CHAPTER 7 - SHADOWS AND THE TREES

The boys continue their search of the island and moves towards the
mountaintop. When they stop to eat, Ralph's mind wanders to other
things. He observes the boys and again realizes they have become
dirty and unkempt, a state of their freedom which he accepts as
normal. Ralph then looks at the vast ocean. It seems as if the sea
acts like a barrier, preventing their rescue, keeping them from
civilization, and condemning them. Simon joins him and interrupts
Ralph's thoughts of home. He tries to calm the leader by assuring
him that they will certainly be rescued soon.

Later in the day, the hunters are delighted to discover fresh pig
droppings. They decide to hunt the pig while searching for the
beast. Soon everyone spies the wild boar and wildly gives chase.
Ralph joins the madness, excited by the thrill of the adventure, and
throws a wooden spear, which hits the boar's snout. Since it is his
first hunt, he is delighted at his accuracy and tries to gain the
respect and appreciation of the boys. Jack draws the attention away
from Ralph by displaying his bloodied arm, wounded by the tusks
of the boar. Although the hunt ends with the wild animal escaping,
the boys are still filled with excitement. They have a mock play
with Robert at the center representing the pig. Jack, Ralph, and the
boys perform a savage dance and jab at Robert with the spears
almost injuring him seriously. As Robert struggles to get free, the
boys chant frenziedly. The desire to hunt and draw blood almost
overpowers them, but they manage to bring themselves under
control. Ralph uneasily reminds everyone that it has only been a
game; but the leader now understands the exhilaration of
participating in a hunt.

Since it is growing dark, there is a discussion among the boys as to
whether they should stay on this side of the mountain and hunt the
beast or return to Piggy and the "littluns". They decide to stay, and
the kind Simon offers to go off through the forest alone to inform
Piggy of the plans.

Because it is night, Ralph feels that they should postpone their
search until daylight. Jack accuses him of cowardice and Ralph
gives in. While the other boys stay behind, Ralph, Jack and Roger
begin to climb the mountain, but Ralph still feels it is a foolish
plan. Ralph and Roger wait half way up the mountainside while
Jack climbs alone to the top. Soon he comes rushing down to
announce that he has seen the beast; it is a terrible thing that bulges
out and makes flapping sounds. Ralph, Roger, and Jack decide to
climb the mountain together to investigate the creature.

Ralph is about to faint from fear, but is revived by Jack's taunt of
cowardice. As they move nearer, they shake in fright with teeth
chattering. In the moonlight they spy a great ape-like creature
seemingly asleep and with its head between its knees. A sudden
gust of wind lifts the creatures' head to reveal its face. Scared out
of their wits, the three boys leap down the slope to warn the others. CHAPTER 8 - GIFT FOR THE DARKNESS

Early the next morning Jack, without permission, blows the conch
and calls a meeting to discuss the beast. During the meeting, Jack
heightens the general fear by telling everyone that the existence of
the beast is real, for he has seen it. The boys grow even more afraid
when Ralph does not seem to have much faith in Jack's hunters to
protect them. In fact, Ralph is feeling depressed and helpless. At
the meeting there is a showdown. Jack confronts Ralph and calls
him a coward. But when he calls for a vote on removing Ralph as
chief, the boys do not support him. Jack cannot bear this
humiliation, declares that he is no longer a part of Ralph's group,
states that he will form his own group on the other side of the
island, and walks away by himself. Piggy is openly delighted to
see him go.

Simon suggests climbing the mountain again to confront the beast,
but Ralph, who is now feeling hopeless, decides it is safer to stay
on the beach. At Piggy's suggestion, the boys decide to build a
signal fire right on the beach and start working enthusiastically on
the project. Once the pile is ready, Piggy himself lights the fire
using his glasses. The children start dancing and singing around it;
there is excitement in the air. But the excitement dies along with
the fire. Ralph discovers that the hunters have followed Jack and is
worried by this desertion. Piggy convinces him that they can do
without them.

