Chapter 6: Summary and Analysis

Beast From Air

Percival is stunned by the sound of aerial combat to the extent that he has to be carried into a hut by some boys. The aerial warfare can be seen from the island. Ralph wonders if this could be regarded as the sign he’d longed for from the adult world. Soon, a plane is shot down, and a man is seen descending in a parachute. The boys are unaware that the man is dead, and when the wind lifts up the parachute toward the mountain, the boys are frightened. They rush to Ralph and inform him that they’ve spotted the beast.

Ralph convenes another meeting the next day. When another fight ensues for the conch, Ralph reminds the boys that they should instead focus on keeping the fire signal burning. The boys, too, admit that they do want to be rescued, and Ralph feels the power balance tilting his way. He decides to address the issue of the beast even though he realizes that the fire is gradually dying and must be stoked immediately. He asks Jack if there are parts on the island his crew hasn’t explored yet. Jack tells him that there is a castle-like structure on the other end of the island yet to be explored. A crew is soon put together for the expedition.

When they arrive at the structure, Ralph overcomes his fear and volunteers to go into the structure all by himself. He is soon joined by Jack, and the two return shortly and announce that the castle is likely safe. The boys are overjoyed and see the castle as a place to have fun. Meanwhile, Ralph is afraid that the fire might die soon and orders that the group return to the mountain in order to keep the fire burning.

In this chapter, readers can discern Ralph’s growth and maturity. Ralph had initially been presented as a rather one-dimensional embodiment of the principles of naturalism. In this chapter, Golding humanizes Ralph’s character by giving him more depth: Ralph feels longing for the first time in this novel; he desires human contact and hopes for a sign from the adult world. He has transformed from a naive, carefree boy to someone who understands that a certain degree of order is essential for their survival.