This chapter opens after the cliffhanger of discovering the ‘beast’ (the dead parachutist). The boys have fled down the mountain. Ralph says “that thing squats by the fire as though it doesn’t want us to be rescued.”
Jack “What about my hunters?” Ralph “Boys armed with sticks.”
Ironically, Jack says “The beast is a hunter”. Golding means, the boys are hunters, especially Jack, therefore the boys/hunters are beasts.
Attempted Mutiny
Jack: “He’s a coward.” “He isn’t a prefect.” “Who thinks Ralph oughtn’t to be chief?”
‘frozen’ ‘deadly silence’ ‘breathless and heavy and full of shame’
“I’m not going to play any longer.” [very childish response to the humiliation] ‘humiliating tears’ ‘blundered out’ ‘high pitched, enraged’
Jack leaves
Piggy suggests they make a new fire – which will be less effective but will avoid the beast.
Piggy feels ‘delight’, ‘pride in his contribution to society’ and ‘expanding liberty’. He speaks with ‘pleasure’.
They worked ‘with great energy and cheefulness’ but as it got later there was ‘panic in the energy and hysteria in the cheerfulness’.
‘For the first time’, Piggy himself lights the fire. They realise Jack, Roger, Bill and Maurice are gone. And so is Simon. Ralph asks: “You don’t think he’s climbing the mountain.”
Piggy: “He’s cracked.”
—-
Jack and the Choir
Jack is with the former choir: ‘ages ago they had stood in two demure rows and their voices had been the song of angels.’
Jack: “I’m going to be chief.” “We’re going to forget the beast.” “We’ll leave some of the kill for it. Then it won’t bother us, maybe.”
Jack is increasingly identified with (moral) darkness. He ‘wore the damp darkness of the forest like his old clothes.’ He is ‘silent as the shadows’.
Killing the Mother Pig
The pig is presented as a mother in ‘maternal bliss’, with a ‘row of piglets’. The boys put ‘two spears sticking in her fat flank’, and a trail of ‘vivid blood’. They are ‘wedded to her in lust, excited’. They are a ‘dreadful eruption.’ Roger and Jack dominate the description which has a disturbingly sexual quality. ‘The sow collapsed and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her.’
Roger “Right up her ass.”
Jack: “We’ll raid them and take fire.” “This head is for the beast. It’s a gift.”
—-
Lord of the Flies
Simon, in the clearing with the pig’s head, which he speaks to. ‘in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned.’ HIs gaze was held by that ‘ancient, inescapable recognition.’
—-
Ralph and Piggy are by the fire, considering what to do now the groups are separated. ‘The island was getting worse and worse.’ The problem, Ralph says is “they don’t care,” about the fire, or if they are rescued. “What makes things break up like they do?”
“Jack.” His name is also becoming ‘taboo’ (just like ‘beast’).
Jack and his ‘anonymous savages’ steal fire. ‘Savages’ is now repeated frequently to describe the boys, emphasising the collapse of civilization.
Ralph and Piggy say:
“I thought it was -” (the beast) – they are talking about when they saw Jack, masked. (Jack = beast). Piggy thought Jack would steal the conch (=symbol of democracy, but Jack has no care for democracy now), which the boys see ‘with affectionate respect’.
Jack “What about my hunters?” Ralph “Boys armed with sticks.”Ironically, Jack says “The beast is a hunter”. Golding means, the boys are hunters, especially Jack, therefore the boys/hunters are beasts.
Attempted Mutiny
Jack: “He’s a coward.” “He isn’t a prefect.” “Who thinks Ralph oughtn’t to be chief?”
‘frozen’ ‘deadly silence’ ‘breathless and heavy and full of shame’
“I’m not going to play any longer.” [very childish response to the humiliation] ‘humiliating tears’ ‘blundered out’ ‘high pitched, enraged’
Jack leaves
Piggy suggests they make a new fire – which will be less effective but will avoid the beast.
Piggy feels ‘delight’, ‘pride in his contribution to society’ and ‘expanding liberty’. He speaks with ‘pleasure’.
They worked ‘with great energy and cheefulness’ but as it got later there was ‘panic in the energy and hysteria in the cheerfulness’.
‘For the first time’, Piggy himself lights the fire. They realise Jack, Roger, Bill and Maurice are gone. And so is Simon. Ralph asks: “You don’t think he’s climbing the mountain.”
Piggy: “He’s cracked.”
—-
Jack and the Choir
Jack is with the former choir: ‘ages ago they had stood in two demure rows and their voices had been the song of angels.’
Jack: “I’m going to be chief.” “We’re going to forget the beast.” “We’ll leave some of the kill for it. Then it won’t bother us, maybe.”
Jack is increasingly identified with (moral) darkness. He ‘wore the damp darkness of the forest like his old clothes.’ He is ‘silent as the shadows’.
Killing the Mother Pig
The pig is presented as a mother in ‘maternal bliss’, with a ‘row of piglets’. The boys put ‘two spears sticking in her fat flank’, and a trail of ‘vivid blood’. They are ‘wedded to her in lust, excited’. They are a ‘dreadful eruption.’ Roger and Jack dominate the description which has a disturbingly sexual quality. ‘The sow collapsed and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her.’
Roger “Right up her ass.”
Jack: “We’ll raid them and take fire.” “This head is for the beast. It’s a gift.”
—-
Lord of the Flies
Simon, in the clearing with the pig’s head, which he speaks to. ‘in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned.’ HIs gaze was held by that ‘ancient, inescapable recognition.’
—-
Ralph and Piggy are by the fire, considering what to do now the groups are separated. ‘The island was getting worse and worse.’ The problem, Ralph says is “they don’t care,” about the fire, or if they are rescued. “What makes things break up like they do?”
“Jack.” His name is also becoming ‘taboo’ (just like ‘beast’).
Jack and his ‘anonymous savages’ steal fire. ‘Savages’ is now repeated frequently to describe the boys, emphasising the collapse of civilization.
Ralph and Piggy say:
“I thought it was -” (the beast) – they are talking about when they saw Jack, masked. (Jack = beast). Piggy thought Jack would steal the conch (=symbol of democracy, but Jack has no care for democracy now), which the boys see ‘with affectionate respect’.
Even Ralph is starting to forget about the fire: a ‘shutter’ is coming down in his brain.
Bill says “being savages… must be jolly good fun.” They want “crackling”.
—–
Simon and the Lord of the Flies
The LOTF is taunting Simon as a “silly little boy.” ‘Simon answered him in the same silent voice’. “Aren’t you afraid of me?” “I’m the beast.” “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” Beast here is capitalised, making it seem like the Devil – c.f. ‘the number of the beast’ (=the devil) from Revelations. “I’m part of you.”
Simon ‘knew that one of his times was coming on.’ He looks into the mouth ‘a blackness within, a blackness that spread’. The LOTF tells Simon not to interfere “or we will do you” (=kill you).
Bill says “being savages… must be jolly good fun.” They want “crackling”.
—–
Simon and the Lord of the Flies
The LOTF is taunting Simon as a “silly little boy.” ‘Simon answered him in the same silent voice’. “Aren’t you afraid of me?” “I’m the beast.” “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” Beast here is capitalised, making it seem like the Devil – c.f. ‘the number of the beast’ (=the devil) from Revelations. “I’m part of you.”
Simon ‘knew that one of his times was coming on.’ He looks into the mouth ‘a blackness within, a blackness that spread’. The LOTF tells Simon not to interfere “or we will do you” (=kill you).