Discussion Topic
The responsibility for tending the fire in "Lord of the Flies."
Summary:
In Lord of the Flies, the responsibility for tending the fire is assigned to the boys, specifically the hunters led by Jack. The fire is crucial for signaling rescue, and its maintenance is a key element in the boys' hope for survival and return to civilization.
In Lord of the Flies, who is responsible for keeping the fire going?
Initially, Jack and his hunters are in charge of maintaining the signal fire. In chapter 2, the group of boys rushes to the top of the mountain after Ralph announces that they will need to make a signal fire to gain the attention of passing ships. Once they reach the top of the mountain, Ralph uses Piggy's glasses to start a fire, which blazes out of control and burns the surrounding forest. After Maurice suggests that they put green leaves on the fire to make smoke, Ralph says that they should have special people dedicated to maintaining the signal fire throughout the day and night. Jack then takes the conch and offers to split his hunters into groups to maintain the signal fire.
Unfortunately, Jack does not view the signal fire as a necessity or concern and quickly dismisses his hunters from maintaining the fire in favor of hunting....
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In chapter 4, the hunters leave their station at the top of the mountain to hunt with Jack, and the signal fire goes out. Tragically, the boys miss a rare opportunity to be rescued when a ship passes the island because the people responsible for maintaining the fire are busy hunting. As the novel progresses,Samneric abandon their post at the signal fire when they witness the "beast," and Ralph and Piggy take on the responsibility of managing the fire. By the time Ralph and Piggy assume responsibility, the majority of the boys have joined Jack's tribe of savages, and they cannot maintain a proper signal fire on their own.
In Chapter Two of Lord of the Flies, Ralph, along with Piggy, attempts to organize the boys by calling a meeting in which Ralph explains that because no one knows where their plane that was shot down has landed, they may be on the island for some time. In his attempt to add something on a positive note, Ralph declares,
"This is a good island...While we're waiting we can have a good time on this island....Until the grownup come to fetch us we'll have fun."
As he continues to direct the others, Ralph suggests that they help the adults to locate them by building a fire so that a ship that comes near will realize that people are on this island. So, the boys seek wood in the forest area; on the steeper side, they find some decayed wood. After piling the wood, the boys are faced with the dilemma of how to light the fire; Jack first suggests rubbing sticks together, Roger says, "You make a bow and spin the arrow"; then Jack spots Piggy's glasses and cries, "...use them as burning glasses!"
After their trials and errors of not burning green leaves and wood instead, Ralph declares that special people must look after the fire. Jack volunteers,
"I agree with Ralph. We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything. So we've got to do the right things."
A: Jack then offers to split his choir-now turned into hunters--and have them be responsible for maintaining the fire at all times.
This offer and Jack's declaration of the superiority of the English are ironic as in later chapters the fire goes out when the hunters become more absorbed in other actions as they regress to savagery and they fail "to do the right things" as they steal the fire and commit acts against humanity.
Who is responsible for tending the fire in Lord of the Flies, and what does this reveal about Piggy?
In Chapter 2 “Fire on the Mountain” in Lord of the Flies, Jack claims that his group will be responsible for the fire: “’Ralph, I’ll split up the choir—my hunters, that is—into groups, and we’ll be responsible for keeping the fire going—‘”
Throughout this chapter, Piggy reveals that he is a voice of reason among the boys on the island. He questions Ralph’s leadership and asks why Ralph bends to the will of the other boys. Piggy tells Ralph and the others that they must remain rational and work towards their survival on the island. He berates the boys for acting like “a pack of kids” when they go out of control at the mention of starting a fire. The chapter ends with Piggy noticing that one of the littluns is missing, but he is quickly overshadowed by the boys’ screams over a spark in the fire.