Ralph #5

After Piggy scared everyone half to death, one of the younger children said that he saw a monster the night before. Though they are frightened, the older boys try to reassure the group that there is no monster. The older boys say that the little boy had was a nightmare. While everyone was scared thinking about this “mystical monster” I was thinking of the possibility of being rescue, I proposed that the group build a large signal fire on top of the island’s central mountain, so that any passing ships might see the fire and know that someone is trapped on the island. The boys ran off to the mountain, while Piggy and I stayed behind.At the meeting place, Ralph grips the conch shell and berates the boys for their failure to uphold the group’s rules. They have not done anything required of them: they refuse to work at building shelters, they do not gather drinking water, they neglect the signal fire, and they do not even use the designated toilet area. He restates the importance of the signal fire and attempts to allay the group’s growing fear of beasts and monsters. The littluns, in particular, are increasingly plagued by nightmare visions. Ralph says there are no monsters on the island. Jack likewise maintains that there is no beast, saying that everyone gets frightened and it is just a matter of putting up with it. Piggy seconds Ralph’s rational claim, but a ripple of fear runs through the group nonetheless.