Coral Island

1
Coral Island

• The Coral Island is the story of Ralph, Jack and
  Peterkin, three young English boys who are
  shipwrecked in a deserted island of the Pacific.
  In the Robinson Crusoe Fashion, these three young
  heroes managed to create and idyllic society.
  They build they own house, make fire, gather
  fruits, build boats to explore neighbouring
  paradisiacal islands... After many unpleasant yet
  instructive experiences, they are rescued by an
  English missionary. They Christianize two
  friendly savages of their island and all together
  sail back to England. When they return to
  civilization, they are much wiser and mature, for
  the adventure was an initiation experience.

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ralisland.html
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References to Heart of Darkness, Josef Conrad

• Golding alludes to Joseph Conrads Heart of
  Darkness.
• Mr. Kurtz is an ivory trader, sent by a shadowy
  Belgian company into the heart of the Congo.
• In Heart of Darkness, as the narrator Marlowe
  travels deeper into the jungle, darkness in man
  becomes increasingly evil as they finally end
  with the meeting of Mr. Kurtz.
• Over the course of his stay in Africa, Kurtz
  becomes corrupted.
• He induces the natives to worship him, setting up
  rituals and venerations worthy of a tyrant. Kurtz
  dies on the boat with the (very famous) last
  words, "The horror! The horror!
• Describing Kurtz, His was an impenetrable
  darkness. I looked at him as you peer down at a
  man who is lying at the bottom of a precipice
  where the sun never shines.
• I saw in that ivory face, the expression of
  somber pride, of ruthless power, of craven
  terrorof an intense and hopeless dispair.

3
Chapter 12, 202

• But the island was scorched up like dead
  woodSimon was deadand Jack had The tears began
  to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up
  to them now for the first time on the island
  great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to
  wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the
  black smoke before the burning wreckage of the
  island and infected by that emotion, the other
  little boys began to shake and 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 mans heart, and the
  fall through the air of the true, wise friend,
  called Piggy.

4
Questions and Comparisons

• Why does Ralph weep for end of innocence, the
  darkness of mans heart, and the fall through the
  air of the true, wise friend, called Piggy?
• How does Kurtz compare with characters in the
  novel? Who would be most similar to his
  transformation in the jungle?