Key Quotes

• Uniformed

  'Uniformed superiority'

  -hiding behind uniforms to not take responsibility

  -context links to war/army and contemporary image of authority

  -hiding within the masses creates lack of accountability

  -foreshadowing tyrannical behavior
• Outstretched

  'Outstretched arms'

  -messiah like

  -uncorrupted

  -act as hope in contrast from the other boys
• Taboo

  'Taboo of the old life'

  -conditioning of their old life

  -The shackles of civilization still controlled him, however the intent and innate yearning for harm was bubbling through that taboo
• Bloodthirsty

  'Bloodthirsty snarling'

  -animalistic imagery which shows degradation of humanity, shows intent to harm

  -descent into savagery
• Mask

  'The mask compelled them'

  -the mask provides means of liberation from accountability and that anonymous liberation invited him to commit crimes with no repercussions

  -desire to remove their humanity and indulge in the savagery in order to hold a lack of accountability
• Illness

  'Mankind's essential illness'

  -plagued with evil, yet illness is not contagious

  -An illness which has been with us since the dawn of time, we can only help weaken the symptoms, but can never get rid of it as the Illness is us.
• Savages

  'What are we? Humans? Animals? Or savages?'

  -gradual devolution

  -when released from shackles of society we will begin to devolve back to our primitive states and primal instincts

  -questioning humanity and the stability of it
• Bollocks

  'Bollocks to the rules'

  -colloquial lack of decency and devolution of their past pompous selves

  -removal of democracy

  -linguistic standards have dropped
• Overmastering

  'The desire to squeeze and hurt was overmastering'

  -even the civilized in society have an innate desire to cause pain for their own pleasure

  -squeezing is slow and painful and inflicts the most pain

  -subordinate to their savage instincts
• Part

  'I am a part of you'

  -the savagery, anomalistic behavior and everything that Simon thought was a result of the island was actually a result of their humanity

  -beast lying within us just needs the right conditions to be unlocked
• Organism

  'Single organism'

  -mob mentality and lack of accountability

  -have no identity of their own as they are a collective identity
• Murder

  'That was murder'

  -murder is an alienated word, one with little meaning to the boys

  -this is the realization of what they have truly done
• Delirious

  'Delirious abandonment'

  -drunk on the ecstasy of savagery

  -out of control, loss of morals
• End

  'Ralph wept for the end of innocence and the darkness of mans heart'

  -childlike foolishness and rose tinted perspective of the world has been ripped away by the savagery and true brutality of mankind

  -moment of reflection of what the power of humanity can do and a type of irony of remembering that they are still just kids