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What happens in Chapter 4 of Lord of the Flies?
Ralph and Piggy spot a ship in the distance, but the signal fire has gone out. Ralph is furious with Jack and his hunters who were supposed to maintain the signal fire; however, Jack, overjoyed and in a frenzy after finally catching a pig, ignores Ralph’s complaints. After Jack assaults and breaks Piggy’s glasses, the boys roast the pig and dance manically around the fire.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Chapter 4 of Lord of the Flies. (3-minute read)
What key characters are introduced in Chapter 4 of Lord of the Flies?
Roger, one of the older boys, receives an introduction in this chapter that hints at his brutality, as he throws rocks toward one of the the littleuns, Henry. While Maurice runs off after kicking over Percival and Johnny’s sandcastles, afraid of getting into trouble, Roger remains to test the waters.
Read our Character List descriptions for Lord of the Flies. (4-minute read)
What key quotes appear in Chapter 4 of Lord of the Flies?
The following passage depicts the island as possessing a mystical quality that distorts the boys’ sense of reality:
Strange things happened at midday. The glittering sea rose up, moved apart in planes of blatant impossibility…
The following quote appears as Roger throws rocks near one of the littluns, suggesting the veneer of civilization is thinner than one might expect:
Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life.
Read the complete quote from Chapter 4 and a full explanation of it. (2-minute read)
Jack and his hunters chant the following famous line after finally succeeding in killing the pig, illustrating the dangers of mob mentality:
“Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.”
This final quote describes Jack’s mental state in the aftermath of the killing of his first pig:
His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink.
Read the complete quote from Chapter 4 and a full explanation of it. (2-minute read)
What key symbols from Lord of the Flies are developed in Chapter 4?
Symbolically, the signal fire going out suggests the boys’ connection to civilization is becoming ever more tenuous. Jack breaking Piggy’s glasses, too, indicates they are moving away from the scientific and rational and beginning a descent into savagery. Given that the book is an allegory, the boys themselves serve as symbols. Where Ralph represents order and civilization and Piggy represents the intellectual, Jack and Roger represent brutality and bloodlust. Simon exists on a separate spectrum than the other boys, and stands for human goodness.
Read about the key Symbols of Lord of the Flies. (4-minute read)
What important theme from Lord of the Flies is introduced in Chapter 4?
The Dangers of Mob Mentality emerges prominently in this chapter as Jack and his hunters return covered in blood, having killed the pig, and dance around the fire in a frenzy of bloodlust.
Read about the key Themes of Lord of the Flies. (3-minute read)
