The assembly was lifted towards safety by his words. Spontaneously they began to clap and presently the platform was loud with applause. Ralph waved the conch.
"Shut up! wait! listen!"
He went on in the silence borne on his triumph.
"There is another thing. We can have them to find us. If a ship comes near the islands they may not notice us. So, we must make smoke on the top of the mountain. You must make a fire."
At once, half the boys were on their feet. Jack clamoured among them, the conch forgotten. "Come on! follow me!"
All at once, the crowd swayed towards the island and were gone - following. Jack. Even the tiny children went and did their best among the leaves and broken branches. Ralph was left holding the conch with no one but Piggy. They all started enthusiastically carrying dry wood and making a pile of it on the mountain top. When the pile was complete, the issue that arose was how to enkindle the fire. They did not have any matches. All of a sudden, it came to their mind to use Piggy's eye glasses for the purpose. They snatched his spectacles and finally were able to start the fire. The boys broke into a cheer.
Ralph took the conch and looked round the circle of boys.
"We've got to have special people for looking after the fire. Any day there may be a ship out there and if you have a signal going they will come and take us off. And another thing, we are to have more rules; where the conch is, that's a meeting. The same up here as down there."
The boys assented. Piggy opened his mouth to speak, took the conch and stood up.
"I agree with Ralph. You got to have rules and obey them. After all, we are not savages. We are English and the English are best at everything. So, we have got to do right things."
He turned to Ralph and took the responsibility of keeping the fire going on behalf of the choir. Piggy showed his concern about not having the name list of the boys. It was detected that one of the boys with mark on his face was missing.
Question 1: How does Ralph's speech affect the assembly, and what action do they take in response?
Answer: Ralph's speech lifts the assembly towards safety, and they spontaneously begin to clap, filling the platform with applause.
Question 2: What additional plan does Ralph propose to increase their chances of being rescued?
Answer: Ralph suggests that they must make smoke on the top of the mountain to attract passing ships, so they need to build a fire.
Question 3: How do the boys react to Jack's call to follow him, and what task do they immediately undertake?
Answer: Upon Jack's call to follow him, half the boys immediately rise to their feet and follow him to the island. They enthusiastically begin gathering dry wood and making a pile of it on the mountain top.
Question 4: What dilemma arises when they attempt to start the fire, and how do they resolve it?
Answer: They realize they don't have any matches to start the fire. They solve the problem by using Piggy's eyeglasses to focus sunlight and ignite the dry wood.
Question 5: What responsibilities does Ralph assign to certain individuals regarding the fire, and how do the boys respond?
Answer: Ralph assigns special people to look after the fire, emphasizing its importance in attracting passing ships for rescue. The boys agree to these responsibilities.
Question 6: How does Piggy express his agreement with Ralph's proposal, and what additional concerns does he raise?
Answer: Piggy agrees with Ralph, emphasizing the necessity of rules and obedience. He expresses concern about not having a name list of the boys and notes that one boy with a mark on his face is missing.
