In Chapter Four, Roger and Jack begin to test the
boundaries of what they can do, little Percival spends two days crying from fear and
discontent, Piggy finds his usefulness waning, the boys let the fire go out, and Ralph
realizes that his leadership is wavering. So, he resolves to call a meeting. Before
doing so, Ralph walks along the beach, realizing that, although he is a "specialist in
thought," he cannot think as Piggy can, for Piggy looks through a scientific lens,
seeing cause and effect.
After Ralph calls the meeting and
speaks, then Jack takes the conch, and finally, Piggy holds out his hand. Like an
adult, he tries to reason with the boys,"
"We know what goes on and if there's something
wrong, there's someone to put it
right."
As he continues Piggy
seeks to rationally explain cause and effect by giving an example, but he is cut off.
Persisting, Piggy logically explains,
"You have doectors for everything, even the
inside of your mind. You don't really mean that we got to be frightened all the time of
noting? Life...is scientific,, that's what it is. In a year or two when the war's over
they'll be traveling to mars and back. I know there isn't no beast--not with claws and
all that, I mean--but i know there isn't no fear,
either."
Piggy realizes that
the fear of the boys is beginning to extend to being what he calls "frightened of
people," an irrational fear. So, he appeals as much as he can to the boys' ability to
reason and be calm about their
fears.
No comments:
Post a Comment