C H A P T E R 11
Chapter 11: Castle Rock
Plot of Chapter
Ralph and Piggy go to Castle Rock to get what was rightfully theirs
Vocabulary
-
Ralph and Piggy went to go get the specs back but encounted boys with painted faces
-
Jack demanded Ralph to leave his camp but Ralph wanted Piggy's glasses and as a result Jack ordered his hunters to tie up Sam and Eric
-
With their boys, they began to fight, Piggy yelled to get their attention and remind them the impotance of rules and the fire
-
Roger rolled a boulder down the mountain, Ralph heard the boulder and moved aside but Piggy was killed because he couldn't see it coming
-
The conch was crushed by the boulder
-
Ralph escaped but the twins were left in the care of Jack and his tribe
MULTITUDINOUS (191): great number; very numerous
("...There was silence, except for the multitudinous murmur of the bees."
QUAVERED (193): to shake tremulously; quiver or tremble
("'Am I safe?' quavered Piggy,")
LUDICROUS (195): causing laughter because of absurdity; ridiculous
("With ludicrous care he embraced the rock..")
Literary Device
"'I got the conch. I'm going to that Jack Merridew an' tell him. I am.' 'You'll get hurt.'"(Piggy/Ralph-189)
FORESHADOWS the death of Piggy
"There was no sign left of the storm, and the beach was swept clean like a blade that has been scoured." (Narrator-192) SIMILE
Passage Study
"Someone was throwing stones: Roger was dropping them, his one hand still on the lever. Below him, Ralph was a shock of hiar and Piggy a bag of fat." (Narrator-199)
"'Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?'...Then the sea breathed again in a long slow sigh, the water boiled white and pick over the rock; and when it went, sucking back again, the body of Piggy was gone." (Piggy/Narrator-200/201)
In the beginning of the novel, Roger was a conflicted boy, confused about who he was. Was he a civil boy like how he was at home or is he secretly and truly a savage little boy? I believe the savagery came out of him the most when it took over his senses. It makes me wonder if he is actually the dangerous character instead of Jack.
This passage showed the desperation in Piggy and his hope for civilization in the other boys. It was the last straw until the evilness took over. It saddened me when they laughed at him like usual and just couldn't grasp the importance of fire and getting rescued. Other than Simon, Piggy was the only one who could really give the boys the sense of hope and order.
Reader's Response
This chapter was another series of crazy and intense events. I personally felt Piggy's despair when he yet again tried to explain the importance of a fire and getting rescued. I enjoyed his character because he was so persistent of teaching what he thought was right, like how a politician would be, always expressing what they believed in. Also in this chapter perhaps Golding was trying to inform us that we focus on the thing/object and not the symbol of it. For instance, on the island, Jack lost the importance of the conch and only viewed it solely as a conch instead of order and law? In other words, do we lose focus on what's really important?
