Chapter 11
Castle Rock
At day break the four plundered and bruised boys try to ignite any smoldering ashes left in
the fire, but it is dead. In desperation Ralph calls an assembly. Only the four boys plus some littluns
attend. Ralph speculates that maybe if they try to comb their hair, and look decent they could go to
Jack to ask for the specs, “ ‘—after all we aren’t savages really and being rescued isn’t a game—’
” Piggy agrees to this idea and talks about Simon’s murder and the death of the littlun in the first
fire:
‘What can he do more than he already has? I’ll tell him what’s what. You let me carry the
conch, Ralph. I’ll show him the one thing he hasn’t got.’
As they get ready they eat, Samneric are afraid to go because Jack will be painted. They set off;
with Ralph and the twins carrying spears and Piggy the conch, being led because he cannot see with
out his specs.
They reach Castle Rock and Ralph steps out onto the neck of land leading to it with Piggy
just behind, and the twins after him. Roger, the guard, orders them to halt and Ralph blows the
conch. He tells the savages that he is calling an assembly. Jack emerges from the forest behind him
with his hunters and the carcass of a pig. Ralph demands the specs to be returned and the tribe
laughs at him.
Ralph and Jack fight each other briefly using spears as sabers. Jack gets between Ralph and
the rock and orders the twins captured. Some kids come out to tie up Samneric and Ralph has had
enough; Jack and Ralph charge each other and begin fighting again. Piggy stands up and yells for
them to stop and listen to him. Surprisingly, the crowd is silent and Piggy, holding the conch, asks,
“ ‘Which is better—to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill? Which is better, law and rescue, or
hunting and breaking things up?’ ” During this speech, the tribe, bearing spears, has formed along
the far side of the rock bridge intending to charge.
A great yell goes up and Roger heaves on the lever. The huge boulder totters and crashes
onto the bridge. Ralph ducks out of the way, but the blind Piggy does not move. As the boulder
strikes him the conch explodes “...into a thousand white fragments...” Piggy falls forty feet to his
death on the rocks below. Jack feels no sympathy and warns Ralph that that’s what he’ll get. The
tribe charges and Ralph is running, crashing through the forest. The pursuit does not last long and
Jack orders the crowd back to the fort. Ralph is free, for the time being.
