Chapter 2 Flashcards
-Ralph decides that in their meetings, each boy must raise their hand to speak. The speaker will then be given the conch shell to hold while they speak.
-Jack agrees with Ralph that they need to have rules, but he also implies that there will be a consequence if anyone breaks the rules. (‘Then when anyone breaks ‘em-‘)
-Piggy grabs the conch shell and points out that no one knows where they are. He says that they might be stranded on the island for a long time.
-Ralph doesn’t take Piggy’s warning seriously - instead, he says that the boys will have fun on the island (which has plenty of food and water) while they wait to be rescued by adults.
-He says that it will be just like an adventure in a story book.
-One of the little boys reaches out for the conch shell, but the older boys laugh at him.
-Piggy tells Ralph to give the conch to the little boy.
-Ralph does, but the boy is so upset that he cannot speak properly.
-Piggy kneels next to the boy and tells the others what he is saying.
-The little boy is scared of a ‘beastie’ which comes out at night.
-He wants to know what the older boys are going to do about it.
-Ralph dismisses the little boy, telling everyone that there is no ‘beastie; and that the boy must have had a nightmare.
-Jack says that he and his choir will hunt the beast while they hunt the pigs.
-Ralph gets annoyed and grabs the conch back, telling them that there is no beast.
-Ralph repeats his idea that the boys should all have fun and enjoy the island while they wait to be rescued.
-He suggests again that it might even be his father’s ship which rescues them, as his father is in the Navy.
-Ralph says that they should build a fire which will act as a signal to any passing ships.
-Jack tells the boys to follow him and they all rush off up the mountain.
-Ralph tries to use the conch shell to call them back, but no one listens to him.
-Finally, Ralph puts the conch down and follows the boys.
-Piggy is left alone. He is disgusted by the boys acting like ‘a crowd of kids’.
-The boys leave Piggy and the conch (which represents logic and order) behind as they charge up the mountain.
-They are symbolically leaving civilization behind.
-At the top of the mountain, the boys start dragging logs into a pile to start a signal fire.
-Jack and Ralph realize that they don’t know how to light the signal fire without matches.
-Piggy arrives at the top of the mountain and Jack decides that they can use Piggy’s glasses to make a fire.
-Jack yanks the glasses off Piggy’s face.
-‘Piggy was surrounded before he could back away’ - this gives us a hint about how Piggy is treated throughout the story.
-He is bullied, ganged up on and intimidated.
-Ralph then shoves Jack out of the way, grabbing the glasses himself.
-Ralph uses Piggy’s glasses to start a fire.
-Piggy demands his glasses back.
-‘Give me my specs!’ ‘Hardly see my hand.’
-We can see how lost and vulnerable Piggy is without his glasses.
-We know how reliant Piggy is on his glasses (and so does Jack when he steals them later in the story).
-The fire gets bigger and the boys celebrate and dance around it.
-Eventually, the fire dies down.
-Ralph says the fire was useless anyway.
-Piggy demands the right to speak, as he has the conch shell.
-However, Jack refuses, saying the conch is only for meetings on the beach.
-Taking the conch, Ralph decides that a group of boys need to be in charge of lighting the signal fire if they see a ship.
-Ralph says that the conch and rules are needed everywhere on the island - Jack agrees.
-It is strange and ironic for Jack to agree with Ralph here, as he just denies Piggy the right to speak, but now agrees with Ralph’s declaration that they must follow the rules at all times on the island.
-Piggy takes the conch and tells Jack and Ralph that the rules they have made should apply to everyone and he has the right to be listened to, like everyone else.
-Piggy looks back toward the beach and notices that the boys have stupidly set the island on fire.
-He sarcastically comments: ‘you got your small fire all right’.
