates are therefore approximate other dates are substantiated by historical events, records of performances and the dates plays appeared in print.

The Characters and Scripts
These enduring works  feature many famous and well loved characters. The text and scripts convey vivid impressions. The language used today is, in many ways, different to that used in the 16th century Elizabethan era and this is often reflected in the script and text used in the plays. It is therefore not surprising that we have no experience or  understanding of some of the words contained in the text / script of the various works. We have therefore included a Shakespearean Dictionary for most of the more obscure words used in the script of his plays, some of which are obsolete in modern language or Dictionaries. Make a note of any unusual words that you encounter whilst reading the scripts and check their definition in the Dictionary by clicking Dictionary at the top of the page to access Elizabethan Dictionary - Guide to language and words used in the Elizabethan era.

Chronology of Plays
The section relating to the Chronology of Plays provides a list of when plays were written and published. This section provides access to the plot summary of each of the plays, pictures, key dates, characters, history and the full script of every one of William Shake-speare's plays. 

Chronology of Plays - First performance and publications

Editions of Plays
This selection of Collections of Shake-speare conveys the number of different editions of the Plays of the Bard that have been published. Editions may vary in content and variations are generally detailed and explained in the modern forewords.1623 The First Folio (F1) 
1632 The Second Folio (F2) 
1663 The Third Folio (F3) Second issue of the F3 in the following year includes Pericles. 
1685 The Fourth Folio (F4)
1709 Nicholas Rowe's edition
1723-25 Alexander Pope's edition. 
1733 Lewis Theobald's edition. 
1734-5 Robert Walker's small-format editions of the individual plays
1734-6 Jacob Tonson
1743-4 Thomas Hanmer's edition.
1747 William Warburton's edition. 
1765 Samuel Johnson's edition. 
1767-8 Edward Capell's edition.
1773 George Stevens's revision of Samuel Johnson's edition. 
1773-4 John Bell's edition - Based on the prompt books then being used in the London theatres. 
1778 Isaac Reed's revision of Stevens's Johnson edition. 
1790 Edmond Malone's edition.
1791-1802 J. & J. Boydell's edition.
1795 First American edition published at Philadelphia. 
1807 Francis Douce's edition
1821 A revised edition of Malone, prepared by James Boswell.
1822-23 Pickering edition.
1838-43 Charles Knight's edition.
1859-60 Mary Cowden Clarke's edition.
1863-6 Clark, Wright and Glover Cambridge University Press edition.
1870-1911 William J. Rolfe edition 
1899-1931 W. J. Craig and R. H. Case's 'The Arden Shakespeare'.
1921-66 John Dover Wilson and Arthur Quiller-Couch's 'New Cambridge Shakespeare'.
1937-59 George B. Harrison's 'Penguin Shakespeare'.
1951 Peter Alexander's edition.
1956-67 Alfred Harbage's 'Pelican Shakespeare'. 
1974 G. Blakemore Evans's 'Riverside Shakes-peare'.The edition most widely used among US colleges  
1986 Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor's 'Oxford Shakespeare'.
1995- Richard Proudfoot, Ann Thompson and David Scott Kastan's revision of the Arden (now known as 'Arden 3').

First Folio - Description of William Shakespeare Quarto Texts and first published plays as Comedies, Histories and Tragedies

Plays and the Globe Theatre
Plays were big!! There was money to be made!! There was a constant demand for new material!! Rivalry between the Theatres Playhouses was enormous!! As soon as plays were written they was immediately produced - printing followed productions! So the actors initially used 'foul papers' or prompts. Rival theater companies would send their members to attend plays to produce unauthorised copies of plays - notes were made and copied as quickly as possible. In Shakespeare’s time copyright did not exist. Alternative versions of Shakespearean plays were produced! These unauthorised and inferior text copies of Shakespeare's plays are called Quarto Texts.

The success of the Elizabethan theaters, including that of the Globe, was such that other  forms of Elizabethan entertainment were being seriously affected. In 1591 the growing popularity of theatres led to a law closing all theaters on Thursdays so that the bull and bear bating industries would not be neglected! Many of the plays of the Great Playwright were first featured in the Globe Theatre of London.

Comedies, Histories and Tragedies

William Shakespeare Plays

Related Lord of the Flies Resources

 

Related Links on Lord of the Flies

Summary and Map - A well-designed website that includes a quick overview of the themes and a brief summary of the novel. The map is an artistic rendering of the island.

