What was the problem with the authority figures in his life? (Identify each one and explain what he thought was the problem).
What are the three levels of thinking according to Golding? Explain what each level is.
Do you agree with him? Explain.
Whether you agree with him or not, from his perspective, what level thinker are you? Explain.
What was the overall tone or attitude of the piece?
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The headmaster at his grammar school-
ReplyDeleteHe had made the author feel as though something was wrong with him. He didn't discuss with him why he had done what he had done...just yell in frustration, which accomplished nothing and made Golding believe he was missing something in himself.
Mr. Houghton-
He tells his students one thing, yet does another. He would go on about a "...sexless life, full of duty." but his neck couldn't help but snap around when a girl in a skirt would walk down the hallway.
Miss. Parson-
She clearly couldn't mask her emotions in class. Although she told the students that her dearest wish was their welfare, Golding picked up that she wanted the husband she never got most.
All these authority figures in his life must of had deep rooted issues. None of them lived by what they said they wanted to do. They portayed themselves in a better light than how Golding precieved them. He puts it perfectly by saying "Through them I discovered that thought is often full of unconscious prejudice, ignorance, and hypocrisy."
The three levels of thinking:
Grade three: They are the majority of the population, and the closest Golding believes they will ever get to thought. They base their beliefs and thoughts upon prejudices and commonly will think the way many others will.
Grade two: Questioning, finding fault. "Grade two thinking destroys without having the power to create." When Golding arises the question of her religion to Ruth, he is grade two thinking...but this brings his relationship with her to an end. It can arise many exciting and interesting ideas, yet never leave one fully content.
Grade three: There are very few of these people. They are not content with the world the way it is, but think further into everything around them. Most people don't like this and like to take the world for how they see it, so the author has lost many friends over the years.
I agree with the author with respect to the levels of thinking. I know exactly what kind of people he is talking about in grade one two and three. According to him, I would be a grade two thinker. I seek to find reason behind things that do not make sense to me. Often I am left with more questions than answers.
The tone of this piece was thoughtful. haha...but it really was. I found myself deeply into the piece while reading it, it had the sense of thought. The questions in the piece added to this feeling of the thought process.
I really enjoyed reading this piece, it effectively describes such a simple thing in such great depth.
I absolutely loved this essay despite going into it with an unfair notion about the type of writer William Golding was (I didn't particularly enjoy reading "The Lord of the Flies"). After reading this essay, I now have a better idea of who the author was and why he wrote in such a different style. This essay was extremely insightful and depicts how intelligent Golding really was and I have gained an appreciation for his work...now on to the essay itself...
ReplyDeleteThe Headmaster: He gave no solutions for the young "delinquents" who came into his office but would only perplex them further by basically asking "What is wrong with you?". Also, he would only allow one definition of things, like the statuettes in his office. The author concluded that it was the "easy way out" for an authority figure like him- he wouldn't actually have to change the students for the better but instead just try to convert them to his way of thinking.
Mr. Houghton: The author saw this man as the true definition of hypocrisy. The man would drink but also preach the requirements of good health and gaze at women passing by while telling the class of young boys how to live a dutiful, sexless life in order to be virtuous. I liked identifying with this and also the line "Mr. Houghton thought with his neck." absolutely hilarious....yet a bit unfortunate too...
Miss Parsons: We weren't given much of a picture of this woman because we didn't need one. She was the type of authority figure who let her own problems and worries interfere with and even prevent her ability to lead her own students. The author could see this as a bit of selfishness and also not realizing the intelligence/awareness of the students she was in charge of.
The three levels of thinking according to Golding are as follows...
III: Golding considers these kind of thinkers to be the majority. They gain power through "quantity not quality" and believe their beliefs are the best, often time because they adhere to the beliefs of many others. They also either resist or refuse a contradicting opinion.
II: These thinkers relish in pointing out the contradictions of the third-level thinkers. Despite the fact that the may be right in finding the faults of the majority, they find no fulfillment because they don't tend to come up with an alternative for the thoughts of the majority that frustrates them so much. Their lifestyle leads them to no solution and they will always be able to find the faults in others' thoughts while never advancing themselves.
