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"This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch... But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch" (22).

The diction regarding the vote is most significant here. That voting is described as a "toy" signifies that the boys don't see their situation as real or something they need to take seriously but rather just a game that they're playing. This moment also sets up the conch as a powerful symbol of unity and civilization. That Ralph having the conch is identified as a reason for the boys choosing him as chief denotes its power in their eyes. As the novel progresses, we see the conch serve as boys' connection to their old life, but the longer they stay on the island, the weaker this connection becomes (as is illustrated by the conch fading in color in later chapters).

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"They flapped at the first of the trees, and the branches grew a brief foliage of fire.  The heart of flame leapt nimbly across the gap between the trees and then went swinging and flaring along the whole row of them.  Beneath the capering boys a quarter of a mile square of forest was savage with smoke and flame.  The separate noises of the fire merged into a drum roll that seemed to shake the mountain" (44)

The idea of the fire is being developed as a symbol of hope  for the boys to get off of the island.  They are excited as the fire begins to engulf the mountain; as children it can be inferred that they were not allowed to play with fire, thus again, representing a game for them.  However, the diction used to portray the fire personifies it as an almost evil being that is set on destruction, foreshadowing  what the fire comes to represent/how it is used in the final chapters.

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"He [Jack] tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up" (51).

Though in this moment Jack is focused on hunting and killing a pig, it certainly foreshadows behavior that it is to come. Jack's strong desire to kill is literally "swallowing him up" (51), and it is significant that it not defined what he wants to track down and kill. The absence of the pig denotes that eventually, Jack will need to move on to hunting something other than pigs (humans) in order to satisfy this thirst.

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"Roger's  arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins" (62).

Roger is representative of the descent into savagery very quickly, as he embodies an evil nature that hasn't yet come to surface. Roger hesitates in throwing the rock for now, because his behavior is conditioned by the rules of a society that he's no longer part of. But, this moment foreshadows that he won't be stayed for long by the rules, as there are no adults there to monitor his behavior and dish out consequences when he steps out of line.

This moment is also ironic because the civilization Roger emanates from is in ruins due to a war; Roger's behavior is deemed unacceptable in a civilized society, but is seen as acceptable in war. As the children try to hold on to civilization, their own is in ruins due to similar behavior the boys engage in that deems them as savages.

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"I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk. But you can't even build huts--then you go off hunting and let out the fire--"... "There was a ship--" (71).

The hope of rescue is symbolized by the prospect of signaling a ship with a fire. It's the first idea the boys have while on the island, knowing this is their only hope at rescue. When the ship passes, their hope of rescue diminishes. The boys are unsure if they'll ever have another opportunity to be rescued. Thus, this passing ship and their lack of ability to track it down symbolizes a loss of hope. When the boys lost hope that they'll be rescued, they also start to lose accountability of their actions. This is truly the moment that begins their descent; if they won't be rescued, then they won't have to answer to their deeds on the island.

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"What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages? What's       grownups  going to think? Going off-- hunting pigs-- letting fires out-- and now!" (Golding, 91)

When Piggy said this to the inhabitants of the island at the assembly, he was bringing to everyone's attention that they are all changing. Piggy symbolizes the voice of reason throughout the story and what he says packs a big punch. They are all starting to address the beast and what it is and how they are going to deal with it. The true natures of the characters begin to be brought out as they are put under stress and fear and their fight or flight instincts start to surface.

We start to really see the difference in priorities between Ralph and Jack. Jack wants to fight and kill the beast just because he wants to kill something, but Ralph has still got his bearings and wants to do what's best for the children of the island.

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“They would reach the castle sometime…” (Golding, 104)

The castle is a recurring image in this chapter. The boys are referring to the mountain of rock where the beast is; supposedly. This makes the beast seem extravagant and powerful; as if it is able to tear their little civilization apart. In actuality, the beast is truly as powerful as they think; but in an entirely different way. The beast, thought to be powerful enough to destroy a civilization, is actually powerful enough to take over the children's thoughts and minds, and the children are so scared of the beast’s potential power that it causes them to act erratically and not logically. This gives the story a human-like quality and reminds the readers that these are all kids trying to survive on the island. Without adults to tell them what is what, the kids are still kids and their imaginations start to take hold of the weak sense of order they’re struggling to keep as it is. This contributes to the theme Civil vs. Savage in the sense of how the children are dealing with/handling the beast.

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“Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering.” (Golding, 114-115)

After the hunters and Ralph encountered the boar, they got a little too excited in the after party and started to take the pretending too seriously as they set about beating Robert. The savage temperament began to

show when they all started getting carried away with the sensationalism of the act and lost sight of their conscience, without them having any self control with differentiating between thoughts and actions on those thoughts. The other telltale sign was the principle of what they were thinking; wanting to inflict pain on an innocent human being.

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“Ralph turned toward the platform. The conch glimmered among the trees…” (Golding, 124)

After the beating of Robert, Ralph is now looking to the conch after seeing the beast. The conch symbolizes fairness, civility, and order. Ralph at this time is showing that he is losing faith in himself as a leader, looking to the source of his power to for advice. He could be realizing that his past thoughts about Robert when things got out of hand, and that's why he's starting to doubt himself. All of that, on top of the way Jack is twisting the hunting culture is sure to throw Ralph off of his game.

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“The usual brightness was gone from his eyes and he walked with a sort of glum determination like an old man.” (Golding 146)

This quote from the book tells the audience what the boys are really like. First it was Piggy and now Simon. Simon was always a good kid and he is a good example of goodness and purity, but the other boys just don't accept him for being different.

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“Then, at the moment of great passion and conviction, that curtain flapped in his head and forgot what he had been driving at… Then the curtain whisked back. Oh yes so we’ve got to make smoke…” (Golding 163)

By now Ralph is starting to not be able to think clearly.  He is forgetting the most important thing to him on this island.  Ralph has fought for the fire and the smoke since the beginning very passionately.  His mental state is becoming unhealthy and he’s starting to slip.  After the death of Simon, Ralph is left in a state of confusion and comes to realization that the other boys have turned to complete savagery.  He begins to look inside and wonder if he could ever become such a savage. Ralphs power or "fire" is fading away and slowly starting do die. Without his power there are chances he could possibly turn to savagery.

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"The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist"(Golding, 181)

The death of Piggy and the shattering of the conch symbolizes the end of order on the island. Piggy had the brains to maintain a social structure, and the conch was their civility and fairness; it was their way of preventing power from falling into one man's hands. After the conch's destruction, Jack quickly filled in the vacuum of power, thus leading the island to chaos under Jack's rule.

-Konnor Moshier

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"A semicircle of little boys, their bodies streaked with colored clay, sharp sticks in hand, were standing on the beach making no noise at all." (Golding, 200)

The introduction of an adult, a figure that symbolized order and peace, immediately ended all forms of violence on the island. During the interaction with the officer, Ralph was the only one to speak. The rest of the boys were mortified of their actions on the island that they were shocked into silence by an adult. It displays that the boys were just acting how boys act.  The savagery was just a mask for their insecurities as people, and their desires for attention,  not their true selves.

-Konnor Moshier