Chapter 12: Summary and Analysis

Cry of the Hunters

Ralph manages to reach the beach. He picks and eats fruit on his way. The littluns on the beach, however, are startled by Ralph’s sudden appearance. Soon Ralph notices a pig’s skull, and believing that the skull is grinning at him, he attacks it with a stick. He is unable to forget the events at the castle and feels alienated from the other boys on the beach.

He resolves to revisit the castle; he feels sure that the boys still possess a modicum of civility and that they will eventually accept him. Much like Piggy at the beginning of the novel, Ralph finds himself longing for friendship.

When Ralph reaches the castle, he spots Samneric, but the twins express their allegiance to Jack’s crew and urge him to leave. They inform him that the crew has planned to capture him tomorrow, and they also speak fearfully of Roger, the cruel executioner. The twins tell Ralph about Roger’s plan to torture him with a stick sharpened at both ends. As Sam covertly gives Ralph some meat, he notices some members of the crew arriving. Ralph tells the twins that he will try and hide in the castle’s vicinity.

Though Ralph is able to spend the night in his hideaway, he is soon spotted by the crew. The narrator reveals that one of the twins had been tortured to reveal Ralph’s whereabouts. The crew rolls three large boulders in the direction of Ralph’s hideaway to lure him out. One of the boys then decides to enter the thicket, but Ralph manages to keep him out by attacking him with his spear. The other boys then decide to smoke him out, but Ralph charges out of his hideaway and manages to escape from the thicket, but he is followed by the tribe.

As Ralph wonders if he should climb a tree or continue running, he realizes that the island is on fire.

When he manages to hide under an overgrowth by the edge of a cliff, he is spotted by Roger who jabs Ralph with his spear. Ralph lets out a primal scream and shoves Roger aside and resumes running. The fire continues to spread as the “savages” chase Ralph.

Ralph reaches the beach and is surprised to see a navy ship by the shore. He also notices an officer on the beach and realizes that the ship must have spotted the raging fire on the island.

As the officer questions Ralph he gleans that ghastly events might have taken place on the island. Ralph breaks down, and the officer allows Ralph to regain composure.

The navy ship and the arrival of adults signify the return of order. As the novel draws to a close, Ralph, and indeed many other boys, are relieved by the sight of the men, who represent order, stability, and civility. However, it is unclear whether order can be sustained on the island.