I: This level of thinking is reserved for those who, as Golding states, "reach the top" of the proverbial mountain of thought. They do not just let their thoughts flow with those of the majority but consistently seek out new solutions. They are what you could call "box breakers".
I agree with the author's view of thinking entirely. I think it was brilliant of him to put into words what so many of us experience as we journey through life, as we (hopefully) become more independent "thinkers" ourselves. I may even venture to say that this is my favorite essay of the year so far...
I believe that as a thinker I have moved beyond the third level but still tend to dwell in the second level too much. I can feel myself starting to break away from it and hope to continue this trend in college. I hope to take the views of the world I have been given and use them in the process of forming my own views so I can improve the world and not leave it the same place that it was when I came into it.
The tone of this piece coincided with what the author was describing. For example, it held the emotion of confusion very well when he was a child in the headmaster's office but also depicted his awe and eagerness when he met Einstein in his later years. I liked how the tone was never very scornful of the thinkers the author finds "beneath" him and the other first level thinkers. The piece only showed them to you and allowed you to think to yourself "I don't want to be like them."
The Headmaster:
ReplyDeleteHe was too concrete in his thinking. He only allowed for there to be one "right" in everything. He really didn't think abstractly about why the author was behaving the way he did nor did he feel the need to come up with the solution to the problem.
Mr. Houghton:
The embodiement of hypocrisy. He had told his students not to drink. He did. He said good air was good for people and yet he barely ever experienced it himself. He preached the value of sexlessness and duty and yet even during his speaches he would stop to look at a girl going by. He was an impulsive thinker. As the author put it, "Mr. Houghton thought with his neck."
Miss Parsons:
There really isn't much of a description to go on. From what we are given, she seems like one who wears there hearts on their sleeves and lets their own emotions and desires to get in the way.
According to Golding, there are three grades of thinking. Grade three thinking is the most base according to him, and amounts for 90% of the population. Their thoughts are shallow and superficial. They are very much prone to hypocrisy such as the pious woman who hates Germans. Grade two thinkers, as he put it, are the ones who can spot the contradictions of the grade three thinkers. He seems to depict them as a very cynical group of people. He himself, to me, seemed to be a cynic. Group one really isn't given a true description in the piece. Only an example. However, given the example, one can seem to allude that grade one is the nirvana of thought. When he describes his encounter with Einstein, his tone seems to be that of a child looking up to their hero. I would have to say that I agree with Golding to some extent. However, I think that he oversimplified the thought processes of the human race. I see these grades as generalizations of groups that can then be broken down into more specific classifications. Also, I don't believe that 90% of the world's population is mindless sheep as he points to. I really don't think that he gave enough description of every grade for me to properly put myself in the right class. Also, there would be a lot of bias into that classification, so there would be that to create some error. I really don't think that people are able to judge themselves fairly anyway and that it requires the consesus of one's peers to accurately describe oneself. Overall, I think that this was a cynical piece with a tinge of hope in the part with Einstein.
The Headmaster- He is not much of a help to the students. His way of thinking seemed to be the right way to think within his mind. He used his statues as examples like when he said this is what a person who is thinking looks like he used the statue. He wasnt very open minded.
ReplyDeleteMr. Houghton- he was the hypocrite and the author made it very clear. He would explain one thing and say that is how he is or what he does then he would do another. He talked about leading a life of duty but he cant keep himself from looking as a girl goes by."Mr. Houghton thought with his neck."
Miss Parsons- the author didnt provide a very clear picture on Miss Parsons but it seems like she lets many things (like emotions) get in the way of the things that she does in life.
Grade 3: "an intolerant contempt and an incautious mockery." They make up the majority of the population throughout society.
Grade 2: "is the detection of contradictions." They are often not content with their findings.
Grade 1: is basically the top of the mountain of thinking. They often try to think differently than the others and are the fewest in number throughout society.
I agree with the author on his levels of thinking. Although, i do not believe that almost all of the population is grade 3. The groups could be split up more to develop a more accurate picture. I would have to call myself a grade 2 thinker. I look into things and try to find answers but i do not find all of the answers.
