From William Golding's Lord of the Flies to ABC's LOST. By
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Humanity Square One: From William Golding’s Lord of the Flies to ABC’s LOST. by Antonia Iliadou A dissertation to the Department of American Literature and Culture, School of English, Faculty of Philosophy of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki September 2013 Humanity Square One: From William Golding’s Lord of the Flies to ABC’s LOST. by Antonia Iliadou Has been approved September 2013 APPROVED: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Supervisory Committee ACCEPTED: _______________ Department Chairperson Iliadou 1 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................1 ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................3 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 1: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies: Analysis and Contextualization ..............1 1.1. a. Lord of the Flies in an age of ambiguity: The position of Golding’s novel in the Post War United States...........................................................................................................2 1.1. b. The Impact of Golding’s Lord of the Flies on its Readers........................................14 1.2. “… The picture of man, at once heroic and sick”: The Depiction of Evilness in Lord of the Flies................................................................................................................................16 1.3. The Presentation of the Characters in Lord of the Flies and their Symbolic Function.31 1.4. The Depiction of the Island as a Character in Lord of the Flies, and its Role as a Setting for the Action...........................................................................................................37 CHAPTER 2: ABC’s LOST: Analysis and Contextualization.................................................40 2.1. a. LOST in Post 9/11 American Society: The Historical and Cultural Contextualization of the Show. .........................................................................................................................41 2.1.b. “A show that stimulates your brain, but appeals to your heart”: The impact of LOST on its viewers........................................................................................................................51 2.2.a. “Two natures at war”: The Depiction of Good and Evil in LOST. ............................52 2.2. b. “Live Together, Die Alone, Right?”: The Importance of Togetherness and its Role in the Fight Against Evil in LOST........................................................................................65 2.3. “People, Lost in their Lives”: The Depiction of the Characters in LOST.....................71 2.4. “I’ve looked into the eye of this island and what I saw was beautiful”: The LOST island of Second Chances.....................................................................................................75 CHAPTER 3: LOST in Lord of the Flies: The Evolution of the Island Narrative ...................80 3.1. “Which Side Are You On?”: Similarities and Differences in the Depiction of Characters and the Representation of the Concept of Evil. .................................................85 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................92 APPENDIX..............................................................................................................................95 Works Cited ...........................................................................................................................100 Iliadou 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project would have remained a dream if it were not for my professors, family and friends. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Smatie Yemenedzi - Malathouni for the support of my MA study and research. This project would have never been completed without her unreserved help and continuous guidance. Her useful comments, remarks and engagement through all stages of my research opened up before me new pathways of understanding and helped me view the texts from a variety of perspectives. Also, my sincere thanks go to the members of the thesis committee, Dr. Michalis Kokkonis and Dr. Yiorgos Kalogeras, who graced me by being the readers and evaluators of my project. Their encouragement, insightful comments, and constructive criticism helped to bring this paper even closer to perfection. Of course, for any errors or inadequacies that may remain in this work the responsibility is entirely my own. Last but not least, I would like to thank my mother for her unconditional love and support. I certainly would not have been able to come this far if it were not for her. Also, I thank my friends for their patience and support and for putting up with me in moments of stress while researching and writing this paper. Iliadou 3 ABSTRACT This project focuses on William Golding's Lord of the Flies and ABC's LOST. The goal is to examine these texts, both separately and in conjunction, in order to examine their approach on human nature, as well as the need to re-establish our connection with other people and, ultimately, with ourselves. Moreover, the texts are contextualized in their respective socio- political frameworks and therefore they are regarded as pieces that address the world around them and comment on it. Finally, the effect of the above texts on their readers and viewers and their popularity with the American audience is an integral part of the paper. The answer that this paper aspires to propose is that the scenario of the lost castaways, marooned in a secluded, isolated place, trying to work together in order to survive, is favored by the American audience since it functions as a projection of their own need to confront their fears and reconnect with everyone around them in order to make a step forward and evolve. The first and second chapter of this paper concentrates on William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" and ABC's "LOST", respectively. In a similar pattern, my goal is to examine the texts, first by placing them in the relevant historical framework, and then through the analysis of their approach on the position of Evil in the human psyche as well as of the construction of the characters. Since humanity is the subject under examination, I will start from the argument that in both texts Evil is viewed as an essential human trait, something that comes from within the human soul and it is inseparable from human nature. Moreover, the issues of togetherness and cooperation are going to be stressed, as in both texts there is the conviction that people need to work together, in order to fight Evil and survive. In the third and final chapter, the attention shifts towards the examination of the two texts in conjunction in order to trace the evolution of the island narrative. More specifically, this chapter argues that Golding's novel and ABC's hit TV show revisit and transform the frequently used desert island scenario as a means of exploring human relationships. In this respect, both texts Iliadou 4 examine interpersonal relationships and group dynamics in the context of a new world order. In the end, it is hoped that Lord of the Flies and LOST can be viewed as texts that present the audience with a thorough examination of human nature, while at the same time they provide a commentary on their respective socio-political environment. Iliadou 5 INTRODUCTION What would you do if you found yourself alone amongst strangers, completely disoriented, in an isolated territory? What if circumstances demanded that you need not only to come to terms with them but even work closely together in order to survive? Questions as the ones above may sound like coming from a blurb of an adventure novel or a synopsis of a movie or television show script. Undoubtedly, the reading, as well as the viewing audience have always been fascinated by tales of survival, taking place in unfamiliar, even hostile territory, where every law of the civilized society falls short and the individual is free to act instinctively, without any law restraints. Literature and film critics that have closely examined this type of narrative, claim that people are compelled by the storytelling mainly because they perceive it as a kind of escape from reality and their dull everyday lives. In my opinion, however, there is another reason that may account for the narrative’s lasting popularity in the course of decades or even centuries. The concept of strangers forced to live and cooperate in a harsh, unwelcome environment affects the audience on a deeper level, since it resembles the highly depersonalized modern society as well as the individual that faces many challenges in order to come closer to other people. Therefore, the audience is immensely interested in stories that share this premise, especially if law, order, and community cohesion are restored in the end. In this sense, an ending providing a clear resolution, functions as a beacon of light in the dark reality everyone is facing. What is more, due to the element of alienation that has marked every historical period and has culminated in the 21st century climate worldwide, people feel being surrounded