Sunday, March 12, 2017

Write a reflection on the TED Talk "Jill Bolt Taylor—My Stroke of Insight." Can you make connections with the characters in Lord of the Flies?

Jill Bolte Taylor's TED talk entitled My Stroke of Insight looks at the ways in which our different brain hemispheres function and how they interact. She does this by discussing a stroke that she suffered, and how she was impacted during and after. The left hemisphere controls logic; it is the half of the brain that works well with math and science, as they are methodological and rational. The right hemisphere is focused on creativity and expression, and controls things such as insight and holistic thought.
In some ways, Piggy is similar to the left hemisphere of the brain. He represents the reason and intellect that can be found in civilized society, and he is responsible for the democratic elements that the boys adopt on the island. He is always thinking of ways to improve the society that the boys establish, both from an organizational standpoint and from a scientific standpoint. He also rationalizes everything he does, including his part in the death of Simon. Piggy does his best to have an answer for every problem that presents itself along the way.
Simon, on the other hand, can be characterized in a similar way to the right hemisphere of the brain. He is empathetic towards the younger boys, and unlike everyone else on the island, he is able to look at nature not as a resource but as a source of beauty and wonder. While the other boys try to figure out how to take advantage of the trees on the island, for example, Simon is off discovering flowers and meditating. He connects with the beauty of the island in a way that is not scientific or rational. He also displays quite a bit of insight, as he is able to recognize "the Beast" for what it is, the evil and darkness within the boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU

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