Boyhood book review

Boyhood is the story of a young boy living in Cape town, South Africa and dealing with everyday teen struggles. The author's pen name is J.M Coetzee and the book is written in third person. In addition to the style being in third person the plot was dry and boring. The setting starts off in his home in Cape Town and randomly switches to scenes on his aunt and uncle's farm and his old life. J.M Coetzee really shows the difficulties he faced while growing up. The twisted one sided relationship he had with his mother, his hate for his father, and the sexual feelings for his female cousin was slightly disturbing in an intriguing way. His mother was a humble woman and loved him more then anything in the world but only got hate in return. His father was slightly emotionally abusive to his mother but softened in time. His two-faced world spun with feelings of hate and confusion of his sexual orientation. He also talks a lot about religion and how Jews and Catholics were discriminated against. Other than that the book went nowhere and didn't do anything for me. I recommend this book to teenage boys in high school. I think high school boys would relate to J.M Coetzee better than a younger crowd. I do not recommend this book to any boys under ninth grade. Girls from age 14+ would be fine reading this book but I found that it was really hard to get into this book and relate to the main character.

Chapter 13 LOTF

Chapter 13 Home at last



The naval officer stood on the sand in front of Ralph, still dumbfounded. They could see a large ship creeping up to shore from a distance. It was the most magnificent thing Ralph had ever seen.
“Come on boys lets get on that ship.” The officer said with a hint of urgency in his voice. When the ship got close enough to shore, they jumped into the water. A hand reached down and grabbed the boys, one by one, onto the ship. Finally, the boys were able to act like children. The men on the ship gave them food, water, and clothes. Ralph was able to look like a handsome young boy again, instead of a dirty, rugged, savage.
Jack was not exactly thrilled about this transition. His face was permanently stuck in a grimace. He still looked at Ralph with hate, and murderous intentions. There was hope in the air, hope for a long successful journey. Ralph looked around worriedly, noticing that some of the boys were not there.
Knowing that there were boys alone, on an island caught on fire, dampened the pure feeling of happiness and relief. If only everyone could go home. Ralph couldn’t wait to get home to his family, to be able to go to school, be a boy. He didn’t have to fear for his life, or take care of himself anymore. Sam and Eric were jumping up and down, thrilled to see something other than false hope and murder. For once in many months, they slept like babies. The naval officer that rescued them shook Ralph in an attempt to wake him up.
“What is it?” Ralph asked.
“Did you know a boy named Simon by any chance?” The officer asked.
“Why yes, I did, do you know him?” Ralph replied.
“Yes, he is my nephew.” The officer replied. Ralph put his head down in condolence.
“Simon didn’t make it.” Ralph said sadly. The officer’s nostrils started to flare. He walked away. Ralph walked down to the crew’s courtiers of the ship. A man with Dark hair, friendly eyes, and a cleft chin, sat on the bed. He was looking at an old photo of a lady. Ralph walked up to him slowly.
“Hi…I’m Ralph.” He said slowly. The man turned around. He ran up to Ralph quickly, and cupped his face in his hands.
“Son, I know who you are.” He said, crying tears of happiness. Ralph cried with him, they held each other. On the island Ralph knew he would never be able to see his father again, but fate proved him wrong. Some of the stuff that happened on that island was blocked out of his memory, because it was so traumatizing.
Jack was sitting on the deck, teary eyed. Knowing that he would have to go back to being a choirboy, with no power, made him sweat. Deep inside he knew that this was a no good world, that took away everything that fulfilled him. He will continue to sing to a nonexistent being while the others go home to their normal lives.
For the first time in the whole time he was alone, he wept. Ralph sat, cuddled with his father, and looked at the journey ahead. He will never forget his island, his leadership, and he will never forget the Lord of the Flies. The mighty beastie, who kept them so afraid, was only their own reflections. Their animal instincts took over their young, fragile minds. They were a group, but they were alone. So let their story be carried on. Their wall of society crumbled, they were not even human anymore, until now.
Ralph could see a dock in front of him, filled with people of different ages, and sizes. A woman stood there with a handkerchief, the same woman in the old photo, it was Ralph’s mother. Ralph couldn’t wait to get on shore, hug his mother, and show his friends that he was alive. If only Piggy was with him, smiling at his auntie holding a bag of candy. But Piggy didn’t make it, all because of Jack. Jack’s grimace still stood on his face, but you could see he was ecstatic to see his family.
“Mum!” He yelled.
An old woman with white hair, wrinkled cheeks, and a warm smile turned around. Her eyes lit up.
“Jack! My baby boy is alive!” She screamed in excitement.
As they returned to their homes, bidding each other goodbye, they couldn’t help thinking about their island, and the boys they left behind.

