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The Lord of the Flies
William Golding
Contributed by Karim Chandra
Content
Overview
Context
Characters
Motifs
Themes
Symbols
Plot Summary
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
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Chapter 5
Summary

Ralph sits on the beach, pondering many troubling issues and wondering what will transpire during the meeting he called at the end of the previous chapter. He summons the boys and begins the assembly by scolding them for being unruly and uncivilized. According to Ralph, the most fundamental element of civilization is adhering to rules and regulations. He complains that the boys did not do any of the things that they had agreed upon during their previous meeting, including rekindling the fire, constructing shelters, and separating bath from toilet water. He orders for the boys to maintain the signal fire on the mountain. Ralph then addresses rising tensions and fear among the boys. He begins by saying that he sometimes harbors feelings of fear, though he usually brushes them off as intrusive emotions. Jack expresses concern that the littluns are so obsessed with being afraid that they do not help build shelters, hunt, or maintain the signal fire. To him, they are useless. Jack reassures everyone that the conditions of the island do not favor the existence of a beast, and Piggy supports his argument.

Despite the continued efforts by some of the biguns to convince the rest that there is no beast in the jungle, the littluns’ fear remains. One of them believes he saw the beast moving in the jungle in the middle of the previous night. Just before Percival, another littlun, speaks about a similar experience, he is overwhelmed by emotions and bursts into tears, and the other littluns all join him. Percival then whispers into Jack's ear that the beast comes from the sea. As a result, everyone is engulfed in fear, including the biguns. They discuss whether a sea beast could possibly survive on land, but then an ominous silence falls on them. Finally, Jack says that even if there is a beast, he and the other hunters will find and kill it.

Analysis

Ralph learns that leadership is no easy task. Although he strives to maintain a peaceful society in which rules are respected and people are obedient, his hopes of accomplishing this feat fade with each passing day. Even though Ralph possesses intelligence — especially with Piggy’s guidance — and rationality, he cannot successfully lead the boys. Their savagery has eroded the control Ralph gained at the novel’s start. Nobody listens to him anymore. Yet, he continues to push for work that promotes survival and rescue.

Since the boys have different conceptions of the beast’s origin and appearance, it is impossible to assuage their fears. In the littluns’ imaginations, the beast is so dreadful it defies capture or control. If the littluns had a similar notion of the beast, it theoretically could be easier for the biguns to comfort them. However, this is not the case. Only Piggy understands the beast’s identity: the savagery emerging from the boys themselves. Unfortunately for Piggy, the boys pay no attention to logical reasoning because they are hysterical. Moreover, the same dilemma appears in the real world: sensible people often fail to capture the hearts and minds of the masses.

Jack takes advantage of the boys’ fear to gain authority over them. He insists that although he does not believe there is a beast, if there is, he will find and kill it. The boys gravitate to Jack’s determination because it makes them feel safe, even though the true threat they face is within themselves. Yet since Jack promises to keep everyone safe, he earns admiration and support. Especially after Jack’s successful hunt that resulted in everyone eating a hearty meal, he appears destined for clout and control. As he grows stronger and more influential, Jack also becomes more rebellious and deviant. He does not conform to the established rules. However, as powerful as Jack becomes, not everyone falls in line with his vision of how life on the island should be. For example, Percival shares his memory of the life he left behind in England. He misses civilization, showing just how far from it the boys have come.

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