At the end of chapter 5, Ralph and Piggy lament about their situation and ask for a sign from the adult world. That night, a firefight takes place three miles above the island, and a paratrooper falls from the sky. The dead paratrooper slowly drifts towards the island and lands on the top of the mountain. Ironically, the dead paratrooper is technically a sign from the adult world, but it is ominous and only makes the boys' situation worse on the island. Instead of being a positive, hopeful message from the civilized world, the boys receive a dead paratrooper, which they mistake as the savage beast that inhabits the island. Their wish for a comforting sign from the world of adults only causes increased hysteria and anxiety throughout the group of boys.
The irony of the dead parachutist is that he represents the world of adults. But, hey, he's dead as a result of war caused by adults. War is chaos. Chaos is coming to the island because the boys cannot agree and be civilized. Ralph purports civilization, while Jack purports having fun. This is synonymous with governments' disagreements over fundamental philosophies of existence. So the dead parachutist is a casualty of politically motivated philosophical dichotomy. When two governments each offer "the solution," people become confused and only want what will make them feel safe. Ironically, the dead parachutist represents the adult world that is supposed to "save" the boys.
Also that he lands on the mountain, which is the one place on the island that we, as readers, associate with rescue (and survival). The fire on the mountain was made precisely for someone in a plane or on a boat to see. Instead, the dead someone from the plane forces them to relocate their fire to the beach and becomes yet another scary "beast" for the boys to deal with.
This was ironic in several ways. First, he (the parachutist) would have been bailing out, trying to save himself. Instead, he dies. Second, the boys had been looking for adults for some time to save them early in the book. Instead (and again), he dies. Third, when they finally see this man, what they'd hoped for, a sign of civilization and an adult, he is horrific, and scares them, rather than making them feel better.
What is the irony of the dead parachutist landing on the mountain in Lord of the Flies?
At the end of chapter 5, Ralph and Piggy lament about their situation on the island and the boys begin wishing there were grown-ups present to keep things civil and stable. Ralph then says,
If only they could get a message to us . . . If only they could send us something grown-up . . . sign or something" (Golding, 133).
Ironically, the boys do receive a sign from the world of adults, but it is ominous in nature and only creates more problems on the island. That night, a paratrooper is shot out of the sky and falls to the island, landing on the top of the mountain near the signal fire. Samneric end...
See This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
up seeing the dead paratrooper and mistake the corpse for the beast. When the boys reach the base camp, they share their terrifying experience with the others, which creates more chaos and fear throughout the group of boys. Overall, the situational irony involved when the dead paratrooper falls to the island is that the presumably hopeful "sign" from the world of adults makes the situation much worse for the group of adolescent boys.
What is the irony of the dead parachutist landing on the mountain in Lord of the Flies?
Golding creates dark irony in Lord of the Flies when the boys wish for a message from the grown-up world, and within the same night, a dead parachutist drifts onto the island and becomes snagged in a tree.
In chapter five, "Beast from the Water," Ralph, Simon, and Piggy yearn for the calming presence of the adult world:
"'If only they could get a message to us,' cried Ralph desperately. 'If only they could send us something grownup...a sign or something" (94).
The boys' desperate wish for a sign from the grownups is granted in Chapter Six: a dead parachutist drops out of the sky from an aerial battle at sea. The moment is full of irony, because the boys wished for grownup intervention on the island, and they received an actual grownup; however, the parachutist is dead upon arrival and his presence will not be a balm to the boys. In fact, his drooping figure and blowing chute will scare Samneric so badly they run from their post on the mountain side, convinced that they have seen the beast. The appearance of the grownup actually causes more harm than good, creating a difficult, tense situation among the boys who are incredibly frightened by the beast.