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theseventhoffrostfall · 2 years

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@dreadnaut

In brief, the Storm Angel is a god in the setting that virtually never communicates directly with any mortals and is clearly not associated with the old pantheon, Thurakanda, or any of the groups of little-gods known, leaving His origins and motivations quite opaque. He's appeared a few times throughout history, notable both for unpredictable behavior (in one case He wipes out an army with no known provocation, in another He cures a deadly plague) and for, unlike the other few gods that walk the mortal world from time to time like Thurakanda or the Iron God, never using a mortal guise or proxy shell. He appears in full unveiled power every time. The earth trembled when He walks, every beat of His wings births a cyclone, and the radiance of His eyes causes fires to erupt wherever he gazes.

His principle involvement in history is the above incident wherein He wipes out an army (taking a leisurely minute to slay 5,000 men, shaking the mountains with every fall of His mace). He allows a young brothel-slave to glimpse his unhelmed face on the horizon, which grants the slave a holy vision and a fraction of divine power (which also leaves him permanently blind with white fires forever burning in the pits of his eye sockets).

Long story short, the slave leads an exodus out of the city, gathering followers and whipping them into a fervor. Crucian, as he becomes known, leads them to take over a vast mountain fortress intended as a war refuge, and they rededicate it to making instruments of holy war (that is to say, all war). Soon so many forge fires are burning that the mountain is henceforth often mistaken for a smoking volcano, and Crucian shows them how they can make mightier weapons, ones that hunger for blood, by casting the body of a blooded warrior into the forge-fires. Thus begins their wild rampage through much of the southern region of the continent, all the while gathering bodies for a secret, holy work known only to the inner circle under the rule of Crucian, now known as Pontifex-Militant.

In time, over the years, this is revealed to be a human body, 12 feet tall and wrought masterfully from pyreforged iron and bronze. After a final sermon, Crucian walks into the tempering furnace where the body waits and calmly lays down atop the glowing iron, becoming the last offering the great work needs. It would be some few decades before the tempering was done, and the one which would inhabit the Iron shell would only arrive centuries more after the storm that was Thurakanda had passed.

Meanwhile, the Church evolved from a wild cult of sacrifice and murder into a much more moderate (and functional) order, master smiths who provided weapons to Thurakanda's army and the rising Confederacy in turn. A sign of their growing placidity, save for a small subsect, was the edict that bodies offered to the forge fires had to be dead first.

Crucian himself, in the act of his sacrifice to the holy work, was elevated to immortal demigodhood by the Storm Angel, and he quickly carved himself out a proper godhood, establishing himself as the overlord of all crafting gods and patron of the making and use of weapons-- the Duke Of That Which Kills embodies not only the creation and skill to use killing tools, but forms the third and final point in the triarchy of humanity's war-gods. Thurakanda embodies war as a struggle to overcome all within and without, a struggle to enforce one's will upon the world. The Iron God embodies war as he embodies civilization--a cold, mechanical task to be done for advancement and progress; politic by other means. Crucian embodies war as savagery, carnage, and bloodshed for pale reasons no amount of high ideals and rhetoric could ever justify. In the words of a much better writer, Crucian's war is "where the Iron bones of earth meet the hollow bones of men and break them"

A few final notes:

Modern historians agree that by all indications, Crucian as a mortal wasn't lashing out for his upbringing, or even notably traumatized. He seems to simply have been a very unfortunate high-functioning psychopath until the Storm Angel empowered him and gave him his task, in likely full knowledge that Crucian would do so in the bloodiest ways possible. The Storm Angel's more moderate followers consider His choice of such a champion a rather uncomfortable theological sticking point.

