English Literature books summary

but Jack vows that he will go up the mountain to look for the beast. Jack

mocks Ralph for not wanting to go up the mountain, claiming that he is

afraid. Jack claims he saw something bulge on the mountain. Since Jack

seems for the first time somewhat afraid, Ralph says that they will look

for it then. The boys see a rock-like hump and something like a great ape

sitting asleep with its head between its knees. At its sight, the boys run

off.

Chapter Eight: Gift for the Darkness:

When Ralph tells Piggy what they saw, he is quite skeptical. Ralph

tells him that the beast had teeth and big black eyes. Jack says that his

hunters can defeat the beast, but Ralph dismisses them as boys with sticks.

Jack tells the other boys that the beast is a hunter, and says that Ralph

thinks that the boys are cowards. Jack says that Ralph isn't a proper

chief, for he is a coward himself. Jack asks the boys who wants Ralph not

to be chief. Nobody agrees with Jack, so he runs off in tears. He says that

he is not going to be part of Ralph's lot. Jack leaves them. Piggy says

that they can do without Jack, but they should stay close to the platform.

Simon suggests that they climb the mountain. Piggy says that if they

climb the mountain they can start the fire again, but then suggests that

they start a fire down by the beach. Piggy organizes the new fire by the

beach. Ralph notices that several of the boys are missing. Piggy says that

they will do well enough if they behave with common sense, and proposes a

feast. They wonder where Simon has gone; he might be climbing the mountain.

Simon had left to sit in the open space he had found earlier. Far off along

the beach, Jack says that he will be chief of the hunters, and will forget

the beast. He says that they might go later to the castle rock, but now

will kill a pig and give a feast. They find a group of pigs and kill a

large sow. Jack rubs the blood over Maurice's cheeks, while Roger laughs

that the fatal blow against the sow was up her ass. They cut off the pig's

head and leave it on a stick as a gift for the beast at the mountain-top.

Simon sees the head, with flies buzzing around it. Ralph worries that the

boys will die if they are not rescued soon. Ralph and Piggy realize that it

is Jack who causes things to break up. The forest near them suddenly bursts

into uproar. The littluns run off as Jack approaches, naked except for

paint and a belt, while hunters take burning branches from the fire. Jack

tells them that he and his hunters are living along the beach by a flat

rock, where they hunt and feast and have fun. He invites the boys to join

his tribe. When Jack leaves, Ralph says that he thought Jack was going to

take the conch, which Ralph holds as a symbol of ritual and order. They

reiterate that the fire is the most important thing, but Bill suggests that

they go to the hunters' feast and tell them that the fire is hard on them.

At the top of the mountain remains the pig's head, which Simon has dubbed

the Lord of the Flies. Simon believes that the pig's head speaks to him,

calling him a silly little boy. The Lord of the Flies tells Simon that he'd

better run off and play with the others, who think that he is crazy. The

Lord of the Flies claims that he is the Beast, and laughs at the idea that

the Beast is something that could be hunted and killed. Simon falls down

and loses consciousness.

Chapter Nine: A View to a Death:

Simon's fit passes into the weariness of sleep. Simon speaks aloud to

himself, asking "What else is there to do?" Simon sees the Beast the body

of the soldier who parachuted onto the island and realizes what it

actually is. He staggers down the mountain to tell them what he has found.

Ralph notices the clouds overhead and estimates that it will rain again.

Ralph and Piggy play in the lagoon, and Piggy gets mad when Ralph squirts

water on him, getting his glasses wet. They wonder where most of the other

boys have gone, and remark that they are with the hunters for the fun of

pretending to be a tribe and putting on war paint. They decide that they

should find them to make sure that nothing happens. They find the other

boys grouped together, laughing and eating. Jack sits on a great log,

painted and garlanded as an idol. Jack orders the boys to give Ralph and

Piggy some eat, then orders a boy to give him a drink. Jack asks all of the

boys who will join his tribe, for he gave them food and his hunters will

protect them. Ralph and Jack argue over who will be chief. Ralph says that

he has the conch, but Jack says that it doesn't count on this side of the

island. Piggy tells Ralph that they should go before there is trouble.

Ralph warns them that a storm is coming and asks where there shelters are.

