I believe man suffers from an appalling ignorance of his own nature. I produce my own view in the belief that it may be something like the truth.

A crowd of grade-three thinkers, all shouting the same thing, all warming their hands at the fire of their own prejudices, will not thank you for pointing out the contradictions in their beliefs. Man is a gregarious animal, and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way on the side of a hill.

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.

For a small island [Great Britain], the place is remarkably diverse.

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.

What a man does defiles him, not what is done by others.

No human endeavour can ever be wholly good... it must always have a cost.