Among the many, many powerful artifacts and relics the Church has crafted and used, chief among them are the Nine Prophets of Dawn. A prominent family of the warrior aristocracy in the region was given to the fires, and though the swords are now split among the high clergy and champions of the Church, in his life, Crucian wielded them all personally--the Father in his right hand, the Mother in his left, and the four sons and three daughters hovering about him and wielded by thought alone

#worldbuilding #fantasy

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jamesgabrielblog-blog · 5 years

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BOOK REPORT ON HEART OF DARKNESS By: Joseph Conrad

Submitted by: James Gabriel A. Bollozos

Submitted to: Vima Grace M. Ruelan

Date: 03/14/2019

Author: Joseph Conrad

Plot: Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, an introspective sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities. Marlow takes a job as a riverboat captain with the Company, a Belgian concern organized to trade in the Congo. As he travels to Africa and then up the Congo, Marlow encounters widespread inefficiency and brutality in the Company’s stations. The native inhabitants of the region have been forced into the Company’s service, and they suffer terribly from overwork and ill treatment at the hands of the Company’s agents. The cruelty and squalor of imperial enterprise contrasts sharply with the impassive and majestic jungle that surrounds the white man’s settlements, making them appear to be tiny islands amidst a vast darkness.

Marlow arrives at the Central Station, run by the general manager, an unwholesome, conspiratorial character. He finds that his steamship has been sunk and spends several months waiting for parts to repair it. His interest in Kurtz grows during this period. The manager and his favorite, the brickmaker, seem to fear Kurtz as a threat to their position. Kurtz is rumored to be ill, making the delays in repairing the ship all the more costly. Marlow eventually gets the parts he needs to repair his ship, and he and the manager set out with a few agents (whom Marlow calls pilgrims because of their strange habit of carrying long, wooden staves wherever they go) and a crew of cannibals on a long, difficult voyage up the river. The dense jungle and the oppressive silence make everyone aboard a little jumpy, and the occasional glimpse of a native village or the sound of drums works the pilgrims into a frenzy.

Marlow and his crew come across a hut with stacked firewood, together with a note saying that the wood is for them but that they should approach cautiously. Shortly after the steamer has taken on the firewood, it is surrounded by a dense fog. When the fog clears, the ship is attacked by an unseen band of natives, who fire arrows from the safety of the forest. The African helmsman is killed before Marlow frightens the natives away with the ship’s steam whistle. Not long after, Marlow and his companions arrive at Kurtz’s Inner Station, expecting to find him dead, but a half-crazed Russian trader, who meets them as they come ashore, assures them that everything is fine and informs them that he is the one who left the wood. The Russian claims that Kurtz has enlarged his mind and cannot be subjected to the same moral judgments as normal people. Apparently, Kurtz has established himself as a god with the natives and has gone on brutal raids in the surrounding territory in search of ivory. The collection of severed heads adorning the fence posts around the station attests to his “methods.” The pilgrims bring Kurtz out of the station-house on a stretcher, and a large group of native warriors pours out of the forest and surrounds them. Kurtz speaks to them, and the natives disappear into the woods.

The manager brings Kurtz, who is quite ill, aboard the steamer. A beautiful native woman, apparently Kurtz’s mistress, appears on the shore and stares out at the ship. The Russian implies that she is somehow involved with Kurtz and has caused trouble before through her influence over him. The Russian reveals to Marlow, after swearing him to secrecy, that Kurtz had ordered the attack on the steamer to make them believe he was dead in order that they might turn back and leave him to his plans. The Russian then leaves by canoe, fearing the displeasure of the manager. Kurtz disappears in the night, and Marlow goes out in search of him, finding him crawling on all fours toward the native camp. Marlow stops him and convinces him to return to the ship. They set off down the river the next morning, but Kurtz’s health is failing fast.

