The Choirboys is a very raunchy, tell-it-like-it-is book concerning ten fellow officers who belong to the Wilshire Police Station and have after-hour rendezvous in MacArthur Park. These sessions were called choir practices. It was merely an off-duty meeting, usually in a secluded hideaway, for policemen who, have just finished their tour of duty, were too tense or stimulated to go to a silent sleeping house and lie down like ordinary people while nerve ends sparked. Each of the ten officers had different reasons for being at the choir practice, such as, not having enough money to go to the policeman's bar, needing to uncoil and have a drink with others who had been on the streets that night, and also to reassure one's self. These choir practices were by invitation only and were only open to a certain caliber of police officers in this particular police station. The choir practices consisted of drunkenness, illicit sex, illicit drug use and fighting among themselves. These choirboys, as they were known by their fellow officers and to each other, carried this tradition on for many years until one fateful night, after one of their own, Baxter Slate, had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head, one of the officers, Sam Niles, lost control and in his temporary insanity accidentally shot an innocent passerby who had come to look and listen in on these choir practices. When this accident happened, all of the officers involved as "choirboys" were dealt with by Internal Affairs. Sam Niles was quietly released from the force and admitted to the state mental institution as he never recovered from his insanity; Harold Bloomguard, who called the most choir practices, resigned from the police force; Herbert Whalen, who had at the time nineteen and one-half years on the police force, was given only a thirty day suspension and then was allowed to stay on another six months and retire; Spencer Van Moot, who solicited the area's most prominent businesses to clothe and feed him in a very elaborate style for "protection" and the choirboys" chaplain, Father Willie Wright, who was named this because of his squeaky sermons, were fired.
Simon: Just Another Choirboy? In William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, many characters symbolize different aspects of the novel. All of the characters have major flaws in their personalities that allow them to succumb to savagery. Simon however, does not. Simon does not allow himself ...
Character Analysis of Jack In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Jack represents the evil that is inherent in man's heart and the struggle for self-importance. Jack feels gratification when he kills the pigs; he fits the description of an animalistic driven savage and does not car...
He arrived on the island having experienced some success in exercising control over others as he was the "chapter chorister and head boy", which allowed him to dictate the choirboys (Golding 22). ... Jack always wants to be in charge, whether it is with the choirboys or the other boys on the island. ... Choirboys, especially English choirboys, are usually seen as sophisticated, obedient young boys who have elegance and are from a wealthy background. ...
J.S. Bach One of the greatest musicians in the Baroque period, Bach was born in the town of Eisenach, Germany. Bach came from a very musically talented family, almost all of its members with churches or town bands for several generations. He was orphaned at the age of 10 and was raised by his ol...
LORD OF THE FLIES There are many many boys in the story, some young and some in their teens. But no matter what they are all on this island together. The three main boys are Piggy, Ralph and Jack. All three of the boys try to be leaders and take charge. Many boys find Piggy a nuscence and a...
Guillaume Dufay is one of the many composers of the Renaissance period. It doesn't state who are his parents, but it does say that he stayed with his mother when she died. Dufay was a choirboy for much of his youth at Cambrai Cathedral. He was never really trained, but the two men that he learned...
"It is the responsibility of the writer to expose our many grievous faults and failures and to hold up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams, for the purpose of improvement." This quote suggests that writers must face their failures and confront their dangerous desires for purpose of learning f...
There are several themes that the book The Lord of the Flies has. The major theme is the conflict between civilization and savagery. This theme is built up during the course of the story through the boy's actions. The theme is shaped through three different parts of the story: Ralph's reign as leade...
"Is Jack the better leader?" Is jack the better leader? This is a question asked by many who have read Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Many people believe that Ralph is a better leader; who is the protagonist. But is he really the best leader? No, he is a hypocrite and a procrastinator. Jack...