Chapter 1:
This chapter begins with the characterisation of two young boys who seem to be polar opposites. One goes by the name of Ralph who is confident, athletic and brave- a born leader. He is confident that his father will come and rescue them as he is a commander in the navy. On the other hand, 'Piggy' is short, overweight and has asthma. He is immediately called this name by Ralph who makes fun of him for being fat. Through actions such as these, we instantly acquire a deep understanding of each of the boy's different personalities. For example, when Ralph makes fun of Piggy, we realise that he is inconsiderate and harsh. In the beginning of this chapter, we also hear Piggy saying that he had heard that an atom bomb would be dropped somewhere which we as readers could interpret as possible foreshadowing.
Soon later, Piggy suggests that they blow through a conch shell that they had found in order to find any other children. We can see that Piggy does have a certain extent of intellect. William Golding includes these scenes in order to further develop the characterisations of his characters through these, which is effective as we understand more and more about each of their personalities. Children begin to come out of the jungle and gather around the two boys. Piggy tries to get their names and tell Ralph but he, being arrogant and thoughtless, is not interested. Ralph then spots a group of boys in black robes of a choir, who are led by an aggressive boy called Jack who immediately begins to call Piggy 'Fatty'.
They then decide to elect a leader to care for them. Jack nominates himself as he was the head of the choir and had been head boy at his school. However the children vote Ralph as he called them together through the conch shell. Jack is displeased with this decision and sensing this, Ralph decides to let Jack rule over the choir boys and a hunting group.
Ralph finally decides to explore the island with Jack and another boy called Simon. Piggy tries to go with them but he is shunned aside by Ralph. Piggy becomes hurt because of the rejection and the fact that Ralph had revealed to everyone that people from his primary school had bullied him by calling him Piggy because he was fat.
Ralph and the boys then decide to hunt for food. In the jungle, they find a pig stuck in a mass of vines and Jack swoops in to kill it. He hesitates however and becomes embarrassed that he might be labelled a coward by the other boys. He decides to show no mercy the next time they found an animal in the jungle as they head back to where all the other boys are.
Chapter 2:
In this chapter, Ralph further expands the rules on the island. In order to speak, they decide to blow the conch shell to be allowed to. This is because of the realisation that there are no adults on the island and that they must start caring for themselves. Here, Jack reminds Ralph that in order to obtain food, they must find animals such as pigs to eat. At this point in the chapter, we believe there to be a certain extent of order on the island.
However, the order seems to be almost immediately broken when Piggy suggests that no one knows that they are stranded on the island and that they may be stuck there for many years. This seems to have a sudden impact on the boys and to make matters worse, a small boy with some kind of injury on his face reveals that he had seen a "beastie", a monster of some sort. This adds panic to the group but the older boys soon dismiss the idea, saying that it was a mere dream. To divert them from these ideas, Ralph suggests building a fire and this relieves and brings new hope to the boys. They instantly rush off while Ralph and Piggy stay behind, with Piggy complaining how stupid their ideas are.
In order to start the fire, they focus sunlight on their pile of wood by using Piggy's glasses. However, it quickly dies down and Piggy complains again. In a desperate attempt to start their fire again, the boys trigger a forest fire. To add on to the renewed panic, Piggy explains that a boy has disappeared, possibly taken by a monster. Ralph is embarrassed as it is his responsibility as leader so they try to forget about the incident.
The events in chapter 2 show how the boys have already created chaos in their lack of thinking. They refuse to listen to Piggy, who is obviously thinking logically but carry out everything selfishly. This depicts society in civilisation and the sin of humans by reflecting Ralph and Jack's personalities. It also shows an unfair hierarchy which values power and strength not intelligence which is key in order to survive.
Chapter 3:
A few weeks later, Jack goes hunting in order to find a pig to kill. He seems to falter once again and his spear misses once again. This shows how his civilised manners still remain in him, making him scared to kill an animal although he seems intent on the outside.Meanwhile, Ralph and Simon are building huts. The huts are falling apart however and Ralph quickly becomes agitated that there aren't enough people helping as they are all either hunting or playing and complains to Jack. The fact that Ralph is doing an inferior and the least popular job shows that Jack's aggressive dominance is easily recognisable and this could possibly lead to conflict on the island.