Marlow listens to Kurtz talk while he pilots the ship, and Kurtz entrusts Marlow with a packet of personal documents, including an eloquent pamphlet on civilizing the savages which ends with a scrawled message that says, “Exterminate all the brutes!” The steamer breaks down, and they have to stop for repairs. Kurtz dies, uttering his last words “The horror! The horror!” in the presence of the confused Marlow. Marlow falls ill soon after and barely survives. Eventually he returns to Europe and goes to see Kurtz’s Intended (his fiance). She is still in mourning, even though it has been over a year since Kurtz’s death, and she praises him as a paragon of virtue and achievement. She asks what his last words were, but Marlow cannot bring himself to shatter her illusions with the truth. Instead, he tells her that Kurtz’s last word was her name.

Setting (Time)

The time period of Heart of Darkness, is not specifically stated, but clues tell us it's the late 1890s.Setting in the novel adds to the themes of increasing darkness and savagery. Much of the story takes place along the Congo, where it is a different world than London.

Setting (Place)

Opens on the Thames River outside London, where Marlow is telling the story that makes up Heart of Darkness. Events of the story take place in Brussels, at the Company's offices, and in the Congo, then a Belgian territory.

Characters:

· Marlow- The protagonist and main narrator of the story, he stumbles into Africa looking to sail a steamboat and finds much more.

· Kurtz- He is in charge of the most productive ivory station in the Congo. Hailed universally for his genius and eloquence, Kurtz becomes the focus of Marlow's journey into Africa.

· Manager-Marlow's direct supervisor, he is a hard, greedy man who values power and money above all else. Yet he masks this crudeness behind a civilized demeanor.

· Brickmaker-He is the so-called first agent, who is the Manager's pet and spy. He never actually makes bricks.

The three most important aspects of Heart of Darkness Conrad intentionally made Heart of Darkness hard to read. He wanted the language of his novella to make the reader feel like they were fighting through the jungle, just like Marlow fought through the jungle in search of Kurtz.

Moral Lesson:

The novella, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad has a strong theme of morality. Conrad's goal using morality is moral confusion. The main character Charlie Marlow sets out on a journey with the European Ivory Trade to Africa. During this journey he discovers a dark dilemma of moral ethics.

Evaluation:

Critical Evaluation. In one sense, Heart of Darkness is a compelling adventure tale of a journey into the heart of the Belgian Congo. ... Those such as the district manager who undertake this journey simply to rob the Congolese of their ivory without any awareness of the importance of the central darkness can survive.

Recommendation:

Heart of darkness is a powerful story that still resonate today. i realize there are those who are of the opinion that the book is racist colonialist, but in fact, the story’s strength is that is shows us the evil of racism and colonialism

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gigageekmag · 3 years

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Comic Book Review: Calico

CALICO ISSUE #1

Welcome back GiGa Community; as you all know, at fifteen years old, in 1992, I had an opportunity and pleasure of interning at Marvel Comics in Manhattan, New York; Spider-man office to be exact. It was during that year that I had delved into the comic book industry, soaking it all in, down to my very fabric of my soul. I loved all of the intellectual properties, their stories, and the craft; I knew I wanted Comics to be a part of my future life story. I was a fan of some characters, and ambivalent to others, but never the less, just like family I loved them all (Some more than others of course); the environment moved my soul. To this day, I still find being an artist to be one of my first loves, and comic books satisfied that yearning. The culmination of efforts between a writer, penciler, inker, letterer, colorist, and editor was to me, an amalgamation of geniuses at work. I love and respect the craft.

Sigma Comics

GiGa: GeekMagazine was contacted by Sigma Comics asking for an honest review of their newly released comic series, Calico. I was unsure of who this new IP was that was entering the competitive arena, so I did superficial research, watched an interview, and a review; it seemed to be worth the read. The first complimentary comic came and as busy as I am, I opened it and felt the cover art seemed acceptable for a comic book in 2021, but I didn’t have a peaceful undisturbed moment to read it, so I left it on my desk to be ready for the day I found a free opportunity to read it, then write a review. My family and I left the house for a few hours, and when I returned I went straight to my office and hadn’t realized the comic was no longer on my desk. A few seconds after I sat down, my daughter calls me, “Papi, look what Ivi did”!

