Later, Jack and his gang raid Ralph s encampment. They steal a burning log for their own fire and Jack invites all the boys to come join his tribe at the feast they are to have that night. As the savages leave Ralph comments about how he wishes he could have fun too, but still the fire is more important to him. Nonetheless, this importance of the fire and of rescue are drifting away from Ralph and he must be constantly reminded of it by Piggy. A storm is building above the island and thunder promises rain.
Back at the clearing Simon is having a discussion with the pig s head. This discussion is probably mostly in Simon s head, but Golding uses this interview as an eerie way to unveil the theme of the novel. Golding now refers to the fly-covered pig s head as the Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies asks Simon if he s afraid of him. It says:
…I am the Beast… Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn t you? I m part of you? Close, close, close! I m the reason it s no go? Why things are the way they are?
Although Simon may have known that the Beast was really inside the kids, it is now confirmed. Now that Simon knows for sure, the Beast warns him not to tell anyone the truth, otherwise he will be killed.
Chapter 9
A View to a Death
The storm keeps boiling over the island, possibly representing the turmoil that is occurring below it. Simon regains consciousness and heads for the mountain. He sees the rotting airman and realizes the Beast is harmless and horrible, which, in reality is true. If the boys choose to suppress the Beast it is harmless, or they can let it run rampant. Simon makes his way to the beach to tell the other boys.
Piggy and Ralph have decided to go to the pig roast, just to see what is going to happen. All of the other boys are already there, except Simon, and they fall silent as the two outcasts approached. They are both given portions of meat as Jack begins a speech. He asks who will join his tribe. Ralph interrupts trying to persuade the boys to help him keep the fire going. The crowd of boys instead agree to join Jack, who promises to give them meat and keep them safe from the Beast.
The storm breaks and the rain comes down with lightning and thunder. Ralph is asking them what they re going to do without shelters and Jack orders them to begin the dance. As they chant around Roger, who is playing the pig, Piggy and Ralph …found themselves eager to take place in this demented but partly secure society. The boys in the dance are armed with clubs and spits and are getting out of hand again with this game.
A figure is crawling out of the forest and the ring opens to let it inside. Mistaken as the Beast by the Jack s tribe, Simon is beaten to death. The group disbands for shelter from the storm. On top of the mountain wind fills the parachute of the airman and lifts him away from the island. As the storm subsides and the tide moves in and out, Simon s body is washed to sea.
Chapter 10
The Shell and the Glasses
It is the next morning and the only boys still in Ralph s confidence are Piggy and Samneric. The twins are in the forest collecting firewood while Ralph and Piggy discuss Simon s murder and what they are going to do next. Piggy tries to make excuses for the boys by claiming it was an accident, but Ralph doesn t buy into that.
On Castle Rock Jack (now continually painted) has created a fortification that is constantly guarded. If, for whatever reason they need to defend themselves, Roger has placed a lever underneath a large boulder that will send it smashing onto the rock bridge that conects the fort to the mainland. Jack has begun to rule by force and the kids who are out of line are tied up and beaten. He decides the tribe will hunt again tomorrow. Although some of them realize they have killed Simon it is sensed that they are trying to it cover up by convincing themselves they really just hurt the disguised beast.
Back at the lagoon Ralph and the rest are agonizing over trying to keep the fire going. Again, Ralph must constantly be reminded by Piggy that the fire is Something overwhelmingly good. Ralph tells the protesting twins that Anyone can play at hunting, anyone can get us meat ; anyone can buy into the irresponsible and harmful desires within them, but it is not easy to hold them at bay. They decide to leave the fire unlit for the night, and retire to the rickety shelters.
During the night they awake to noises outside and they are afraid the Beast has come for them, but is only Jack and his tribe searching to steal fire. Not finding a lit fire they charge into the shelter and in the violent fight that ensues, Piggy s specs are stolen. They have now been stripped of the ability to make fire and the only symbol of society and order that is left to them is the conch.
Chapter 11
Castle Rock
At day break the four plundered and bruised boys try to ignite any smoldering ashes left in the fire, but it is dead. In desperation Ralph calls an assembly. Only the four boys plus some littluns attend. Ralph speculates that maybe if they try to comb their hair, and look decent they could go to Jack to ask for the specs, after all we aren t savages really and being rescued isn t a game Piggy agrees to this idea and talks about Simon s murder and the death of the littlun in the first fire:
What can he do more than he already has? I ll tell him what s what. You let me carry the conch, Ralph. I ll show him the one thing he hasn t got.
As they get ready they eat, Samneric are afraid to go because Jack will be painted. They set off; with Ralph and the twins carrying spears and Piggy the conch, being led because he cannot see with out his specs.
They reach Castle Rock and Ralph steps out onto the neck of land leading to it with Piggy just behind, and the twins after him. Roger, the guard, orders them to halt and Ralph blows the conch. He tells the savages that he is calling an assembly. Jack emerges from the forest behind him with his hunters and the carcass of a pig. Ralph demands the specs to be returned and the tribe laughs at him.
Ralph and Jack fight each other briefly using spears as sabers. Jack gets between Ralph and the rock and orders the twins captured. Some kids come out to tie up Samneric and Ralph has had enough; Jack and Ralph charge each other and begin fighting again. Piggy stands up and yells for them to stop and listen to him. Surprisingly, the crowd is silent and Piggy, holding the conch, asks, Which is better to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill? Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up? During this speech, the tribe, bearing spears, has formed along the far side of the rock bridge intending to charge.
A great yell goes up and Roger heaves on the lever. The huge boulder totters and crashes onto the bridge. Ralph ducks out of the way, but the blind Piggy does not move. As the boulder strikes him the conch explodes …into a thousand white fragments… Piggy falls forty feet to his death on the rocks below. Jack feels no sympathy and warns Ralph that that s what he ll get. The tribe charges and Ralph is running, crashing through the forest. The pursuit does not last long and Jack orders the crowd back to the fort. Ralph is free, for the time being.
Chapter 12
Cry of the Hunters
Night falls and Ralph stays close to Castle Rock. Samneric, now savages, have been stationed as guards. Ralph crosses the bridge and scales the tower to talk to them. They tell Ralph that Jack and the tribe are going to hunt him tomorrow. The plan is that the kids will make a line stretching from one shore of the island to the other and they will slowly advance until they find him. When Ralph asks what they will do when he is caught, the twins reply, Roger has sharpened a stick at both ends, but Ralph does not attach meaning to this. He tells Samneric that he plans to hide in the thicket near Castle Rock, thinking that Jack will not look so close to the fort.
Ralph wakes up the next morning and the twins have been forced to confess where Ralph is hiding. The tribe tries to roll another boulder from the castle to land in Ralph s thicket, but they just barely miss him. A savage tries to crawl through the branches to see if Ralph is still there and gets the business end of a spear. They set the thicket on fire and Ralph runs into the forest as the line of savages spreads out to begin the sweep of the island.
Deciding that the best option is to hide, Ralph finds the place where Simon used to stay and hunkers down. As the line of savages advances the entire island behind them is burning, but they only seek to catch and kill Ralph. The line reaches his hiding spot and Roger peeks under to look. Ralph charges him and runs to the beach, the tribe pursuing. He runs past the burning shelters right into a Navy officer.
Ironically, the massive fire and smoke enabled the ship to see them. As the boys gather around, the officer comments on how it must be all be fun and games. Some of the boys are crying, realizing what they ve done. The officer sees the spears and asks, We saw your smoke. What have been doing? Having a war or something? He learns that two children have been killed and they are taken off the island to the waiting cruiser. As they are taken away, …Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.
362