This conflict is confirmed when Jack becomes angry at Ralph's remark. When Ralph points out that all the other hunters have already returned hours ago(all except for Jack), Jack tries to explain that he was desperately trying to kill a pig but he is too embarrassed and he cannot find the words to explain. This shows how he is further becoming more distant from the others to the point that he cannot even speak properly which seems rather ominous. They then further argue about whether is more important that building shelters. The friction seems to be growing.
Ralph says that they need shelter as the younger boys are scared. However, Simon admits that the island seems strange and Jack agrees, saying that when he is hunting in the forest, he feels as if someone or something is hunting him. Ralph then brings up the fire that they had accidentally set off, causing another argument. Jack says that hunting is work but Ralph claims that he only does it out of enjoyment. He complains that while he is hunting, he is building a shelter for everyone causing the tension between the boys to grow ever so larger.
To end the chapter, the author chooses to include Simon getting away from all the others and exploring the forest when they are all swimming in the sea. While gathering fruit, he finds an enchanting and beautiful clearing that had been hidden by a large mass of vines. He then covers the entrance again with the vines as if he does not want anyone to find this place. Due to the extensive description of the clearing and his actions, Golding may have included this scene to inform us that Simon may prove to be a major character although his role in the novel is yet to be revealed.
Chapter 4:
In this chapter we begin to recognise even more divisions among the group of boys. For example, the older boys and the smaller boys are put in separate 'classes' with the "biguns"(older boys) being higher up and more privileged than the "litluns"(younger boys). Another example is the difference in personality between Roger and Maurice. As they are older boys, they abused their power and strength and they kicked the younger boys' sandcastle apart for their own amusement. While Roger laughed, Maurice felt guilty, aware of his wrongdoing. This represents the conflict and difference between civilisation and the wild. This shows how the boys being stranded have had a negative effect on them, likening themselves to even savages.
Later Roger even advances to throw a stone at Henry's head, however he is held back by civilisation which prevents him form hurting anybody. On the other hand Jack paints his face with clay and along with his long hair he feels freed from the rules of civilisation. He gets a few of the older boys to accompany him on his hunting trip. It seems that he is not afraid of killing something anymore.
All of the other older boys stay behind and talk. Piggy suggest to Ralph that they should make sundials-a clock like device that they could each have. All of the other boys laugh and mock the idea including Ralph because they think that Piggy is an outsider due to his weight, asthma and his poor eyesight(glasses).
Suddenly, Ralph spots smoke on the horizon-it is a ship. All the boys rush to the top of the mountain to find that their fire had gone out, meaning that the ship had not been able to see them and had just gone past the island. Ralph gets incredibly angry because he had entrusted Jack to take care of the fire and make sure that it remained lit. When Jack and his hunting party return with a dead pig, they begin to try and celebrate with the other boys. They begin to chant the three sentences "kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood." Ralph picks up an argument with Jack, telling him that he had just extinguished their first chance of leaving the island. This is another clash between civilisation(Ralph) and savagery(Jack). The friction is ever so worsening.
Piggy then joins in and starts to shout at Jack as well. This instantly provokes Jack who was already angry before Piggy and he hits him, breaking his glasses. This makes all the other boys laugh. This shows how Jack now sees Piggy as someone who is weaker than him , using Piggy to show his strength, which shows how further away he is getting from his original personality. Eventually however, Jack apologies after realising that he is fighting a losing battle. Ralph then asks for Piggy's permission to use his glasses to relight the fire and he allows him to do so, showing a symbol of their possible alliance. At this moment in time, it is clear that there are now two sides: Ralph's and Jacks's.
Soon all the boys forget about the fight and begin to cook the pig, but Jack refuses to give Piggy any due to the earlier conflict. Instead, Simon shares with him, proving to the reader that Simon is a character that is not in bad terms with any of the other characters.
