Why do the boys pretend to kill Robert?
In the first chapter of the novel Ralph, Simon and Jack venture up the mountain. On the journey they pause at a large boulder. Planning to thrust the boulder, the boys decide “The assault on the summit must wait while the three boys accepted this challenge” (Golding 28). Their goal is delayed by their need to prove their strength with the boulder. Following their successful launch of the boulder “Not for five minutes could they drag themselves away from this triumph” (Golding 28). The need to push the boulder off the edge of the mountain satisfies the boy’s subconscious need to prove their control and power. This drive is the same feeling that causes the boys to pretend to kill Robert. The boys need to …show more content…
The boys show their fierceness by imagining that they are taking the life of the bore. The bore has two tusks that resemble phallic symbols, meaning that the bore resembles a strong male figure. In a family the father and the son compete for the mother's body and attention; therefore, the boy’s performance of defeating the boar symbolizes their victory in the family and their ability to resist all their male superiors. Their unconscious urge to reinstate manhood pushes them too far. The boys need to overcompensate their manliness because they are terrified of the bore. Their confidence was built up when they hunted and killed the pig, but losing the bore obliterated their confidence. At the sight of the bore “boys flung themselves wildly from the pig track and scrabbled in the creepers, screaming” (Golding 113). The boys are terrified of the bore, but they are confident around Robert and know he can’t hurt them. Since the play is only entertainment, when “Ralph entered into the [play,] everybody laughed” (Golding 114). The reenactment is a simple way to ensure success. In order to reestablish their courage, the boys pretend to kill Robert. Furthermore, the display is a chance for the boys to
In the first chapter of the novel Ralph, Simon and Jack venture up the mountain. On the journey they pause at a large boulder. Planning to thrust the boulder, the boys decide “The assault on the summit must wait while the three boys accepted this challenge” (Golding 28). Their goal is delayed by their need to prove their strength with the boulder. Following their successful launch of the boulder “Not for five minutes could they drag themselves away from this triumph” (Golding 28). The need to push the boulder off the edge of the mountain satisfies the boy’s subconscious need to prove their control and power. This drive is the same feeling that causes the boys to pretend to kill Robert. The boys need to …show more content…
The boys show their fierceness by imagining that they are taking the life of the bore. The bore has two tusks that resemble phallic symbols, meaning that the bore resembles a strong male figure. In a family the father and the son compete for the mother's body and attention; therefore, the boy’s performance of defeating the boar symbolizes their victory in the family and their ability to resist all their male superiors. Their unconscious urge to reinstate manhood pushes them too far. The boys need to overcompensate their manliness because they are terrified of the bore. Their confidence was built up when they hunted and killed the pig, but losing the bore obliterated their confidence. At the sight of the bore “boys flung themselves wildly from the pig track and scrabbled in the creepers, screaming” (Golding 113). The boys are terrified of the bore, but they are confident around Robert and know he can’t hurt them. Since the play is only entertainment, when “Ralph entered into the [play,] everybody laughed” (Golding 114). The reenactment is a simple way to ensure success. In order to reestablish their courage, the boys pretend to kill Robert. Furthermore, the display is a chance for the boys to