Nobel Prize Official Website - A biography of William Golding and a transcript of his entire Nobel lecture.

Nobel Prize in Literature: Lord of the Flies - A Lord of the Flies adventure game that requires you to use your knowledge of the novel to complete the challenges.

Lord of the Flies Adventure Maze - A text adventure game you can play, based closely on the novel.

Lord of the Flies: Vocabulary - A game designed to test your knowledge of the vocabulary used in the novel.

Related Content for Lord of the Flies

• Essays on Lord of the Flies
• Forum for Lord of the Flies
• Purchase Lord of the Flies and Related Material
• Biography of William Golding

Study Guide for Lord of the Flies

• Short Summary
• About Lord of the Flies
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter One: The Sound of the Shell
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Two: Fire on the Mountain
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Three: Huts on the Beach
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Four: Painted Faces and Long Hair
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Five: Beast From Water
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Six: Beast from Air
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Seven: Shadows and Tall Trees
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Eight: Gift for the Darkness
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Nine: A View to a Death
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Ten: The Shell and the Glasses
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Eleven: Castle Rock
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter Twelve: Cry of the Hunters
• The Lord of the Flies: Biblical Allegory or Anti-Religious Critique?
• Related Links on Lord of the Flies
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

Essay Analysis from online … somewhere to begin from.

my new essay is on lord of the flies.

sc15pcz

Mar 26, 09, 12:14am

#1

you can combine topics as long as you show how they are connected in supporting your specific thesis on human nature and society.
1. character interpretation: choose one of the main characters and interpret the changes he goes through. what do these changes suggest about the novel's message regarding society and human nature? or, compare 2 or even 3 characters to show what ideas these characters represent regarding society or human nature.
2. symbolic interpretation: choose one or more of the main symbols and interpret the importance of that symbol in the novel. what do the symbols suggest about society and human nature. you might analyze changes in the conch throughout the novel and the changes in the tribe it represents. or compare changes in the conch to changes in the lord of the flies (pigs head) to explain how these changes reflect changes in the tribe. or compare different uses of fire. or examine piggy's specs, face paint, or any combination of these symbols. make sure that you compare each of them as you go and link them all together with a thesis regarding human nature and society. use symbol and symbolize only once or twice.
3. interpretation of irony: interpret various ironic situations and their importance in developing the novel's message regarding human nature and society. you might examine the boys' assumptions about grown-ups, the use of fire, their assumptions about the beast, the death of simon and their eventual rescue by the naval commander. in each case make sure you explain exactly how the situation is ironic: how is the reality or outcome of the situation the exact opposite of the characters expectations? what do these ironies suggest about human nature, society, or the nature of reality?
topic should have to do with human nature and society and the novel's message about them. you might also analyze what effect society has on human nature. what kind of societies or governments best keep human nature under control? can any government really suppress problems of human nature completely? why/why not?
i was thinking of maybe doing the symbolism one, the boys clothes fall apart as the novel goes on, and so does their social interactions, and their "humanity".
but then again this is humanity in a way, so i wasnt sure.
also maybe something about how golding uses piggy to keep the novel going, if they didnt have him for the other boys to ridicule and taunt, then they might just end up running around and hunting instead of hunting eachother.
maybe the littluns role, they serve as a gauge of the older boys' morality, how they treat the littuns is how they are. but maybe they might represent something else, innocence... maybe...
how golding uses the gentler characters, simon and piggy to enrage the other boys and get them to the point where they show their true humanity and loose all ties to society.
if you didnt read this book ill just post it somewhere else. i want to have an original topic, and im not sure what i am the most interested in.

sc15pcz
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sc15pcz

Mar 26, 09, 01:04am

#2

some ideas, a little more developed than the first. still cant choose one.
Are the littluns filler, or do they mean something more?
The littluns seem to just be in their own little group that does whatever they want, they build castles and play on the beach all day, but they can be useful. Golden uses the littluns to gauge the older boys morality, if they are cruel to them, then they are cruel in general. But they also seem to symbolize the connection between the boys and society, they are innocent and remind us of how people behave in society. The littluns cry a lot, and they are not scared to admit that they are frightened, and they don't go off and hunt or do any of that, they link the boys with their last shreds of normal behavior, and are not caught up in the older boys war.
Piggy, Ralph and Simon Made Me Do It
Would the boys become killers without Piggy, Simon, and Ralph?
Well, obviously they couldn't kill Simon and Piggy if they never existed, but if they were like the others, blood thirsty and savage, the others may have never been driven to kill at all. These softer characters are used to create a contrast between them that brings out the truth about humanity.
No Clothes, No Morals
As time on the island passes, their clothes fall apart, and with them their links to society, and their true human nature emerges.

