Page 298 - DENG404_FICTION

Fiction

Notes silence. Nevertheless, their experiences of the forest are markedly distinct. While Jack disturbs
and disrupts his surroundings, causing both birds and pigs to flee, Simon feels in complete
harmony with the natural world. He submerges himself in the rhythms of the forest not to
disturb it, but to appreciate its unique sounds, scents, and images. Jack and Simon thus
represent two different human approaches to the natural world: the desire to subjugate nature
and the desire to coexist in harmony with it. Within this schema, Ralph and Piggy represent
a third position, that which seeks to retreat from but make use of nature with a distant but
tangible respect.

Chapter Four: Painted Faces and Long Hair
The boys become accustomed to the pattern of their days on the island although it is impossible
to adjust to the new rhythms of tropical life, which include the strange point at midday when
the sea rises and appears to contain flickering images. Piggy discounts the midday illusions
as mere mirages. While mornings are cool and comfortable, the afternoon sun is oppressively
hot and bright, which incites fatigue among many of the boys.

Notes The northern European tradition of work, play, and food right through the day is
not forgotten, making the transition difficult.

As the boys settle into life on the island, factions develop. The smaller boys are now known
by the generic title of “littluns,” including Percival, the smallest boy on the island, who had
previously stayed in a small shelter for two days and had only recently emerged, red-eyed and
miserable. The littluns spend most of the day searching for fruit to eat, and since they choose
it indiscriminately they suffer from chronic diarrhea. They cry for their mothers less often than
expected, and they spend time with the older boys only during Ralph’s assemblies. The littluns
occupy themselves by building castles in the sand, complex structures whose fine details are
only noticeable from close range. The littluns remain collectively troubled by nightmares and
visions of the “beastie” described at the first meeting. They fear that the creature hunts the
boys after nightfall.

Task Why is the fire allowed to go out?

Two older boys, Roger and Maurice, come out of the forest for a swim and, expressing their
superiority over the littluns, begin to kick down the sand castles on the shore. Maurice, remembering
that his mother chastised him for such behavior, feels guilty when he gets sand in Percival’s
eye. While this conflict unfolds, Henry-a littlun who is related to the boy who disappeared-
is preoccupied by some small creatures on the beach, which he finds fascinating. Roger picks
up a stone to throw at Henry but deliberately misses him when he throws it, recalling the
taboos of earlier life.
Jack thinks about why he is still unsuccessful as a hunter. He believes that the animals see
him, so he wants to find some way to camouflage himself. Jack rubs his face with charcoal and
laughs with a bloodthirsty snarl when he sees his reflection in a pool of water. From behind
the mask, Jack appears liberated from shame and self-consciousness.
Piggy thinks about making a sundial so that they can tell time and better organize their days,
but Ralph dismisses the idea. The idea that Piggy is an outsider is tacitly accepted. Ralph

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