The littluns are frightened, so Jack says that they should do their pig

dance. As the storm begins, Simon rushes from the jungle, crying out about

the dead body on the mountain. The boys rush after him, striking him and

killing him. Meanwhile, on the mountain, the storm blows the parachute and

the body attached to it into the sea. That night, Simon's body washes out

to sea.

Chapter Ten: The Shell and the Glasses:

Back on the other side of the island, Ralph and Piggy discuss Simon,

and Piggy reminds him that he is still chief, or at least chief over them.

Piggy tries to stop Ralph from talking about Simon's murder. Piggy says

that he took part in the murder because he was scared, but Ralph says that

he wasn't scared. He doesn't know what came over him. They try to justify

the death as an accident caused by Simon's crazy behavior. Piggy asks Ralph

not to reveal to Sam and Eric that they were in on the killing. Sam and

Eric return, dragging a long out of the forest. All four appear nervous as

they discuss where they have been, trying to avoid the subject of Simon's

murder. Roger arrives at castle rock, where Robert makes him declare

himself before he can enter. The boys have set a log so they can easily

cause a rock to tumble down. Roger and Robert discuss how Jack had Wilfred

tied up for no apparent reason. Jack sits on a log, nearly naked with a

painted face. He declares that tomorrow they will hunt again. He warns them

about the beast and about intruders. Bill asks what they will use to light

the fire, and Jack blushes. He finally answers that they shall take fire

from the others. Piggy gives Ralph his glasses to start the fire. They wish

that they could make a radio or a boat, but Ralph says that they might be

captured by the Reds. Eric stops himself before he admits that it would be

better than being captured by Jack's hunters. Ralph wonders about what

Simon said about a dead man. The boys become tired by pulling wood for the

fire, but Ralph resolves that they must keep it going. Ralph nearly forgets

what their objective is for the fire, and they realize that two people are

needed to keep the fire burning at all times. This would require that they

each spend twelve hours a day devoted to it. They finally give up the fire

for the night. Ralph reminisces about the safety of home, and he and Piggy

conclude that they will go insane. They laugh at a small joke that Piggy

makes. Jack and his hunters arrive and attack the shelter where Ralph,

Piggy and the twins are. They fight them off, but still suffer considerable

injuries. Piggy thought that they wanted the conch, but realizes that they

came for something else. Instead, Jack had come for Piggy's broken glasses.

Chapter Eleven: Castle Rock:

The four boys gather around where the fire had been, bloody and

wounded. Ralph calls a meeting for the boys who remain with them, and Piggy

asks Ralph to tell them what could be done. Ralph says that all they need

is a fire, and if they had kept the fire burning they might have been

rescued already. Ralph, Sam and Eric think that they should go to the

Castle Rock with spears, but Piggy refuses to take one. Piggy says that

he's going to go find Jack himself. Piggy says that he will appeal to a

sense of justice. A tear falls down his cheek as he speaks. Ralph says that

they should make themselves look presentable, with clothes, to not look

like savages. They set off along the beach, limping. When they approach the

Castle Rock, Ralph blows the conch. He approaches the other boys

tentatively, and Sam and Eric rush near him, leaving Piggy alone. Jack

arrives from hunting, and tells Ralph to leave them alone. Ralph finally

calls Jack a thief, and Jack responds by trying to stab Ralph with his

spear, which Ralph deflects. They fight each other while Piggy reminds

Ralph what they came to do. Ralph stops fighting and says that they have to

give back Piggy's glasses and reminds them about the fire. He calls them

painted fools. Jack orders the boys to grab Sam and Eric. They take the

spears from the twins and Jack orders them to be tied up. Ralph screams at

Jack, calling him a beast and a swine and a thief. They fight again, but

Piggy asks to speak as the other boys jeer. Piggy asks them whether it is

better to be a pack of painted Indians or to be sensible like Ralph, to

have rules and agree or to hunt and kill. Roger leans his weight on the

lever, causing a great rock to crash down on Piggy, crushing the conch and

sending Piggy down a cliff, where he lands on the beach, killing him. Jack

declares himself chief, and hurls his spear at Ralph, which tears the skin

and flesh over his ribs, then shears off and falls into the water. Ralph

turns and runs, but Sam and Eric remain. Jack orders them to join the

tribe, but when they only wish to be let go he pokes them in the ribs with

a spear.

