Piggy reminded Ralph that they had come only to get back the fire and his spectacles. Ralph glanced towards the group of savages,
"Listen, First you have got to give back Piggy's specs. If he hasn't got them, he can't see." The tribe of painted savages giggled. Piggy whispered,
"And the fire."
"Oh yes. Your only hope is keeping a signal fire going. As long as there is light to see, then maybe a ship will notice the smoke and come and rescue us and take us home. But without that smoke we have got to wait till some ship comes by accident. We might wait years; till we were old"!
He pointed past them to where the trickle of smoke dispersed in the pearly air.
"Look at that! call that a signal fire? That's a cooking fire. Now you'll eat and there will be no smoke. Don't you understand? There may be a ship out there."
Jack looked back at Ralph and then at the twins.
"Grab them! "
No one moved. Jack shouted angrily.
"I said grab them."
The painted group moved round Samneric unhandily. Samneric protested out of the heart of civilization. Their spears were taken from them.
"Tie them up!
The painted group felled the twins clumsily and excitedly. Jack was inspired. He knew that Ralph would attempt a rescue. Then the twins lay astonished and the tribe stood around them. Jack turned to Ralph and spoke between his teeth.
"See? They do what I want."
There was silence again. The tribe watched Ralph to see what he would do. His temper broke.
Question 1: What items does Piggy remind Ralph they came to retrieve, and why are these items important?
Answer: Piggy reminds Ralph they came to retrieve the fire and his spectacles. The spectacles are crucial for Piggy's vision, and the fire is essential for signaling potential rescuers.
Question 2: What does Ralph emphasize as the importance of maintaining the signal fire, and what does he fear will happen if the fire is not kept alight?
Answer: Ralph stresses that the signal fire is their only hope for rescue. Without the smoke from the fire, they might have to wait for years until a passing ship notices them by accident.
Question 3: How does Ralph criticize the current state of the fire, and what does he point out to illustrate his point?
Answer: Ralph criticizes the fire as merely a cooking fire, lacking the necessary smoke for signaling. He points out the absence of smoke to emphasize the inadequacy of their current fire.
Question 4: What does Jack command his tribe to do when he notices Ralph addressing the group?
Answer: Jack commands his tribe to grab Samneric, the twins, who are with Ralph and Piggy.
Question 5: How does Jack ensure compliance with his command to capture Samneric, and how do the twins react?
Answer: Jack angrily repeats his command until the painted group moves to seize Samneric. The twins protest, but their spears are taken from them, and they are tied up by the tribe.
Question 6: What does Jack communicate to Ralph after the twins are captured, and how does he demonstrate his power over the tribe?
Answer: Jack indicates to Ralph that the tribe does what he wants, showing his control over them.