The chapter then ends with the reader revealing once again how savage Jack has begun because he and the other hunters had started reenacting the killing of the pig in a sort of ritual dance. At this point, Ralph leaves,saying that he is going to call a meeting with his conch, another symbol, but this time of civilisation.
Chapter 5:
This chapter introduces a change in Ralph's thinking. He is deep in thought but unable to produce any ideas quickly like Piggy does. He envies this ability, highlighting how a bond has properly formed between the two. However, he comes to a conclusion that things have gone wrong. They had not been able to manage to keep the fire going, had not stored any water and had not built any form of shelter for the boys. The lack of organisation on the island frustrates Ralph and he calls a meeting to try and sort things out.
Ralph begins the meeting by talking about how things should be set out straight on the island. He clearly reinstates that the fire is the most important thing on the island and should be kept lit at all times in order get rescued as soon as possible. In response to this, Jack tries to reach for the conch in order to speak but Ralph snatches it away-it seems that he is still angry from the incident in the fourth chapter. Surprisingly though, Jack is obedient and sits back down, showing that he still respects Ralph, at least in the slightest.
However, the meeting reveals that the younger boys are scared. Jack then takes the conch on his second try and begins to react aggressively, calling them crybabies. He then comforts them though, saying that he has been everywhere on the island due to his hunting expeditions. Piggy agrees with him for once in order to keep the kids calm. The kids are not convinced though.
A boy named Phil reveals that he has seen 'the beast' the previous night. However, this is quickly dismissed by Simon, who says that he had been in the forest the night before. Panic from Phil begins to spread. Another boy named Percival Wemys Madison stands up and gives his address and proceeds to give his telephone number but he has already forgotten it. This surprising lack of knowledge scares him and he begins to cry. This really shows to the reader how the boys have been separated from humanity to not even be able to remember something like a phone number. After getting over this, he shocks the group by claiming that the beast comes from the sea. Since this could possibly be true, it terrifies the boys.
Simon's suggestions do not help either. His view is that the boys are the beasts themselves. Piggy thinks this idea is crazy but the boys perceive the beast now as a ghost. Ralph holds a vote on whether the boys believe in ghosts. The majority raise their hands. Simon's suggestion strikes a realisation though. If the boys were the beasts, it emphasises that being separated from humanity has literally made them into savage animals: something that could also be likely due to Jack's recent behaviour in chapter 4.
Piggy then dismisses this idea as well. He states that ghosts do not exist, asking the boys if they were humans or savages. He mentions Jack and his hunters letting the fire go out which instantly enrages Jack, who snatches the conch from him. This makes Ralph complain at Jack for not following the rules but Jack questions his leadership. He says that he now does not care about the rules, saying that he would kill the beast, meaning that if Simon was right, then he would kill one or more of the boys. He then starts a ritual dance and all the boys join in except for Ralph, Piggy and Simon. This is a symbol of Jack's savagery taking over him.
Ralph eventually gives up and considers stepping down as leader. Piggy instantly realises that if that were to happen, Jack would take over the island and make his life hell. Order seems to be breaking down and it could be that Jack takes over with sheer force. The boys (Ralph, Simon and Piggy) now understand how much they need the comfort and enforcement of adults, who represent civilisation in their eyes.
Chapter 6:
Ralph and Jack's negative rivalry almost reaches a battle for leadership in this chapter. What triggers the fight is when a group of planes are heard fighting above the island. A dead pilot drifts down in his parachute and lands near the signal fire, making it go out again. This is the first proper interaction between the boys and someone else, although the pilot is dead. This interaction, however, had scared the boys guarding the fire when they had woken up and they had thought that it had been the 'beast' due to the air rising and falling in the parachute which had looked like a pair of wings to them. The pilot actually is a symbol that there is also savagery in civilisation and since it has put out the fire, it shows how savagery has extinguished civilisation within the boys.