Ivi Snow knew She really did it this time.

Ivi Snow is one of my two white German Shepherds, she is 1½ years old, so I am accustomed to finding “surprises” when we come back home; I thought it was poop again. A minute later my daughter comes to my office holding my complimentary issue of Calico in shreds. Needless to say I was peeved and Ivi knew it. Then I remembered what the premise of the comic was. “NYC HAS A NEW ANTI–HERO. Every day millions of animals are abused and killed. Animal rights groups and charities try to help, yet the savagery continues.” Sigma Comics appears to be committed to fighting animal abuse. I laughed at the irony of this moment and took a picture of her with the destroyed comic, apparently, she enjoyed the comic. I couldn’t read it, as a substantial part of the first few pages were now gone. With that above picture attached to an email to Sigma comics, I humbly apologized and requested another review copy, I was willing to pay for it at this point, but the great people at Sigma found humor in the event as well and sent me another. When the next copy arrived I kept it in my safe this time, and that night when I was done with work, I read it before I went to bed. I opened the cover and this time, I was able to really absorb the content. I applauded the first impression, it was transparent in showing their allegiance to the cause, “American Humane”, as a parent to two German Shepherds, I was sold.

The first page was gripping, showing an example of the atrocities committed upon animals and the visualization was almost too tough to bear, but I was roped in, I had to read on. We get our first glimpse into the soul of our Anti-Hero on page two, with tears running from angry eyes, the penciler, inker, and colorist nailed the conviction this character was driven by, and we’re then introduced to Calico “A one-man arsenal of destruction in constant pursuit of justice for the smallest and weakest among us…”

In his apartment he works his frustration on a double end bag, his thoughts speak poignant commentary as to the nature of life being nothing but conflict in every facet of existence and we see where his psychological state dwells; he’s scared and/or resentful of life and bitterly expresses this in his own twisted way. The Boxing Gym advertisement on page 5 could easily be dismissed as fictitious until a little research clarified that it is indeed a real business; as an ex-fighter boxer, martial artist, and ex-body guard myself, I respected that blurring between fantasy and reality as it was perfectly in line with the tale that I was uploading to my brain.

The writer then takes the reader on a journey through the life of Calico, recalling childhood memories of being bullied. This alludes to post traumatic damage; he hates bullies and had long since made the decision to suffer them no longer. We next accompany the protagonist from his apartment to a local boxing gym where he trains and prepares for an upcoming tournament, and while there, he loses himself in the art of combat. His thoughts become louder than spoken words; he’s a fighter with unfortunate luck, struggling skill, and lots of animosity. Here is where the reader learns this character has no reservation about the thought of condemning the abuser to death and that animals were his only friends since his youth.

Page 8 we’re given a full frontal nude of the hero in the shower after leaving the gym, even in the shower he’s consumed by antipathy as conveyed by more flashbacks of the same bully from his youth; he’s never recovered from those years. This memory was different, ironically, it was in this recollection where he was impressed by an alley-cat that scared off the bully and his dog, which serves as a perfect transition into revealing his super-hero outfit emblazoned with a black cat’s profile in front of what appears to be a moon. He also has a flying robotic AI assistant named Bumble that is a metallic sphere with one camera eye. Then, we’re back to his childhood memories, this time he evokes the very first time he inflicted pain by punching that bully in the face before fleeing the scene. Page 13 is where things escalate quickly, so I won’t spoil it for interested readers.

So here’s my honest review and rating:

Comic book Production: I feel the writing could have been more impacting and/or expansive; a name would have been nice to have, but it served its purpose; The art is what communicated the story the most. Lettering was great, the penciling and inking were acceptable as well, but gets a little hard to understand what’s happening during the murder scene.