Chapter Twelve: Cry of the Hunters:

Ralph hides, wondering about his wounds. He is not far from the Castle

Rock. He thinks he sees Bill in the distance, but realizes that it is not

actually Bill anymore, for he is now a savage and not the boy in shorts and

shirt he once knew. He concludes that Jack will never leave Ralph alone.

Ralph can see the Lord of the Flies, now a skull with the skin and meat

eaten away. Ralph can still hear the chant "Kill the beast. Cut his throat.

Spill his blood." He crawls to the lookout near Castle Rock and calls to

Sam and Eric. Sam gives him a chunk of meat and tells him to leave. They

tell him that Roger has sharpened a stick at both ends, but Ralph cannot

attach a meaning to this. Ralph crawls away to a slope where he can safely

sleep. When he awakes he can hear Jack and Roger outside the thicket where

he hides. They are trying to find out where Ralph is hiding. The other boys

are rolling rocks down the mountain. Ralph finally runs away, not knowing

what he should do. He decides to hide again, then realizes that Jack and

his boys were sitting the island on fire to smoke Ralph out, a move that

would destroy whatever fruit was left on the island. Ralph rushes toward

the beach, where he finds a naval officer. His ship saw the smoke and came

to the island. The officer thinks that the boys have been only playing

games. The other boys begin to appear from the forest. Percival tries to

announce his name and address, but cannot say what was once so natural.

Ralph says that he is boss, and the officer asks how many there are. He

scolds them for not knowing exactly how many there are and for not being

organized, as the British are supposed to be. Ralph says that they were

like that at first. Ralph begins to weep for the first time on the island.

He weeps for the end of innocence and the darkness of man's heart, and for

the fall of Piggy. The officer turns away, embarrassed, while the other

boys await the cruiser in the distance.

Middlemarch by G.Eliot

Chapter 1:

The novel begins in the upper-class Brooke household in Tipton,

inhabited by Mr. Brooke and his two nieces, Dorothea and Celia. Dorothea

and her sister Celia are well-connected, sensible girls from a good family;

they believe in economy of dress and are rather mainstream in their beliefs

and behavior. Dorothea is drawn to sacrifice and grand, intellectual

things, while Celia has fewer aspirations in the world of academics and

religion. Their uncle, Mr. Brooke, is careful with his money, and rather

Puritan in his disposition, which Dorothea is also.

Two suitors, Sir Chettam and Mr. Casaubon, make visits to the house;

Sir Chettam likes Dorothea, but Dorothea believes he is more inclined

toward her sister. Celia has more sense than her sister, but Dorothea is

very steadfast in her Puritan ways.

Chapter 2:

Sir James and Casaubon are over for supper, with Sir James trying to

appeal to Dorothea, while Dorothea begins to admire Casaubon. Dorothea

hopes that Sir James will try to appeal to her sister Celia, rather than to

herself, and Dorothea continues her perverse fascination with Casaubon.

Chapter 3:

Dorothea continues to admire Casaubon, especially admiring his vast

studies and knowledge. She understands that Casaubon has some regard for

her, and feels honored, despite Casaubon's complete inability to show

emotion. She is blind to the fact that he wants to marry her to fulfill his

needs, and is taking advantage of her naivete in this decision. Casaubon

actually tries to show consideration for her in the things he chooses to

speak to her about, and in the way he regards her. Still, Dorothea's

refusal to see Casaubon as anything other than a beacon of knowledge and

good, and Sir James as an annoyance who is useful for carrying out her

plans, shows how her stubbornness blinds her in judging people's

characters, and in making important decisions as well.

Chapter 4:

Sir James has acted on Dorothea's plan, and made new, more pleasant

cottages for his poor tenants; Dorothea is still determined not to think

highly of him, though Celia is rather fond of Sir James. Dorothea admits to

her sister that she does not like Sir James, although he plainly likes her;

Celia cannot believe that Dorothea could so easily dismiss a man who loves

her. When Dorothea gets back, her uncle tells her that he went to visit

Casaubon, and Casaubon inquired about marrying Dorothea. Mr. Brooke is

against it, because of Casaubon's tendency to mope about and live in books;

but, when Dorothea says that she would accept Casaubon over Sir Chettam,

Mr. Brooke speaks diplomatically, while laying out before her the realities

of marriage. Though Dorothea listens, she does not seem to absorb all the

important things he says. Mr. Brooke has brought back a letter of proposal

to Dorothea, and she is determined to accept.