sc15pcz
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lowryder49

Mar 26, 09, 09:50am

#3

history shows us that Humans tends to commit the same mistakes over and over again
Killing, rage adn anger are parts of human nature as well as loving, caring and nursing
lord of the flies topics are war, power, superiority,frienship these are a few

lowryder49
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EF_Kevin [Moderator]

Mar 27, 09, 12:28am

#4

I agree that symbolism is always a safe bet... and it can make for such a great essay. Symbolism is fascinating.
I really like your section about whether the Littluns are filler or something more!
Who is the kid that turned all evil? It would be cool to write about the changes he went through... but that would not be original.
Your ideas are good. Write some more of it!

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EF_Sean [Moderator]

Mar 28, 09, 06:16pm

#5

I like where you seem to be going with the clothes as symbolic approach. Clothes conceal us, after all, hide our bodies. If, then, as the clothes decay, we see the children's true nature, which is animalistic and brutal, it is presumably the case that the children's nature doesn't decay, so much as get revealed as the civilizing veneer of socialization wear's off. So, the clothing would then actually represent socialization. You can definitely build on that to create a solid essay. Good luck.

EF_Sean
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sc15pcz

Mar 30, 09, 05:13pm

#6

i wrote this before i got any of your comments, but i couldnt decide so it is kind of a mixture of all of them. some of my classmates read it, and they didnt think it was too random but i do... does it fit together at all? it seems to me to just be a jumble but im not sure...
They Made Me Do it
SEE BELOW

sc15pcz
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EF_Kevin [Moderator]

Mar 31, 09, 04:16pm

#7

Everyone feels this way at one time or another; and no matter how much society tries to force it out of us, we still have our human nature under it all the facade of civility, and we will do what is necessary to survive.
How about that, with the semi-colon and a slight tweak.
This essay is great! I like the way you expertly attended to all the important things: narrative hook at the start, clear thesis, logical sequence of ideas. It is great!
The only gripe I have with you is that you oversimplify Golding's message. The story obviously shows that we have savagery beneath our civilized appearances, but I don't think he meant to say that we will always revert to our animal instincts. Instead, his exposition of the mechanisms that give rise to violence, and the factors that work against good leadership, gives readers real wisdom and insight. Golding shows a model of the human societal process... shows it in the form of a sort of experiment on an island, a "what if" scenario. Golding is showing something about human nature, and, more importantly, he is exposing the demons that need to be conquered if we are to succeed in keeping the violence out of society.

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EF_Sean [Moderator]

Mar 31, 09, 05:23pm

#8

The great flaw in your argument is that Ralph and Piggy don't in fact lose their morals. Both remain decent human beings standing up for what they believe is right to the very end. Piggy is murdered, and Ralph would have been, if not for the arrival of adults, or course, but they die, or come close to it, precisely because they refuse to give up their moral nature. So, perhaps you need to go a little deeper into your analysis than merely saying that everyone loses their morals when they don't have supervision. Why does Ralph lose out to Jack in the political battle? Why does Jack set the entire island ablaze in an effort to destroy him, even though he is smart enough to realize that this must surely end in his own destruction too? You might want to throw in some Freudian analysis here -- id, ego, superego. Also, what could Ralph have done to change the outcome? Why doesn't he?
"We need societies structure to keep us from reverting back to animals" But the larger society in the book is essentially on the verge of WWIII. That is, the planet itself is about to burn as the island does, only in a nuclear conflagration. So, even with society's structure, our destructive impulses can still emerge and destroy us.
Good essay overall, then, but try to dig a bit deeper to make it even stronger.

