In the novel Lord of the Flies, what are some quotes that help the reader understand the characters Samneric?

Samneric are twins who are virtually inseparable throughout the novel. In Chapter 1, Ralph uses the conch shell to call the missing boys together on the island. The last two boys to arrive at the platform are the twins, Sam and Eric. Golding writes,

"They were twins, and the eye was shocked and incredulous at such cheery duplication. They breathed together, they grinned together, they were chunky and vital" (23).

Golding's initial portrayal of Sam and Eric remains unchanged throughout the novel as the twins are essentially considered one person.

In Chapter 6, the twins are supposed to be taking turns watching and feeding the fire, but they end up falling asleep because they do everything together. Golding writes,

"In theory one should have been asleep and one on watch. But they could never manage to do things sensibly if that meant acting independently, and since staying awake all night was impossible, they had both gone to sleep" (96).

Samneric are not considered intelligent, responsible, or independent. They do not follow through with taking turns and end up falling asleep during their duty.

After they return from the mountain, Ralph holds and assembly to discuss what Samneric saw on top of the mountain. While the twins are addressing the group, Golding writes,

"By custom now one conch did for both twins, for their substantial unity was recognized" (100).

Again, Samneric are considered one person and do not need to take turns using the conch shell to address the group.