This piece wasnt completely boring but it still took some time to get through it. I guess i am not too big of a fan of british literature or whatever this was. Overall it was an okay piece.
How did you guys write soo much...? jeez
ReplyDeleteI liked this essay I think I understood most of it. I did not like William Golding as an author because he wrote "Lord of the Flies", and I absoulutely hated this book and movie. I liked how the author in this essay had many questions n it that made you think which he wasn't a thinker. I wondered why the title was as it was because he himself said that "he, himself could not think at all" . There were three authority figures in his life.
ReplyDeleteThe first was the headmaster:
He brought the subject of thinking to the author of this piece. The statuettes were a main part of his study room. the naked lady, muscular man,leopard. He tries to make sense of these objects and later on he brings in his realizations about these statues.
The second person is Mr. Houghton:
He always tells the author to think. the author wondered why mr. houghton said that he thought a bit himself but he still drank regurally. The author points out that mr. houghton was ruined and was a very troubled person. Mr. houghton always talked about the good life and how he always took time to breath in fresh air or always took time to smell the roses. I really didn't understand the part about mr. houghtons neck. it was puzzleing to me.
The third person in his life is Miss. Parsons:
She said that she cared about the children's welfare but infact all she ever cared about and wanted was a husband that she never got.
The three levels of thinking are grade three, grade two, grade one. I really don't know if i agree with him I mean in some aspects I do and in some other aspects I don't. and I really don't know what grade of a thinker I am. I haven't really discovered this yet. I did like this piece. I agree with sam that It is a pretty deep piece and it makes you think a lot which is weird lol. I liked how the author made questions that really made you think about the subject that he was talking about. Great piece on thoughfullness and life.
don't worry austin i thought i wrote a lot but I guess I didn't lol.
ReplyDeleteThis piece was very well written and I was surprised that it actually caught my interest. Part of this may have been due to the fact that I built up a negative expectation after noticing that the essay was about six pages long and the topic was "thinking."
ReplyDeleteIn this piece, Golding identifies three main authority figures in his life and their flaws...
The Headmaster:
When Golding would visit his office, the headmaster would not address the specific problem that was at hand, but instead he would bring distress to Golding by asking him questions like, "What are we going to do with you?" and "Don't you ever think at all?" Instead of solving Golding's problems, he would enhance them by making him think that something was wrong with him.
Mr. Houghton:
His biggest problem was that he was a hypocrite. He would tell his students to live clean lives and get out in the fresh air, but he himself was an avid drinker and rarely went outdoors. He also preached of the "good life", which was sexless and full of duty. However, he couldn't even keep himself from watching a girl as she walked by the window.
Miss. Parsons:
Golding mentioned her very briefly at the bottom of page 219 and he said that "what she wanted most was the husband she never got." He basically explains that her focus was not on the students as she said, but rather on the romantic relationships that she could not sustain.
Golding established three levels of thinking...
Grade 3: Golding refers to grade 3 thinking as feeling, rather than thought and he says that nine-tenths of the population falls into this category. Those who fall into this category are filled with prejudice, hypocrisy, and ignorance, and are not open to ideas that contradict their own.
Grade 2: Golding said that "grade two thinking destroys without having the power to create." By this he means that they are able to detect contradictions of the grade three thinkers, but yet they cannot come up with the solutions themselves, causing them to be dissatisfied. He said, "Grade two thinking, though it filled life with fun and excitement, did not make for content."
Grade 1: The grade one thinkers are those who say, "What is truth?" and set out to find it. They drift from the normal thoughts of society and look to find their own solutions. Golding said that there weren't many people who fell into this category, but one that he did meet was Professor Einstein.
I agree with Golding's three levels of thinking because they actually make sense. However, this is the first time I have experience someone who analyzed thought, so I have nothing to compare his ideas with. According to Golding's perspective, I would probably be a level two thinker because I don't come up with a lot of my own solutions, but I also avoid hypocrisy and am accepting of contradictions.
I think that the overall tone of this piece was annoyance. I mainly saw this throughout the beginning of the piece when he described the authority figures in his life and later when he explained the the grade three and grade two thinkers.