Upon hearing this, Ralph quickly calls another assembly to discuss the events and the claim that the beast had reappeared. This meeting becomes heated almost instantly though due to Jack, who questions Ralph's leadership and decisions. His anger also extends to him to mocking Piggy again and claiming that the conch no longer matters and that he can speak whenever he likes. His actions clearly show uncontrollable he is becoming in order to come across as strong to the other boys. Here it seems that Ralph's leadership has swayed a little due to this but he quickly destroys the rebellion from Jack by asking the boys whether they wanted to be rescued and go home or not. This shows how the fear of the 'beast' has made toe boys want a strong leader like Jack but they still want and prefer civilisation over savagery.
Since the boys are scared, Ralph and the other 'biguns' decide to search the island while Piggy stays back to look after the 'littluns'. They soon find a formation of rock which Jack calls the 'castle'. They decide to search as it could be the beast's lair and Ralph enters without hesitation through a 40ft high opening. Jack quickly follows, desperately trying to come across as the bravest member of the group as he wants to replace Ralph as leader.
However, they boys find no beast but find only amusement. Jack becomes excited because he realises that the cave would make a very good base as a fort of some sort. Jack also comments on the fact that there are boulders that if aimed, can come crashing down on their enemies such as the beast or maybe his rival-Ralph. This contrast with how they used the boulders in chapter 1 where they all pushed one out of the way together so that they could explore the island further, emphasising again how Jack's attitude has changed completely in a negative way. The chapter then suddenly ends with tension caused by Jack and the 'biguns' wanting to play whereas Ralph wanting to go to the peak of the mountain to relight the fire. At this moment, we don't know whether the boys will listen to Ralph to pursue their duties or listen to Jack to pursue their desires.
Chapter 7:
On the journey to relight the fire, Ralph reflects. He wishes to become his old, civilised self again by cutting his hair and clipping his nails. He wonders to himself how the ocean separates him from London, civilisation. However Simon comforts him, reassuring their safe journey home. One thing that is mysterious though is how Simon says it. He says "you'll get back alright" which seems strange as it suggests that only Ralph will make it home and not him. This suggests that Simon may stay on the island for some unknown reason, although this is not yet confirmed for sure.
Later on, as they head through the jungle in the direction of the mountain, the boys come across a wild boar. It manages to get away though although Ralph gets a spear into its side. Influenced by pride, he decides to reenact the scenario with a boy named Robert. The boys soon chant "Kill the pig. Cut its throat" to the point that it almost seems as if the boys would kill Robert, showing how they cannot control their emotions anymore. The fact that we now realise that Ralph also has a savage side foreshadows trouble and possibly violence in the future.
The boys then discuss how they should chant and dance. One suggests dancing around a fire while one suggests using an actual pig so that they can kill it in the reenactment. Jack suggests using a littlun which makes everyone laugh. One thing in common though is the fact that all the suggestions are associated with savagery and violence further showing that things are going downhill with the boundaries of their actions, which are expanding.
After wasting their time by acting out, it soon becomes dark although they have not reached Piggy and the littluns yet. Ralph realises that they need to send someone to tell Piggy that they won't be able to get back to them for the night. Everyone is scared to go, but Simon volunteers. This is because everyone is scared by the 'beast' but Simon knows that the 'beast' does not exist- it is merely the savage actions and movements of one or multiple of the boys when they are asleep. Jack then mocks Ralph's concern for Piggy out of hatred but Ralph finally loses it, confronting him and asking him why he hates Piggy so much. He becomes lost for words and everyone becomes nervous because it seems that they know they they hate Piggy due to the savage 'beast' controlling them.
Once at the base of the mountain, they stop to rest. Jack once again, attacks Ralph by accusing him of cowardice as he decided to stop for the night. To maintain his reputation, however, Ralph decides to go on in order to come across as brave, but only Roger seems to want to go on with Jack and Ralph due to all the boys being scared. They go on without them. Halfway up the mountain, Ralph decides that it is a stupid idea to wander around up the mountain in the dark as they could get lost. However, Jack is adamant on continuing up the path and he continues up by himself. He then suddenly comes back though, claiming that he saw something. They then go up with Jack and they witness the parachute which blows in the wind. This frightens the boys and they run away.
This last scene of chapter 7 shows how the boys, even Ralph have become blinded by the 'beast' and the parachute. The two are preventing them from reaching civilisation because the parachute has scared them off and stopped them from relighting the fire which is their only chance of being saved from savagery(the 'beast').