Chapter 5:

Dorothea reads Casaubon's letter, and is touched by it; she

immediately writes out an acceptance, taking the letter to mean that he

feels the same about her as she does about him. Celia has no idea what has

happened until Casaubon joins them all for dinner, and she, at least, knows

that her sister has made a serious mistake, and perhaps can be swayed from

it. Dorothea, however, is convinced that she has made the right choice;

Casaubon expresses happiness at their engagement, and Dorothea completely

overlooks his lack of passion.

Chapter 6:

Mrs. Cadwallader is finally introduced, a shrewd, somewhat

manipulative, and meddling woman whom Mr. Brooke has little affection for.

Mrs. Casaubon and Mr. Brooke talk politics for a little while, which Mr.

Brooke does not want to do; finally, Celia tells Mrs. Cadwallader that

Dorothea is going to marry Casaubon, which displeases Mrs. Cadwallader, a

great advocate for Sir James, greatly. Sir James finds out, and is greatly

displeased; but Mrs. Cadwallader tells him that Celia admires him greatly,

and won't give him as much trouble. Mrs. Cadwallader is the archetype of

the country woman, with her narrow interests, her meddling ways, and her

great concern in anything involving people she knows. Sir James is able to

conquer his disappointment, and realizes that courting Celia is what he

should begin to do.

Chapter 7:

Casaubon has exhausted his meager reserves of passion already, and

looks forward to married life, which he expects will be more pleasant and

fulfilled. Not once does he stop and consider his duties for Dorothea,

showing himself to be an unsuitable partner who will be hard-pressed to

make her happy. Dorothea is eager to begin learning, out of her own desire

to be able to understand and know things. Mr. Brooke cautions Casaubon that

Dorothea, as a woman, might not be capable of such learning; Dorothea

resents such talk, and tries to ignore it.

Chapter 8:

Sir James, in spite of Dorothea's engagement, begins to like visiting

the Grange, her home, once again; he is stung by her rejection, and cannot

understand her attraction to Casaubon at all. He goes to speak to Mr.

Cadwallader, a great friend, to clear his mind about this issue. Sir James

cannot help his great pride, but at least he is very civil to Dorothea, and

does not let his distaste for her marriage interfere with his plans to make

the cottages she proposed.

Chapter 9:

Dorothea gets her new home, Lowick, ready for her impending residence

there. The house is rather big, but not particularly cheery; in fact, it

rather resembles Casaubon in its looks. Dorothea, however, finds it

agreeable, as she finds Casaubon also; but, chances are, she will soon find

that she is mistaken, as the newness and novelty of this entire situation

wears off. Celia herself dislikes anything that Dorothea accepts, and as

such, dislikes Lowick and Casaubon equally.

Casaubon introduces the party to Will Ladislaw, his cousin; he

dislikes Dorothea immediately, because of the way she speaks poorly of

herself before others, and because she is marrying his sour, humorless

cousin. Will is young, rather handsome, and an artist as well; he seems

much better suited to Dorothea, though a better match than Casaubon is

certainly not hard to find. Ladislaw is without occupation, so Casaubon is,

reluctantly, providing for him; but Casaubon and his cousin seem not to get

along at all.

Chapter 10:

Ladislaw leaves suddenly for Europe; he has a view of life and work

completely opposed to Casaubon's, and is much more impulsive and full of

passion than his dull cousin. Casaubon, to his credit, does try to be more

joyful about his marriage, and to understand his young bride better; but,

he is fundamentally unsuited to this relationship, and cannot make himself

more amenable to it. They decide to go to Rome on their honeymoon, a

decision partially motivated by Casaubon's single-minded pursuit of

information, to the detriment of his fragile relationship with Dorothea.

Casaubon and Dorothea attend a local dinner party, where many of the

prominent citizens of the town are discussing their displeasure at Casaubon

and Dorothea's marriage, and the arrival of the new doctor, Lydgate. Many

of the townspeople prove completely pedestrian in their opinions, liking

decorative, weak-willed women, and disapproving of any experimentation,

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