LOTF#12 SIMON

The cold touch of death has embraced me. I still keep a watchful eye on the island and my buddies. I could see Ralph running. He looks so scared. Jack and the hunters are chasing after him in a cordon. I wonder why they are chasing him, and what they are going to do. Ralph just keeps running, hiding.
Jack has a menacing look in his eyes, one that frightens the other hunters. I could tell the twins regret this chase. They were still loyal to Ralph in their hearts, but Jack is scary and overpowering. I looked towards the ocean, and I am a ghost. There was a ship in the distance. If only I was human, if only i could tell them the news.
Almost all of the littleuns are dead. Nobody but me looked after them. Life with me dead has become terrible for the others. Sometimes I try to speak to the world below me by sending messages through the trees. But what I do only frightens people. I hope Ralph will find rescue, I hope he does. I looked to my left again. There was a man on the beach with drill and epaulettes on his uniform. Ralph stumbled through the bushes and talked to the man. Ralph has found rescue, I hope it's real and not a diddle. I heard the boys ululation as I faded away.

LOTF#11 Jack

Piggy stood in the middle of us. He held our precious talisman, the conch. He was overjoyed, delirious that he finally had the chance to speak. Truculently, my men dropped a large boulder on him. He fell to the ground quickly in mid-sentence. He was dead instantly. There was no cessation.
As Ralph screamed at us we decided to chase him. We used our forces against him. He was the next victim. He screamed, and ran.
I want to kill Ralph like a pig. The bloodthirsty look filled my eyes. I will not let him live.

LOTF#10 Ralph

We killed Simon, the only one who I could depend on is dead. We have all gone barmy. This beast is making my life here miserable. How are we supposed to get things done if everyone is freaking out over a beast? I would love for just one night to be able to have a good sleep. I will do anything to just survive until someone comes to save us.
Piggy has brains. I take what he has as illumination, not criticism. He is now my right hand, I have come dependent on him. I hope he can stay alive long enough to be rescued also. He was the first I met on this island, I want him to be with me when we are rescued.
I want tonight to be purged of any fear. I want this to just end. I still have a sliver of hope that we will be rescued, but most of us have become animals, like Jack.

LOFT #9 Piggy

As we walked down mountain I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I looked up, there was a corpulent figure at the top. i began to sweat. I could feel my knees becoming week, my asthma kicking in. This beast will destroy our little society, this beast will kill us all.
It got darker and we lit a fire, it's phosphorescence was magnificent. I could feel tension among all of us around the fire. We ate meat, sang, but there was still an uneasy feeling, fear. I watched as Jack and the others pretended to kill a pig, by trapping Roger, he was so scared.
A dark figure sprinted down the hill, Jack screamed,
"It's the real beast!" Everyone sprinted to the figure, jabbed him with their sticks. When all the madness subsided, we could see plain, and clear who we just killed. It was Simon. I gasped. I tried not to scream. Everyone was resorting to the lowest form of themselves, we were becoming animals.

LOTF #8 Jack

I am keeping this place alive. Those stupid little kids know nothing. I am the prefect of this Island. If I was ever demure, I am not anymore. I get them their meat. I give food to these little idiots. It seems like I do it all!
I looked at Ralph as I paunched the pig I captured. I should be chief. I wonder what the next taboo Ralph will come up with. I watched Piggy with a demoniac look in my eyes. I will be chief, and when I am...Ralph, and Piggy are dead...
I would kill those boys just like the filthy pig they are! I deserve respect and glory! I am so sick of all this. And everyone constantly complaining about that stupid beastie. I will kill it, and show them that I am brave! Just you wait...

