Essay on "Inheritors: "The Log Has Gone"

Essay 4 pages (1268 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Inheritors: "The log has gone away!"

The opening scene of William Golding's brilliant and thought-provoking novel, the Inheritors, depicts the reaction of Lok's tribe to the disappearance of one of the mainstays of its existence, the log at the edge of the river and the swamp. Lok's words -- "The log has gone away!" (p. 12) -- foreshadows both the major theme and the plot of this novel. By the end of this book, Lok's tribe, and the civilization it has built, is gone, replaced by something not at all certain to be an improvement, to constitute progress. This paper will compare and contrast Lok's tribe with the tribe of his counterpart Tuami in several important respects: technology, social organization, physical abilities, and sense of morality. The paper will conclude by suggesting that Tuami's tribe, although laudable in many respects, does not represent an advancement in civilization.

Technology

The weapons utilized by Lok's tribe were rather primitive. Golding describes how the entrance to the tribe's cave was defended from the foxes and hyenas by "one man with a thorn bus" (p. 29). A "stone" is used to cut branches (p. 31). Fire is essential to the life of Lok's tribe -- and to the imagery that Golding uses in this novel. At the end of the first chapter, Golding describes how the old woman massages the "twigs and leaves and a log" so that, "The fire is awake again" (p. 30). Golding's description that "the sun was glowing and her eyes gleamed . . . so that the fire gave them a brilliant display of flame and sparks" (p. 30) is certainly passionate, and virtually sexual, in nature.

The technology of Tuami's tribe represents a subtle improvement over that of Lok's people. Tuami paddles a "dug-out" canoe sitting on a "pad of leather" (p. 223). He uses a "dagger" (p. 227). Vivani has a "comb" for her hair (p. 229). The tribe cooks with a "full pot" (p. 229). They put their young children to sleep in a "bearskin." Golding does not suggest, however, that this more advanced technology has improved the lives of Tuami and his tribe. To the contrary, Golding employs descriptions such as Tuami "shut his eyes and passed a hand wearily over his forehead" (p. 224) and "He shook himself irritably" (p. 224). The author seems to imply that the quality of the life of the "new people," despite the improved technology, is suspect at best.

Social organization

One of the marks of the social organization of Lok's tribe is the leadership of the elders. One of the beginning scenes of the novel is illustrative. The people wait for Mal, the old man, to arrive at the river before the take any action (pp. 15-16). When he tells them, "Find a tree that has fallen (p. 16)," his people obey him. Golding describes how, "Obediently the people spread out along the water side" (p. 16). People in Lok's tribe appreciate a good story, and when Lok tells the story "of finding little Oa . . . The people applauded him, grinning" (p. 33).

The "new people" do not seem to be as cohesive or as tightly knit into a community as Lok's tribe. Their relationships do not seem to be as affectionate, and the "new people" seem to be individuals adrift in a frozen sea. The image that Golding uses in the final paragraph of chapter eleven perhaps best sums up this sense of society: "The ice crowns of the mountains were a-glitter. . . . There was a sudden tremendous noise that set the hyenas shivering back to the cliff" (p. 222). A society that repels even the hyenas is not one in which people will find warmth and community.

Physical abilities

People in Lok's tribe live by their… READ MORE

How to Reference "Inheritors: "The Log Has Gone" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

When Jesus Came the Corn Mothers Went Research Proposal

Jesus came, the Corn Mothers went Away

The matter of colonialism is extremely divisive, and, because of the various controversies revolving around it, people cannot simply accept to ignore the… read more

Research Proposal 3 pages (876 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA Topic: Native American Indians

---

Nature vs. Nurture and Why it Won't Go Essay

Nature vs. Nurture

In an attempt at understanding which between nature and nurture is responsible for the human mind and society, Steven Pinker (2002) responds to three "reasonable beliefs" offered… read more

Essay 3 pages (844 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Child Development / Youth / Teens

---

Pain Management How to Make it Go Thesis

Pain Management

HOW TO MAKE IT GO AWAY

Recent health records show that more than 86 million Americans suffer pain of some sort at any given time (Thomas, 2009). These… read more

Thesis 6 pages (1843 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA Topic: Healthcare / Health / Obamacare

---

Sponsorship Proposal Essay

Sponsorship Proposal

Marketing Plan

Go-Go Music Show is a live music performance that has established itself as a premier event in Washington DC. The event, which is now entering its… read more

Essay 5 pages (1456 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Advertising / Marketing / Sales

---

Gone With the Wind Term Paper

Gone With the Wind

Margaret Mitchell's novel, Gone with the Wind, has sold an average of 500,000 copies a year since its publication in 1936 (Faust pp). According to Drew… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1122 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Military / Army / Navy / Marines

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>