Lord of the Flies
Chapter Assistant
Chapter 5: Beast from Water
Ralph calls an assembly to straighten things out but it only serves to further divide the group.
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Ralph calls an assembly there are several issues which are
causing problems for the harmony of the group:
o the signal fire
o help building huts
o going to the toilet in the rock pool
o hunting
Ralph criticises the pointlessness of the assemblies as things
are agreed but nothing is done.
Ralph stresses the importance of the fire:
o “Don’t you understand? Can’t you see we ought to—
ought to die before we let the fire out?”
There is a problem of kids starting smaller fires all over the
island for cooking; he establishes the rule that if they want to
cook food whether pig or crab then they will have to do it
using the signal fire. This will mean the fire is constantly
kept alight.
Jack tries to speak but is told to wait by Ralph, he must wait
for the conch.
Ralph laments that the group is breaking up:
o “Things are breaking up. I don’t understand why. We
began well; we were happy. And then … People
started getting frightened.”
The discussion returns to the topic of the beast, after Ralph
finishes explaining that there is no beast, Jack takes the
conch.
He rebukes and insults the ‘littluns’:
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o “You littluns started all this, with the fear talk.
Beasts! Where from? Of course we’re frightened
sometimes but we put up with being frightened … The
thing is—fear can’t hurt you any more than a
dream.”
Ralph is shocked at the way Jack speaks to the ‘littluns’
Apparently the ‘littluns’ have been having nightmares about
the beast and have seen things in the night.
Jack continues in his speech and claims that as a hunter he
has seen the whole of the island and that there is no such
animal.
Piggy then speaks and agrees and echoing Jack’s disbelief in
the beast, but unfortunately is met with less support and
instead derision.
Simon is discovered to have been wandering about to go to
his hiding place. He is told not to go again.
Simon explains that perhaps the beast isn’t a creature as such
but instead is the evil which exists in all of them.
The discussion continues to focus on the beast and Percival
speaks about seeing the beast at first he cries at not being
able to remember his address but then explains that the beast
comes out of the water.
This revelation suddenly makes the group silent. It divides
the group as Piggy, Ralph and Jack begin to argue over the
conch.
The discussion goes on about life in the ocean and how not
every creature that exists there has been discovered.
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There is a suggestion made that beast might actually be a
ghost. A point which Piggy immediately dismisses as being
impossible.
Jack begins to bully Piggy and provoke Ralph who pleads
with him to keep the rules.
Jack is frustrated with the rules and leaves the meeting before
it’s even over. Others follow him.
Ralph doubts his ability to carry on being chief but is
reassured by Piggy and Simon that it will be much more
dangerous if Jack were the leader.
The chapter ends with Ralph desperately pleading for some kind of
sign that grownups still exist, ironically the sign that will come in the
next chapter, a dead pilot will only serve to reinforce the idea of the
beast.
Questions:
1. How does Ralph try to restore order to the group? Use two
sentences from the text which highlight these attempts.
Key Points:
The fear of the beast serves only to further divide the group.
2. How does Jack’s speech to the group serve to reinforce his
strength and influence within the group?
Although there is no beast except the one in the ‘littluns’
imaginations, it is a clever tool which can be used by Jack to push
the case that he should be chief.
3. What does Simon’s suggestion that the beast is actually in
each of the children tell you about the nature of his
character?
Ralph’s attempts at brining order are met with a lack of support as he
has nothing with which to back up his orders. This is the opposite of
Jack who has his hunters (choirboys) to help get done what he wants.
4. How could Ralph regain leadership of the group after this
assembly? What would you do if you were in his position?
This is the beginning of the end of Ralph’s leadership. Jack is
bullying and intimidating towards all parts of the group, he is neither
sympathetic nor respectful to the rules established by the group.
Piggy’s conversation with Ralph after the assembly again highlights
his intelligence and skill at seeing the potential for violence without
restraint from Jack:
 “I been in bed so much I done some thinking. I know
about people. I know about me. And him. He can’t hurt
you: but if you stand out of the way he’d hurt the next
thing. And that’s me.”