Lord of the Flies - Chapter 8 Overview

Lord of the Flies - Chapter 8 Overview

Chapter 8 Summary

Civilization vs Savagery

Vocabulary

Questions

At the beginning of the chapter, Ralph and Piggy are sitting on the beach discussing the beast with Jack sitting nearby. They know they can't go back up the mountain because of the 'beast' up there, and they try to figure out what to do about the fire. While they are talking, Jack walks off and blows the conch to call a meeting. Jack accuses Ralph of not helping and of saying his hunters are no good and that he isn't a proper chief. Jack tries to cast a vote to overthrow Ralph as the leader, but no one raises their hands. Jack separates himself from Ralph's group saying he can survive on his own and he runs away into the forest in anger. Ralph and Piggy try to figure out what they're going to do without the hunters, and Simon suggests they climb the mountain because there is nothing else they could do. They ignore Simon and start to make a new fire near the bathing pool, since Ralph said that they cannot be rescued without the fire. While they make the fire and feast on fruit, Simon wanders off into the forest to his hiding place. At the same time, Jack and his hunters say they will kill a pig and have a feast to try and lure more of the biguns away from the conch and they will leave some of it to the beast so that it might leave them alone. They spread out in the forest and hunt the biggest sow of the lot, chasing her and throwing spears. When they finally kill the pig after chasing it, they shove the head onto a a stick and leave it for the beast as a gift. As Simon wanders through the forest, he comes across the Lord of the Flies - the pig head. Back at the beach, Piggy and Ralph start to wonder where all the biguns are going when Jack's hunters attack them and steal fire from them so they can roast their pig, and they invite everyone over to eat with them at their feast. Ralph notices that some of the biguns like Maurice were now following Jack. He talks to some of the other biguns to try to convince them that the fire is the most important thing, and all the while they are drooling over the meat. Meanwhile, the Lord of the Flies is speaking to Simon. He calls Simon foolish and asks him if he is afraid of him. Simon shakes his head. The Lord of the Flies says he is the Beast, and that Simon knew all the while that he is a part of them and not something that they could kill. He orders Simon, him not to put it on and that he knows better than Simon does. Simon then falls down and loses consciousness while inside the mouth of the pig.

1) Why do you think Jack tries to overthrow Ralph?

2) Why do you think no one voted to overthrow Ralph?

3) Why do Jack and the other hunters leave the pig's head for the beast?

4) Why do they move the location of the fire?

5) Why do you think the Lord of the Flies talks to Simon?

Cynicism - An inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest.

Rebuke - To express sharp dissaproval or criticism of someone because of their behavior or actions.

Sanctity - The state or quality of being holy, sacred, or saintly.

Contemptuous - Showing or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful; disrespectful.

Obscene - Offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of morality and decency.

Throughout this chapter, Ralph and Piggy try to re-civilize everyone and restart the fire down by the beach since the "beast" is up on the mountain. Jack constantly fights them during the entire chapter; Jack and his hunters kill the pig and attack them, stealing their fire just to use against them to try to get the other biguns to act as savagely as them by luring them in with the promise of meat. This entire chapter is about a final effort at civilization while fighting against the ever growing presence of savagery on the island. The pig head on the stick further identifies their fears on the island and gives a physical body to the fear that has been inside them throughout the entire book. This fear will probably come back in the later chapters and further identify the savage behavior that is growing and happening more on the island.