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Fiction

Notes some semblance of peace on the island. Despite the stirrings of anarchy, the boys obey notions
of appropriate behavior without any real external authority to determine what they can and
cannot do. It is only when the boys completely transgress these civilized norms that they
suffer.
Jack is the first to seriously overstep the boundaries of civilized society. His attempts to
become a successful hunter are in effect attempts to succumb entirely to his animalistic nature.
His painted face, reminiscent of some less developed societies, supposedly makes him indistinguishable
from the animals of the forest. When Jack finally does kill a pig, as he has intended to do since
the beginning of the novel, he fulfills a violent blood-lust that, until then, had remained
frustrated. The other hunters share this quality; when they dance and sing about killing the
pig, they show that they have succumbed to the thrill of violence. They relish the slaughter,
an enjoyment that transcends pride and signifies pure lust. As they cheer on the means by
which they mutilate the pig, their painted skin, chanting, and frenzy suggest they have developed
their own sub-society, one based on rituals and an almost spiritual worship of blood, violence,
and slaughter.

Maurice’s impression of the pig during the dance calls attention to the increasingly indistinct
line between violence against animals on the island and violence among the boys. Significantly,
this chapter contains the first instance of explicit aggression between two boys. Jack, now
accustomed to harming others with his recent kill, punches Piggy, who, as Golding reminds
us, remains an outsider. The chapter further sets up Piggy as a martyr. He has the most
grounded concerns of all the boys, and he offers the reasonable proposal that they construct
a sundial, but he is also loathed by the others. Only Ralph, the most mature and grounded of
the characters, sympathizes with Piggy and agrees with him that Jack made an egregious error
by letting the fire go out. Piggy stands apart from the other boys, for he retains the goal of
living in an increasingly civilized society. His hair does not even seem to grow, helping him
retain the appearance of a normal English schoolboy while the others grow more disheveled
and unkempt.
Jack also clashes with Ralph in this chapter, and the tension between their perspectives furthers
the novel’s concern with the two opposing political ideologies the boys represent, namely,
totalitarianism and democracy. Ralph, whose overarching concern is the maintenance of the
signal fire, is dedicated to the welfare of the entire group. He uses his power for the good of
all. Jack, however, is concerned with becoming a successful hunter, less for the good it will
bring to the other boys than for the thrill of the hunt and the increased social status he will
have on the island. He seeks power because it will allow him to gratify his impulses and abuse
others without punishment. The two boys’ treatment of the littluns-Ralph is assuring, while
Jack mocks and yells at them-demonstrates their different approaches to power.
The concurrent sighting of the ship and killing of the pig contribute to the disintegration of
the relative calm on the island. These two events represent the different strands of human
behavior inherent on the island. The ship is a reminder of the civilized society to which the
boys belong, renewing the possibility that they may eventually escape the island. The killing
of the pig is an example of their descent from civilized behavior into animalistic activity. This
makes clear the dichotomy dividing Ralph and Piggy from Jack and the hunters. The former
have a greater concern for returning to society while the latter enjoy their freedom from
civilization (a group that, again, imposes its own totalitarian order under Jack). This conflict
between the two forces at work among the boys on the island will guide much of the following
conflict in the novel.

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