Chapter 8: Gift for the Darkness

EXTRACT 5

Chapter 8: Gift for the Darkness

p.151«Simonstayedwherehewas»top.152«beatonthebrain»

p.157 «you are a silly boy» totheendofthechapter

Summaryofchapter 8

Thenextmorning,thenewsofthemonsterhastheboysinastateofuproarastheygatheronthebeach.Piggy,whowasnotonthemountainthenightbefore,isbaffledbytheotherboys’ claimstohaveseenthemonster.Jackseizestheconchshellandblowsintoitclumsily,callingforanassembly.JacktellstheothersthatthereisdefinitelyabeastonthemountainandgoesontoclaimthatRalphisacowardwhoshouldberemovedfromhisleadershiprole. He tries to take power through a democratic coup, which is symbolized in the fact that he uses the conch to call a meeting and holds it when he speaks. Theotherboys,however,refusetovoteRalphoutofpower,whichletsusbelievesthatdemocracyandreasonhavewonoverdictatorshipandsavagery.Enraged,Jackstormsawayfromthegroup,sayingthatheisleavingandthatanyonewholikesiswelcometojoinhim.

Deeplytroubled,Ralphdoesnotknowwhattodo.Piggy,meanwhile,isthrilledtoseeJackgo,andSimonsuggeststhattheyallreturntothemountaintosearchforthebeast.Theotherboysaretooafraidtoactonhissuggestion,however.Ralphslipsintoadepression,butPiggycheershimupwithanidea:theyshouldbuildanewsignalfire,onthebeachratherthanonthemountain,symbolicallyabandoningtheplaceofpowertothebeast.Piggy’sidearestoresRalph’shopethattheywillberescued.Theboyssettoworkandbuildanewfire,butmanyofthemsneakawayintothenighttojoinJack’sgroup,whichshowsthatalthoughtheydidn'tvoicetheiropinion,manyboyshadenoughofRalph.Thissuggeststhatthemassdoesn'talwaysusedemocracyastheyshould,andthereforemakeitfail.WecanguessthattheboysrantoJackbecausetheythoughthecouldofferthemprotectionagainstthebeast,thustradingtheirlibertyfortheirprotection(seeHobbes).PiggytriestoconvinceRalphthattheyarebetteroffwithoutthedeserters.

Alonganotherstretchofsand,Jackgathershisnewtribeanddeclareshimselfthechief(=dictator)andsaysthebeastmightleavethemaloneiftheygiveitanofferingeverytimetheykillapig.Inasavagefrenzy,thehunterskillasowinthebeautifulclearingwhereSimonlikestogo,andRogerdriveshisspearforcefullyintothesow’sanus.Thentheboysleavethesow’sheadonasharpenedstakeinthejungleasanofferingtothebeast.Astheyplacetheheaduprightintheforest,theblackblooddripsdownthesow’steeth,andtheboysrunaway.

AsPiggyandRalphsitintheoldcampdiscussingthedeserters,thehuntersfromJack’stribedescenduponthem,shriekingandwhooping.Thehuntersstealburningsticksfromthefireonthebeach.JacktellsRalph’sfollowersthattheyarewelcometocometohisfeastthatnightandeventojoinhistribe.Thehungryboysaretemptedbytheideaofpig’smeat.

JustbeforeJack’striberaidsthebeach,Simonslipsawayfromthecampandreturnstothejunglegladewherehepreviouslysatmarvelingatthebeautyofnature.Now,however,hefindsthesow’sheadimpaledonthestakeinthemiddleoftheclearing,asignthatbeautifulandgoodnaturehasbeensoiledbydepravityandsavagery.Simonsitsaloneintheclearing,staringwithraptattentionattheimpaledpig’shead,whichisnowswarmingwithflies. He gets increasingly more thirsty; Thesightmesmerizeshim,anditevenseemsasiftheheadcomestolife.TheheadspeakstoSimoninthevoiceofthe “LordoftheFlies,” ominouslydeclaringthatSimonwillneverbeabletoescapehim,forhelieswithinallhumanbeings.Healsopromisestohavesome “fun” withSimon.Terrifiedandtroubledbytheapparition,Simoncollapsesinafaint.

Themesinthechapter

Inaworldwherethebeastisreal,rulesandmoralsbecomeweakand unnecessary.TheoriginaldemocracyRalphleadsdevolvesintoacult-liketotalitarianism,withJackasatyrantandthebeastasbothanenemyandareveredgod.Weseethedepthoftheboys’ growingdevotiontotheideaofthebeastintheirimpalementofthesow’sheadonthestakeasanofferingtothebeast.Nolongersimplyachildishnightmare,thebeastassumesaprimal,religiousimportanceintheboys’ lives.Jackusesthebeastingeniouslytorulehissavagekingdom,andeachimportantcharacterinLordoftheFliesstruggletocometotermswiththebeast.Piggy,whoremainssteadfastlyscientificandrationalatthispointinthenovel,issimplybaffledanddisgusted.Ralph,whohasseenwhathethinksisthebeast,islistless(=apathetic)anddepressed,unsureofhowtoreconcilehiscivilizedidealswiththesighthesawonthemountaintop.Butthemostcomplexreactionofallcomesfromoneofthenovel’smostcomplexcharacters—Simon.

Extractanalysis

Simon’sconfrontationwiththeLordoftheFlies—thesow’sheadimpaledonastakeintheforestglade—isarguablythemostimportantsceneinthenovel,andonethathasattractedthemostattentionfromcritics.

1. The place and atmosphere

The idyllic place Simon loves has changed with the presence of the impaled pig's head, as we can see on page 151. The daylight is now «strange». The sky is cloudy and contributes to creating a threatening atmosphere («up there, for once, were clouds, great bulging towers that sprouted over the island, grey and cream and copper-coloured(…), producing that close, tormenting heat». The butterflies have deserted the place and have been replaced by flies.

