The Sunday News
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
After the exploration of the island Ralph reports back to the other boys.
“But this is a good island.
We – Jack, Simon and me – we climbed the mountain.
It’s wizard.
There’s food and drink, and – “Others complete his statement mentioning “Rocks- and other things.
Ralph continues showing excitement about the island.
He says: “While we’re waiting we can have a good time on this island.”
“This is our island.
It’s a good island.
Until the grown-ups come to fetch us we’ll have fun.”
Jack says, “There’s pigs.”
“There’s food;” Jack’s mind is preoccupied with spilling blood.
Why not stick to fruit? There was a shrimp of a boy, about six years old, and one side of his face was blotted out by a mulberry-coloured birthmark.
He was muttering and about to cry.
He was quite timid to address the group of boys even after getting hold of the conch.
The blow of laughter had taken the child’s voice.
Piggy knelt by him, one hand on the great shell, listening and interpreting to the assembly.
“He wants to know what you’re going to do about the snake-thing.”
When asked to tell the other boys about the snake-thing. Piggy says, “He now says it was a beastie”.
From the little boy’s perspective the Beastie was a snake-thing. Ever so big. He saw it.”
Ralph the bigger boy reassures the little boys by saying: “You couldn’t have a beastie, a snake-thing, on an island this size,” Ralph explained kindly.
You only get them in big countries, like Africa, or India.”
There is laughter from the bigger boys when the little boy says the beastie came in the dark.
He still says he saw the beastie.
It came and went away again and came back and wanted to eat him. The interpretation he got form Ralph is that the little boy was dreaming.
The little boy was worried whether the beastie would come back at night.
There was a voice which continuously said there was no beastie.
But the little boy insisted that in the morning it turned into things like ropes in the trees and hung in the branches.
According to Piggy the little boy wants to know whether it would come back that night.
Ralph continues to assure the boy when he says there is no beastie.
At that point Jack seized the conch. “Ralph’s right of course.
There isn’t a snake-thing. But if there was a snake we’d hunt it and kill it.
We’re going to hunt pigs and get meat for everybody.
And we’ll look for the snake too . . .” He does not finish his sentence as it dies off.
Ralph insists that there is no beastie Jack says they will make sure when they go hunting to Ralph’s annoyance and he felt defeated.
However, he continued emphatically stating that there was no beastie.
Ralph went on to remind the boys that they wanted to have fun and at the same time they wanted to be rescued.
He assures the boys that: “We want to be rescued; and of course we shall be rescued.”
This simple statement, unbacked by any proof but the weight of Ralph’s new authority, brought light and happiness.
Ralph told the boys that his father was in the Navy and told him that there are no unknown islands left.
He added that the Queen has a big room full of maps and all the islands in the world are drawn there.
So the Queen’s got a picture of this island.”
The boys are very happy to hear that.
“Again came the sounds of cheerfulness and better heart”.
Ralph as the authority continues to comfort the boys assuring them: “And sooner or later a ship will put in here.
It might even be daddy’s ship. So you see, sooner or later, we shall be rescued.”
The assembly was lifted towards safety by his words.
Spontaneously they began to clap and presently the platform was loud with applause.
Ralph flushed, looking sideways at Piggy’s open admiration, and then the other way at Jack who was smirking and showing that he too knew how to clap.
Reading through the lines Ralph and Jack are not the best of friends. They only agree to live in a state of cease fire.
Ralph silenced the boys. He went on in the silence, borne on his triumph.
Ralph reminds the boys that there is another thing.
He suggests that they help the grown-ups find them.
“If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us.
So we must make smoke on top of the mountain.
We must make a fire.”
The mention of a fire excites the boys, “Make a fire! Make a fire!” Positively a fire is good, but, in the wrong hands a fire can be destructive”.
Read on to prove this.
At once half the boys were on their feet.
Jack clamoured among them, the conch forgotten.
‘Come on! Follow me!” The space under the palm trees was full of noise and movement.
Ralph was on his feet too, shouting for quiet, but no one heard him.
All at once the crowd swayed towards the island and were gone – following Jack.
Even the tiny children went and did their best among the leaves and broken branches.
Ralph was left, holding the conch, with no one but Piggy.
With Piggy’s breathing restored he said: “Like kids! He said scornfully.
“Acting like a crowd of kids!”
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