Chapter 3 - Huts on the Beach

I was working with Simon to build a hut on the beach when Jack came out of the creepers drenched in sweat.  We walked down the beach as he explained how his hunting went for the day.  He had been trying to catch a wild pig but he has been unsuccessful since the start of his efforts.  I know Jack has been trying his hardest to kill a pig and bring back its meat but he has hardly been of help in any other way.  All of the other boys have even run off to do whatever they please except Simon who stayed back to help.  I tried to persuade Jack to help build huts instead of hunt for pigs but he was consumed with the idea of the kill.  He refused to listen to me despite the fact that I am the elected leader.  He is becoming an animal.  I reminded Jack that his hunters or choir boys needed to maintain the fire that would signal our rescue.  I thought he saw a ship out on the horizon of the ocean but he was talking about something relating to a place he will hunt down a pig to kill.  A place up high on the cliffs where the pigs would lay when the sun was extremely hot.  All I wanted from him was to help pitch in on the beach as much as he focused on tracking and killing wild pigs.  When I returned to the hut I had been working on, Simon was gone.  I didn't see him at the bathing pool either and I wonder where he could have run off to.

Personal Connection:  The events in chapter 3, Huts on the Beach, relates to my life because I know what it is like to feel ignored and unappreciated much like Ralph does in this chapter.  He feels that no one is listening to his ideas on how they will survive on the island and I understand how he feels.  Being a teenager, I often am overlooked by adults when it comes to ideas despite the fact that I feel my ideas are just as important as theirs.  Age should not matter when it comes to listening to ideas.

Quote:  "Indignation took away Ralph's control.  'I was talking about smoke!  Don't you want to be rescued?  All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig!'"  This quote shows more conflict between Ralph and Jack over how the group should behave while stuck on the island together.  Ralph wants to focus on building huts for shelter and keeping the fire burning so they can be seen and rescued.  Jack wants to kill a pig for meat and thinks being rescued isn't important until then.  This just expands on the problems that will occur between Ralph and Jack.