Top 11 Lord of the Flies quotes

  • "There aren't any grown-ups. We shall have to look after ourselves."

    Ralph says this when they find out that none of the adults on the plane have survived; thus, there will be no adults on the island. All of them except Piggy are excited to be without grownups, as there will be no one to control them.

  • "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages."

    Jack says this during the first meeting. He is excited to have rules and punish whoever does not follow them. This quote shows Jack's willingness to create and follow rules. It also shows how far Jack falls by the end of the story.

  • "There aren't any grown-ups. We shall have to look after ourselves."

    Ralph says this when they find out that none of the adults on the plane have survived; thus, there will be no adults on the island. All of them except Piggy are excited to be without grownups, as there will be no one to control them.

  • "They looked at each other, baffled, in love and hate."

    This quote is about Ralph and Jack. They are people of two different natures. They both represent two dramatically different people: civilized and savage. When they meet each other for the first time, they like each other, as both want to have some rules to follow. But, as time passes, their true natures arise, and they start to have differences.

  • "The mask was a thing ... behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self- consciousness."

    This quote is about when Jack paints his face with charcoal for the hunt. This quote means that this mask helps Jack to hide while exploring his true savage nature. This mask helps him not to feel shame when he becomes uncivilized and savage.

  • "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood."

    These are the words Jack and the other hunters chant while hunting and killing the pig. These words show their lust for blood and their violent behavior. While chanting these words, they become so violent that they start hitting humans as well.

  • "Life ... is scientific ... there isn't no beast ... there isn't no fear ... Unless we get frightened of people."

    Piggy says this to Ralph when he says that he saw the beast in the woods. Piggy is a logical person, and he does not believe in anything that he cannot understand. Piggy believes that it is people who do bad and awful things.

  • "Maybe ... there is a beast ... maybe it's only us."

    In chapter 5, Ralph calls a meeting and criticizes everyone for not doing their jobs. Then, he starts discussing the existence of a beast. He says that there is no beast and it is just the younger boys' fear, but some of the littluns start saying that they saw the beast the previous night. This quote is Simon attempting to explain that it is beast inside them that they should be worried about.

  • "I'm the Beast ... You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?"

    Jack and his followers leave the pig head on the top of a stick. Simon is resting in his hiding place, and he feels thirsty. When Jack and his followers leave, Simon comes out of his hiding place and sees the pig head, the Lord of the Flies. He thinks that it is the beast. He is about to faint when he hallucinates and feels as if the Lord of the Flies is saying this. It actually means that the beast is inside us.

  • "Which is better—to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?"

    Piggy says this when Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric go to Jack and his tribe to ask him to return Piggy's glasses. Piggy is a rational person, and he believes that all problems should be solved with reason in all situations. He does not realize that Jack and his followers have fallen too low and have become savages who follow a different set of rules.

  • "Ralph wept for the end of innocence."

    When Ralph runs away to save his life and reaches the beach and finds a naval officer there, he loses all his self-control and starts crying for what they all have done. He realizes how low the boys have fallen to satisfy the evil inside them. This feeling makes him cry.