Lord of the Flies Chapters 7 - 8 – 9 “Shadows and Tall Trees” “Gift for the Darkness” “A View to a Death”

Characters Ralph Piggy Sam’n’Eric Simon Jack The Lord of the Flies

Key Events Ralph sticks a pig Ralph, Jack, and Roger go up the mountain in the dark to find the beast Jack calls for a revote, then leaves the group Two new groups form Jack’s group kills a pig and mounts its head Fire raid Simon is killed

Character Development Ralph gains confidence (and bloodlust) after sticking the pig We see a vulnerable side to Jack—or do we? “I’m not going to play any longer. Not with you.” Jack comes into his own as a leader, forming a tightly-controlled group: “The Chief has spoken.”

Character Development Simon continues to say prophetic things and act mystic- or shaman-like How much of his conversations with the Lord of the Flies is real? Does it matter? Is there a “real” cause? “In Simon’s right temple, a pulse began to beat on the brain.” “Simon’s body was arched and stiff….He fell down and lost consciousness.”

Chapter Seven The reenactment of the pig hunting turns serious, with Robert getting hurt and frightened. How much danger was he in? Ralph and Jack’s conflict comes to a head: “Why do you hate me?” (Ralph)

Chapter Eight Jack, of Ralph: “He’s like Piggy. He says things like Piggy. He isn’t a proper chief.” Jack lies about Ralph’s action on the mountain, then calls a revote for leader—but “humiliating tears were running from the corner of each eye” when he doesn’t win Raid for fire is akin to tribal warfare “This head is for the beast. It’s a gift.” Why is Jack doing this? Does he believe in the beast? What result is he hoping for?

Chapter Nine Of Simon and the parachutist: “he crawled forward and soon he understood....The beast was harmless and horrible.” Simon’s freeing of the parachutist: symbolic of what? Abrupt shift of POV, from Simon to Ralph’s group, sets us up for the end of the chapter How is Simon not being heard during the tribal “dance” symbolic?

Motifs Civilization vs. Anarchy As civilization breaks down, so does sanity and rational and “grown-up” thought Ralph: “But the…oh…the fire! Of course, the fire!” Ralph: “[His nails] were bitten down the quick though he could not remember when he restarted this habit nor any time when he indulged it. ‘Be sucking my thumb next’”

Motifs Civilization vs. Anarchy Rituals are being created: the chant, reenacting the hunt…what are their purposes? They bring people together, but also encourage violence and hatred “The greatest ideas are the simplest. Now there was something to be done they worked with passion.” Animalistic, savage behaviour (towards the one wise person): “There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.”

Motifs Leadership Ralph gains respect after hunting, but loses himself in the same bloodlust as Jack “Now, Ralph had no self-consciousness in public thinking but would treat the day’s decisions as though he were playing chess. The only trouble was that he would never be a very good chess player.”

Motifs Leadership Jack runs his group as a dictator, such as sitting on “his throne” and ordering “Give me a drink.” Of Jack: “authority sat on his shoulder and chattered in his ear like an ape.” Jack appeals to emotion and instinct: “Who’ll join my tribe and have fun?”

Motifs Although Ralph is a better person than Jack, he is not able to hang on to his group. What does this say about what it takes to be a leader?

Motifs The darkness within people Ralph: “He sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all.” Reenacting the pig hunt: “Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering.” Jack’s group’s pig hunt: “…the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror…the hot blood spouted over his hands…He giggled and flinked them while the boys laughed at his reeking palms.”

Motifs The loss of innocence Ralph, of their scraggly appearances: “He discovered with a little fall of the heart that these were the conditions he took as normal now and that he did not mind.” “Ralph found he was able to measure the distance coldly and take aim [at the pig]”.

Final Thoughts What is the “beast”? Is the Lord of the Flies real? Who is saying: “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!...You knew, didn’t you? I’m a part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s a no go? Why things are what they are?” Simon as a prophet? “You’ll get back to where you came from….I just think you’ll get back all right.”