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sc15pcz

Apr 1, 09, 02:11am

#9

sean, i get what you mean about ralph and piggy, but there is one point where they are so caught up in the hunters dance that they want to join in and kill simon. they do not loose their morals, but they arent completely intact either.
will work on the rest, just wanted to say that.

sc15pcz
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sc15pcz

Edited by: sc15pcz Apr 1, 09, 02:47am

#10

maybe a little better, not sure if i caught everything. ill change more of the stuff you said sean, i just need to have this done tonight for the second draft to show my teacher, and i already blew it by falling asleep.
They Made Me Do it
Have you ever been so mad you wanted to kill someone? Been so angry you just wanted to rip their head off? Everyone feels this way at one time or another; no matter how much society tries to force ...
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sc15pcz
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EF_Kevin [Moderator]

Apr 1, 09, 05:25pm

#11

The boys are all "going native" to one extent or another, and loosing their footholds that keep them from going over the edge; however, it is sometimes hard to tell ...
Above, that was a run-on sentence without the semi-colon. I had not noticed it before! You tried to use "however" in the way you would use "but"; however, "however" cannot be used as a conjunction. "But" can be used in a compound sentence, but "however" needs its own sentence.
This is really quite a great essay, and the last paragraph leaves no doubt tha you understand the theme. It would be better, though, if you add a few sentences about how the society on the island is like a model that shows how larger societies sink into violence -- as a result of the savage ways to which we resort we are frightened.

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sc15pcz

Apr 10, 09, 12:33am

#12

so, my teacher didnt really think the ideas were connected. he said to have two of the paragraph topics be the theme and the other two the body, but im not exactly sure what he meant. i tried rewriting it like he said but i got stuck. help? suggestions? im pretty much at a block and cant seem to write anything else. thanks.
SEE BELOW

sc15pcz
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EF_Kevin [Moderator]

Apr 10, 09, 01:59pm

#13

Have you ever wanted to kill someone?
I like it! You toned down this opening in a good way. The mention of killing someone is enough to grab the attention. In general, it will be good for you to eliminate unnecessary sentences in your writing. Same for all of us.
Most would say no; however, if you think about it we get outraged very easily, and sometimes it takes all our self-control to keep from lashing out.

sc15pcz:

Humans fear what they do not understand, and unfortunately we understand very little. It is up to us to try to explain the mysteries of our world in order to maintain civility, and refrain from aggression.

Excellent! Now, reread your whole essay and think of it as advice you were writing for kids who were about to become policy-makers, senate, congress, etc. The essay is all very good. But I think you are neglecting the fact that the lessons in the story are most useful for those who would participate in government -- an important thing to at least acknowledge.