Symbolically, the Garden of Eden has been invaded by the forces of evil, represented by the flies, which have already soiled it. In other words, the world is has now been corrupted by evil, which is destroying good.

IntheBible,Ecclesiastescomparesfliesinaperfumer'sointmentto"alittlefolly"whichisallittakestodestroythereputationofthewiseandhonoredelder(Eccl10:1).Jackhasdestroyedthereputationofthewiseandhonoredmembersofthegroup:Ralph,SimonandaboveallPiggy.Flieshavereplacedbutterflies,uglinesshasreplacedbeauty,evilhasreplacedgood.

This strange scene should not be understood as real: «there were no shadows under the trees but everywhere a pearly stillness, so that what was real seemed illusive and without definition» (p.152).

2. The Beast

The Lord of the Flies, as it stated in this extract, is the pig's head. Interestingly, the word «Beelzebub» comes from a Hebrew word meaning "lord of the flies". Belzebub, an avatar of the devil, was represented by the fly. Flies are generally associated with filth, sins and evil. We understand that the pig's head (or sow's head) dripping blood and surrounded by flies is the representation of the devil. Jack's group hunt pigs and want to kill the beast: the pig's head is the representation of the beast.

In the Bible (Book of Revelation), there are two beasts, like in Lord of the Flies.

Thesecond beast comes out the earth and urges/forces people to worship the first beast (Revelation XIII: 11-18). It talks like a dragon and spits fire. It commands the people of the earth to make an image of the first beast and worship it. Those who refuse to worship the beast or its image will be killed or beheaded.

The second beast is also refered to as the false prophet, who shouldn't be listened to or followed by anyone.

The apparition of the second beast (Beast from Air) in chapter 6, in the guise of the dead pilot, means that the boys should logucally make an image of the beast and worship, which they do by killing the pig, cutting its head and impaling it on a stick as an offering to the beast («a gift for the beast» p.151). The pig's head is therefore that image. The boys now worship the beast, as the title -Gift for the Darkness- also indicates.

Simon is assailed by evil: «(…) the flies found Simon (…) They were black and iridescent green and without number» (p.152). Simon finally gives up and «his gaze (is) held by that ancient, inescapable recognition»: Simon realises the pig's head is evil itself and that he can't run away from it. The head later states «There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the Beast» (p.158). Interestingly, «Beast» is spelt with a capital B, a sign that we're not talking about the animal the boys are hunting down, but the biblical Beast. The beast says that it cannot be killed («Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill!» (p.158). Simon can't kill the beast because, as he said in extract 4, the beast is in the boys, which is confirmed by the head: «You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close» (p.158). The Beast is «down there» (p.158), deep inside him like it is inside each human being, even Simon.

The pig's head «grinned amusedly» at the beginning of the extract (p.151, 152) and now laughs as it says that («For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter»). This laugh is not a laughter of joy as indicates the word «parody» but the laughter of evil (see extract 4), the expression of the dark evil forces within us, which are also represented by the dark forest. The beast also says that they are «going to have fun on this island», like Jack. Laughter and fun take on a dark symbolism and are synonyms of evil, violence and death. Fun, for the beast and the hunters, will clearly be to hunt down and kill Simon, unless he joins the others in their madness (p.151 & 157). Thus, the life of Simon, who represents Good on the island,is threatened :

I'm warning you. I'm going to get waxy. D'you see? You're not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. So don't try it on or else, (…) we shall do you (=kill you). See? Jack and Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph. Do you (=kill you). See? (p.158-159)

Interestingly, the beast includes both Ralph and Piggy in the list of people who are going to kill him, thus showing that even the morally better boys are corrupted by evil within them. We also notice that once again, seven names of boys are given, like the seven heads of the beast from water.

3.Simon

We understand that the scene is not real and that Simon is feeling worse and worse through the extract and ends up hallucinating (chronologically, he hears voices, starts feeling the weight of his own hair, which shows he's not feeling good, closes his eyes and protects them with his hands, sweats heavily, blood pulses hard in his temple, he shakes, finds it hard to speak, his head wobbles and he finally loses consciousness). However, whether the scene is real or an hallucination doesn't really matter because it is metaphorical (see part 1).

Indeed, we could compare his hallucination to a nightmare, which gives him access to his deepest hidden being, the animal within, what Freud would call the Id. The head's mouth seems to «expand like a balloon» (p.158), «blackness within, a blackness that spreads» until it swallows Simon («Simon was inside the mouth»)[1].

The beast describes Simon as «batty» (p.157), thus inverting the poles: Simon is not the voice of good and reason in this mad world. Madness has become the norm and the sane are therefore crazy in it. Moral values have finally been reversed: the Garden fo Eden has been turned into hell. The island is now hell and now longer paradise.

Conclusion

Simon’sterrorandfaintingspellindicatethehorrific,persuasivepoweroftheinstinctforchaosandsavagerythattheLordoftheFliesrepresents.Simonhasadeephumaninsightintheglade,forherealizesthatitisnotareal,physicalbeastthatinspiresthehunters’ behaviourbutratherthebarbaricinstinctthatliesdeepwithineachofthem.Fearingthatthisinstinctliesembeddedwithinhimselfaswell,SimonseemstoheartheLordoftheFliesspeakingwithhim,threateninghimwithwhathefearsthemost.Unabletostandthesightanylonger,Simon faints.

[1]For my 1èreL from last year: this reminds us of Ted Hughes's poem The Thought-Fox, in which the poet accessed his deepest being through meeting the metaphorical fox which finally «enters the dark hole of the head».