The athority figures in the authors life are common folk. They are the accepted and successful people of society, they are viewed by others and by themselves as better than the normal person when in fact they are just another person who just goes about life doing what they have learned is the successful and educated thing to do. When deep down inside they actually are not the "better beings" (for lack of a better term) but just as corrupt and common as everybody else that walks to planet the planet thinking the same way.
ReplyDeleteAlthough all these people have the same overall problem the Headmaster has the problem of being very closed minded and thinks that the things he has learned and the figures of deep thought that he has seen are the only true form of thinking. He strickly believes that thinking has to be expressed by the extremes of physical expression that if you dont act like you are thinking than you must not be thinking. I see the statuette of the "The Thinker" as being a correct symbolisim of the headmaster and how he is concrete and not open to all his surrondings he is lost in his own ways.
Mr. Houghton is the typical hypicrate saying what is "needed" to be said to better educate the children of society and to conform them to what is viewed as the correct way of living. Thus taking some of the freedom of choice and also in a way the freedom of free thought because if a person is educated on how to act it takes away from to possible learning experiences of the "Bad" Even today schools and teachers still do this they preach one thing in the classroom and then they constradict what they say with their own actions. The leopard is a great symbol of Mr. Houghton he preaches of all things good but is still bound by his natural instincts to be like to rest and cant beat his sex drive.
Mrs parsons was the typical i care more about the students person when in reality she only cared about herself and what she had and didnt have. I can see the statue of the lady in the towel as a good symbol of Mrs. Parsons because the tone used by the author makes me feel that she is a typical woman that is obsessed with her looks. Also i thought that the shortness of the part of the piece talking about her symbolizes that she is a shallow person.
Level three thinking is the most common level of thought by the masses of people. According to the author 90% of the population are amoung the level three thinkers who dont actually think or care about what they are doing. The level 3's are the people who know nothing and dont think while always contradicting themselves, and only conforming to what they have learned from society as a whole and doing what society has taught them is right and the successful thing to do.
Level 2 thinkers are the people who can see the contradicting of the level 3's and seeks out ways of showing it. They also tend to make arguments think more deeply than others even though it can create problems with the level 3's
Level 1 thinkers are the true thinkers and the human beings who were able to do great thing and develop this world into what it is today and actually think about something and make discoveries.... level 1's were never given a description because an accurate description of level 1's is something can not be down on paper or in words it can only be described in thought , but not everyday thought , only in original crative thought that is not brought about by the typical education of society.
My post continued
ReplyDeleteFrom my own thought process and perspective i would say that i am a level 2 thinker that has not had the experience to level up to the mighty level one thinker yet but it is a possibility one day. From the authors perspective i would say that i would come off as a level two thinker after analyzation but at a quick glace i would apper to be a level 3 because i like to keep my guard up just in case.
I believe that the overall tone of this piece was vry relaxed and had a sense of pride from the author about the details for example the author seemed proud of the fact that he came up withe the levels of thinking and all the rest. But at the end when Eienstien Came into play the author showed a sense of respect for not only his peer but at the same time his better or his idol.
after having computer problems i realized that my post was too long to comment on liz i guess without even knowing it i wrote a lot....
ReplyDeleteI agree with everybody in a way with what they said. I have to say that everybody got the obvious and the not so obvious. Great piece i loved it
The headmaster strikes me as a man too busy correcting to teach. He seems to genuinely want to help Golding, but is unable to do so because of his lack of explanations. He never stops to consider that what he is saying isn't helping in the least.
ReplyDeleteMr. Houghton is the kind of person who knows what he thinks, but cannot (or does not) match his actions up to it. I especially like the phrase "Mr. Houghton thought with his neck," it really sums up the entire "character" of Mr. Houghton; he'd like to say he is above others in his thinking, but his own hypocrisy proves him wrong.
Miss Parsons struck me as the person who wants others to have happy lives because her own wasn't.