On the other side of the island, Jack gathers his group of boys.
They cover themselves with "war-paint" and leave on a hunt. They
find a pig and feel great pleasure in its cruel and bloody slaughter.
To celebrate their victorious hunt, they mount its head on a pole.
This head is offered as a gift to the beast. The boys, at first, take
bloodthirsty delight in their savage act; but the excitement soon
ebbs and they feel slightly ashamed.

The night is hot and still, as if there if going to be a storm. Piggy
and Ralph sit on the beach discussing the recent events. They
cannot understand why the others cannot be serious about the fire
and worry about the fact that everything seems to be breaking up.
Suddenly Jack and his hunters burst upon the scene and raid their
fire. Jack also invites them to come to a feast, revealing they have
killed another pig. The thought of meat is tempting to the hungry
boys. So is Jack's offer to join his tribe on the other side of the
island.

Simon, the visionary of the group, wants some time alone to sit and
think. Before Jack raided the campfire, Simon had walked into the
jungle to the clearing he had visited before and was greeted by the
boar's head with flies buzzing around it. Simon seems unable to
take his eyes off "The Lord of the Flies". Suddenly the head seems
to grin and speak to him. The creature tells him that he is the beast
and warns him that the beast is part of everyone. The head then
explains that is why things are going badly. The beast continues to
threaten Simon, who soon faints. CHAPTER 9 - A VIEW TO A DEATH

Since there is a storm brewing on the island, the air grows still,
sultry, and humid and the heat increases unbearably. Simon wakes
up from his fainting and feels dull and tired. He starts walking
wearily and reaches another part of the jungle where the trees have
thinned out. Here he comes upon the humped figure of the dead
airman. The wind raises the parachute like a balloon and then it
collapses. Simon watches this action and soon realizes what has
happened. He sees the rotting body of the poor airman and starts to
vomit. Regaining control, he frees the lines of rope caught in the
rocks so that the flapping stops and the parachute is freed. He
heads down to the beach to give the boys the news about this
harmless beast.

While Simon is making his discovery, Ralph and Piggy decide to
join Jack's feast. They find all the boys around a fire laughing,
singing and enjoying the roast pig. Jack is painted and garlanded
like an idol and orders everyone about. He invites Ralph to join the
tribe. When Ralph points out that he is chief , Jack challenges him.
Jack points out that all the boys want to follow him and be savages.
Fearing trouble, Piggy urges Ralph to leave, but he refuses.

The storm, which has been threatening all day, breaks opens with
rain. In its midst, the hunters start their savage dance; even Ralph
and Piggy are dancing on the fringes of the group. Roger again
pretends to be the pig, and the others circle around him with their
spears and clubs. The chanting begins and turns into frenzied
screams as the excitement mounts to the point of insanity.

Simon crawls into the shadows to deliver his wonderful news to
the savagely dancing boys. But the crazed boys mistake him for the
beast. They start beating him with their spears and sticks ignoring
Simon's attempted explanations and cries of pain and terror. He
struggles to free himself, but falls over the rocks onto the beach.
The boys follow and beat, tear, and claw at him until he dies. The
storm suddenly intensifies, and it starts raining heavily. The
frightened boys run for shelter, and Simon's body is washed out to
sea. The dead airman's body, freed from the rocks, is also carried
by the wind over the lagoon and into the sea.

Notes

Chapter 9 marks the turning point in the novel where the climax
occurs with the killing of Simon. Golding marks the change with
the weather, which has turned terrible. All day long the air is still
and oppressive as a storm brews. The sultry stillness foreshadows
that danger lies ahead. By the time the dancing starts at the feast, a
gentle rain has begun to fall, but does nothing to dampen the
savage excitement of the boys. Their rituals are savage, and the
rain fails to purify. As soon as Simon is murdered, the storm
breaks forth in all its fury, much like the storm that followed
Christ's crucifixion on the cross. The deluge, however, cannot
wash away the guilt of the boys; instead, it washes the bodies of
Simon and the airman out to sea.

In the previous chapter Simon encounters one beast, the "Lord of
the Flies". Simon, as the visionary and Christ-like figure, realizes
that this beast is the real one, the devil personified. He also realizes
that this beast dwells within all mankind. The knowledge is so
overpowering and frightening that it makes him faint. When he
awakens tired and confused, he realizes that he must further seek
the truth, he must find the meaning of evil. He wanders further up
the mountain, where he encounters the second beast. This is the
dead airman caught in the entangled lines of his parachute. Simon's
search has led him to the truth about the false beast. This creature,
greatly feared by the boys, is really only "harmless and horrible". It
is the first beast that must be dreaded, but sadly Jack and his
savages have chosen to bless it and honor it.