Chapter 8:
In this chapter, more problems arise. It seems that the 'beast' has blocked the biguns form relighting the signal fire thus preventing their escape even though it is just a dead pilot. However, it has managed to scare their boys from going near the peak of the mountain again, becoming the first of their dilemmas. Even Piggy and Ralph are unsure of what to do. It has now been established that the 'beast' is an enemy to the boys and to their escape from the island.
Soon later though, the boys manage to come up with a few solutions. Jack suggests that he and his hunters can hunt it down. This suggestion is soon dismissed though by Ralph, who claims that he and his hunters are only boys with sticks. Jack is quick to take offence from this and he storms off and blows the conch in order to call a meeting. Ralph begins to speak as chief but he is interrupted by Jack who demands to speak first as he called the meeting. Ralph lets him though as this was the original rule and he begins to speak. He claims that the 'beast' had been hunting them on their way to the peak of the mountain and he even describes it as a hunter. By comparing it to himself and his team(also hunters), the writer makes it clear to us that the beast is from within the boys in the form of their savage actions. One way the writer shows that it is still peaceful to a certain extent is that Jack still complies to the rules by using the conch to call the meeting rather than calling it by force.
Jack then directs his anger at Ralph, labelling him lousy and useless like Piggy but as a chief. He calls for a change and holds a another vote to reelect a new leader. Nobody votes for Jack however and he runs off embarrassed. this shows all of the boys would still rather be rescued than live however they wanted on the island with Jack. In a last desperate attempt to gather followers, he forms a new group cut off from Ralph's group where he is leader. He says anyone can join him and he suddenly leaves for the jungle. Even with Jack gone, they still discuss other suggestions. Simon suggests that they confront the 'beast' at the top of the mountain as he knows that nothing is there while Piggy suggests building another signal fire on the beach and avoiding the 'beast'. This shows how Jack(savagery), Piggy(civilisation) and Simon(knowledge) all have conflicting views, especially Jack who has now left the group.
Ralph's group decides to go with Piggy's idea and they build a fire on the beach and play around it. It seems that many have secretly left, all biguns, to join Jack though apart from Sam and Eric(Samneric), and Piggy. Now, two groups have actually formed, foreshadowing conflict.
Later, Simon leaves by himself again for his secret place in the jungle and appears to meditate in the sun although it seems that he is becoming more and more famished. Through Simon's decision to meditate, we can liken him to a wise being such as a monk as he also is the only one who knows the truth about the 'beast'.
In another part of the jungle, Jack declares that his group is separated from Ralph's. He vows to get more boys "away from the conch" which shows that he wants a rebellion;he wants change. One rule he sets is that whenever they secure a kill, they will leave some for the 'beast' to eat as an offering in order to ensure that it leaves them alone. This shows how Jack's group has given up on defeating the 'beast' and have given in to savagery which could lead to a potential problem in their rescue. Their offering rule is soon put into place when the boys hunt and manage to kill a pig. Jack cuts off its head and they decide to raid Ralph's camp in order to steal some fire to cook the pig. However, they also invite Ralph's group to their feast. This represents how the two groups are still one as they are tied by friendship. The pig's head is offered to the 'beast' on a stake. Here the writer is showing that the 'beast' is in control.
This is witnessed by Simon and while he is fasting, the pig's head seems to be talking to him, inhabited by the Lord of the Flies. It tells them that they are going to have "fun on the island". This quotation is telling us that the boys are bound to give in to savagery and begin to pursue only their desires because the 'beast' is within each and every one of them. This can almost be confirmed because the Lord of the Flies is referring to one of the four elite demons of the underworld Beelzebub who the boys think is the 'beast'. This is immediately shown when the boys from Jack's group steal fire from Ralph's to cook the pig because it shows how the boys now see the fire as something for cooking-something to be used for their desire to eat meat rather than something to be used to aid their rescue from savagery.
The atmosphere is now ominous because only Simon had been to be able to control the 'beast' within him but now he has been overpowered by it, making the reader expect to see savagery take over the island.