The Character: His real name is never revealed, but from how Calico was insultingly called a “Dominican York” translated from Spanish, he is likely Latino. I think the character is less anti-hero and more of a deranged, sociopathic, villain with post-traumatic stress. He’s fed a list of targets by an unknown accomplice, he intends to kill, (and/or violate) which to me is the modus operandi of a serial killer. I couldn’t see the word “Hero” being applicable to this guy in anyway.

The full frontal nude, to me, was unnecessary, but being a student at the Art Institute of Atlanta I’ve drawn male nudes before, so I respect the art, 100%. That scene only became awkward after the second penis comment. Which helped me to get a better understanding of the mind of the protagonist as portrayed and communicated by the writer. I think the outfit really is too similar to Black Panther.

As per the multiple male phallus related comments and insults, along with, what I found to be excessive homo-erotic language, it seemed in my humble opinion, as if there’s other unresolved issues besides being bullied that Calico has never addressed. In one scene, I had to look at one scene under better light to understand that Calico actually violates or rapes his victim with a red hot pipe, all while making references to size; he says to his victim, “Relax! It’s only one-inch thick pipe. In penis size its only four-inch girth. You got this”. the last unnecessary thing I read that really nailed the coffin shut for me was the statement, “F*** em. Hard. in the @ss. With no vaseline”.

Concept: I personally, don’t think the character could have longevity, and if so possibly as a novelty act; appropriate for an 8-Issue Series. He possibly may develop a fan base, but with a very niche market. He is not a “Deadpool” type of anti-hero, I’d say this brooding character is damaged psychologically which easily could bleed over into villainy. I couldn’t see the Dark Knight tolerating this character, or working with him in any way, and would probably bring him to justice. In comparison to other anti-heroes, such as Hulk, Ghost Rider, Blade, or the Punisher, I’d say even Frank Castle wouldn’t see his motivations, means, or ends as acceptable. I see a more deviant sociopathic “Joker” kind of weirdness from Calico minus the smiles and laughing.

Conclusion: It’s a comic book, it fits the criteria. I wasn’t left feeling like I want to read more, but I am only one man, with one opinion worth 2 cents. I endeavor to say it could have been written for a broader appeal to a wider audience; for me, I feel the niche-aspect will leave some put off or uninterested. But somehow, I’m sure this will pull the targeted audience it was meant for. In the end, Sigma successfully this debut is a great accomplishment for the creators and production team and for that I salute and respect their creative vision, hard work, and love for the craft. I’d give it 3 out 5 Stars ★★★☆☆ ~Jack~

Image Sources: > https://sigmacomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/sigma-comics-large.jpg > https://prnewswire2-a.akamaihd.net/p/1893751/sp/189375100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_gapzb7c1/def_height/800/def_width/520/version/100011/type/1

Comic Book Review: Calico was originally published on GIGA: GeekMagazine

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dnds · 7 years

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skeptics and true believers: ch. 2

Ryan researches yellow-eyed creatures.

[AO3] [Wattpad]

Google Search: creatures with yellow eyes Google Search: supernatural creatures with yellow eyes Google Search: werewolves

Ryan sat back with a sigh, staring at the open tabs on his computer. All of the search results related to werewolves in one way or another. According to the internet, the creature Ryan saw was a werewolf.

Ryan wasn't satisfied with this answer. Even he, with his unwavering belief in most things paranormal, had to draw the line somewhere. Werewolves. Just the idea that there was a were-creature of some sort wandering around the forest was fucking absurd.

Right?

Ryan stared at the images on the page (some website called A Beginner's Guide To Were-People), which claimed to be "real" photographs of werewolves. In one of the pictures, piercing yellow eyes stared into the camera. They looked almost exactly like what Ryan had seen last night.

He couldn't stop seeing those eyes in his mind's eye. He shuddered as he thought back to them, staring at him from within the pitch-black woods, bright gold the only contrast to the inky darkness.

He had never seen anything like them... except on this stupid website that claimed they belonged to a werewolf.

