LOTF Perspective Writing - Chapter Two

Lord of the Flies
Chapter 2 – Fire on the Mountain
“No More Handstands”
Perspective: Ralph

Journal,

The first day of being chief has taken a turn for the worse. I don’t even feel like doing a handstand anymore.

After going on a glorifying journey and being welcomed back with applause, I find myself partially responsible for a blazing wildfire, savaging down the mountain. I must admit I did get caught up in the ebullience of building the fire. With the setting sun warming my back and the fresh air in my lungs, a kind of glamor was set upon us and I suffered the cost of getting caught up in it. At first, the boys became officious and set off on their own but then I followed them and led them blindly into creating a fire which got out of control and destroyed part of our island, along with all of the useful and accessible fruit and wild pigs. Now that I think back, Jack was the one who errantly led the group of boys in the beginning. Perhaps I should be cautious with him as he also yelled and insulted Piggy. As much as he annoys me, some of the points Piggy made at the top of the mountain made sense. I dare not to agree with him opening for the boys may not respect me as their chief. I wonder if Piggy is right about the boy with the mark on his face; the one who brought up that crazy story about a beastie. Could he have gotten in the way of the flame? Could he really be…dead? But maybe Piggy was wrong and the little boy could be somewhere else in the forest, stuffing himself, along with some other little boys, with fruit. I question if that beastie/snake-thing is real. It is probably just some nightmare the boy had, but it frightens some of the younger kids. That is concerning, for they could get out of hand with panic and fear.

We can’t stay on this island forever. As for a rescue plan, I believe making a signal fire is a good idea, but we must be much more careful next time. If it gets out of hand again, who knows what enormities could happen. We can get all of the younger boys to help collect wood, but send them away after a leave some of Jacks choir to make the flame with Piggy’s specks. I don’t regret that Jack pinched Piggy’s specks; it was a good idea and now we have a way to make fire whenever we want. In the mean time, perhaps I can induce the boys to make shelter huts like Piggy suggested. This is a good island, and while we are here we might as well do it right and be happy with it.

I hope I am a good chief from now on. I think I was the best choice anyway. Piggy has good ideas, but he doesn’t speak well, and jack rushes into things, although he seems like a strong leader. Lastly, I am different from them, all of them, because I have the conch. As I lie in bed next to the conch, thinking about the day, I worry that we might never be rescued. Maybe no one will ever find us, and we will be stuck on this island until the day we die.