BEAST FROM AIR

The events in this chapter take place later that night and the next morning. We are
reminded that a war is going on in the outside, adult world when a plane is shot
down and the dead pilot lands on the mountain. As the wind blows, his parachute
lifts him up and down. Samneric are on duty to watch the fire that night. They fall
sleep and the fire nearly goes out. At dawn the next day they find the ashes and
manage to blow them so the flame flares again and they can build the fire. The
twins see a shape (of the dead pilot) moving on the mountain. They are terrified
and run to tell Ralph they have seen the beast. They exaggerate what they have
seen and terror spreads among all the boys. Immediately, without thinking it
through, Jack wants to hunt the beast and tries to take charge. Ralph gets the boys
on his side when he reminds them that they want to be rescued, and he takes
control again. They set out to investigate the unexplored part of the island, with
Jack leading the way at first. Piggy stays behind to look after the littluns. At castle
rock Ralph goes ahead into the unknown area. Jack follows him and the others join
them. The boys have fun rolling down the big rocks and do not want to leave, but
Ralph insists they go on. He is determined to keep the signal fire going and the
boys obey unwillingly.

Chapter 7 Shadows and Tall Trees

The events in this chapter take place on the same day in the afternoon. The boys
keep walking up the mountain to see if they can find the beast. Ralph wishes he
were neat and clean in his comfortable home. Faced by the huge ocean, Ralph feels
it is impossible that they will ever be rescued, but Simon tells him he will go home
again; they smile at each other in friendship. A boar (wild pig) appears and Ralph
wounds it with his spear. He is thrilled by this and by the respect the boys show
him, but Jack blames him for the wound on his arm from the boar’s tusks (horns).
Full of excitement, Ralph joins enthusiastically in the dance of “Kill the pig” and
Robert, acting the part of the pig, is hurt by the boys, who are all violently over-
excited. Jack suggests that next time they must use a littlun in their dance. He
cannot curb his violent tendencies. It is getting late, but they go on with their
journey up the mountain.

Ralph worries about Piggy and the littluns, who have been left alone, and Simon
runs back to the beach to tell them where the older boys are going. The others
continue to climb. Then, as the route becomes more dangerous and it is getting
darker, the boys do not want to go on. However, Jack decides to climb higher and
challenges Ralph, mocking him for being afraid. Ralph asks Jack why he hates him,
but gets no response. Roger joins the two as they climb higher while the rest go
back. Then Jack goes on alone but is soon back, terrified, saying he has seen the
beast. Ralph and Roger climb up and see the hunched (bent over) figure of the
pilot, which, to them, looks like a beast. Terrified, the three run away down the
mountain.