Ryan groaned and laid his head down on his desk. He wanted to know what was roaming the woods, but he didn't like the answers he was getting. He looked up at the clock at the bottom-right of his monitor and saw that it was 2am; instead of sleeping, Ryan was debating whether or not fucking werewolves were a real thing. God, he thought, resting his head on the desk once again, What even is my life?

His phone dinged from where it sat on the nightstand, disrupting Ryan's self-reflection. He picked up, confused as to who else was up so late.

[unknown number] hey, it's shane (brent gave me your number)

[unknown number] sorry for being a dick and leaving so suddenly today. i had just remembered my mom had given me a shitload of chores today haha.

Ryan stared down at his text messages, all knowledge of social skills suddenly fleeing him. He had almost completely forgotten about the conversation with Shane today, too preoccupied with the creature in the woods, but now Shane was texting him to apologize. Ryan was suddenly glad he was alone in his room, because he was now blushing furiously.

[ryan] It's all cool. I was worried it was something I had said, but I'm glad that's not the case.

As he laid down his phone, he wondered if he was being weird by saying he had been worried he had upset Shane and mentally face-palmed. Why was he so bad at interacting with someone he thought were attractive?

His phone dinged again and Ryan practically jumped to look at the new message.

[shane] no need to worry, you didn't say anything wrong.

[shane] well, besides all the factually inaccurate stuff about ghosts. all that was wrong.

Ryan laughed, his anxiety lessening and being replaced with the desire to convince Shane ghosts were real.

[ryan] This again!! I'm sending you links to people who have said they've seen ghosts.

Ryan opened another tab on his laptop and began researching, but Shane's reply was almost immediate.

[shane] all bullshit, but okay. go ahead ryan. convince me that the undead walk the earth.

That's how they spent the rest of the night; Ryan abandoned his search for information on yellow-eyed creatures and instead shifted his focus to providing Shane with first-hand accounts of ghosts and demons. All of which he infuriatingly refuted, of course.

They talked for hours, the conversation not slowing down at any point. Despite the late hour, Ryan never began to feel tired. Talking to Shane was exhilarating and fun, and Ryan found himself laughing and texting until his alarm rang at 6am in the morning.

Shit.

After Ryan finished pulling on his clothes, he had tried to lie down and catch some sleep before giving up and drinking six cups of coffee in a row. His leg wouldn't stop shaking and he probably would end up crashing in third period but... it was worth it. Ryan had never felt better. Talking to Shane had put him in a great mood (or maybe that was the sleep deprivation? He couldn't tell).

Before leaving, he went to go brush his teeth and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Purple bags were obvious under Ryan's brown eyes and he grimaced. He looked like shit; briefly, he hoped in the back of his mind that Shane wasn't at school today.

The drive to school was mostly uneventful. The talk show host on the radio said tonight was a full moon, and Ryan began thinking back to the yellow-eyed creature from last night. If it really was a werewolf, then tonight it would probably be more active. He almost rolled his eyes at the thought; even entertaining the idea that it was a werewolf was laughable.

Oh well. Ryan supposed that he would find out tonight.

Ryan's wish had been granted: Shane wasn't at school that day. He felt both relieved and disappointed at the same time.

Mostly disappointed.

The exhaustion began catching up to Ryan in sixth period English, and at that point he wished he had been like Shane and stayed home. It was extremely hard to focus as the old English teacher talked about Ovid's Metamorphoses. He really tried to pay attention as the teacher talked about the story of some Greek king named Lycaon who served human meat... to his guests and was punished by Zeus to...

Ryan was asleep before he even found out the conclusion.

He dreamt that he was with Shane, who pulled him close and began kissing him on his neck, then on his jawline, before finally meeting his mouth. Ryan eagerly closed the space between their lips, and found that Shane's lips were as soft as they looked. Warmth and happiness filled Ryan's body as they explored each other's mouths, losing himself in the ecstasy. In the middle of it all, Ryan opened his eyes, wanting see Shane's brown eyes looking back at him.

