L.O.T.F. Chapter 10

"At last Ralph stopped. He was shivering.

'Piggy'

'Uh?'

'That was Simon'

'You said that before'

'Piggy'

'Uh?'

'That was a murder'

'You stop it!' said Piggy, shrilly. 'What good're you doing talking like that?'" (Golding, 156)

This quote is Ralph and Piggy talking the morning after Simon was murdered. Piggy finds it impossible to accept any guilt for what happened. He tries to convince himself and Ralph that he was not a part of it whatsoever. Ralph does not accept Piggy's easy rationalization with the subject and insists that the death was in fact a murder. This reminds the reader how far the boys have come since their first day on the island. They went from proper English gentlemen (kind of) to bloodthirsty savages. Jack and Roger are leading the whole tribe and Simons death was mostly both of their faults.

The Chapter starts with Piggy and Ralph down by the beach talking. They both feel very guilty and ashamed about what happened the night before. Piggy tries to deny that anything ever happened because he doesn't know how to handle the guilt, but Ralph says it was a murder. Jack ruling at castle rock with absolute power. He beats kids for no reason at all except to make examples out of them. Jack warns his boys about Ralph and his tribe, saying they are danger to his tribe. Jack's tribe believed that Simon was the beast and that they should continue to guard their fort against the beast because the beast is never really dead. Maurice and Roger steal fire from Ralph and Piggy's camp. The next night, Jack and his tribe come to their camp during the night and raid it. They attack and steal Piggy's glasses, while they were fighting with San, Eric and Ralph. Ralph and the last of his tribe are badly beaten and assaulted.