Simon is eager to share the truth with the other boys, but they
refuse to hear the truth. When he tries to explain his knowledge of
the beast to the others, they take him for the beast and destroy him.
With evil in their hearts, they silence the truth and sacrifice Simon
to their savagery. Simon's death is Golding's comment on human
nature and reveals the important themes in the novel. Men fear the
bearers of truth and will destroy them in order to continue their
lives of lies. (Remember that Simon is developed as a symbol of
Christ, who tried to deliver a message of truth and was savagely
sacrificed for the evil of humanity.) External ugliness is not the
real beast; it is the ugliness within, the evil in man's soul, that leads
to calamity.

It is also important to note the change in Jack during the chapter.
When he was humiliated in the last chapter, he almost begs some
of the boys to follow him to the other side of the island. In a brief
period of time, he has made himself into a dictatorial and
demanding chief, who orders everyone around unmercifully. At his
feast he sits painted and garlanded with his boys waiting on him
like servants. He has set himself up as an idol. He does not really
need a conch for his authority; he gains it through fear. CHAPTER 10 - THE SHELL AND THE GLASSES

The next morning Piggy and Ralph, both scratched, bruised, and
dirty, are unbearably ashamed of the incidents from the previous
night. They are obviously disturbed by Simon's death, but are
unwilling to discuss it at length. Piggy tries to convince Ralph that
it was all an accident and that they were not responsible since they
were only on the fringes of the event. Ralph, however, states that
they are accomplices to a murder. They are also depressed that
only Sam, Eric, and a few littluns are left in their group; the rest
have joined Jack.

Jack and his tribe of savages have settled at castle Rock. Here, he
is the ruler and everyone has to obey him or be punished. In fact,
Wilfred is punished with a beating for some minor misdeed. The
boys feel guilty about Simon's death. But Jack convinces them that
it was the beast in disguise and asks them to keep watch and be
careful in case it returns. Jack then decides to go hunting for more
meat, but they will need more fire since theirs had gone out. They
decide to again raid Ralph's group, with Maurice, Roger, and Jack
going after sunset; they will take what they need.

Tired and depressed, Ralph's group retires early to their shelters for
the night. Ralph has nightmares, Sam and Eric fight with each
other, and the littluns whimper in the dark. They are suddenly
awakened by the raiders, who come in screaming and attacking.
There is a violent fight between them, and the raiders rush away.
They have taken what they had come for, Piggy's glasses, the only
means for making fire.

Notes

The day after Simon's death; Piggy, Ralph, Sam, Eric, and the
littluns gather on the beach, while Jack's group gathers at Castle
Rock. Everyone feels guilty about Simon's death, but each person
handles it differently. Piggy calls it an accident and tries to say that
he and Ralph had no part in it. Ralph acknowledges that a murder
has occurred and that he and Piggy are accomplices. Jack doggedly
maintains that Simon was truly the beast in disguise; he also warns
his group to guard against the return of the beast, which can never
be permanently killed. Like true savages, they decide to placate the
beast by offering it portions of everything that they kill.

As Jack's power increases, so does his savagery. He rules his own
tribe through fear, punishing others as he sees fit, even for minor
infractions. Because of his own base nature, Jack assumes the only
way to get something is through stealing. He refuses to ask Ralph
for more fire; instead, he plans to raid the "enemy" camp and take
what he heeds. He and his chosen savages violently attack the
remnants of Ralph's group in their own shelters, damaging them in
the process. They are so caught up in this "human hunt", the
members of Jack's group even start attacking each other. They take
what they want, Piggy's glasses, and then flee into the night. As a
result of the raid, Ralph sinks further into depression and
inactivity; he finds it difficult to even think rationally. In stealing
Piggy's glasses, Jack has stolen their last vestige of civilization,
their ability to make the fire that can help in their rescue.