Chapter 9:
A storm brews on the island and Simon wakes. He immediately makes for the peak of the mountain although he is exhausted from his fasting session. On the way he sees the dead pilot and the parachute and realises that the other boys had thought that it had been by the 'beast' and had been frightened by it. He dismantles the parachute so that the boys won't be scared anymore and then he goes to tell the others that there was no 'beast' in the jungle.
In his absence, everyone had gone to the feast prepared by Jack's group except for Ralph and Piggy and a few others. Ralph makes fun of them because they are pretending that they are an actual tribe when he only sees them as a bunch of immature boys but this only highlights the fact that they are actually essentially a tribe. However, Piggy asks Ralph if they can go because he is so attracted to the idea of meat that is hard to come by on the island using the excuse that they need to make sure that "nothing happens". Piggy is using this excuse to cover up the fact that his desire for meat is influencing his decisions.
At the feast, Jack is dressed like a tribesman with his painted face and crown of leaves. It is clear that he is the leader due to this and also because all of the boys listen to all his commands-they have given up their freedom and chances of rescue to live a life of desire under the rule of Jack who encourages this. Later when Ralph arrives, the meal comes to a close although there is plenty of food left. With Ralph present, he asks the boys who will join his tribe. Ralph tries to express his authority by referring to the conch but Jack completely smothers this and labels the conch useless. This shows how he has completely separated himself from Ralph, choosing savagery over civilisation and desire over rescue. It is clear that he does not want to be rescued but wants to stay on the island.
When it begins to rain, Ralph mocks them once again because they have not thought about their accommodation yet meaning that they will have to stand in the rain. Instead of taking cover however, Jack's tribe begins to dance and chant in a circle, screaming "kill the pig" and "cut his throat" again. Even Ralph and Piggy join in in a frantic attempt to avoid the rain. Roger pretends to be a pig and screams in mock pain, showing how none of the boys care about violence anymore-they are all savages. The dance soon becomes out of control.
During the frenzied dance, Simon appears, telling them about the parachute. However, the boys think that he is the 'beast' and proceed to surround him and beat him to death. The storm becomes stronger and it brings the parachute down to the boys, who run away, leaving Simon's body to be washed down away into the sea. It seems that the boys, including the 'civilised' Ralph and Piggy have all been blinded by savagery to the point that they mistook a comrade as an enemy.
Chapter 10:
The next day Ralph finds that he has lost his power and influence on the island-all of the biguns have left for Jack except for Piggy and Samneric. Ralph then tells Piggy about his realisation that they had mistaken Simon for the 'beast' and had accidentally killed him. Piggy, shocked with horror, decides to pretend with Ralph and Samneric that they had not been present at the feast when Simon had been killed in order to cover up the fact even they(those who represent civilisation) have begun to be blinded by the 'beast' as shown in the Simon incident.
This is important because it shows how the 'beast' has gotten rid of the only person who knew the truth behind it, meaning that civilisation has gone a step closer to giving in to savagery. Here, we also sense a change in attitude in Ralph and Piggy. They now longer think nothing of Jack's tribe but fear it as they had even managed to trick them into thinking that their comrade was an enemy.
Meanwhile, Jack moves his tribe to Castle Rock, the place he had deemed fit for a fort in previous chapters. He orders a few of his biguns to guard the entrance and gives them permission to use violence to any intruders i.e. Ralph and any other boys not in his tribe. This shows how lawless the boys in Jack's tribe have become just because they have dismissed their main goal:rescue.
Contrary to Ralph's memory, Jack claims to his tribe that what they had encountered yesterday had definitely been the 'beast' and not Simon. Another mad thing that he claims is that they had not killed the 'beast' yesterday during the dance even though a swarm of boys had brutally attacked 'it'(Simon) because it is impossible for them to kill the 'beast'. The reason that Jack lies to this extent is because he knows that the only reason the biguns are listening to him is because of the fact that they forget their fears of the 'beast' when they have a leader which none of them wants to be, showing how unstable his leadership is.
