Lord Of The Flies Chapter 7: Shadows and Tall trees. Done by: Ivan Lim(18) Liu Xing Ling(19) Steven Low(20)
Ralph follows Jack on a pig hunt. Ralph passes a message to Jack They stop and rest to eat some fruit Ralph wishes he could have some necessities to keep himself tidy He turns around and observes the other the rest of the boys and notices that they are very unkempt as well He looks to the sea and realizes he would never be able to cross the sea and reconnect with civilization Timeline
Simon comes to his side and tells him that “you’ll get back all right” Jack finds some pig droppings and he begins to hunt for the pig Ralph however, starts to think about the good times he had in the past with his family The boys find the big and start to chase it wildly, screaming and shouting. The pig runs towards Ralph and he throws his spear at it and injures it on the snout Timeline
Ralph feels the excitement of injuring the pig and relates his incident to Jack However the pig hunt caused Jack to have a graze on his arm Ralph tries to draw the boys attention by enacting the scene again. They pretend Robert is the pig and start poking him with spears However after the ‘game’ Ralph feels uneasy. Maurice and Roger suggest adding more dramatic effects to the ‘game’ next time Timeline
Simon returns to the beach to tell Piggy they would be returning late Darkness falls and Roger, Jack and Ralph climb the mountain in search of the beast Roger and Ralph wait halfway while Jack continues to climb to the summit Jack returns breathlessly saying that he has seen the beast. The trio climb up to the summit and see the beast. They immediately run back to camp to report the news Timeline
Chapter Analysis Struggle between Civilization and Savage Instincts Displayed by Ralph After Ralph injures the pig, he feels the excitement of hurting and killing. “I hit him! The spear stuck in—”, shows that the savage side of Ralph as overpowered him. However, he soon calms down and feels uneasy after hurting Robert. “Just a game”, he said uneasily— Shows that he still has a sense of guilt and civilization in him.
“if you could forget how dun and unvisited the ferny coverts on either side, then there was a chance you might put the beast out of your mind and dream for a while” Golding is actually trying to convey that when the war was over, people could still not forget it as it was unforgettable and horrifying. Chapter Analysis Golding is trying to convey the horrors of war. ThroughDiction
Jack persuades Ralph to acting rashly and unwisely, forcing Ralph to go against his normal tendencies, which is a manipulation which weakens Ralph power. — “I’ll go there when we get there. Won’t you? Or would you rather go back to the shelters and tell Piggy” Thus Ralph does not want to look like a coward and gives in to Jack’s request, showing that good has given in to evil, thus we can see that evil is overpowering the good. Chapter Analysis Evil is overpowering good Displayed by Jack’s Actions
Characterization The Good The Savage -Ralph -Piggy -Simon VERSUS -Jack -Roger
Ralph Struggles between savagery and civilization -“Ralph too was fighting to a handful of that brown vulnerable flesh” -Shows that he wants to kill and hunt badly. However after the game with Robert, he feels uneasy about what he did. -“Just a game, Ralph said uneasily. -Shows that civilization still embodies in him as he only treats it as a game, not for real.
Ralph does not want to be looked down upon by the other boys as a leader. Jack challenges Ralph by saying- “Won’t you?; or would you rather go back to the shelters and tell Piggy?” To avoid being looked down as a coward, he takes on the challenge of searching for the beast in the night. Ralph
Piggy Piggy is scared of hunting. Instead of following the boys to go hunt for pigs, he stays at the shelters with the littuns, making him look like a kid “shelters and tell Piggy” We can see that Piggy is at the shelters.
Simon He is helpful as he volunteers to go through the forest to inform Piggy and the others that the group will not be able to go back until very late in the night. Quotes – “ ‘I’ll go if you like. I don’t mind honestly.’ Before Ralph had time to reply, he smiled quickly, turned and climbed into the forest.”
He is described as uncommunicative by nature and does not say much. Quotes – “Roger, uncommunicative by nature, said nothing. He offered no opinion on the beast nor told Ralph why he had chosen to come on this mad expedition.” – Pg 150 Roger
Jack Jack – He is afraid of the beast but tries to show to the other boys that he is not afraid. Quotes – “We’ll kill it.” – Pg 143 Jack was “shivering and croaking” in his voice. – Pg 150 “They heard him blunder against the trunk which rocked violently.” – Pg 150 Contrast Jack is actually very afraid of the beast even though he says that he will kill the beast. Jack
Jack has turned very savage and powerful and everyone listens to him. He suggests killing a littun in replacement of a pig to make the scene more ‘dramatic’ “Use a littun” said Jack and everyone laughed When he asks everyone to form a circle, they immediately listen to him. “Make a ring!; the circle moved in and round” Jack
Themes Struggle For Power Loss Of Innocence Civilization vs. Savagery Mob Psychology
There is a struggle for power over the island between Ralph and Jack. However, Jack has the clear advantage as he manipulates the boys thinking's into following him to kill the beast that lurks on the island. Even Ralph has to listen to him and no one really shows respect for him. Struggle For Power
This theme is the conflict between two instincts, the savage one and the civilized one. In this case, Ralph is one of the main characters who display a struggle between both instincts. In this chapter, Ralph is overcome by savagery and starts to act wildly like Jack but feels uneasy after that. This shows that he is hovering between both instincts Civilization vs. Savagery
The boys loose their sense of identity as they turn from innocent boys into savage creatures. They enjoy hurting others and even use Robert as a ‘live’ pig and start poking him. They also suggest having rituals. Civilized people do not act this way and thus shows they have lost their sense of identity. Mob Psychology
The boys have lost their civilized manner and now are savage. Golding portrays this thorough the use of children as they are taught to be the most innocent. However, we can see that even children in the book loose their innocence and become savage. This shows that even children have a dark side to them. Loss Of Innocence
MoodMood was pessimistic at the beginning. Ralph was doubting if they would get back to their home. Evidence “one might dream of rescue; but here, face by the brute obtuseness of the ocean, the miles of division, one was clamped down, one was helpless, one was condemned, one was ”[Pg 137] Evidence Mood then became exhilarating when Ralph had wounded the boar. “ ‘I hit him all right. The spear stuck in. I wounded him!’ He sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all.” [pg 137]
Evidence Mood then escalated to wildness when the group tried to reenact the hunt with Robert as the pig. They almost killed him in their frenzy. Mood became tense when the group discussed about climbing the mountain. Ralph eventually succumbed to peer pressure and agreed to climb the mountain at night. “They got his arms and legs. Ralph, carried away by a sudden thick excitement, grabbed Eric’s spear and jabbed Robert with it” [142] “ ‘why do you hate me?’ The boys stirred uneasily, as though something indecent had been said. The silence lengthened. Ralph, still hot and hurt turned away first.” [pg ] “The chant rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or a hunt. ‘Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!’ ” [pg 142]
Finally, the mood was fearful when Ralph, Roger and Jack finally encountered the “beast” Evidence“Ralph could hear a tiny chattering noise coming from somewhere – perhaps from his own mouth. He bound himself together with his will, fused his fear and loathing into a hatred, and stood up.” [pg 152]
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