Lord of the Flies Ch. 7 Litblog

Mary Ann MacDonald
Period 5
1-14-13

Chapter 7

 

Summary: The boys find a pig-run and go hunting and Ralph hits a boar in the snout with a spear but then it runs off. The boys then play a game and pretend Robert is the pig and then decide to climb to the top of the mountain. Simon goes back to camp to tell Piggy the boys will be returning after dark. They take a pig-run through the forest to reach the top of the mountain and Jack, Ralph, and Roger  go ahead to climb the mountain and Jack spots something on the mountain top. They get closer and spot a creature bobbing up and down with the wind.

Quotation: "Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering" (115).

Quotation Significance: The boys are having a tough time curbing their urge to become savage and to kill things. This even happens when they are playing with their friend Robert. They bash him with the butt of their spears and brandish knives at him. They were getting close to actually deciding to kill Robert. Even Ralph expresses his urge to kill Robert.

Reflection: The boys are starting to fins more of an urge to kill and are having a hard time dealing with it. This can be seen when they are playing with Robert and pretending he is a pig. A few chapters back, one of the boys throws rocks at a littun. The boys are getting more and more savage and will most likely kill each other in the end. Even Ralph feels an urge to kill Robert and Jack brandishes his knife at Robert. The boys decide to climb the mountain to look for the beast and Jack accuses Ralph repeatedly for being scared and Ralph doesn't want to be seen as a sissy to Roger and Ralph go along with Jack to see if they can find the beast. They see a figure at the end of the chapter but it is really most likely the dead parachutist that flew in the night before. The wind causes the parachutist to move up and down with the wind. The boys are making a huge deal out of nothing and they are letting their imaginations and their fear get to them. Ralph is starting to hate Jack and I think eventually they will fight over who gets to be chief.

Discussion Question: Do you think that eventually the boys will start to kill each other? Do you think that a beast is on the island?