Instead of a warm, comforting brown, the eyes staring back at him were a vivid shade of yellow. Shane disappeared from under Ryan's touch, and suddenly it was dark and he was alone. He was in the forest, animalistic snarls coming from all around him. Yellow eyes peered out from the trees and stared at Ryan hungrily.

"Mr. Bergara!" Ryan was snapped awake from his dream to see his English teacher staring at him angrily. She glared at him from the front of the classroom, and every other student in the classroom was staring at him.

"Mr. Bergara," The teacher said once again, "Can you please tell the class what animal Zeus turned Lycaon into as punishment for his savagery?". Safiya, the only person he knew in this class, gave him a look of sympathy.

"A wolf." He said the answer without hesitation, despite it being a complete guess. The teacher raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"That's... correct." She sounded as stunned as Ryan felt, "From now on, keep your head up off the desk even if you're listening."

Ryan leaned back in his desk, staring up at the ceiling. The universe must be trying to tell him something, if only he could figure out what it was. Before he could contemplate further, the bell rang. Everyone fled the classroom to their last period, save Safiya, who waited at the door for Ryan.

He gave his friend a tired smile, and she pulled Ryan into a hug. "Pretty smooth back there," She said with a smile, "I could've sworn you were asleep."

"So could I," Ryan mumbled, before they began towards their next class. Saf side-eyed him, but was quickly distracted from his odd mood by the approach of her girlfriend. Freddie grinned widely at Saf and him.

"Hey baby," she greeted Saf with a kiss on the cheek, "and Ryan". Their affection suddenly reminded Ryan of the first part of his dream, making him blush. Safiya looked at him in confusion.

"What's up with you Ryan?" She asked as she walked down the hall, hand-in-hand with Freddie, "You're acting all weird today."

"It's nothing," He shrugged. Safiya narrowed her eyes. She was one of his closest friends and absolutely nothing could get past her. After a couple of seconds under her glare, Ryan cracked.

"I'm just really tired, Saf," he said honestly, "I've got a lot on my mind right now, okay?" They were about to pass his next class, which gave Ryan the opportunity to abandon the group before Saf could question him further. He could feel her stare on the back of his neck as he escaped into his algebra classroom.

All Ryan thought about in math was his dream. His mind was playing ping-pong, going from werewolves to Shane and then back again. Despite the fact that the dream probably meant nothing, the first part of his dream was tainted by the disturbing image of Shane with yellow eyes. His pensive mood was reflected by the grey rain clouds that were beginning to gather in the sky outside. How fitting, he thought.

The bell rang shortly after, and Ryan was quick to his car. He was ready to go home and sleep; it had been a long day. Fat raindrops fell from the sky as he made his way across the parking lot, and he climbed into his car shivering and wet.

On the drive home, he couldn't help staring out at the treeline at the side of the road. He wanted to see those intense yellow eyes again. Maybe they'd look familiar.

Both his mom and dad were still at work when Ryan got home, and he fell into his bed still deep in thought. The information about werewolves was still open on his computer; he stared at it, thinking about the events of today.

What if Shane is the werewolf? The idea popped into Ryan's head unbidden, as he thought about both how Shane was absent on the day of the full moon and his dream. He quickly shoved it away, because, frankly, it was fucking insane. All it was was a coincidence, not fodder for Ryan's ridiculous conspiracies.

He picked up his phone to text Shane, just to check up on him.

[ryan] Hey, are you alright? I saw you weren't at school today

Shane usually replied fairly quickly, but today was different for some reason. The sunset and nightfall descended without Ryan hearing a word from Shane, and after a few hours more Ryan just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

As he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep, he could've sworn he heard a howl in the distance.

