Two separate illustrations of an animal head and a fire on a mountain

Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

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"The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away" quote from Lord of the Flies

Summary:

The quote "The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away" from Lord of the Flies signifies the boys' descent into savagery. It reflects the breakdown of societal norms and order on the island as the boys become increasingly governed by primal instincts and chaos.

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Who said, "The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away" in Lord of the Flies?

This statement is not part of the dialogue, so nobody says it aloud. However, it is part of the narration of Ralph's thoughts. Since the boys landed on the island and Ralph was elected chief, he has been pursuing two objectives: having a functioning temporary society and getting rescued. He developed some practical solutions that would have been quite successful if only the other boys had cooperated with the rules. He has made rules about shelter, safety, and sanitation. But most importantly, he made a rule about keeping a signal fire burning at all times, and he delegated to Jack the task of making sure the signal fire was constantly manned.

Unfortunately, Jack neglected that responsibility and drew the fire-keepers away into a pig hunt at the very time a ship passed the island. If that had not been the case, the boys would probably already have been rescued...

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by the time the meeting gets to the point at which Ralph thinks this thought. In his outrage and disappointment, he calls a meeting at dusk to clarify the rules, and he makes the mistake of trying to deal with the boys' irrational fears as it is getting dark. He then asks the wrong question of the group: "Who thinks there may be ghosts?" Many boys raise their hands in the affirmative.

At this point, he says, "I see," and thinks "the world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away." What had been so clear in his mind about how to live on the island and how to get rescued seems to be nothing more than a phantom in the face of all the boys who don't have the same priorities as he does. When one finds himself alone or in the minority opinion on something, it can be hard to maintain one's own convictions. That is the situation Ralph finds himself in when he has this thought.

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It is Ralph who realizes that "The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away." Ralph's realization can be found in chapter five and on page eighty-two depending on the edition you're using. This quote is significant because Ralph is coming to realize that the order, customs, and civilized life is slowly being replaced by something wilder, feral, and more chaotic.

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This quote comes in Chapter 5, where the schism occurs within the group of boys. Ralph is struggling to keep order, in the face of fear (especially among the littluns) of "the beast" and the bigguns' desire for meat and eventually violence. He also argues the importance of keeping the signal fire lit, and maintaining the poorly constructed shelters. In short, he is attempting to hold onto the fragile order and social structure that emerged when the boys were stranded.

Jack, on the other hand, is eager to hunt, to do what in his mind is fun, but is actually a rejection of that fragile social system. He and the other hunters want to break free, to chase pigs, to basically do whatever they want. They deny the responsibilities that Ralph is trying to impart to the entire group. He doesn't want to watch the fire, he doesn't want to build the shelters, and he challenges Ralph's right to force him.

At this point, Ralph asserts that he was chosen as leader, and draws his authority from that. The hunters, however, reject this stance and leave. For Ralph, the world that he knows: adults, control, rational thought, is slipping further and further away. In its place is a world of violence, of lawlessness, and eventually death. This is the moment when Ralph realizes that events are beyond his control, and he will have to focus solely on survival from here on out.

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In the 1954 version of Lord of The Flies, where is the quote, "The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away?"

The 1954 version of William Golding's Lord of the Flies is the first edition and there have been many editions since and two movies; one in 1963 and another in 1990. The book's ability to expose human nature and its failings, regardless of the generation in which the story takes place, ensures that this novel is a piece of classic literature. 

By the time the story reaches chapter five, Beasts from Water, the boys have certainly faced many uncertainties and difficulties. In chapter one, there is the conch and all it stands for; good order and civilization;  and there is Ralph, the natural leader. In chapter two, with no "grown ups," and having established that the island is "uninhabited," there is a need for shelter and a rescue fire. There is also the first mention of a "beastie," a "snake-thing," and Jack's ironic comment that "After all, we're not savages. We're English..." Things are already showing signs of getting out of control, such as the fire and the presumed loss of the "littlun" with the mark on his face. 

In chapter three, Jack begins to unsettle the group with talk of meat and is anxious to make his first "kill." The rescue seems secondary to Jack and his hunters. Jack, in chapter four, paints his face to camouflage himself and is delighted that he looks like "an awesome stranger." He has neglected the fire and there is no way, therefore, of alerting a passing ship to their whereabouts. He has however, killed his first pig. 

Now believing that the beast may come out of the sea, there is much discussion and even the possibility that the beast is "a ghost." Ralph is anxious to "stick to the rules" but talk of the beast and the approaching darkness have intensified the problem, at this point in chapter five, and Ralph feels despondent as he considers: "The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away."

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I do not know which copy of the book was made in 1954, but hopefully I can tell you where it is well enough so that you can locate it easily in your own copy of the book.

First of all, it is in Chapter 5.  It is about two-thirds of the way through the chapter.  It is 7 pages from the end in the copy I have.

The words are spoken during the meeting, a few pages after Percival says that the beast comes from the sea.  It is just a couple of pages after the part where the boys are arguing, saying "shut up," and "sod you" and stuff like that.  You should be able to spot those lines because they are so short and they make the text look a lot different.

I hope that is helpful...

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