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I can’t stop thinking about the ending to “The Lord of the Flies.” When the navy officer arrives on the island, he’s shocked to find the group of stranded boys wearing war paint, holding spears, 2 dead, another about to be killed and the island engulfed in flames behind them.
“What have you been doing? Having a war or something?”
Ralph nodded.
“Nobody killed, I hope. Any dead bodies?”
“Only two.”
The officer leaned down and looked closely at Ralph.
“Two? Killed?”
Ralph nodded again.
Other boys were appearing now...small savages...
Ralph nodded.
“Nobody killed, I hope. Any dead bodies?”
“Only two.”
The officer leaned down and looked closely at Ralph.
“Two? Killed?”
Ralph nodded again.
Other boys were appearing now...small savages...
“I should have thought that a pack of British boys would have been able to put up a better show than that—”
“It was like that at first,” said Ralph, “before things—”
He stopped. “We were together then—”
The officer nodded helpfully...
“It was like that at first,” said Ralph, “before things—”
He stopped. “We were together then—”
The officer nodded helpfully...
Ralph looked at him dumbly. The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that wrenched his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island...
Infected by that emotion the other little boys began to sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.”
This is what America feels like to me right now. Like we lost our bearings and became the darkest version of ourselves. Some of us, like Ralph, resisted. But the island remains engulfed in flames. It never occurred to me until now just how optimistic this ending is.
Because when they saw themselves through the adult’s eyes, they were overcome with shame. This leaves open the possibility that they can recover. That they can cast off the darkness that overcame them and come back to the light. That they can re-enter a functioning society.
I hope that happens for us. I hope people can see the war paint they put on, the spears they sharpened. I hope we still have the ability to reverse course. I can’t imagine it right now. But I hope.
