William Golding book summaries

“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.”

At the end of the novel, after the naval officer arrives, Ralph breaks down in tears over the deaths of Piggy and Simon and the loss of innocence.

“The thing is—fear can't hurt you any more than a dream.”

Ralph says this during an assembly to reassure the boys that the beast is not real, but his words are not enough to quell their fears.

“Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!”

The boys chant this during their ritualistic dances, which culminate in the murder of Simon.

“Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!”

The Lord of the Flies (the pig's head) speaks to Simon in his hallucination, revealing that the beast is within them.

“The rules are the only thing we've got!”

Ralph says this to Jack during an argument, emphasizing the importance of order and civilization.

“Which is better—to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?”

Ralph asks this question during the assembly, contrasting civilization with savagery.