“Are we savages or what?”

“What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?”

“We're not savages. We're English.”

“We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.”

“Maybe, he said hesitantly, maybe there is a beast. The assembly cried out savagely and Ralph stood up in amazement. You, Simon? You believe in this? I don't know, said Simon. His heartbeats were choking him. [...]Ralph shouted. Hear him! He's got the conch! What I mean is . . . maybe it's only us. Nuts! That was from Piggy, shocked out of decorum.”

“We did everything adults would do. What went wrong?”

“I know there isn't no beast—not with claws and all that, I mean—but I know there isn't no fear, either."Piggy paused."Unless—"Ralph moved restlessly."Unless what?""Unless we get frightened of people.”