Level three is simple agreement, level two is "the detection of contradictions," and level one is the willful denial of any customs simply because they are customs. In my essay from English 12 about mediocrity, when I refer to pointless individualism, William Golding is now who I'll use as an example. He considers himself above others simply because he doesn't do what they do, and sounds to me like a man who is too desperate to be different to realize that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I agree that many customs are pointless and mundane, but that doesn't mean that anything that is a habit is bad. He also seems to have a victim complex, assuming people dislke him because he's "above" them, rather than them disliking him because he thinks he's above them, which is most likely the case. On his scale, I'd be a level two, because I don't fully ignore all customs.
I think that everyone analyzed the piece in great detail despite the differences in the length of the posts. If every single one of us wrote the same way and agreed on everything we would be the most boring class ever. Everyone who has posted so far caught the same basic things I did, but not everyone agreed with the author on his points. I am looking forward to discussing this one in class...
ReplyDeleteEveryone made great points about the essay and we all had fairly different thoughts about the center of it. I think everyone clearly picked up on what the problems were with the authority figures in his life and i like the comments made about Einstein. Even though the two men did not say more than four words to one another a true sense of knowledge and wisdom was felt(along with appreciation by the author). This was a high level piece but I think we all came at it very well.
ReplyDeleteThe Headmaster: He didnt help out the students much. He was very closed minded and asks the author questions rather than solving his problems.
ReplyDeleteMr Houghton: He was a hypocrite. He would always say to live a clean life and talked about the virtues of fresh air, yet he had a drinking problem.
Miss Parsons: She cared about herself more than others.
Grade 3: The typical thinkers in society. He says that 90 percent of people fall into this category.
Grade 2: "the detecting of contradictions"
Grade 1: very few of these people. they are the true thinkers of the world. They ask "what is truth?" and set out to find it.
I generally would agree with the way he seperated thinkers, although I dont agree that 90 percent of the population are pointless grade three thinkers. I think that grade 1 thinkers are hard to come by and they are the
people that do great things.
I think that the tone of this piece was very laid back and makes you think. which is funny since it is a piece about thinking.
The headmaster is somewhat of a complex but exclusive thinker. He set his mind on only one track. He would ask questions with obvious answers, it was part of this track of thinking. He was a single user which could only execute one task at a time.
ReplyDeleteMr. Houghton is a hypocrite. Clearly has standard morals yet he fails to carry out the simplest of them, maybe he sees things as a loop hole.
Miss. Parsons was given little screen time and was more emotionally based than logically. She wasn't painted very well.
Grade III: The majority, somewhat inferior to the other two grades. Are more emotional thinkers than logical thinkers. Mr. Houghton was a fine example of a Grade III thinker
Grade II: Spend their time examining Grade III and other Grade II thinkers, they are not pioneers.
Grade I: They are pioneers, Einstein for one is a Grade I thinker. The don't dwell on the thoughts of others. Are the rarest of all the thinkers.
I like how christyn compared this piece to "Lord of the Flies" since that was also written by Golding. As she said, this piece gives you an insight to why Golding uses the style of writing that he does.
ReplyDeleteI think colin described the grade 1 thinkers right on by calling them "pioneers."
The adult figures in Goldings life were set up to fail to begin with. Like Einstien, Goldings had the makings of greatness within him. And so the authority figures in his life couldn't possibly have interpreted his actions as the seeds of great thinking, but only as a insubordination. The Headmaster tried to force Golding to think the same way that he did. The Headmaster was using level three thinking. HE thought that hisw way of thinking was the best and that he should force it upon this stubborn child. The teacher was hypocritical, which is a major issue that all levels of thinking deal with. The teacher was also very much controled by his emotions and so this us level three thinking. However I believe that by his own standards Golding is a level two thinker. For in his essay he offers no solution, no way to fix the problem. Yes he's a very good level two as his essays show, but he is no more than that. Holy god complex!! He compared himself to Einstien, however for every problem Einstien questioned, he sought and answer, while Golding only offered a more disected version of the problem. And while I like some of Goldings wiritings, I happen to think that he's and annoying writer.
ReplyDeleteI think that although everyone had slightly different views on the piece, we all agree about the authority figures in the author's life. I think that the whole competitive thing came out in this piece seeing as most everyone wrote a lot about this piece. Even those who don't seem to have written a lot wrot more than they usually do.
ReplyDelete