What does Maurice do in Lord of the Flies? Maurice might not be the main character in Lord of the Flies, but his role helps us understand how quickly people can lose sight of what’s important. Early on in the book, he realizes that Ralph sees a ship nearby and notices that the signal fire has gone out, which is an important moment showing just how close rescue could have been. Sadly, the boys can’t relight the fire in time, extending their stay on the island. Ultimately, Maurice gives in to peer pressure and joins Jack’s tribe, turning away from rescue and civilization entirely. His story highlights Golding’s powerful message about human nature and how easily we can abandon our values when society breaks down.
What does Maurice do in Lord of the Flies?
Maurice is a supporting character in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. While he might not stand out as much as Ralph or Jack, his actions help highlight important themes about human nature and how easily people can abandon civilization.
Early in the novel, Maurice is involved in childish mischief. Alongside Roger, he destroys sandcastles built by the younger boys (the “littluns”). At first, he’s just acting like a playful kid:
“Roger led the way straight through the castles… Maurice followed, laughing, and added to the destruction.” (Chapter 4)
But unlike Roger, Maurice still feels a bit guilty afterward because he remembers the rules from back home:
“Now, though there was no parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing.” (Chapter 4)
Later, Maurice plays an important role when Ralph spots a passing ship. He’s the one who figures out what Ralph sees and realizes that their signal fire has gone out. He shouts this discovery urgently:
“‘Smoke!’ ‘Smoke!’ He turned away from Ralph. ‘The smoke’s stopped!'” (Chapter 4)
This moment is crucial because it highlights how close they came to rescue and how frustrating it is when they’re unable to relight their fire in time. The missed opportunity prolongs their stay on the island and deepens tensions within the group.
Even though Maurice understands how important keeping the fire going is at that moment, he eventually gives in to peer pressure and joins Jack’s tribe. Jack’s group cares more about hunting and power than getting rescued or maintaining civilization. Maurice actively participates in their savage rituals and dances. He’s even present during Simon’s tragic death scene, showing he’s completely abandoned his earlier hesitation about wrongdoing:
“At once the crowd surged after it… Leapt onto the beast [Simon], screamed, struck, bit, tore.” (Chapter 9)
In short, Maurice isn’t always at center stage, but his character helps show readers just how quickly someone can lose sight of what’s right when society breaks down. His shift from feeling uneasy about small wrongdoings to fully joining Jack’s violent group demonstrates Golding’s message about humanity’s fragile connection to civility and morality.
What does Maurice symbolize?
In Lord of the Flies, Maurice symbolizes civilization and order but also how easily these things can fall apart. In the beginning, Maurice helps out with important jobs, like keeping the signal fire burning, which shows he values rules and wants to be rescued. But later on, he abandons these goals and joins Jack’s tribe, fully accepting their violent ways. Maurice’s change from Ralph’s organized group to Jack’s savage one helps show how civilization gradually falls apart on the island.
What role does Maurice play in Lord of the Flies?
In Lord of the Flies, Maurice is a supporting character and is not one of the main leaders. He starts out as just another boy on the island and eventually becomes one of Jack’s hunters, joining his tribe when the group splits apart. Maurice follows along with Jack’s violent and savage behavior, helping show how easily even ordinary kids can fall into cruelty when they’re away from civilization and rules.
What do Maurice and Roger do in Chapter 4 of Lord of the Flies?
In Chapter 4 of Lord of the Flies, Maurice and Roger start to show signs of turning toward cruelty and bullying. They come down to the beach where the younger kids (“littluns”) are playing, and they purposely kick over and destroy the sandcastles that the littluns had carefully built. Maurice even throws sand into little Percival’s face, causing him discomfort. Roger takes things a step further by throwing stones near one of the boys but he still has enough self-control not to hit him directly. These actions foreshadow how quickly order and kindness can break down without rules or adult supervision.
How old is Maurice in Lord of the Flies?
In Lord of the Flies, Maurice’s exact age isn’t stated clearly, but he’s described as one of the older boys and is around the same age as Ralph, Jack, and Roger. Based on his actions and how he fits into the group, most readers assume he’s about 12 or 13 years old.
Conclusion
Maurice might not be the main character in Lord of the Flies, but his role helps us understand how quickly people can lose sight of what’s important. Early on, he realizes that Ralph sees a ship nearby and notices that the signal fire has gone out, which is an important moment showing just how close to rescue the boys had been. Unfortunately, the boys can’t get the fire lit again in time, so they miss their chance to get rescued and have to stay on the island longer. Eventually, Maurice gives in to peer pressure and joins Jack’s tribe, completely forgetting about being rescued or staying civilized. His actions show Golding’s important message, which is that people can quickly abandon their values when society’s rules fall apart.