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Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Lord of the Flies, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Human Nature
Civilization
Savagery and the "Beast"
Spirituality and Religion
The Weak and the Strong
Summary
Analysis
The next morning, Piggy and Ralph discover that every bigun except them and Samneric has joined Jack's tribe. Ralph tells Piggy that the "beast" that came out of the forest was Simon, and that they murdered him. Piggy screams that it was an accident. When Samneric show up, all four boys pretend they left the feast early, before the dance.
The "civilized" boys can't admit their part in Simon's murder. Civilization exists to suppress and hide from the savage instincts, the "beast" within, that made them kill.
Themes
Jack moves his tribe to Castle Rock. He orders his savages to post a guard and beat anyone who disobeys or displeases him. Jack says that the thing that crawled out of the forest the previous night was the beast. But he says that they didn't kill it, because it's impossible for them to ever kill it.
Jack claims Simon was the Beast, but denies they actually killed it. If they'd killed the beast, why would the tribe need him to be chief?
Themes
Jack says they'll go hunting tomorrow and have a feast. To cook the meat, they'll raid Ralph's group for Piggy's glasses. Meanwhile, Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric discover four people aren't enough to keep the fire going. They decide to keep it burning only during the day. That night, Jack and his hunters attack while everyone is asleep. Ralph and Eric beat each other up, and Piggy protects the conch, while Jack steals Piggy's glasses.
The "civilized" boys stop trying to keep the signal fire burning at night: a symbolic surrender to savagery. The savages, meanwhile, are willing to give up the chance at rescue completely to get the technology of Piggy's glasses to build cooking fires.
Themes
Literary Devices
