Lord of the Flies: Journal #4

By: Simone Federici

Chapter: Painted Faces and Long Hair

Perspective: Piggy

The Greatest Potential Rescue Ruined Because of Jack

I saw it in the distance. It was there right before my eyes. So many thoughts ran passed me and I just stood in shock at what I was witnessing. It was probably the greatest moment I have had here on the island. It was a ship. But to me it wasn’t just a ship. It was a potentially life-saving device that would take us home to our warm beds and family and friends with homemade soup and fresh meat. As soon as I could grasp a sense of the miraculous moment I ran to tell the blatant others that were standing close by. The others were just as astonished as I was.

The only problem was that no one was able to see the smoke because the hunters had let the fire go out. I could tell that Ralph was extremely angry and frustrated because of his malevolent expression. The hunters were the ones that were supposed to keep the fire going, but instead they were out hunting.

As soon as the hunters returned from the hunting trip, Ralph went out after them up the mountain, and from the point that I saw him take off running, I knew this wasn’t going to be a civilized conversation. It was going to be a fight with raised voices… and I was right. Ralph ran straight up through the creepers that made blood stream out of the deep cuts in his skin from the thorns and sharp sticks that were slicing him. There probably wouldn’t be a balm strong enough to heal the wounds that Ralph had. Ralph was already a ways away when he started to deliberate on whether to come back and get my glasses or try to start the fire by himself.

Ralph just ran and ran until he reached Jack where he stopped and the “civilized conversations” started. Ralph and Jack both yelled at each other with belligerence. Finally Simon and I caught up and realized that Jack had a successful hunting trip because in the twins hands was a pig with gouts dripping out onto the rocks.

The fight went on for a very long time with Ralph, Simon and I accusing Jack of letting the fire go out, while he was defending himself. Ralph was accusing Jack of playing dirty tricks. In Jacks eyes there were several emotions. I could see fear, guilt and pride. The emotions were all from him catching the pig, letting the fire go out and ruining the greatest potential rescue.