"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."

The ending to Lord of the Flies is very dark. Now obviously, the boys get saved, but it is not a happy reunion with civilized society. "The tears began to flow and sobs shook him... 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" (Golding 207-208). Ralph finally breaks down, letting all this pent up emotion go, crying for all this terrible stuff that has happened and that the best of his friends, the smart one, the logical one, has died. It is not gleeful, or happy, or up lifting. Even thought they are rescued, and can leave this awful place, they are not ecstatic. I just try to imagine the long ride home, and how awkward it will be. I mean, mere moments earlier, they were all trying to kill Ralph, masked in war paint and brandishing spears of wood, meaning to hunt and murder him, and now they're sitting silently, civil, in the same room. Also, I found it interesting how the description of the savages goes as the officer arrives. Before the arrival of the officer, they are described as,"the savage... a brown figure" (Golding 205). But after the officer arrives, or at least once they meet him, they turn into, "A semicircle of little boys..." (Golding 206). They turn from these large, intimidating, primitive, beasts capable of terrible acts of savagery into small boys, playing at survival, " 'Fun and games,' " (Golding 206). Their actions seem so unlikely, small, insignificant and childish, they aren't expected. Also, one of the Officer's remarks - the civilized representative of society - addressing the small savages really got to me, " 'What have you been doing? Having a war or something?' " (Golding 206). No, that's for the civilized ones. That's for you.