#shyan #skeptic believer #buzzfeed unsolved #my writing

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olliejday-blog · 7 years

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LORD OF THE FLIES

SUMMARY:

-School boys lost on an island during the war descend into chaos

–Rich symbolism

–Clear styles

–Varied characters

–Well known piece of literature

–Studied at school

When briefed on a project about creating a cover for a book, I tried to think of literature which had a rich and varied visual language to play with. Not knowing any of the suggested books very well, I opted for Lord of the Flies. I knew it would have a primal, tribal feel to go with the setting of the book and I thought this would be interesting to try on the cover. It is also a well know book so I could have a good library of example material as a starting and reference point.

Personally, I studied the book in GCSE English and recalled the interesting narrative as a platform for deeper themes of chaos, power and civilisation. The author, William Goulding, taught at my school (Bishop Wordsworth’s Grammar School) around the time of writing the book, so I also feel I have an insight into the mental space and environment which inspired this book. Goulding is known for giving the boys parts of his work to study to help him write. Furthermore, LotF is based on school boys which he would have seen at my school (a long time before I was there!)

I thought the book would be an obvious and necessary starting point. So I formed my own summary, character and symbol descriptions.

PLOT

During a time of war, British schoolboys are stranded on a tropical island following a plane crash. The dead pilot leaving them with no adult guidance, they first try to recreate the culture they left behind, electing Ralph to lead, with the intellectual Piggy as secondary. But Jack, starting as leader of the hunt, wants power, too, and gradually lures the boys from civility and reason to the savagery of hunters. William Golding gives us a glimpse of the savagery that underlies even the most civilized human beings as the boys struggle to find a way of living in a community with no fixed boundaries. Goulding invites readers to evaluate the concepts involved in social and political norms and moral ideals. As well as community, leadership, and rule/law the viewer is invited to question ideas of power and what it means, who should have it, and what are its consequences?

THEMES

Biblical undertones - eg. Simon comparable to Jesus: comes in as the moral, virtuous character and is killed by the savage group

Civilisation vs Savagery

Loss of innocence

Piggy’s spectacles - science and rationality

Fire - boy’s link to civilisation, as it dies out, so does their civility

Conch shell - Political order and democracy, at the start whoever holds it can speak to the group

The Beast - Invisible threat that they all fear, symbolises their primal instincts, as their fear for the beast grows they become more primal and savage eg. leaving sacrifices.

CHARACTERS

Ralph - protagonist; elected leader of the group; tries to organise the boys; tries to build a civilisation; represents man’s civilizing instinct, as opposed to the savage instinct of Jack.

Jack - antagonist; older boy; becomes the leader of the hunters; longs for total power; becomes increasingly feral and brutal; manipulative; represents man’s primal, barbaric instincts, as opposed to the civilising drives Ralph represents.

Simon - Shy; sensitive; in some ways the only naturally “good”; kind to younger boys; willing to work for good of community; connectedness to nature so only character whose morality not seemingly imposed by society; represents a kind of natural goodness, opposed to evil of Jack and the forced morality and civility represented by Ralph and Piggy’s side. Role compared to Jesus by critics.

Piggy - Ralph’s right hand man; whiny; intellectual; Piggy’s inventiveness frequently leads to innovation eg. makeshift sundial that the boys use to tell time; represents the scientific, rational side of civilisation; glasses are used as fire, Piggy is very dependant on the glasses to see; they break later in the novel, symbolically leaving Piggy without sight and the group without fire.

Roger - Jack’s “lieutenant.”; sadistic; cruel; older boy; brutalizes the littluns; murders Piggy with a large boulder from above.

Sam and Eric - Twins; closely allied with Ralph; always together; the other boys often treat them as a single entity, calling them “Samneric.”; part of the group known as the “big guns.”; towards the end of the book, they come under Jack’s influence and coercion.

The Lord of the Flies - Sow’s (female boar) head that Jack’s gang displays on a staff in the forest; offering to the “beast.”; comes to represent the untamed drives of power and cruelty that take over Jack’s group.

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