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READ THIS
Both Ralph's now tiny group and Jack's enlarged tribe suffer the after-effects of having killed Simon.
At Castle rock, Jack imposes his authority in various inhuman ways. He also instigates a plan to have
their own fire for the purposes of roasting pigs -- but it was a plan which involved stealing Piggy's
spectacles.
READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE:
"He's going to beat Wilfred."
"What for?"
Robert shook his head doubtfully.
"I don't know. He didn't say. He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up. He's been" -- he giggled
excitedly -- "he's been tied for hours, waiting -- "
"But didn't the Chief say why?"
"I never heard him."
Sitting on the tremendous rocks in the torrid sun, Roger received this news as an illumination. He ceased
to work at his tooth and sat still, assimilating the possibilities of irresponsible authority. Then, without
another word, he climbed down the back of the rocks towards the cave and the rest of the tribe.
The chief was sitting there, naked to the waist, his face blocked out in white and red. The tribe lay in a
semicircle before him. The newly beaten and untied Wilfred was sniffing noisily in the background. Roger
squatted with the rest.
"To-morrow," went on the Chief, "we shall hunt again."
He pointed at this savage and that with his spear.
"Some of you will stay here to improve the cave and defend the gate. I shall take a few hunters with me
and bring back meat. The defenders of the gate will see that the others don't sneak in -- "
A savage raised his hand and the chief turned a bleak, painted face towards him.
"Why should they try to sneak in, Chief?"
The Chief was vague but earnest.
"They will. They'll try to spoil things we do. So the watchers at the gate must be careful. And then -- "
The Chief paused. They saw a triangle of startling pink dart out, pass along his lips and vanish again.
" -- and then; the beast might try to come in. You remember how he crawled -- "
The semicircle shuddered and muttered in agreement.
"He came -- disguised. He may come again even though we gave him the head of our kill to eat. So
watch; and be careful."
Stanley lifted his forearm off the rock and held up an interrogative finger.
"Well?"
"But didn't we, didn't we -- ?"
He squirmed and looked down.
"No!"
In the silence that followed each savage flinched away from his individual memory.
"No! How could we -- kill -- it?"
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
Roger received this news as an illumination. He ceased to work at his tooth and sat still, assimilating
the possibilities of irresponsible authority."
- Why did Jack beat Wilfred? (4)
[Need help?]
No reason is given in the novel. Indeed, the indication is that none of the boys understood why Jack had
chosen to beat Wilfred.
Why did Jack do it? He was too young still for sexual frustration but maybe it was simply his way to instill
fear and discipline. The more fear, the more discipline. That, of course, is how armies work.
Maybe too it was frustration at the fact of his recognising that Ralph was still the better person, that Ralph
met the standards of a just leader whereas he, Jack, didn't.
Can you think of any other reasons?
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- What is meant by: "Roger received this news as an illumination"? (4)
[Need help?]
This could mean one of two things.
First, that Roger was able to recognise the injustice of Jack's action and would store away this knowledge
for a future rebellion against the tyrant.
On the other hand, it could also mean that Roger found the action most enlightening --
"illumination" means enlightening -- in that it provided him with ideas of what he himself could do.
Remember that Roger had established himself as a relatively unintelligent bully. If Jack could beat a child
senseless for no apparent reason, then perhaps Roger himself could do even worse things -- like the
stick sharpened at both ends?
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- Roger contemplates "irresponsible authority". How do you think Roger will react to Jack's
leadership both in the short term and in the long term? (4)
[Need help?]
The probability is that Roger will continue to serve Jack in the short term while, at the same time, inflicting
harsh punishment on those beneath him or against his enemy -- such as on Ralph if he could only
capture him.
On the other hand, a person as physically strong as Roger would probably not be content to sit in a
subservient position for very long. There would come a time when he would rise up and challenge Jack
for leadership -- and then Jack would need all his cunning to survive.
Perhaps the stick sharpened at both ends would be Jack's eventual fate.
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A savage raised his hand and the chief turned a bleak, painted face towards him.
"Why should they try to sneak in, Chief?"
- There appears to be evidence of questioning Jack's leadership. Why is this
happening? (4)
[Need help?]
Remember that the boys have followed Jack because of what he has to offer them: food and fun. On the
other hand, they had chosen Ralph to be their leader because they implicitly recognised in him more
ethical leadership qualities.
The boys see at once that Jack is being illogical in supposing that Ralph and Piggy would attempt to sneak
in. Because they were used to Ralph's democratic ways, they still do not hesitate to challenge stupidity.
This will, of course, quickly change. Jack will torture the boys into subservience and they will soon not
dare to question him in any way.
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- Is Jack's response in any way believable: "They'll try to spoil things we do."? (2)
[Need help?]
Jack's response is most unbelievable, isn't it? Perhaps Ralph would attempt to persuade the boys about
the fire but try to spoil the things they do? Hardly likely. Even Jack knows that very well.
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" -- and then; the beast might try to come in. You remember how he crawled -- "
- The boys all appear to agree with Jack about the beast. Why is this so? (4)
[Need help?]
Like Ralph and Piggy, Sam and Eric, all of Jack's tribe remember clearly what had happened the previous
night: that it had been Simon whom they had killed.
Because they could not bear to live with the memory that they had each personally clubbed their innocent
friend to death, they had to suppress the memory -- and the only way in which to do that would be
through the perception that it had been the beast whom they had killed.
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Jack asks: "How could we -- kill -- it?"
- It would seem necessary for Jack that the beast still be alive. Why is that so? (4)
[Need help?]
There are possibly two reasons for Jack wanting the beast to be alive.
First, Jack knows that it was no beast that he had killed but rather the innocent Simon. By keeping him
alive, therefore, Jack would be able to pacify his own conscience.
On the other hand, the beast served a useful purpose. As long as there was a beast, the boys would
remain fearful. Jack could then feed on that fear and use it to keep the tribe united.
Should the fear of the beast dissipate, however, it was possible his hold on the boys would also dissipate.
They would then slowly move away from Castle Rock and quite possibly reunite with Ralph.
Remember that Castle Rock had been chosen as a fortress purely because of its location far away from
where the "beast" had first been seen. It was therefore fear of the beast that kept the boys holed
up at Castle Rock.
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- The boys appear also to be relieved that the beast was indeed still alive. Why? (4)
[Need help?]
The boys too knew exactly who it was they had killed the previous night: Simon and not the beast.
If the beast was proclaimed to be still alive, therefore, it would ease their consciences with the belief that
perhaps Simon himself was still alive.
Young children also have a predilection for fearful things. Modern teenagers tend to flock to see horror
movies. Such terrifying movies stir some need within the teenage psyche.
News that the beast was indeed dead would therefore be quite boring. On the contrary, it would be far
more exciting to continue to live their lives in the belief that the beast was still waiting to pounce them.
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