Ch. 8: Gift For The Darkness ~ by Nikki

Jack blows the conch and explains how there is a monster among them, and Ralph should lose his power. “He’s not a hunter. He’d never have got us meat. He isn’t a prefect and we don’t know anything about him. He just gives orders and expects people to obey him for nothing“(126). Jack puts up a hard argument and after getting so aggravated with Ralph, he states “I’m going off by myself. He can catch his own pigs. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too”(127).

This is going to lead to a lot of catastrophe and affliction for the other boys. Which side to take, where could I be more safe? Having two separate leaders in two separate group with ideas that just contradict the other… should not end well. Jack is all about hunting and catching food, meanwhile Ralph just cares about the safety of everyone.

Throughout the night of which the whole group separated, many of the English boys sneaked into Jack’s group because they are hungry and yearn to be safe. Meanwhile, Jack’s group had a sacred ceremony in which they honored peace with the beast so the beast wouldn’t hurt anyone. To do so, they killed a sow, and stuck its head on top of a stake. “The head is for the beast. It’s a gift…”(137).

 "Simon is talking to the "Lord of the Flies" Page 143+144"

This was sort of the beginning of evil after the groups separated. Jack somehow became possessed and got his group to go along with whatever he thought was right. This doesn’t end up as good as expected because there are a couple of great boys that eventually get killed.

Simon later stumbles upon a beautiful place to which he thought he was the only one to know about it. He sees the sow’s head swarming with flies, and it starts talking to it! The sow claims he’s the “Lord of the Flies” and Simon and the others will never be able to escape because he lies within all human beings. “I’m the reason why its no go? Why things are the way they are?… so don’t try to escape!”(143). Simon fantasizes that the head is blowing up, and later faints.

I think that this Sow talking was just Simon fantasizing. Dead animals don't talk, and the so-called beasts turns up being a dead guy in a parachute. Simon probably got too dehydrated that he started hallucinating.