Excerpted is a page or two from William Golding’s allegory The Lord of the Flies (1954). It’s likely you’ve watched at least one of the movies based on the book; but it’s far less likely you have read the actual work.
From Chapter 5 - “Beast From Water”
There was a moment's struggle and the glimmering conch jigged up and down. Ralph leapt to his feet.
"Jack! Jack! You haven't got the conch! Let him speak."
Jack's face swam near him.
"And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can't hunt, you can't sing—"
"I'm chief. I was chosen." (Ralph)
"Why should choosing make any difference? Just giving orders that don't make any sense"
"Piggy's got the conch."
"That's right—favor Piggy as you always do"
"Jack!"
Jack's voice sounded in bitter mimicry.
"Jack! Jack!"
"The rules!" shouted Ralph. "You're breaking the rules!"
"Who cares?"
Ralph summoned his wits.
"Because the rules are the only thing we've got!"
But Jack was shouting against him.
"Bollocks to the rules! We're strong—we hunt! If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down! We'll close in and beat and beat and beat—!"
He gave a wild whoop and leapt down to the pale sand. At once the platform was full of noise and excitement, scramblings, screams and laughter. The assembly shredded away and became a discursive and random scatter from the palms to the water and away along the beach, beyond night-sight. Ralph found his cheek touching the conch and took it from Piggy.
"What's grown-ups going to say?" cried Piggy again. "Look at 'em!"
The sound of mock hunting, hysterical laughter and real terror came from the beach.
“Blow the conch, Ralph."
Piggy was so close that Ralph could see the glint of his one glass.
"There's the fire. Can't they see?"
"You got to be tough now. Make 'em do what you want."
Ralph answered in the cautious voice of one who rehearses a theorem.
"If I blow the conch and they don't come back; then we've had it.”
Comments
Hits home. Doesn't it!?