EF_Kevin
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sc15pcz

Apr 13, 09, 11:47pm

#14

i had to rush at the end but here it is. i kind of lost interest in the topic because i didnt do it right away...
56093
An Adaption to Ruthlessness
What would it mean to be the lord of the flies? William Golding entitles his work the Lord of the Flies leading one to wonder weather he refers to the decapitated pigs head or to Ralph. The fly is an ignoble creature. It is small. It is a bearer of germs. It is known to feed on feces. If Golding perceives the boys as flies, his view of human beings is completely pessimistic. His premise is that if left alone on an island away from the supervision, rules, and laws of adults, boys would revert to a state of total savagery and would proceed to murder one another. Survival of the fittest would be enacted. To become a lord or ruler of such creatures would require becoming the most violent and vicious person among the group. In short this ruler would rule over insignificant creatures and thus be no true lord at all. Ralph is not able to maintain his rule over the boys because his power stems from his ability to think with forethought rather than physical strength. Ultimately Ralph's intelligence cannot overcome jack's force. One of the true marks of maturity is learning that simply because you can, doesn't mean that you should. In a human context, what does it take to maintain rule, intelligence or strength? Golding puts forth the idea that force is superior to intelligence in the quest for power.
In the beginning it appears that Ralph is the logical leader of the group, but if Ralph hadn't been so calm, Piggy so smart, and Simon so gentle, the other boys would still have come to kill. These softer characters were used as a catalyst to expose the true nature of the boys. They were all just looking for food and playing at first, but when the hunters start messing around and let the fire go out, Ralph says the "smoke is more important than the pig, however often you kill one" (81), and he is not impressed by their kill. They are angry because they think their game is impressive, and they do not appreciate him telling them that all their manly efforts were not of any use. Jack uses this annoyance towards Ralph to his advantage; planting the idea that Ralph is an annoying know-it-all and causing the rest of the hunters to want to show off more to spite him. He revs them up into a frenzy until all they want to do is "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood" (69), and all Ralph's ideas about keeping the fire going seem to be a joke. The hunters feel that they are too strong to take orders from a weakling that "[is] not a hunter. [And would] never have got [them] meat" (126). They don't know anything about him, so when Jack says, "He just gives orders and expects people to obey for nothing" (126), the hunters start to question the idea that they will be rescued with fire, and begin to follow Jack even more. Piggy and Simon are similar to Ralph, being smart and unique. They consider the consequences of their actions, rather than just going for whatever whim comes their way. The hunters don't like this. They want to be able to do what they want, when they want, so when the odd ones tell them to behave, they get annoyed and think they are better than them and shouldn't be ruled by the ones who are not the most vicious or violent. They are not the lord, and therefore are nothing.
That which we want the most is often the worst possible thing for us. It is important in life to know when to draw the line. To know what is ok, and what is going too far. The flies have lost this sense. They can no longer tell the bad from the good, they simply do what they feel is necessary to survive, so when they attack they never think to stop. Never think it is wrong to kill another boy. Thus as the boys forget about their civility, the reader begins to wonder how far they have really gone, and Golding uses the littluns to remind us of the empire waiting for them back home. They act as a gauge, to tell us how far each character has fallen. The littluns are around six, terrified of everything, spend all their time eating and playing, but are essentially harmless. They aren't expected to do anything, but what really shows a persons character is how they act towards those who cannot protect themselves. If you go and poke a baby with a stick, you cannot be a very nice person. Some people pretend, but on the island with no consequences, how they act towards the weak shows a lot about who they are. Ralph, being the leader, is not mean to them, and tries to include them in meetings by using "simple words so that even [they] would understand"(79); however, he doesn't find them useful. This demonstrates his nature. He is a pensive boy who finds delight in swimming, and simple things, and does not find the affairs of others particularly intriguing unless they directly affect him. This is displayed when he tells them to make sure they do not go to the bathroom near the food, water, or tents, and also when they start all the talk about the beast which makes all his followers begin to question him. Piggy is similar to Ralph in that respect, he is not mean, but does not think they warrant his attention. He feels that they are childish, and he is above their games, saying, "If the littluns climb back on the twister again they'll only fall off in a sec. So they might as well sit on the ground and listen" (84), in a rather irritated manner. Correspondingly, Piggy always feels that he is smarter than everyone else, and he comes up with most of the good ideas, even if no one listens to him. Simon on the other hand goes out of his way to be kind to them, bringing them "fruit they [cannot] reach" (56), and looking out for them when no one else does, which exemplifies his kind, caring nature, to sacrifice himself for the well-being of others. One of the middle kids (neither bigun, nor littlun), Maurice throws sand in their eyes and rocks around them; however, when they are all at a meeting he "save[s] them" (87) crying out, "Look at me!" (87), and pretending to fall over in order to make them laugh and avoid their crying. This is not a completely selfless act, in that he would have to wait for them to stop, nonetheless, he still tries to help, which is illustrated later when he follows the rest of the hunters, not exactly wanting to kill, but simply trying to avoid being singled out like the other three, and saving his own skin. This leads to Jack who is mean and thinks they are a "useless lot of cry-babies!" (83), and it would "serve [them] right if something did get [them]" (83) for causing all the trouble about the beast. When Jack's tribe splits off, he leaves all the littuns with the nicer characters who care if they are unhappy or in danger, which shows how he is savage, and will waste no effort in trying to help out little children, simply hunting and killing whatever he can. It's like stealing candy from a baby, if you do it to make yourself happy, then you are a horrible person, and you can't deny it.
