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What happens in Chapter 12 of Lord of the Flies?
While hiding from Jack and his group, Ralph discovers the skull of the pig, removes it from the stake, and decides to use the stake as a weapon against Jack. Jack proceeds to set the jungle on fire in order to find and kill Ralph. Ralph runs for his life until he arrives at the beach where he finds a naval officer who says they have come to rescue them. As Jack and the other boys arrive, they are gripped with shame as they realize what they have done.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Chapter 12 of Lord of the Flies. (3-minute read)
What key characters are introduced in Chapter 12 of Lord of the Flies?
The naval officer appears in the very last chapter, bringing with him the sobering reality of the outside world as he expresses surprise at the boys’ activities.
Read an in-depth Character Analysis of The Naval Officer. (1-minute read)
What key symbols from Lord of the Flies are developed in Chapter 12?
Ironically, rescue comes not because of an ordered, controlled fire, as Ralph wanted, but because of the uncontrollable blaze Jack sets.
Read about The Signal Fire as a key Symbol in Lord of the Flies. (1-minute read)
What important themes from Lord of the Flies are developed in Chapter 12?
Several themes culminate in Chapter 12, including Civilization versus Savagery and The Dangers of Mob Mentality as the boys succumb to their bloodlust. When the naval officer arrives, and with him a reminder of the war happening elsewhere (War and the Future of Mankind), the boys begin to weep, concluding their Loss of Innocence.
Read about the key Themes of Lord of the Flies. (3-minute read)
What important motif from Lord of the Flies is developed in Chapter 12?
The motif of Hunter versus Prey emerges in its truest form thus far. Jack and his hunters are far beyond games; they openly hunt Ralph, who, in his terror, reverts to his basest, most animalistic instincts.
Read about Hunter versus Prey Dynamic as a key Motif in Lord of the Flies. (1-minute read)
What famous quotes from Lord of the Flies appear in Chapter 12?
In the novel’s closing passage, the suddenness of the return of civilization to the island plunges Ralph into horror and despair as he looks back on everything they have endured:
Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.
Read the complete quote from Chapter 12 and a full explanation of it. (2-minute read)
In what way does Lord of the Flies subvert conventional adventure stories?
In the last chapter, the naval officer expresses surprise that the boys weren’t able to “put up a better show than that.” He mentions The Coral Island, also mentioned by the boys in Chapter 2, a classic adventure tale the boys previously thought they might emulate. By having the boys descend into the savagery they thought themselves above because they are British, Golding pokes holes at racist, imperialist myths about the supremacy of British culture or virtues.
Why do the boys begin to cry at the sight of the naval officer in Chapter 12?
The boys’ crying at the appearance of the naval officer—a real grown-up in their midst after weeks or months of unsupervised violence and chaos—suggests their experience on the island has been a form of mass hysteria. The forcefulness of reality returning wakes them up as if from a dream, and they’re forced to confront the people they’ve become.
Read more about the ending of Lord of the Flies. (2-minute read)