Later, Jack says that they will have a feast and gives the command that they will raid Ralph's base and steal Piggy's glasses in order to light a fire to cook the meat. While Jack and his tribe are carefree and even have the time and numbers to go hunting, Ralph's group face a dilemma. They realise that a four man team cannot keep the fire going twenty four hours a day so they decide to only keep it alight during the day. Note how this means that they are giving in to savagery due to them reducing their chances of rescue by not being able to keep the fire alight twenty four hours a day.
That night, Jack's tribe raids Ralph's camp and succeeds in stealing Piggy's glasses while they desperately try to protect what they have but to no prevail. All that they had done was accidentally fight each other in the dark and protect something now meaningless:the conch. Without the glasses to light the fire, it seems that the boys have a very slim chance of getting off the island as Jack only intends to use the glasses as something to help them cook rather than something to signal to nearby boats to save themselves.
Chapter 11:
Ralph's group, now only 4 members(excluding the littluns),are now in a very tough situation. Stripped from power, the group decide to try and negotiate with Jack's group by using the conch. They plan to retrieve Piggy's glasses from Castle Rock and Ralph and Samneric bring spears with them, but Piggy doesn't. This shows how Piggy is still desperately clinging onto civilisation and is trying to avoid as much violence as possible.
They soon reach Castle Rock and Ralph blows the conch. Roger notices them and throws a rock at them but misses seemingly on purpose, hinting that he still has a little bit of humanity in him. Jack is one of the last to appear along with a few hunters holding a pig on a spit. It soon becomes tense and Ralph starts by calling Jack a thief. Jack retaliates by physically attacking him and they fight using the blunt sides of two spears. Here we can see that they are both held back from actually killing each other with their spear tips by civilisation.
The fight ends and Ralph demands for Piggy's glasses to be returned to him, explaining how crucial the fire is in getting them off the island. However, Jack doesn't care and points out that he just needs a cooking fire to live comfortably on the island, which is what he prefers to being rescued now. He then orders his hunters to tie up Samneric to intimidate Ralph. Since all the hunters listen to Jack, it shows how they no longer care about getting off the island-their minds are clouded by the thought that they do not need to escape but can live on the island without any adults, rules or basic morals that every human should follow.
Roger then suddenly pushes a boulder down at Piggy and Ralph and Piggy is hit and his dead body is washed out to sea. There is a minute of silence which is broken by Jack as the boys chase Ralph with their spears. Samneric is taken hostage and forced to join the tribe while Ralph escapes into the jungle.
Chapter 12: final chapter
Ralph spies on Castle Rock from a hiding place in the forest-he knows that there is nothing that he can possibly do except for hiding. In the jungle, Ralph finds a skull of a pig stuck on a spearhead which reminds him of Jack's doing. He strikes it and the skull splits, possibly foreshadowing Jack's power being broken-a happy ending? Ralph then returns to spy on Jack and his tribe and he finds Samneric guarding the gate. He approaches them silently but as soon as they see him, they beg him to leave, scared that Jack might find him. They give him some meat and tell him that the tribe will hunt the next day. Ralph hides in the forest but he soon finds himself discovered. The tribe are very aggressive, rolling boulders at his hiding place and setting it on fire. The latter had once been a symbol of civilisation but is now being used to hunt and kill Ralph who is seemingly the prey.
He is eventually chased all the way back to the beach where he miraculously finds a British Navy officer who had seen the fire that the tribe had used to try and kill him.
All of the other boys gather on the beach and when the officer asks whether they had been having a war, Ralph replied that two had died to the officer's shock. He then asks who had been in charge and Ralph says he had been and regains his power. However, Percival fails to say his own name again, showing how separated the boys had been from civilisation. Ralph begins to cry for Piggy as he realises how fragile the human mind is and how basic morals can easily be forgotten unlike the officer who does not take things seriously and even proceeds to say that he had expected more from the boys as they had been British. This shows how frightening Ralph's experience of witnessing mental deterioration had been because an adult is unable to understand. The officer is surprised by Ralph and realising his insensitivity, looks out to his ship. The boys had very narrowly been saved.
THE END