Golding uses clothing as a symbol for civilization. Every morning we put on clothes without thinking about their function. Clothes provide warmth and preserve modesty. They also maintain cleanliness and give a protective covering to the skin. The first description of Ralph is that he is trailing his school sweater by one arm and that the clothing he still wears is causing him to sweat. Thus his clothes do not suit the climate or circumstances in which he finds himself. As the book goes on, the boys' clothing deteriorates with their morals. It is a logical response to a tropical climate to wear less clothing. The boys take off their shirts and shoes to remain cool. This is liberating in a physical sense as well as a mental one as they would not be permitted to do this at home. They run around and play enlivened by this new freedom from the restrictions of vestments. The longer they live in this state of virtual nakedness, the dirtier and more ragged they become. The longer they exist without the restrictions of civilization, the mental reaction to autonomy is moral deterioration. Even at the beginning of the book when Ralph pulls off all his clothes, he stands "among the skull-like coconuts" (10), which foreshadows the future. A person who sheds all clothing and discards all morals is less protected from death. Near the end of the book when all the boys' shorts are in tatters and are being held up by mere threads as well as their links to society, Ralph makes one last attempt to rein them in. He puts on his shirt from the first day even though it is stiff with sweat and very uncomfortable. Just as in a restaurant a sign will warn "No shirt no shoes no service", the wearing of clothing represents accountability and responsibility or the consciousness that human nakedness requires covering to be civilized. As the deterioration of morality intensifies, the boys begin to rely more on their fear of danger to make decisions. Unlike animals who navigate their world with instinct, the fear begins to overshadow their common sense. They completely loose their minds when the "demented" dance starts. "Out of the terror (rises) another desire, thick, urgent, blind"(152). They are overcome by their fear and their instincts turn to bloodlust. They are possessed with the urge to kill and they cannot stop themselves. Then at Castle Rock, all the hunters chant and yell, and the "storm of sound beat at them, in an incantation of hatred"(180). Roger is gripped "with a sense of delirious abandonment" (180), and he leans on the lever, causing the boulder to crush piggy. Every time the boys start to chant someone dies. After that the hunters give up all control, and Jack shouts, "There isn't a tribe for you anymore!"(181) They all proceed to attack him with spears and every last trace of humanity is gone. The alpha instinct in Jack to lead overcomes him and he gets the whole tribe to attack. The bloodlust is summoned and the façade of civility is discarded like an unwanted garment.
As the boys deteriorate, they begin to rely more on their fear to determine danger than common sense, more animal than human. When the "demented" dance starts they loose their heads, and "out of terror [rises] another desire, thick, urgent, blind" (152). They are overcome by their fear and it turns into bloodlust, they are possessed, and cannot stop themselves from killing, nor do they want to. Then at castle rock when all the hunters are chanting and yelling, and the "storm of sound beat[s] at them, in an incantation of hatred" (180), Roger is gripped "with a sense of delirious abandonment" (180), and he leans on the lever and the boulder crushes Piggy. When they let themselves be taken over they let all their human thoughts fall away. The sound revs them up, and every time they start to chant, someone dies. After that the hunters give up control all together and Jack shouts "there isn't a tribe for you anymore!" (181). They have fallen into an animalistic state, and Ralph is forced to run for his life as they stab at him. Every last trace of their attempts at society is gone. The alpha instinct in Jack to be leader overcomes him and he gets the whole tribe to attack. Underneath it all, the bloodlust comes out, the façade crumbles, and there is nothing you can do about it, its just human nature.
We need society's structure to keep us from reverting back to animals. When all the hallmarks of civilization have been striped away it is all we can do to refrain from using our instincts to make decisions, and attacking whatever we fear. It is important to try to understand what we fear, or we will live in fear forever, and that fear will turn to aggression and we won't be able to resist. It is our ability to consider the consequences of our actions that separates us from animals. We can consider all angles of a situation, and determine weather it is better to stay and fight, or run and hide. Golding uses the island as a model of larger societies to illustrate how they sink into violence, which makes everyone scared, which in turn brings more carnage. Just like Bush's "war on terror", everyone fights out of fear, fear of loosing what they have. Most do not simply fight for the sake of fighting. Humans fear what they do not understand, and unfortunately we understand very little. It is up to us to try to explain the mysteries of our world in order to maintain civility and refrain from aggression, or we will undoubtedly be doomed to repeat, over and over, all the violence.

sc15pcz
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Winpapamon

Apr 14, 09, 03:54am

#15

Should parents be responsible if their children behave badly?
Most children in the duration between childhood and adulthood may be problem-makers of society because they start to learn about the life only at that time.In some places,parents neglect or do not know what their children did wrongly and they have not been nothing to do with their children did.This essay will discuss whether parents should pay attention to their children' committing.
Parents are the very first teachers of their children.Only parents should guide when children start to observe about the environment.In addition,children do not have anyone to rely on except parents.That is why,parents should keep an eye on their children's deed and always take care of their children's behaviors.
There are many excuses for which parents should not take responsibility if their children commit some crimes.One of those is because parents are earning money to support their children's requirements such as educational fees,living,food supplies,clothes and others.For these reasons, they cannot care well about children.What is more,adolescents do not want to stay under the control of parents.They desire to make own decisions and to face everything and to be free from parents' management.Furthermore,some adolescents do not let their parents know what they will do and they did.They want to be secretive on parents.
From my point of view,the phenomenon of that children act badly does not deal with parents because parents are responsible to guide them right from wrong. That is why they are called parents.In my opinion, humans should be effected by the consequences of that they did.It is not for their parents.

Winpapamon
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