Keyword Guide · chapter-summary
This chapter shows a turning point where Ralph’s grip on leadership weakens. Hunting excitement pulls the boys closer to savagery, and Jack’s influence grows. Understanding this chapter helps explain the novel’s shift from order to chaos.
Chapter 7 focuses on the boys’ journey to the mountain and the rising thrill of the hunt. Ralph briefly imagines returning to civilization, but that hope fades as violence becomes more appealing. The chapter highlights how quickly civilized values erode under fear and excitement.
While traveling, Ralph struggles physically, reminding him he is still a child. The boys spot a boar, and the hunt becomes intense and brutal. Later, Ralph joins a mock hunt that turns dangerous. The chapter ends with Ralph, Jack, and Roger climbing the mountain and mistaking a dead parachutist for the beast, reinforcing their fear.
Savagery versus civilization is central here, shown by Ralph’s enjoyment of the hunt. The imagined beast represents fear and misunderstanding. The mountain symbolizes truth and perspective, yet the boys fail to see reality clearly when panic takes over.
This chapter marks Ralph’s moral weakening and Jack’s growing power. It prepares readers for the group’s later violence by showing how play hunting becomes real cruelty. Teachers often use this chapter to discuss peer pressure, fear, and leadership failure.
The main event is the boar hunt and the boys’ dangerous excitement, followed by their mistaken sighting of the beast on the mountain.
Ralph briefly enjoys the power of hunting, showing that he is not immune to savagery and marking a shift in his character.
The beast reflects the boys’ fear and imagination, showing how panic can distort reality and fuel violence.
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