Anthony Ho Sophomore English 3.25.

2012 7

Mob Mentality
The hunters have become much more savage between the time that they arrived at the island to where they are now. Evidence of this is clear, especially in chapter nine. Ralph and Piggy are swimming in a pool while everyone has gone (except a few of the littluns, who are also swimming and playing). Ralph wonders where everyone is, and Piggy points to the forest and says, Thats where theyve gone. Jacks party. Let them go, said Ralph, uneasily, I dont care. Just for some meat- And for hunting, said Ralph, wisely, and for pretending to be a tribe, and putting on war-paint. Piggy stirred the sand underwater and did not look at Ralph. (148.) Jacks tribe is gaining more and more popularity, and the mere fact that he calls it a tribe makes it that much more primitive. He is showing a much larger belief of the supernatural and is losing is humanity over hunting and killing. Ralph and piggy decide to visit the party just to get some meat. Jack asks if Ralph would like to give up his power and join Jacks tribe. He then questions Ralphs authority, when Ralph argues about how much better his control is. He then points out that theres Going to be a storm, said Ralph, Where are your shelters? Jack leapt on to the sand. Do our dance! Come on! Dance! (152.) His supernatural belief is much more apparent when Jack commands his tribe to dance. His chants of Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! are very gruesome, and suggest that he is much more inhumane. When the beast finally makes an appearance during their dance, they ring it up and chant around it without realizing that its actually their friend Simon, trying to tell them that the beast wasnt real. The beast struggled forward, broke the ring, and fell over the steep edge of the rock to the sand by the water. At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws. (153.) This is by far, the most savage picture that the author, Golding, puts into the book. The vivid scene of the tribe, acting as one, pouncing on their friend whom they have mistaken as their enemy, and grotesquely slaying him. They boys that arrived on the island a few weeks ago are not even related to this fury of species. This surely shows that Jack and his tribe have definitely gotten more savage. The mindless slaughtering of Simon, their friend, proves their tragic loss of logic and humanity.