“He wanted to explain how people were never quite what you thought they were.”

“He lost himself in a maze of thoughts that were rendered vague by his lack of words to express them. Frowning, he tried again.”

“Bit by bit [the Second World War] really changed my view of what people were capable of, and therefore what human nature was.”

“Ralph... would treat the day's decisions as though he were playing chess. The only trouble was that he would never be a very good chess player.”

“If faces were different when lit from above or below -- what was a face? What was anything?”

“The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise.”

“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.”