LOTF #7 Simon

This monster is scaring the devil out of all of us. I can feel all the dun, and fear, filling the air. The terrain is rough unpleasant. I hate these surroundings, but I have to deliver the message. I hope I don't fall. It's a little steep here.
If only I could be home, frolicking around the moors, rolling down the hills, playing rugger with my buddies. I miss how easy and safe life was. And now I am stuck here... but I have a job to do. I got to keep my head up.
Nobody here really knows what to do, Ralph, nor Jack speaks sagely. Jack is a windy fool, so violent. I need to get off this Island. There has to be a way to do that. There just has to. But for now I have to deliver the message.

LOTF #6 Ralph

These incompetent children are driving me crazy! I try so hard to be the leader but they just won't listen. The littleuns run around flalling their limbs jabbering about some kind of leviathan. It's sheer pandemonium. Sometimes I just don't know what to do.
Since I felt in a waxy, I stood up to the kids mutinously, waiting until they finally got the point. Diffedently the children put away their pride and finally paid attention. I'll tell you, these kids will probably end up eating guano with the ways things are going right now. Thank god that I am here.

LOTF #5 Piggy

Still I am of the tortured and ridiculed. I am a one man army in this place they call "our island." Lamentation sometimes rises out of me when I am alone. Jack...Jack is undescribable, ludicrous, that is how I think of him. Completely ludicrous. All I hear are people muttering "shut up", but they don't know what I am capable of. They will see...
There is no decorum here, except from me. Yesterday everybody looked at me tempestuously like they wanted me to hit jack as he grinned jeeringly. I wanted to hit him, but I am afraid. I hope I will survive long enough to see the day that we leave this Island. I hate it here!

LOTF #4 Jack

Every day my heart turns colder. The lust for murder is driving me insane. That stupid Piggy is trying to stop me... well I'll kill him! Ralph is all about himself. He should be grateful that I got him meat. Haha, it was so sweet to watch that filthy creature struggle. I felt an overwhelming satisfaction as it drowned in its own blood and fear. Pathetic creature. I hate these kids. They don't respect me. Simon, the idiot, he wouldn't even eat the pig I worked so hard for. I would kill everyone. We need meat, more meat. I will hunt until everyone dies.

*no vocabulary- I was sick

LOTF # 3 SIMON

I am supposed to be "the helper" but I cant be everywhere at once. Today I was helping build shelters on our Island. Ralph kept getting mad because I kept running to help the littleuns. I reached through the flowing tendrils of the trees and gave fruit to the small children who couldn't reach it themselves. "Do this! Do that!" That is all I ever hear. I try to keep my cool, stay quiet, but sometimes it really gets to me.
That day, when the little boy died, my heart turned inside out. My guts felt like they were slowly ripping open my stomach. The contrite look on Ralph's face only made the situation worse. If they would have just listened. Those imbeciles burnt the whole Island, and the little boy. My inscrutable ways have to change, I need to speak up. The sound of the littleuns feet sounds like castanet, pounding into the ground, they brings joy to my heart. Sometimes the compulsion to just scream at the others over powers me. But I have to stay calm.

LOTF # 2 Ralph

Today all hell broke loose. I walk through the group of kids with a martyred expression on my face. All these kids are hyper focusing on every word that comes out of my mouth. I know how to tell people what to do but not how to do it. I lit the whole forest on fire. All these kids are much too officious, and Piggy. He is getting on my last nerve. He tries so hard to rise to my level. That kid, that kid with the birth mark on his face, the one who was so quiet yet filled with ebullience might just be dead.
I can't keep track of everyone. I need to step up a little bit, really take hold of this situation. While I wait for my daddy to rescue me I really need to control these kids. These errant people will not settle down. Do they want to die? The kid with the birth mark could have been burned alive while the others were capering around the fire. I need to induce these kids to believe that we are being rescued, but i am not too sure myself.

Lord of the flies#1

My insecurity is catching up with me. Ralph doesn't understand how just the word "Piggy" stings my very core. It was hard enough being the fat boy so why did they have to rub it in my face? I just cannot escape from the cruel torment of other boys. Even on an Island I am "the fatty" or "Piggy." No one will ever find us here. We might as well make the best of this crummy island. I wish I could help the others but my asthma.....I hate this. Why does Ralph get to be the leader? I am just as smart or even smarter than he is! He is just a dumb pretty boy, just like the boys were at school. He humiliated me in front of all the other boys! It was my idea to blow the conch so why does he get the credit?