Sunday, November 6, 2016

LOTF Response

The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.  Once there was this and that; and now--and the ship had gone. [... Jack refusing to give Piggy the floor when he has the conch...]
"The rules!" shouted Ralph.  "You're breaking the rules!"
"Who cares?"
Ralph summoned his wits.
"Because the rules are the only thing we've got!"
But Jack was shouting against him.
"Bollocks to the rules!  We're strong--we hunt!  If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down!  We'll close in and beat and beat and beat--!" (91)

It seems as if the boys are losing their order and civility very quickly after the ship passed. They started this whole event with regard and need for rules and order but it doesn't seem that way anymore. Piggy and Ralph are trying to hold the group together but Jack doesn't seem to care about the group in the least. All Jack wants to do is hunt and run around in the woods while Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are trying to get off this island. Jack shows this in his ignorance about the beast and how he believes it's just some animal that he can kill with his mediocre skills. 

This passage is important because it really showcases the state of the boys' lives on the island right now. With everything going on around them, like their belief in the beast, the upkeep of the fire, and building shelters, the boys are struggling. They are split in their beliefs on how to run things. Half of them want to just have fun and hunt pigs and take down the beast, while the rest are thinking logically and trying to stay civil until they are rescued. Overall, this passage shows the major differences in the main characters and the ongoing conflict between Jack and Ralph.

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